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The Home of Homes:
Unlocking our
full potential
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
The Home of Homes:
Committed to being
good & circular
Dunelm Group plc
Sustainability report 2024
corporate.dunelm.com
Strategic report
2 At a glance
3 About us
4 Chair’s statement
6 The home of Balancing
Growth & Grip
8 The home of Ambition
& Innovation
10 Our business model
12 Our market
13 Our strategy
14 CEO’s review
20 Stakeholder engagement
25 Section 172 statement
26 Key performance indicators
28 CFO’s review
32 Sustainability
34 Non-financial and sustainability
information
38 Our approach to risk
management
40 Principal risks and uncertainties
46 TCFD report
55 Going concern and
viability statement
How to use this Annual Report
Where you see QR codes, scan
to watch videos online
Links to other content within
this report
Link to content within
the Sustainability Report 2024
Link to content online
Governance report
57 Chair’s introduction
59 Compliance with the Code
60 Directors and officers
63 Governance dashboard
64 Governance framework
68 Culture and values
71 Board activities
74 Nomination Committee report
81 Audit and Risk Committee report
88 Remuneration at a glance
89 Remuneration Committee report
116 Directors’ report
120 Statement of Directors’
responsibilities
Financial statements
122 Independent auditors’ report
128 Consolidated financial
statements
151 Parent company financial
statements
Other information
157 Alternative performance
measures (‘APMs’)
158 Advisors and contacts
The Home of Homes
Contents
Our market
Learn more about our
plans to further grow
market share
Our people
Discover how we
engage with our
colleagues on page 22
Strong leadership team
Scan the QR code to watch our CEO,
Nick, give a summary of our FY24 results
and future plans
Read our Sustainability Report 2024 to
understand how we are being good and
circular as a business
corporate.dunelm.com/sustainability
Visit our website for
further information about
our business
SR
Unlocking our full potential
as The Home of Homes
We have delivered another good performance despite a challenging
consumer environment, demonstrating the strength and resilience
of our business model. Whilst remaining focused on delivery, we are
constantly looking to learn and adapt, to take advantage of the
exciting opportunities ahead of us. We are extremely confident in
our plans to unlock our full potential and achieve our clear vision to
be the most trusted and valuable brand in homewares and furniture
for UK consumers.
Read more about how we are the home of:
Balancing Growth & Grip
Find out more on page 6
Ambition & Innovation
Find out more on page 8
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
1
We are The Home of Homes, always seeking to create
beautiful products and getting to know our customers
better, to help them create homes they love.
We are a specialist retailer of homewares and
furniture, with a broad offer for all tastes and budgets,
with thousands of quality products at fantastic prices
sold across our 184 stores and on dunelm.com.
c.85,000
SKUs to suit every style and budget
across our broad range of homewares
and furniture categories
11,500+
colleagues
No.1
market leader in
UK homewares
184
stores
37%
digital sales
At a glance
40yrs
of Dunelm stores
For reflections from some of
our longest-serving colleagues,
see pages 69 and 70
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
2
Our vision:
To build the UK’s most
trusted and valuable
brand for homewares
and furniture
Our purpose:
To help create the joy of truly
feeling at home, now and for
generations to come
Being Good & Circular:
We are committed to
sustainable growth by being
good and circular, as we seek
to look after all of our homes
Our home the Planet
Our home in Communities
A home for our People
On this journey we are embracing
change and recognise that we must
learn, invest and be both creative
and collaborative.
Our shared values:
Our four key values remain at the heart
of our business and will help unlock
our full potential
Our values evolved from the key business
principles developed 20 years ago, and
reflect the attitudes and behaviours we
encourage at Dunelm.
Stronger together
Act like owners
Keep listening
& learning
Long-term
thinking
Read how we embed and monitor our culture and
values in our Governance report from page 68
Learn more about our good and circular approach
to sustainability on pages 32 and 33
About us
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
3
Performance
Sales of £1,706m were up 4% on last year, driven
by increased volumes. Strong operational grip
has become a characteristic of Dunelm in recent
years and it was demonstrated again this year to
increase gross margin, and support a profit before
tax increase of 7% to £205m. Diluted earnings
per share fell 0.8% to 74.4p, as a result of an
increase in the effective tax rate, largely due to
the rise in corporation tax in April 2023.
Our cash conversion and returns are key
strengths of the business, and during the year
we paid a special dividend of 35p per share.
Our ordinary dividend for the year was up 3.6%
to 43.5p per share, continuing our track record
of impressive cash returns to shareholders, as
well as demonstrating our ongoing confidence
in the business.
Being Good and Circular
Sustainable growth is ingrained in the day-to-
day operations of the Group. Being good and
circular is how we characterise our approach,
considering our impact on the planet, in our
communities and in looking after our people.
Read more about our approach on pages 32
and 33 and in our Sustainability Report 2024
Planet
Central to reducing our impact on the planet
is giving close consideration to the design,
materials and manufacturing processes involved
in our products. In FY24 we have increased the
During the last financial year, both the political
and economic environment have been
turbulent and consumer confidence has been
subdued. Despite this backdrop, Dunelm has
continued to attract new customers and
increase its market share through its broad
and attractive product range and focus on
outstanding quality and value.
Over many years, our business has performed
well in both stronger and weaker economic
cycles. This is credit to the unique, specialist offer
which has been developed for our customers,
and the attractiveness of our business model.
This success is also delivered by the thousands
of amazing people who work in the business;
in my second year as Chair, I’m seeing more and
more of the magic and energy which Dunelm
colleagues demonstrate every day, and which
drives the Company forward.
Over the past year, a focus on being The Home
of Homes has led to a further broadening of our
range of relevant homewares and furniture
products, at outstanding value across all price
points. At the same time, we have been opening
more stores, improving the digital customer
journey, developing our marketing activity, and
using technology and data to improve both our
offer and our infrastructure.
This culture of continuous improvement, led by
a strong and experienced team, has again seen
us grow sales, volumes, customer numbers and
market share.
I’m delighted to report
another strong performance,
with Dunelm again delivering
growth and demonstrating
resilience in what has been
a challenging homewares
market.
number of products that qualify for our
‘Conscious Choice’ range, predominantly by
finding more responsibly sourced materials that
have a proven, reduced environmental impact
compared to their conventional alternatives.
We’re also learning more about the lifecycle of
our products and have developed a circularity
strategy and circular design principles to push
ourselves forward. To increase awareness, during
the year our commercial teams were tasked with
a ‘Circular Product Design Competition’, the
results of which have already led to a number of
products being created, including our Full Circle
sofas, which feature modular design and can be
taken apart for recycling at end of life.
Communities
I am hugely proud of the way in which Dunelm
interacts with our local communities, from both
our stores and support sites.
This year our colleagues selected Age UK as our
new national charity partner, and I’m delighted
that we have committed to work with them for
the next three years to raise at least £2m, with a
mission of creating communities that feel like
home for older people. We have also continued
to build on the success of our ‘Delivering Joy
campaign. This was first launched in 2019 and
has strengthened each year. Last Christmas our
customers and colleagues donated a remarkable
125,000 gifts across our stores, distribution
centres and offices, which were then distributed
to local communities and causes.
Delivering for our planet, our
communities and our people
Chairs statement
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
4
People
During the year we celebrated the 40-year
anniversary of our first store opening in Leicester
Churchgate, as the Adderley family built on
the success of their Leicester market stall.
We celebrated the milestone throughout the
summer, including an extra ‘double discount’ day
for colleagues, a pop-up museum at our Head
Office, and a video celebrating the recollections
of some of our longest-serving colleagues.
We now have c.11,500 colleagues across
distribution, manufacturing, customer contact,
store support centres and 184 stores, and
I thank them all for their ongoing enthusiasm,
commitment and dedication to our success.
