Homeware retailer Dunelm enjoyed sales growth over Christmas, thanks to a surge in online demand.

Total sales for the retailer, which has stores in Cheltenham and Gloucester, were up 11.8 per cent to £360.4 million for the quarter ending 26th December, as reported by Retail Gazette.

This was despite the majority of its stores being closed in November due to the second national lockdown in England, as well as 16 days of closures in Wales during October and regional restrictions in many areas during December.

Demand for Dunelm's homewares remained high throughout this period, with online sales accounting for 40 per cent of total sales.

Dunelm expects pre-tax profit for the first half of the financial year to be around £112 million. But it said it is unable to provide a full-year forecast due to ongoing uncertainty around when the latest lockdowns will end.

It said its primary focus for the start of 2021 is the health and wellbeing of colleagues and customers across the business.