Wickes boss reveals more on its plans to create 2,000 jobs and open 70 new stores

DIY giant Wickes has been boosted as families face an ongoing battle to keep the ‘oldest housing stock in Europe’ in good nick.

The group said it plans to open 70 new sites over the next few years as it reported stronger sales, despite a slump in consumer confidence that has rocked the rest of the retail sector.

The home improvement giant said it had grown across all three areas of its business and would now target 300 shops over the next few years, creating 2,000 new jobs. 

Chief executive David Wood told the Daily Mail and This is Money the home improvement market in the UK was ‘distinctive’ due to the huge numbers of poor quality homes, which are usually ‘owner occupied and a really important financial asset.’

He added: ‘They are the oldest housing stock in all of Europe, and so need constant repair, maintenance, and improvement.’

Issues helping to boost sales include poor insulation, as Wood said close to one in two UK homes are ‘inappropriately insulated,’ with many shoppers flocking to buy rolls of insulation.

And he said the business stands to cash in as consumers grow concerned over the potential for higher energy bills to arise from the war in the Middle East. 

He said: ‘When we had the last energy spike [following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022], there was a lot of interest in solar, but also insulation, people were looking to reduce consumption and electricity bills. We are there for all those projects.’

Wood pointed to the group’s solar business, Wickes Solar, and said that it saw a ‘real opportunity’ in this market due to being a ‘trusted brand’.

‘As people become more concerned about the price of energy, they will definitely think about how to reduce it,’ he added.

It comes despite pressure on consumer demand for ‘big ticket’ items such as kitchens and bathrooms, as households face stubborn energy and grocery bills.

The expansion plans follow Wickes’ opening of five new shops last year, including former Homebase shops. This means it now operates 230 stores – mostly from a new format of smaller stores.

It said it expects to open 4-5 new stores this year, and ‘refit or refresh’ between 15 and 20, with a roll-out ‘accelerating’ from 2028 onwards, when it expects to open 10+ new stores per year. 

Despite tough times for households, Wickes said its sales rose 6 per cent to £1.6billion and pre-tax profit grew from £23million to £49million, in the year to 27 December 2025.

While rain at the start of the year has deterred consumers from outdoor projects, sales have boomed across indoor projects, the group said. 

Wood said: ‘This has been another year of strong progress against our strategy. We’ve achieved volume-driven growth across all three areas of the business, as the strength of our proposition continues to resonate with customers.

‘Given the strength of investment returns from our proven store refit and new store rollout strategy, we have today  announced the decision to accelerate our investment for future growth. 

‘This takes our ambition to reach 300 stores nationwide – creating over 2,000 new jobs as we bring Wickes’ distinctive offer to new locations up and down the UK.’