We continue to strive to be an inclusive
employer where all our team members can
thrive. Whilst we still have much to do on
diversity, I am pleased that we have increased
the proportion of our ethnic minority ‘role-
model leaders’, which comprises c.300 senior
leaders or those managing large teams, by
2ppts to 5.8%.
During the year we also launched ‘Reach’, a
programme aimed at helping colleagues within
underrepresented ethnic groups achieve their
full potential. The programme focuses on
advancing skills, connections and ultimately
careers, and the first cohort of more than 60
participants graduated in August 2024.
Board
We announced a number of Board changes
during the year. We have welcomed two new
Non-Executive Directors in Ajay Kavan and
Dan Taylor, who bring a wealth of relevant and
complementary experience to the Board.
Both William Reeve and Peter Ruis reached their
nine-year terms as Board directors. Peter left us
earlier in the year and William will be with us
until the AGM, but will not stand for re-election.
I would like to thank both Peter and William for
the very significant contributions that they have
made over their many years of service to Dunelm.
After the year end Kelly Devine stepped down
from the Board, having agreed to join Dunelm’s
Executive Team as Customer Director. I am
pleased to continue to work with Kelly in her
new Executive capacity.
I share further detail on these changes in my
introduction to the Governance section of this
report, and look forward to continue working
with our strong and experienced Board, who
collectively have a fantastic range of skills.
Unlocking our full potential
Looking forward, whilst some of the lead
consumer indicators are beginning to look more
favourable, the sector is yet to show signs of
recovery. Notwithstanding this uncertainty, we
are very confident in the business and our future
plans. We have developed our strategic thinking
to focus on three key pillars: elevating our product
offer; connecting with more customers; and
harnessing our operational capabilities. Further
detail is shared in the Chief Executive’s review,
and we are excited about the opportunities
these bring. We will continue to invest in these
priorities, and are confident in further delivering
on our track record of driving profitable growth
and strong cash returns.
Alison Brittain
Chair
11 September 2024
Performance highlights 2024
Financial Non-financial
Total sales m)
1,706
1,639
1,581
1,336
1,058
FY24FY23FY22
1
FY20 FY21
£1,706m
FY23 £1,639m
Market share
2
7.7%
7.1%
6.8%
5.1%
5.8%
FY24FY23FY22FY20 FY21
7.7%
FY23 7.1%
Profit before tax
£205m
FY23 £193m
Free cash flow
£132m
FY23 £160m
Active customer growth
3
+5.1%
FY23 +2.8%
Colleague retention
4
89%
FY23 87%
Diluted earnings
per share
74.4p
FY23 75.0p
Ordinary dividend
per share
43.5p
FY23 42.0p
Ethnic diversity of our
role-model leaders
5.8%
FY23 3.8%
Scope 1 carbon
intensity vs FY19
53%
FY23 -32%
1. FY22 included a 53rd week for statutory reporting purposes. On a comparable 52-week basis sales were £1,553.1m.
2. GlobalData UK combined homewares and furniture markets, excluding kitchen cabinetry and bathroom furniture, for the period
July 2023 to June 2024. Prior year comparatives restated.
3. Growth in unique active customers who have transacted at least once in the 12 months to June 2024. Management estimates using
Barclays data.
4. Retention is the percentage of colleagues from the start of the financial year (July 2023) who remained employed until the end of the
financial year (June 2024), excluding any planned leavers.
Read more in the Alternative Performance
Measures table on page 157
Chair’s statement continued
Dunelm Group plc
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5
Balancing
Growth & Grip
YoY volume growth
+6.2%
PBT margin
12.0%
F Y23 11.8%
Read more on page 28 Read more on page 29
The home of
In the last year, we have continued to grow
in what has remained a tough consumer
environment, demonstrating the strength
and resilience of our business model.
We take a balanced approach, regardless
of market conditions, continuing to plan
and invest for long-term, sustainable growth,
whilst maintaining our commitment to
strong operational grip.
Use the QR Code to
see our Spring 2024
TV campaign
Dunelm Group plc
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Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
6
The home of Balancing Growth & Grip continued
Throughout our history we have consistently
delivered profitable growth alongside strong
cash returns, driven by an enduring commitment
to ‘act like owners’. In a challenging consumer
environment, we continue to balance growth
and grip: staying customer-focused and making
every pound count.
Staying customer-focused
Growth is driven by our focus on offering
outstanding value, relevance and choice for
our customers across our proposition, which
encompasses our broad range of homewares
and furniture products and the convenience
of our total retail system.
We continue to focus on product development
to meet evolving customer tastes. We have
carefully managed our curated range extension,
increasing the number of available products
for our customers, whilst maintaining a focus
on outstanding product quality and value.
Alongside this, we constantly seek to be better
and bolder with our product, increasing
differentiation and cross-category coordination
across our collections, whilst growing the use
of more sustainable materials.
Across our total retail system, we have increased
the proportion of our online range available for
Click & Collect to c.50%. Our goal is to have
nearly all UK-held stock available for next-day
collection, with a small number of specific
exceptions. We have also further expanded
our store footprint whilst making multiple
incremental improvements to dunelm.com
to reduce friction in the customer journey.
Making every pound count
Our strong performance over FY24 reflects the
inherent resilience and strength of our business
model against the backdrop of a subdued
market. In a year where we grew pre-tax profit
ahead of sales, our commitment to tight
operational grip and control was fundamental.
We take a balanced approach to managing
profitability throughout the business. We
maintained pricing discipline across our value
tiers to deliver outstanding value, whilst closely
managing our input costs through good
planning and optimising our product
specifications and sourcing.
Within our operating costs, whilst inflation
continues to be a headwind, we manage this
tightly and take a continuous improvement
approach to productivity to drive savings,
without compromising customer or colleague
experience. Alongside this, we maintain a
long-term view of our priorities and carefully
invest for future growth across our stores and
online offer.
Staying agile
In FY24 we continued to grow sales in a tougher
environment, demonstrating the relevance and
choice on offer for our customers. At the same
time, we expanded our gross margin without
any significant impact from price increases or
reductions, as we closely managed our input
costs including freight, raw materials and
foreign exchange.
Achieving this required an agile approach. In
particular, we faced disruption in the Red Sea,
causing delays to our main shipping route and
additional freight surcharges. This demanded
strong operational management from our
commercial team.
Whilst we saw some small challenges to the
availability of furniture in particular, we carefully
worked through these to minimise the impact
on our customers and ensure that they were
able to get the products they wanted, when
they wanted them.
Dunelm Group plc
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Use the QR Code to
see our Spring 2024
TV campaign
Ambition &
Innovation
The home of
We are a restless business, always keen to
grow by learning and adapting. This brings
big ambitions and a recognition that to
achieve them we cannot stand still. We
continue to test and learn with new ideas
and innovations to our offer so that we
remain as relevant as possible for our broad
customer base. As we look to the future, it is
this approach that will help us unlock our
full potential.
FY24 capex
£40m
FY23 £22m
Own-brand products
now Conscious Choice
c.26%
FY23 c.15%
Read more on page 30 Read more on page 33
Dunelm Group plc
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8
The home of Ambition & Innovation continued
As market leader, we currently have a 7.7%
share of the combined c.£24bn homewares and
furniture market. Through continued innovation
in our customer proposition and outstanding
execution, we now see a clear pathway to 10%
market share in the medium term. Whilst this is a
medium-term milestone, our ambition does not
stop there, with significant growth opportunities
across all our categories.
Unlocking our full potential
In order to fulfil our ambitions we have evolved
our strategic approach, ensuring we are
developing and investing in the right areas to
unlock our full potential as The Home of Homes.
