Woodie's 'strong' start to 2025 sees revenue at owner Grafton Group rise by 7.6%

Irish Examiner

08-05-2025

Woodie's owner Grafton Group saw its revenue grow to £773m (€909.5m) in the first four months of the year, reflecting a 7.6% rise on the same period of 2024.
In a trading update on Thursday, the group said it was up 9% in constant currency, which discounts fluctuations from foreign currency prices.
The company said it remained 'cognisant of the potential risks arising from the imposition of US tariffs on the broader Irish economy and future investment decisions'.
Group average daily like-for-like revenue for the period was 2.7% higher than in the same period last year, while in Ireland, the average daily like-for-like revenue, in constant currency, rose 3.5% on the same period in 2024.
"The outlook for growth in construction remains positive with strong support and policy continuity from the new Government to increase housing completions and infrastructure investment,' the group said.
Woodie's business in Ireland had a 'very strong' start to the year, with like-for-like revenue up 10%.
"Well set-up and merchandised stores and favourable weather conditions, combined with strong consumer spending in Ireland, resulted in excellent growth across the business with a particularly strong performance in plants and garden related products," the company said.
In Ireland, Chadwicks delivered like-for-like revenue growth of 3.5% in the period as trading activity recovered strongly from the impact of Storm Éowyn.
The company said the group revenue had also benefited from the acquisition of Salvador Escoda, a distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, water and renewable products in Spain, which was completed in October 2024.
'After a relatively subdued start to the year, and with the more material trading period lying ahead, we were pleased that our performance in the period was in line with our expectations, and we remain on track for the full year," said CEO Eric Born.
'We continue to prioritise meeting our customers' needs and expectations and strive to operate as efficiently as possible.'