Leekes bucks retail gloom with record interim trading at Coventry store

HOMEWARE retailer Leekes has announced interim sales at its new Coventry store in excess of £6m.

The company said the results for the store, based next to the city’s Ricoh Arena, were a record for a group outlet.

Footfall figures for the 185,000 sq ft store in the 26 weeks to March 22 stand at a quarter of a million people, with average basket spend benchmarked at an average in excess of £30 per visitor.

The growth in trade has had a welcome knock-on impact for employment, with the store growing its headcount from 65 to 110 to cope with demand.

Of the sales, more than £3m is from the furniture department alone; it includes orders for over 60 kitchens and bathrooms; 50 conservatories plus 1,750 pots of paint; 4,100 pieces of cutlery; 3,150 mugs; 3,000 rolls of wallpaper; and 35,000 cups of tea and coffee.

Emma Leeke, managing director at Leekes, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the response to our new store. In its first six months we have had more customer leads across all departments than any other previous opening in the Leekes group – including interior design, conservatories, kitchens and bathrooms.

“We are elated to be bucking the trend of other high-street retailers and are expecting to see sales in excess of £250K across the four day (Easter) weekend.”

She said the store’s concession partners including Cotswold Outdoor, Hulsta and Hammonds furniture as well as food and restaurant partner Farmers Fayre were also pleased with the performance.

“For Leekes, the opening of our Coventry marks one of the most important milestones in our 115 year family history and we’re looking forward to what we expect to be a very bright future in the Midlands,” she added.

The group’s other stores are in Bilston, Melksham in Wiltshire and Llantrisant and Cross Hands in South Wales, as well as a furniture store in Fenton, Stoke on Trent.