This is reflected in three strategic pillars:
1) Elevate our product offer
2) Connect with more customers
3) Harness our operational capabilities
We are benefitting from the improvements
we have made to our technology and data
capabilities over recent years, and our growing
confidence and ability to innovate using new
technology across our operations. Our strategic
pillars, in combination with our skilled
colleagues, can transform the way we amplify
our advantaged business model and best meet
the needs of our customers.
Read more on the evolution of our strategy
in the CEO’s review on page 14
Long-term thinking
Ambition and innovation thrives at Dunelm
because we take decisions for the long term,
a principle which has been in the business
since its beginnings and remains one of our
core values. This means we take multi-year
investment decisions, develop our future
leaders and make meaningful choices as we
strive to be good and circular.
Doing the right thing for the long term is key to
driving sustainable growth and value for all of
our stakeholders.
A clear pathway to further market share growth
5.0%
7.7%
10.0%
Medium
term
FY24
1
FY19
1
1. GlobalData UK combined homewares and furniture markets,
excluding kitchen cabinetry and bathroom furniture.
Innovation in product design
Product is at the heart of Dunelm and innovation
is central to the way we design our own-brand
ranges. This brings differentiation from the
competition and wider choice for our customers.
We’re accelerating experimentation, exploration
and development and have created ‘Dunelm
Lab’, a dedicated innovation team, focused on
new technologies, new materials, and new
manufacturing techniques to keep us at the
forefront of new ideas in homewares.
We are also working hard to ensure our
products have longevity. In our lighting
category we’ve designed our new Aurora
range to allow customers to replace the LED
component once it reaches the end of its life, as
simply as replacing a bulb, meaning less waste.
And our ‘Full Circle’ Austin sofa range features
modularity, can be fully disassembled and
reassembled, and manufactured using materials
that can be recycled and repurposed.
Dunelm Group plc
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9
Harness our
operational
capabilities
Connect with
more
customers
Elevate our
product offer
Our home in
Communities
A home for
our People
Our home
the Planet
Read about it on
the next page
O
u
r
S
t
r
a
t
e
g
y
B
e
i
n
g
G
o
o
d
&
C
i
r
c
u
l
a
r
Our business model
Our competitive advantages
Our customer
proposition
Our purpose,
vision and values
Our governance
Stakeholder value
Read more on our six competitive advantages on the next page
Read more on
our strategy
on page 13
Read more
on page 3
See our Governance
report on page 56
Read more on
being good and
circular in our
Sustainability
Report 2024
Read about how we deliver for our stakeholders on the next page
Ensuring we are
The Home of Homes
for the long term
Our business model delivers competitive
advantage and combines our strategy
with our good and circular approach to
sustainable growth. This creates stakeholder
value, guided by our purpose, vision and
values, and strong governance.
Dunelm Group plc
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Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
10
Our business model continued
By ensuring that customers stay at the very
centre of our thinking, we are confident in
our plans to continue growing our sales and
gaining market share.
Value & choice
Great product quality & style for every budget
We offer customers relevant products across
a broad range of categories with outstanding
value and choice. Our customers are savvy,
so we present attractive price points for every
style and budget and ensure our products are
practical, beautiful, and increasingly, sustainable.
Fast & convenient
Everything easy to find, buy & use
We aim to provide an easy and seamless
browsing, shopping and delivery experience,
whether that’s in our stores, online, or a
combination of the two. We focus on being
efficient throughout the customer journey.
Friendly & expert
Service that is non-judgemental
& knowledgeable
Whether in store, at the end of a phone (or email)
or making a delivery to your home, we train our
colleagues to be friendly, knowledgeable and
helpful. Our investment in technology and data
gives them additional tools to advise on product
choice and availability more effectively.
Good & circular
Positive choices for our planet, communities
and people
We are making it easier for our customers to
make thoughtful choices by using more
sustainable design, materials and manufacturing
techniques, whilst doing the right thing in our
communities and for our people.
Our customer proposition
Market-leading brand
We are the market leader in a large and
fragmented homewares and furniture market,
with a total share of 7.7%
1
and significant scope
to continue growing across our categories.
Specialist product proposition
Our wide assortment of products offer quality,
choice and value, appealing to a broad range
of customers across different regions, ages
and incomes. We offer good, better and best
options across our assortment and appeal to
a variety of styles, needs and budgets.
Total retail system
Our total retail system combines friendly and
knowledgeable service across our 184 stores,
with the convenience of browsing and shopping
online. This gives customers options to shop their
way and also brings services including Made-to-
Measure, Home Delivery and Click & Collect.
Unique operating model
We are a homewares specialist with largely
own-brand product ranges, giving us a high
degree of control over specification and
sourcing, through long-standing relationships
with our committed supplier partners.
Well-established values
Our colleagues are the heart of our business
and feel a strong sense of belonging. Driven
by our shared values, we create an inclusive
environment for all to thrive.
Financial strength
We have a strong balance sheet and a capital-
light growth model, with a track record of
delivering sustainable, profitable growth and
strong shareholder returns, whilst continuing
to invest for the future.
Our competitive advantages
Customers
We offer a comprehensive range of relevant
homewares and furniture products, at
outstanding value, with the aim of helping our
customers create the joy of truly feeling at
home, now and for generations to come.
+5.1%
increase in active customers
2
Colleagues
We strive to be a diverse and inclusive employer
for our c.11,500 colleagues, with a strong focus
on progression and a supportive environment.
>60
graduates of ‘Reach’ development programme
Communities
Our stores and sites are a key part of their local
communities, providing friendly service and
advice, a place to refuel and relax in our Pausa
cafes, and contributing to local good causes.
We are opening in new locations, creating
employment and extending our positive impact
on communities across the UK.
190+
local communities serviced by our stores
Stakeholder value creation
Suppliers
We work closely with our suppliers to create
and grow long-term value through mutually
beneficial partnerships, whilst maintaining the
highest ethical standards.
99%
invoices paid on time
Planet
Through design and the selection of materials
and manufacturing processes, we consider and
influence the impact of our products on the
planet. We are increasingly exploring circular
business models whilst ensuring we minimise
the impact of our operations.
53%
reduction in Scope 1 carbon intensity vs base year
Shareholders
We deliver long-term sustainable growth,
strong cash generation, a progressive ordinary
dividend and excess cash returns to
shareholders in the form of special dividends.
£158m
total dividends paid in the year
Read more on how we engage with our
stakeholders on pages 20 to 24
1. GlobalData UK combined homewares and furniture markets,
excluding kitchen cabinetry and bathroom furniture.
2. Growth in unique active customers who have transacted at least
once in the 12 months to June 2024. Management estimates
using Barclays data.
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10%
20%
2019 share 2023 share Furniture Homewares
Our market
The UKs market leader
in homewares
We are the market leader in a large and fragmented market, totalling
c.£24bn1 across a broad range of homewares and furniture categories.
The market
We feel we are unique in our market as a
multi-channel specialist homewares retailer.
The competitive landscape varies significantly
by category, comprising department stores,
supermarkets, retailers with a single online or
physical channel, and many smaller
independent operators.
This substantial market has contracted in the
last two years amidst a generally challenging
macroeconomic environment, but has typically
shown modest annual growth over the
medium term.
Our progress
Our market share is currently 7.7%
1
, offering
significant headroom for further growth. Against
this backdrop, we have a strong track record of
share gains in our recent, medium and long-term
history, and have increased our share by
270bps
1
over the last five years. Our highest
category market shares are close to 20%,
typically in heritage areas where we have been
trading throughout our history such as curtains
and bedding. We generally have lower shares in
some of our relatively newer categories,
although still around 10% in the likes of gallery
and dining furniture. Importantly, we are making
share gains regardless of our category maturity,
demonstrating the strength and breadth of
our offer and opportunities ahead.
Our plans
Whilst it is hard to predict customer sentiment
in our market, we are confident in our plans to
continue gaining market share, with an ambition
to reach 10% in the medium term. Our vision is
for more, and we see no ceiling at 10%, particularly
as we have many categories already above this
level and still growing.
