Dunelm reports ‘significantly higher’ orders since the reopening of its website
Since reopening its online business following a temporary closure due to the coronavirus crisis, Dunelm has announced that the site is now fully operational, with the exception of some two-man delivery products which it expects to start delivering next week.
In a statement, the retailer said it had been able to satisfy high levels of customer demand following the reopening, with recent online order levels coming in significantly higher than in the weeks prior to the crisis.
While its stores remain closed in line with government guidance, the majority of Dunelm store staff have been furloughed under the government’s job retention scheme, although staff in its customer engagement centre are working from home.
The retailer has also revealed that Dunelm staff have been supporting their local communities during the last three weeks by both helping vulnerable people and sewing laundry wash bags for health care workers in local hospitals. In addition, the retailer is providing further support for the NHS by producing medical gowns in its curtain manufacturing centre in Leicester.
Looking ahead, Dunelm said it is confident it has access to sufficient liquidity to get it through the crisis. It has also been working to reduce its operating expenses which has included its executive management team taking a voluntary 20% pay reduction and chief executive Nick Wilkinson taking 90% reduction. Meanwhile, Dunelm’s chairman and non-executive directors have waived all of their fees.
Wilkinson said: “We remain focused on doing the right thing for our colleagues, customers and the communities where we operate, and I am pleased that we have safely re-opened our online operations. I am immensely grateful for the dedication and commitment of our colleagues and supplier partners who have demonstrated great agility and determination in a dynamic and unprecedented situation.
“Whilst many uncertainties remain, we have ensured that Dunelm and its many stakeholders will be well-supported through this difficult period and are confident that we will emerge from this crisis as a stronger business ready to return to sustainable and profitable growth.”
