Profits at Howdens were up 22 per cent in the first half of the year.

The trade kitchen supplier, which has stores in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Stroud and Tewkesbury, reported pre-tax profits of £145 million in the six months to 11 June, as reported by The Times.

Sales for the period rose to £913.1 million.

The figures show that the appetite for home improvements isn't slowing down, with profits up 85.7 per cent compared to 2019's pre-pandemic levels.

The company attributed its strong performance to effective management of inflationary pressures and supply chain issues.

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