We have a significant opportunity to help our
customers discover and shop a wider range of
our categories, given more than half of our
customers only shop across three or fewer.
This opportunity aligns well to our evolved
strategic priorities, both to elevate our product
offer across these categories, and to connect
with more customers through our total retail
system and increasingly personalised marketing.
Each bar represents a Dunelm homewares or furniture category which in total represent c.80% of total sales, mapped to GlobalData UK
market sizes for the calendar year 2023 against calendar year 2019. Excludes certain Dunelm categories which are not part of the GlobalData
UK homewares and furniture markets e.g. rugs.
1. Based on GlobalData UK combined homewares and furniture markets, excluding kitchen cabinetry and bathroom furniture, including VAT.
Our market share by category
£24bn
combined market size
1
7.7%
FY24 market share
1
+270bps
growth in share vs FY19
1
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Our strategy
Unlocking our full potential
as The Home of Homes
Harness our
operational
capabilities
Using our product mastery to increase
relevance and appeal, extending our
choice, value, design and style
Developing and expanding our channels,
offering an easier and more personalised
experience
Leveraging our skills and systems to
transform our proposition, processes
and productivity
Led by brilliant colleagues, powered by our growing technology and data capabilities
Connect
with more
customers
Elevate
our product
offer
Read more about our strategy in the
CEO’s review on page 14
Our three strategic pillars
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Introduction
I am pleased to report another strong
performance, in what remained a tough
consumer environment. The homewares and
furniture market was still soft and during the
year we faced both inflationary pressures and
disruption to major shipping routes. Nevertheless,
we have again demonstrated the resilience of
our business model in achieving growth, stable
operating margins and strong cash returns.
At the same time, we continue to invest for the
long-term as we identify growth and productivity
opportunities for the future.
As we assess the changing consumer
landscape, we are evolving our focus areas to
frame our strategic priorities and investment
choices. Entering this next phase of growth,
we are committed to our vision to become the
UK’s most trusted and valuable homewares
and furniture brand, and will achieve this by
unlocking our full potential as The Home
of Homes.
With a focus on further elevating our product
offer, developing and expanding our stores
and digital channels to connect with more
customers and harnessing our operational
capabilities, we are confident in continued
market share gains. Indeed, our plans now give
us a clear pathway to 10% market share in the
medium term.
We were particularly pleased with the quality
of our sales growth, with volumes up 6.2% being
a positive indicator of our overall appeal. With
volume growth ahead of sales, we saw a small
reduction in our average item value, reflecting
a slightly different product mix to the prior year,
with the impact of price changes broadly stable.
The strong volume growth was supported by an
increase in the number of active customers, up
5.1%
2
. Pleasingly, this growth was seen across all
age, income and geographical cohorts.
Gross margin was strong in FY24, expanding
by 170bps to 51.8% (FY23: 50.1%), ahead of our
expectations at the start of the year. There were
various moving parts within our input costs, and
we particularly benefited from a net tailwind
from lower freight rates which has now largely
annualised. We were also able to avoid any
significant impact from the disruption in the Red
Sea, working closely with our freight providers
to manage the impact of surcharges, whilst
using the capabilities within our commercial
teams to minimise availability issues. Our strong
margin was achieved without price increases,
as we maintained our commitment to offering
outstanding value to our customers. As expected,
operating costs as a proportion of sales increased
to 39.3%, driven by inflation and the investments
we are making to drive future growth.
1. GlobalData UK combined homewares and furniture markets,
excluding kitchen cabinetry and bathroom furniture, including
VAT. Prior year comparative restated.
2. Growth in unique active customers who have transacted at least
once in the 12 months to June 2024. Management estimates
using Barclays data.
A clear pathway to further
market share gains
CEO’s review
As ever, our strong performance and
excitement for the future is due to the support,
adaptability and skills of our committed
colleagues and supplier partners. I would like
to thank them all for everything they continue
to do to grow, adapt and develop. It is due to
them that we achieve these results, and are
well-placed to unlock our full potential.
FY24 Review
A strong performance balancing growth
and grip
In FY24 we successfully balanced delivering
growth with maintaining our firm operational
grip on the business amidst a challenging
consumer environment. We made good
progress against our objectives, expanding our
store estate in different sizes and locations as
planned, continuing to improve our digital
proposition, and enhancing our multi-channel
experience for customers who prefer to shop
both online and in store, including through
a better Click & Collect proposition.
We grew our sales by 4.1%, in a market which
declined, reflecting our ongoing customer
appeal and continuing our consistent track
record of market share gains. We now have
a 7.7%
1
share of a total addressable market
(combining homewares and furniture) valued at
c.£24bn
1
, up 60bps year-on-year, and significantly
higher than the 5% we held in FY19, and see
significant scope to increase this further.
We have clear focus areas which
are framing our plans, and are
extremely confident in our
ability to deliver long-term
sustainable growth.
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What this means for
our investors
Growth
Compelling runway to grow share of a
large, fragmented addressable market
Consistent track record of share gains
over recent and long-term history
Cash returns
High cash conversion
Well-established framework for
returning cash to shareholders
Sustainable profits
Continued investment for sustainable
growth, maintaining stable operating
margins
Resilient track record of performing
through all economic cycles
Cost increases were partly offset by productivity
improvements across the Group. Overall, PBT
grew ahead of sales, up 6.6% to £205m (FY23:
£193m), representing a strong PBT margin of
12.0% (FY23: 11.8%). Diluted EPS fell by 0.8%
to 74.4p (FY23: 75.0p), with our pre-tax profit
growth offset by a higher effective tax rate,
largely the result of increased corporation tax.
Our financial strength, including a healthy
balance sheet and a capital-light growth model,
is one of our core business advantages. This
was reflected in another good year of cash
generation, with free cash flow of £132m
(FY23: £160m) representing 62% of operating
profit. This enabled us to increase our ordinary
dividend once again, and we are proposing a
final dividend of 27.5p per share, bringing the
full year ordinary dividend to 43.5p per share,
up 3.6% year-on-year. In total, we returned
£158m to shareholders during the year,
including a special dividend of 35p announced
at the interim results. This reflects our confidence
in the business and ongoing commitment to
our capital allocation policy and wider principle
of delivering strong cash returns for our
shareholders. Since our IPO in 2006, we have
now returned c£1.5bn
1
to shareholders.
Delivering for all our stakeholders
As well as a strong financial performance, we
have delivered positive outcomes across our
broad group of key stakeholders. We strive to
make good decisions and ensure what we do
is increasingly sustainable. During the year we
reiterated our good and circular approach to
sustainable growth, and continue to ensure it
is embedded into our strategy and ways of
working so that we are delivering for all of our
stakeholders and focussing on our planet,
communities and people.
CEO’s review continued
Good & Circular approach to sustainable growth
A unique, specialist proposition driving strong returns
A winning and resilient business model:
Market
leader
Low share of a
c.£24bn
2
highly
fragmented
market
Specialist
product proposition
Broad appeal
across income
and age groups
Total retail
system
Thriving stores and
digital channels
Unique
operating model
Own-brand
product design and
committed supplier
partners
Well-established
values
Growth mindset,
frontline focus
and long-term
decisions
Financial
strength
Strong balance
sheet and capital-
light growth
model
1. Ordinary dividends plus special distributions.
2. Based on GlobalData UK combined homewares and furniture markets, excluding kitchen cabinetry and bathroom furniture, including VAT.
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In FY24 we were proud to become the first
homewares specialist to have validated SBTi
targets across Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon
emissions
1
, which sees us align to the latest
climate science from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We have also
made further progress in extending our good
and circular approach into our customer
proposition, increasing the proportion of
own-brand products which have our more
sustainable ‘Conscious Choice’ label, and
introducing the ‘Too Good to Go’ initiative to
our Pausa cafes to help reduce food waste.
