Dunelm warns of ‘soft’ homewares market

DUNELM has become the latest company to suffer from the UK’S bleak retail environment after issuing a shock profit warning, sending its shares plummeting by as much as 17pc.

The homewares company warned that it had suffered a steep decline in customer numbers, which meant likefor-like sales in its stores had fallen nearly 5pc in the first seven weeks of the final quarter of its financial year, which ends in July. It comes just six weeks after Dunelm reported a strong third quarter.

Nick Wilkinson, Dunelm’s chief executive, said he had been surprised by the results, which he attributed to “softness in the homewares market”.