Marshalls looks to Chelsea for blossoming sales
LANDSCAPING and paving business Marshalls today said it has seen a “resilient” sales performance this year with strong sales in its core public sector market continuing during 2008.
The Huddersfield-based group, which provided the stone paving for Trafalgar Square and is the current sponsor of the Chelsea Flower Show, said revenue for the four months to April 30 was up 3% to £135m, or up 1% on a like-for-like basis, stripping out acquisitions and newly-opened centres.
It said it would continue to “invest selectively” in growth opportunites and marketing initiatives to drive demand.
In a statement it said: “We continue with our development plans and will maintain a strong emphasis on cash management. The strength of our brand, our efficient manufacturing and sourcing, and our comprehensive distribution network give us confidence for the future.”
The group makes 55% of its sales in the public sector and commercial market and it said that it remains robust.
Marshalls said that the domestic market installer order books at the end of April were 8.2 weeks compared with 8.4 weeks which it reported at the time of its full-year results in March.
Historically, order books in the March / April period were 9.7 weeks in 2007, 9.5 weeks in 2006 and 8.6 weeks in 2005.
It hopes to strengthen its grip on the domestic market with its three-year sponsorship of the Chelsea Flower Show to raise its brand awareness.
This year it will unveil a large garden with the theme ‘The Garden That Kids Really Want’ to engage younger people in garden design
It now has eight garden display centres with plans to open two more this year. The centres give customers the opportunity to see the group’s products in a garden setting.
In the first quarter of this year Marshalls completed the sale of two surplus properties for £10m, making it a £1m profit.