Our committed supplier partners are also
helping us to limit our impact on the planet.
Having grown together over several decades,
we see these enduring relationships as a key
strength of our unique operating model. On
sustainability matters, we work together with our
suppliers and continue to learn. Where necessary,
we have been encouraging suppliers to adopt
a data monitoring standard and action planning
tool (the Higg Index) to underpin their improved
manufacturing programmes.
We continue to place importance on and build
momentum in the work our stores and sites do
in their local communities. Originating during
the pandemic and expanding since, all our
stores now support important local organisations
including selected schools, care homes, women’s
refuges and more. Our annual Delivering Joy
campaign is an example of this work in practice.
Last year, I am immensely proud to say that we
delivered 125,000 gifts, to these local causes.
Communities also form the backbone of some
of our circularity initiatives, including our
expanding takeback schemes and ‘Home to
Home’, through which customers can donate
pre-loved homewares items to those in need.
We place great importance on the
development and engagement of our
committed colleagues. Developing our talent
improves retention, enables internal succession,
and increases our productivity and business
resilience. Encouragingly, we saw colleague
retention increase to 89%
2
during the year
(FY23: 87%). Whilst our colleague engagement
score fell in FY24
3
, although high by industry
standards, we are actively listening to our
colleagues. We see very strong response
rates to our colleague engagement surveys
throughout the year, which give us detailed and
extensive feedback, from which we are building
positive action plans across the business.
As technology changes the nature of all roles
across our business, we are as committed to
lifetime learning as we are to early careers
recruitment and development. Our data
academy and apprenticeships are good
examples of this. We are also excited about
our ‘Reach’ development programme which
launched during the year and is focused
on increasing the number of ethnically
diverse colleagues in senior positions.
CEO’s review continued
Elevate
our product
offer
Collaborations
and labels
Inspiration
Value and choice Product mastery Sustainability
Increasing our relevance and appeal:
a better and bolder lighting offer
The scope for product elevation is very exciting, and we
know that only the strongest product offer and relevance
hits the mark with our customers.
1. Our targets approved by the SBTi are as follows. Overall Net-
Zero Target: Dunelm Group PLC commits to reach net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by FY40 from
a FY19 base year. Near-Term Targets: Dunelm Group PLC
commits to reduce absolute Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions by
50% by FY30 from a FY19 base year. Dunelm Group PLC also
commits to reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions by 50%
within the same timeframe. Long-Term Targets: Dunelm
commits to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions
by 90% by FY40 from a FY19 base year.
2. Retention is the percentage of colleagues from the start of the
financial year (July 2023) who remained employed until the end
of the financial year (June 2024), excluding any planned leavers.
3. Colleague engagement score (eNPS) is based on responses to
the question ‘How likely are you to recommend Dunelm as a
place to work’ from our May colleague survey. Our eNPS score
fell 10%pts year-on-year.
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CEO’s review continued
We have much more to do in this area but
are encouraged that the proportion of our
role model’ leaders
1
from ethnically diverse
backgrounds increased to 5.8% in FY24
(FY23: 3.8%).
Unlocking our full potential as The Home
of Homes
Looking forward, we have three broad focus
areas which frame our priorities and investments.
These are an evolution of the strategy we have
followed over many years, and in combination
will allow us to achieve our full potential as the
Home of Homes, and to be the UK’s most
trusted and valuable brand for homewares
and furniture.
Firstly, in the area of product: we see
opportunity to redouble our focus on product
development, increasing our curated ranges,
bolder design differentiation, enhancing
cross-category coordination in our collections
and innovation in sustainable materials. In
recent times we have been acutely aware of the
importance in having the right product offer, at
the right time, to ensure we remain relevant and
appealing to customers. In the year we saw this
demonstrated with stronger upholstered
furniture collections, combined with 5-day
delivery lead-times.
Secondly, we are building further confidence
in opening more stores and developing our
digital channels to deliver an outstanding and
connected multi-channel shopping experience
for our customers. We know that multi-channel
shopping is the preference for most when it
comes to homewares and furniture, so joining
up our channels as much as possible is a priority.
Thirdly, after building up our skills and
operational capabilities in recent years, we see
significant opportunity to harness them to
achieve both productivity improvements and
further strengthen our customer offer. In light
of elevated wage inflation, and with growing
technology and data capabilities, where
foundational investment has been made over
recent years, there are increasing opportunities
to introduce more automation and productivity
tools throughout the business. These are
already driving efficiencies in parts of our
operations (such as reducing volumes in the
Customer Contact Centre) and our capacity to
successfully implement more of these initiatives
will increase going forward.
Our three focus areas are therefore as follows:
1. Elevate our product offer
2. Connect with more customers
3. Harness our operational capabilities
These focus areas are an evolution of the
strategy that we have followed over many years
and, in combination, will allow us to unlock our
full potential as The Home of Homes. They
support broad-based and long-term sustainable
market share growth which can be delivered
alongside stable operating margins and strong
cash generation. In the medium term they
shape our clear pathway to reaching our next
milestone of 10% market share.
There are various examples which bring to
life the initiatives which sit under each of our
focus areas:
1. Elevate our product offer
Product has always been at the heart of
Dunelm, and we have well-established
capabilities across a broad range of categories,
particularly in textiles and soft furnishings
where our specialism dates back 45 years.
Connect
with more
customers
Developing and
expanding
our channels
We know that the combination
of stores and digital is the
winning formula for our existing
and target customers.
More store openings
1. Regional and store coaches plus all colleagues at ‘Head of
level and above, of which we currently have around 300 across
the organisation.
More digital
optimisation
More personalised
cross-channel
experiences
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CEO’s review continued
The scope for product elevation is very exciting,
not just through broadening our ranges, but
also by increasing relevance with more
coordination and style. We are taking our
existing product strengths and elevating them
further through design and innovation across
all price and quality tiers.
Lighting is a good example of the level of
further opportunity we see ahead. We have
consistently grown market share in the last five
years and see headroom for more growth and
innovation. Our in-house design capability
allows us to coordinate across the wider Dunelm
range, including our core textiles collections
and cross-category labels such as Elements and
our National History Museum collaboration.
We are also working to accelerate our product
development cycles to allow us to respond
faster to trends and increase the choice we
offer at all price and quality tiers. Our growing
knowledge of more sustainable materials will
also allow us to offer better choice to customers,
as well as introduce more circular product
design that uses more sustainable materials
and facilitates repair and recycling.
The made-to-measure window treatments
category is another example of our product
elevation opportunity, where taking greater
end-to-end control of the supply chain will
enable accelerated growth and returns.
Alongside our well-established manufacturing
centre for made-to-measure curtains and
Roman blinds, we have chosen to invest in
more vertical integration. In FY24 we brought
the manufacture of custom hard blinds in-house
and started manufacturing roller blinds and
Venetian blinds in the Sunflex business we
acquired two years ago. Looking ahead, we are
bringing shutters into our own manufacturing
facility, with a plan to launch our new offer to
customers in FY25. This will give us differentiated
and advantaged product, the ability to specify
materials and design, shorten UK lead
times relative to competitors, and improve
factory utilisation by aligning demand and
supply capacity.
2. Connect with more customers
As we elevate our product offer, we will further
improve how we connect our products to more
customers through our total retail system. We
have known for many years that the combination
of stores and digital is the winning formula for
our existing and target customers, and we are
continuing to optimise our cross-channel offer,
making the customer experience both easier
and more personalised.
We have continued to open new superstores,
with six new openings (including one relocation)
in FY24, split evenly between our traditional
c.30,000 sq ft size and newer smaller stores of
c.15,000 sq ft. We are pleased with the returns
of our new stores, typically paying back within
three years, giving us confidence to open more
stores in a range of sizes and locations.
