Travis Perkins like-for-like group sales decline 3.4%

Travis Perkins has reported its total like-for-like group sales declined 3.4% in Q3 compared with the same period last year, according to the company’s latest financial statement.

The trading company said the fall in sales was a reflection of the branch closures in June as a result of Covid-19.

The company said merchants and elements of the P&H business were “specifically impacted” from the effect of the pandemic with merchants like-for-like sales dropping 10% from last year.

It said the trading in the month of August was “modestly soft” suffering the impact of a protracted holiday season, before things were said to have “picked up” again in September, in line with schools reopening and many trades returning to a more normal work schedule driving like-for-like growth up 8% for the month.

Travis Perkins reported customer activity has been slower to return to normal, and at the end of September “both new house building and commercial construction continued to run at levels some way below 2019.”

Nick Roberts, CEO of Travis Perkins, said: “Whilst local trade activity has recovered well, our trade businesses continue to experience a lag in recovery from larger house building and construction projects.

“However, there are signs of increasing workflow across these sectors as underlying demand strengthens as businesses have adapted to new and safe ways of working that enable them to keep sites open during periods of local lockdown.”