Builders merchant and DIY retailer Grafton said that improved construction activity drove Irish revenue growth at the Woodie’s DIY and Chadwicks owner in the first half of the year.
In a trading update on Monday, the London-listed group said that its strong performance on the island of Ireland over the period offset a weak market in Britain.
Overall, group revenues increased to £1.34 billion (€1.5 billion), up 6.7 per cent between January and the end of June from the same period last year.
Grafton said that geopolitical uncertainty “continued to weigh on market confidence” in some markets, including Britain, where sales revenues declined by 5.1 per cent.
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“Market conditions [in Britain] remained challenging throughout the period, with subdued construction activity and heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty continuing to weigh on consumer confidence and investment decisions,” the group said.
By contrast, Grafton’s revenues on the island of Ireland grew by 3.4 per cent in the first half.
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“Performance strengthened through the period as improving construction activity supported growth at Chadwicks in the second quarter, following weather-related disruption earlier in the year,” it said.
Woodie’s, meanwhile, traded “slightly ahead” of a strong period in the spring of 2025, when “favourable weather” boosted demand for garden and outdoor living products.
Grafton affirmed its outlook for full-year adjusted operating profit of between £190 million and £200 million.
It said market conditions are expected to remain “broadly consistent” in the second half of 2026.
“Today’s trading update demonstrates the quality of our businesses combined with the resilience and opportunity created by our exposure to multiple geographies,” said Grafton chief executive Eric Born. “Strong growth in Iberia and the island of Ireland, together with continued progress in Northern Europe, has largely offset ongoing weakness in Great Britain.”
Earlier this year, Grafton completed the acquisition of family-founded Spanish group Mercaluz in a deal that could be worth up to €175 million.
The group is predominantly a distributor of domestic and commercial air conditioning equipment and some white goods and home appliances to professional SME installers, with about 10,500 customers in 2025.