We will continue to open 30,000 sq ft
superstores in large catchments given their very
strong returns, however supply of appropriate
sites has become more limited, so we are being
agile in our approach. In the early part of the
new financial year, we completed the freehold
purchase of a tenanted retail site, which we will
look to convert to a Dunelm format in the future.
We are continuing to optimise
our offer across stores and digital,
making the customer experience
both easier and more personalised.
Product master
data management
Supplier
portal
Demand
forecasting
Automated
replenishment
Scaling our commercial operations
From a traditional product life cycle journey to an automated,
efficient operation that powers product mastery.
Our goal
To scale and upgrade our commercial operations and ways
of working while retaining our advantaged commercial model.
Harness our
operational
capabilities
Leveraging our skills and
systems: scaling and optimising
commercial operations
Increasing our focus on harnessing our scale, capabilities and
technology to realise process improvements and productivity.
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CEO’s review continued
We will also open more smaller superstores,
in smaller catchments and in the white space
between stores in densely populated areas.
Although this footprint is less developed for us,
we are excited by what we have seen in our new
smaller stores and by the opportunity to optimise
sales densities and productivity as we continue
to learn. Overall, having previously guided on
510 new openings in FY24 and FY25, we now
see a runway for this rate of growth continuing
into the medium term (expected to be evenly
split between larger and smaller sizes).
In addition, and to better serve our target
customers in inner London boroughs, we are
testing some smaller stores in London. Our first
inner London store, at c.5,000 sq ft, will open in
the first half of FY25, and we are exploring other
locations to unlock the opportunity with this
significant segment of the UK population where
we know we are under-represented.
Complementing our stores, we have made
continued progress in our digital channels,
building strong foundations in our front-end
architecture and customer data platform.
As we move forward, we are advancing through
optimisation and experimentation, with
meaningful opportunities for improving our
proposition. Offering a more personalised
experience to our customers takes many forms,
and using our improved data and technology
will be key to improving our proposition.
One example of this is a change to product
discovery on dunelm.com, where we are
implementing new AI search functionality in the
first half of this year, having carried out testing in
FY24. This will improve the quality, relevance and
presentation of results when searching on our
website, with test results showing fewer ‘zero
results’ searches and more personalised results.
This change moves us from earlier generation
functionality towards an advanced AI solution.
This will increase the appeal of searching on our
site — a significant opportunity given customers
who use search are four times more likely to
complete a purchase than those who do not.
3. Harness our operational capabilities
Though operational grip has been a
characteristic of the Dunelm business for some
time, we recognise an increased opportunity
to harness our operational skills and scale. An
ongoing focus on continuous improvement will
remain, driving annual productivity savings,
and with elevated wage inflation, there is now
more scope for attractive returns from
productivity tools and automation. Here we will
test and learn to ensure we adopt the most
appropriate technologies for our products and
business model.
We are making good progress in scaling our
commercial operations, improving demand
forecasting and replenishment across our stores
and own distribution centres. Having carried out
testing in FY24, we are in the process of rolling
out new technology and ways of working in the
first half of this year, introducing machine
learning, automating low value tasks and
reducing our reliance on manual processes
and spreadsheets.
Going forward, there is more work to do in
relation to our smaller store footprints, specifically
developing our processes and tools for
optimising space, grading and range planning.
This level of commercial transformation will
facilitate our expanding product ranges, the
efficiency of stock management in our
distribution centres and our different store
locations and sizes, and the speed of product
development. These are complicated
developments, but we expect these new
capabilities to help us grow our market share
profitably, while serving more customers and
increasing the advantages of our business model.
Downstream from demand forecasting, we
have an ongoing programme of continuous
improvement to maximise the utilisation of
our network capacity and improve labour
productivity in our supply chain. In FY24 we
focused on a series of tactical initiatives,
including the optimisation of shift patterns for
our colleagues; reducing our rate of returned
products; and diversifying our carrier network
to improve variable costs.
In the coming years we will be working across
our own distribution centres and with our
supplier partners to increasingly automate our
processes. Automation investment is becoming
more attractive and we will find ways to optimise
this for the specific product characteristics of
homewares and furniture. For example, we will
introduce simple automation of parcel packing
and dispatch in our small-parcel home delivery
operation in conjunction with our supply
chain partner.
Technology is moving rapidly, but cannot
provide the solution in isolation. It is the
combination of technology and well-executed
business change, that leads to improvement.
As we continue to test and learn, we are
increasingly confident in our capabilities and
capacity to do this successfully, in ways that
deliver both growth and returns, in balance.
Summary and outlook
We delivered another strong performance in
FY24, successfully balancing growth and
operational grip in a soft market. We achieved
high-quality sales and volume growth, and
increased our PBT ahead of sales, whilst
continuing to make progress against our
strategic objectives.
We are gradually seeing improvements to
economic indicators, however we are yet to see
a meaningful change in consumer spending
habits in our markets. In this context, we have
made a solid start to the new financial year,
against a strong prior year comparator.
We have refined our thinking on the key
opportunities ahead of us, with three clear focus
areas framing our investments and strategic
priorities for the coming years, and we are
confident we can accelerate into a consumer
environment which presents a significant
opportunity for market share growth.
We now have good line of sight to continued
market share gains and expect to reach our next
milestone of a 10% total share in the medium
term. We are very confident in our business
model and clear plans that will continue to
deliver sustainable growth and unlock our full
potential as The Home of Homes.
Nick Wilkinson
Chief Executive Officer
11 September 2024
We recognise an increased
opportunity to harness our
operational skills and scale, and
will test and learn to adopt the
most appropriate technologies for
our products and business model.
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Stakeholder engagement
Understanding our
stakeholders
By understanding what our key stakeholders care about, and considering
their views, we can build more meaningful relationships and take fully
informed decisions that create value for the long term.
Key stakeholders
We engage with a wide range of stakeholders
at a Board level and in the day-to-day running
of our business, seeking to build long-term
relationships based on mutual growth and
respect, consistent with our Code of Business
Conduct, and our shared values and culture.
Our key stakeholders are those who we know
are highly likely to be affected by our actions
and decisions, and vice versa.
Responsibility for engagement at an operational
level sits with members of the Executive Team,
and is described on the following pages 21 to
24. We also set out how the Board is kept
informed about the interests of our key
stakeholders, as well as how our Board
members engage with them directly.
Pages 72 and 73 in the Governance report
provide further detail and examples of how
stakeholder feedback is presented to the Board
for discussion, debate and consideration as part
of its decision-making, alongside metrics such
as those set out on this page.
In May 2023, we undertook a materiality
assessment with a third party to understand
stakeholder perceptions relating to our most
material environmental, social and governance
(‘ESG’) topics. More information about this
research can be found on pages 28 to 29 of our
2023 Annual Report. Stakeholder feedback
from that exercise is included in the ‘what they
care about’ entries on the following pages.
In addition to key stakeholders, we
acknowledge the importance of other
stakeholder groups on page 24.
Read our s.172(1) Companies Act 2006
statement on page 25
Examples of metrics used by the Board to measure the effectiveness
of our engagement
Customers
Unique active customer
growth
Total revenue
NPS/CSAT
Safety scores
Colleagues
eNPS
RIDDOR¹ incidents
Retention
Whistleblowing
Diversity
Communities
Monies raised for good
causes
Take-back
Community social media
followers
Suppliers
% Tier 1 factories audited
% Products with responsibly
sourced raw materials
Whistleblowing
CO
2
emissions
Shareholders
Share price movements
Profitability
AGM voting outcomes
1. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and
Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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Stakeholder engagement continued
What they care about
Value, style, choice and quality
Product safety
A great shopping experience and
responsive customer services
Responsible use and protection of
personal data
Ethical and sustainable sourcing
Key management responsibility
Customer Director
Why we engage
Our business revolves around our customers.
