DFS Furniture PLC on Friday reported that order intake in the half-year to December 25 fell from a year ago, but grew in the second quarter on its own.

The Doncaster, South Yorkshire-based soft furnishings retailer said order intake in the half-year was 4.8% lower than a year prior.

For the second quarter alone, order intake was up 19% from a year before, as DFS Furniture noted a good start to its important winter sale trading period.

Looking ahead to all of financial year 2023, DFS Furniture expects profit to be second half weighted with first half profit being in the mid-single digit millions.

The company reiterated its financial year 2023 mid-case profit guidance of £36 million pretax profit excluding brand amortisation. For financial year 2022, which ended June 26, the company reported underlying pretax profit excluding brand amortisation of £60.3 million.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Stacey said: ‘The group has traded well through the second quarter and the start of the important winter sale trading period,’ adding that the macroeconomic environment remains challenging and hard to predict.

The company will release its half-year results on March 16.

DFS Furniture shares were 1.5% higher at 162.00 pence each in London on Friday morning.

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.