Upheaval hurts homeware chain

RETAILER Dunelm has blamed management upheaval, a hit from its recent Worldstores acquisition and difficult trading conditions for its second year of falling profits.

Chairman Andy Harrison said the home furnishing group had let ‘basic retail disciplines’ slip as it posted a 6.7pc fall in underlying pre-tax profits to £102m for the year to June 30.

Chief executive Nick Wilkinson said an online push with a new IT system would mean it could respond quicker to the changing consumer environment.