We remain customer-focused in everything
we do, striving to improve our proposition.
We seek to achieve this by delivering great
products, services and experiences.
Engagement improves our customer insight
which, in turn, influences our strategic pillars
and capital allocation. Ongoing investment
in customer data and analysis allows us to
respond more quickly and accurately to
develop relevant product ranges and services,
helps drive brand awareness and grow our
customer base.
How we engage day-to-day
During the shopping experience and at
point of sale in store, with feedback being
shared as appropriate within the business.
By means of our customer service team and
the channels by which it communicates with
our customers.
Social media channels.
Customer focus groups/panels.
Customer surveys.
How the Board engages
Conducts store visits and reviews online
experience.
Receives customer insights report at every
Board meeting.
Monitors customer KPIs (including CSAT) and
challenges management to ensure the
customer proposition remains at the forefront
of all development activities.
Receives regular updates on health and safety,
product quality and ethics, sustainability and
data protection.
How we have listened and learned —
highlights in FY24
Improved ease of shopping with an interest
free credit offer and improved cross-channel
gift cards.
Grew our ‘Conscious Choice’ range to c.26%
of own-brand products.
Continued to invest in data security.
Expanded our Click & Collect offer.
Launched new safety campaign messaging
— ‘In Our Home We Put Safety First’ — and
implemented improvements to reduce risk of
incidents in stores.
Opened new stores outside of our traditional
size and locations and continued to explore
further opportunities to do so.
Continued to develop our ethical audit
programme, which covers suppliers of
own-brand products.
Continued to optimise dunelm.com through
faster website and ‘back in stock’ notifications.
5.1%
1
growth in unique active customers
shopping with us online and in store
1. Growth in unique active customers who have transacted at
least once in the 12 months to June 2024. Management
estimate using Barclays data.
Customers
Dunelm Group plc
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Stakeholder engagement continued
What they care about
Fair pay and reward
Opportunities for progression
A safe, inclusive and diverse workplace
Personal data protection
Opportunities to be listened to and
make a difference
Key management responsibility
Stores and People Director
Why we engage
Committed and ambitious colleagues are at
the heart of our business. We engage with
them to understand how best to recruit, retain,
motivate and reward them, including helping
with their mental and financial wellbeing.
We also use this information to make better
decisions for our customers and communities
and to support our strategic growth.
How we engage day-to-day
Annual colleague engagement survey,
alongside targeted pulse surveys.
Two-way ‘always on’ communication via our
Home Comforts intranet.
Regular CEO updates — ‘Nick’s Note’.
Colleagues represented through our National
Colleague Voice (see right) and our Local and
Regional Colleague Voice networks (see our
Sustainability Report 2024 for more detail).
Store colleague roadshow, seminar and
monthly newsletters.
Regular colleague ‘huddles’.
24/7 independent, confidential
whistleblowing hotline.
End of year events to reflect on the past year
and look ahead to the new financial year.
How the Board engages
Visits stores and other sites.
Designated NED for colleague matters and
CEO attend NCV meetings and report to
the Board.
Receives People update in each CEO report
to the Board.
Receives overview of whistleblowing reports.
Reviews key outcomes and actions from
colleague engagement survey.
Reviews detailed colleague dashboard and
metrics presented by the Stores and People
Director at least twice per year.
Discusses the gender pay gap disclosure.
How we have listened and learned —
highlights in FY24
Continued to invest in learning and career
development opportunities to strengthen our
employer value proposition, ‘grow’ talent and
improve succession planning. This included
a new ‘role-model leader’ programme and
a data literacy academy.
Taken a carefully considered approach to
colleague pay and reward decisions for FY24.
Launched ‘Reach’ development programme
for colleagues from underrepresented
ethnic groups.
Provided additional colleague discount to
celebrate 40 years of Dunelm stores.
Introduced new policy and tools to support
colleagues who are also carers.
Reviewed our approach to colleague
recognition, to ensure that it continues to
develop in a fair and consistent way.
Focused further on the cadence and content
of our colleague communications.
National Colleague Voice (‘NCV’)
Our colleague representative body, NCV,
has been running for five years. Members
represent a range of ages, ethnicities,
genders, locations, tenures and levels of
seniority across Dunelm. During FY24, we
held four meetings, led by Nick Wilkinson
and/or members of the People team. Marion
Sears, who is our designated Non-Executive
Director (‘NED’) for colleague matters,
attended and other NEDs often joined,
alongside presenters (as appropriate).
Each meeting comprises three parts:
a business performance update, a ‘What’s
on your mind?’ item for members to raise
concerns, and ‘Big Topics’ where we
communicate and seek feedback on important
matters. In FY24, these were health and
wellbeing, sustainability, diversity and inclusion,
community initiatives and reward. The aim is
to stimulate discussion and debate, with
representatives acting as strong advocates
for their colleagues. This is achieved by
encouraging reps to ask their colleagues for
views both generally and on the chosen ‘Big
Topics’ in advance of meetings. After each
meeting, reps share feedback with colleagues
and views and concerns raised are presented
to the Board.
The NCV is a valuable forum for colleagues
to engage, be listened to and see action as
a result. For example, the suggestion of an
additional discount to celebrate 40 years of
stores came from a NCV meeting, and
feedback on the launch of our ‘Home of You
campaign, aimed at better understanding the
diverse backgrounds of our colleagues, led to
a review of our communications to ensure that
its purpose more clearly resonates going
forwards. We have also reviewed our
approach to colleague recognition as a result
of NCV discussions.
The NCV continues to be an important part
of the dialogue on colleague pay and reward,
as detailed further on pages 115.
11,500+
colleagues
Colleagues
Dunelm Group plc
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Stakeholder engagement continued
What they care about
Services that support their community and
local area
Re-use, repair and recycling services
Local employment and volunteering
opportunities
A business they are proud to have in their
neighbourhood
Charitable initiatives
Key management responsibility
Customer Director
Why we engage
By understanding local community needs and
concerns we build awareness and trust, help
evolve our customer offer, strengthen our local
reputation and provide another reason for
people to shop with us. We have also learned
how much our customers and colleagues
benefit from being involved in meaningful
local initiatives and by having direct means
of communication with their local store.
How we engage day-to-day
Community champions for each region
facilitate the sharing of internal and external
feedback, learnings and ideas.
Daily interaction with local store
communities via individual store Facebook
groups (organised by locally appointed
community champions).
Feedback from local businesses and
community groups who use space in stores
and Pausa cafes.
Regular meetings with our Group charity
partner, Age UK.
How the Board engages
Receives updates on charity and community
initiatives.
Reviews community-related KPIs, including
level of take-back and monies raised for
good causes.
How we have listened and learned —
highlights in FY24
125,000 gifts donated to local good causes
through ‘Delivering Joy’ campaign, doubling
the number of donated gifts.
Schools summer ‘wish-list’ campaign.
Group and colleague fundraising and
Group cash charity contributions of £1.1m
(FY23: £820k).
Launched new partnership with Age UK,
committing to raise £2m in three years and,
amongst other things, held our inaugural
company-wide fundraising day.
Undertook further trials for take-back, which
included rugs.
Hosted repair workshops, including live
upcycling demonstrations.
Partnered with ‘Too Good to Go’ in our
Pausa cafes to reduce food waste.
Communities
What they care about
Fair trading and prompt payment terms
Collaborating to maintain high ethical
standards and deliver on sustainability
initiatives
Long-term relationships
A growth opportunity for their business
Key management responsibility
Director of Commercial and Supply Chain
Why we engage
We work closely with our suppliers and
manufacturers worldwide to develop
relationships and business growth
opportunities through regular engagement,
and to ensure that we are aligned on the
importance of upholding our high quality,
ethical and environmental standards.
