WICKES owner Travis Perkins warned that record levels of rainfall had hit trade.
The largest supplier of building materials in the UK said group revenues rose by 4.4% in the four months to the end of April, as growth in its general and specialist merchanting divisions were offset by declines in plumbing and heating and retail.
The retail division, which includes 200 Wickes and 107 Tile Giant stores, saw like-for-like sales in the period drop 5.2%.
The Northampton-based group said after a good first quarter, the wettest April since records began led to a weaker performance, while the weather continued to hit activity in May.
Geoff Cooper, Travis Perkins chief executive, said: “We are pleased with the good progress in the first quarter, in particular the balance between continued share gains and our achievements on gross margins.”
Earlier this year, the group announced a £24m deal to buy the 70% of retailer ToolStation that it does not already own.