How we engage day-to-day
Hold annual stock supplier conference and
regular webinars.
Regular supplier meetings.
Regular contact for our committed stock
suppliers with our design and commercial
teams, as well as our product quality,
compliance and sustainability teams.
Dedicated procurement function engages
with non-stock suppliers.
How the Board engages
Receives updates on ethical trading, product
quality, modern slavery, supplier payment
terms and whistleblowing reports.
Receives updates on progress against
sustainability metrics.
Ad hoc supplier meetings.
How we have listened and learned —
highlights in FY24
Board held in-person meeting and Q&A
session with key suppliers.
Held webinars with our key suppliers on
‘Better Manufacturing’, ethical standards
and packaging.
Reviewed our protocols for non-compliance.
Provided greater access to shared resources.
Continued to collaborate on sustainability
initiatives and supported suppliers in
adopting a data monitoring standard and
action planning tool to underpin better
manufacturing.
Extended whistleblowing service to all
supplier sites in seven different languages.
Launched our gold supplier programme to
recognise suppliers who demonstrate
effective management of the supply chain
and empower them to become self-managing.
Reviewed and updated our procurement
processes.
99% of invoices paid on time.
Suppliers
190+
local community
catchment areas served
by our stores and sites
1,200+
stock and non-stock suppliers
Dunelm Group plc
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Stakeholder engagement continued
What they care about
Strategy, performance and outlook
Returns
Strong leadership
Culture and shared values conducive to
good governance and high standards of
business ethics
Executive remuneration
ESG risks and opportunities
Key management responsibility
CEO and CFO
Why we engage
Meaningful engagement is key to building
trust and driving long-term success. It enables
us to better understand our investors’ priorities
and concerns. We help our shareholders and
their representatives to have a good
understanding of our business model,
strategy, investment opportunities and culture,
and we aim to be transparent and comply with
shareholder governance requirements.
How we engage day-to-day
Executive Directors meet with investors
during the year.
Arrange store visits.
Discuss ESG-related matters on request.
Via our corporate website.
How the Board engages
Chair seeks regular engagement with major
shareholders on governance and
performance against strategy.
Consults as appropriate.
Attends results presentations and the AGM.
Non-Executive Directors are available
to discuss any matter with shareholders
on request.
Reviews AGM voting, shareholder comments
and proxy reports. Reviews investor roadshow
feedback.
Governance and other meetings arranged
as appropriate.
How we have listened and learned —
highlights in FY24
Held 69 meetings with shareholders
(excluding our largest shareholder) during
the year. In addition, our Chair met with
institutional investors to discuss a broad
range of topics including governance, strategy
and management.
Hosted ‘At Home with Dunelm’, an event for
institutional investors and analysts to showcase
our product mastery and technology
development, which was held alongside our
Spring/Summer product show.
89.14% of issued share capital voted at FY23
Annual General Meeting.
Continued strong cash returns, with £158m
paid in dividends.
Integrated our ‘Good & Circular’ ESG
ambitions into our strategy and ways
of working.
Continued to develop Board capabilities for
next phase of growth.
Shareholders
1,870+
shareholders including the
Adderley family
‘At Home with Dunelm’ investor event:
Spring/Summer 2024 product show.
Other stakeholders
We work with a number of other stakeholders
whose relationships are important to the
day-to-day running of our business. These
stakeholders tend to impact our business more
than we impact theirs and, in some cases,
engagement may be one-way. We monitor and
evaluate these relationships regularly and the
Board is informed as required. In all cases, our
approach is to seek to build long-term trusted
relationships based on fairness and respect,
consistent with our Code of Business Conduct
and our values.
Other stakeholders with whom we engage
include:
Local and national UK Government bodies,
including HMRC.
Industry bodies and working groups, such as
Textiles 2030, Better Cotton and the British
Retail Consortium.
Regulators, including Leicestershire
County Council and Charnwood Borough
Council with whom we have a Primary
Authority relationship, and other bodies
such as the Health and Safety Executive,
Trading Standards and Environmental
Health Officers.
Banks and other financial institutions.
A trusted team of professional advisors (for
example, brokers, financial PR, accountancy
and recruitment firms, environment and
sustainability advisors).
Shareholder representative bodies, ESG
investment and credit ratings agencies and
potential investors.
Other business support providers e.g.
logistics, landlords (as the majority of our
stores are leased), technology and
construction/store development companies.
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
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Section 172
Section 172 statement
Board decisions must balance the occasional conflicting needs
and priorities of our key stakeholders, whilst also considering
the likely consequences of such decisions in the long term.
Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 (‘s.172’)
requires a director of a company to act in good
faith and promote the success of the company
for the benefit of its members as a whole. In
doing so, they must also have regard (amongst
other things) to a range of factors set out in
section 172(1) of the Companies Act, including
the interests of stakeholders.
Engagement with stakeholders plays a hugely
important role in ensuring that our Directors
fully understand their needs and make well-
informed decisions that consider different
priorities. We recognise that not every decision
will benefit all stakeholders, and we inevitably
have to make trade-offs between stakeholder
groups from time to time.
By taking account of the Company’s purpose
and values together with its strategic aims, and
closely following our decision-making process,
we aim to make sure that our decisions are fair
and consistent.
The preceding pages on stakeholder
engagement and pages 71 to 73 of the
Governance report provide examples of how
the Directors performed their s.172 duties
during the year.
The Board confirms that during the year under
review, it has acted to promote the long-term
success of the Company for the benefit of its
shareholders whilst having due regard to the
factors set out in section 172(1) (a) to (f) of the
Companies Act 2006.
Signed for and on behalf of the Board
Nick Wilkinson
CEO
The table below outlines other areas of this report that set out how the Board has had
regard to s.172(1) factors when making decisions:
s.172(1) factor Where to find more information
(a) likely consequences of any decisions in the
long term
Chair’s statement
Business model
CEO’s review
Stakeholder engagement
Board activities
4
10
14
20
71
(b) interests of the company’s employees
Stakeholder engagement
Non-financial and sustainability
information
Board activities
Remuneration Committee report
20
34
71
89
(c) need to foster the company’s business
relationships with suppliers, customers
and others
Business model
Stakeholder engagement
10
20
(d) impact of the company’s operations on the
community and environment
CEO‘s review
Sustainability
TCFD report
Board activities
14
32
46
71
(e) desirability of the company maintaining
a reputation for high standards of
business conduct
Sustainability
TCFD report
Our approach to risk management
Governance report
32
46
38
57
(f) need to act fairly as between members of
the company
Business model
Stakeholder engagement
Directors’ report
10
20
116
Dunelm Group plc
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Key performance indicators
Measuring our progress
The Board uses a range of financial and non-financial key performance
indicators (‘KPIs’) to measure overall Group performance and the success
of our strategic direction in relation to our priorities.
Employee net promoter score
(‘eNPS)
Year-on-year improvement ppts
10ppts
Base
year
-9%
-5%
+1%
+1%
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Score based on responses to the
question ‘How likely are you to
recommend Dunelm as a place to
work’ from our colleague survey
which we conduct bi-annually.
The above results are from May
each year, apart from for FY20,
where November 2019 was used
due to postponement of the May
2020 survey.
Why this measure is important
Rates our colleagues’ experience
with us and the survey helps us
understand where we need
to improve.
FY24 progress
Our eNPS is above sector average,
and these scores reflect a high
response rate. Noting the
year-on-year decline, the feedback
received gives us valuable insight
which we are using to implement a
number of actions business-wide.
Scope 1 intensity reduction
% reduction against the base year
53%
Base
year
-53%
-32%
-20%
FY24FY23FY22FY19
Basis of measurement
The reduction in Scope 1 carbon
emissions in tonnes per £m of
revenue, compared to our baseline
of FY19. For further details on all
carbon emissions, see our TCFD
report on pages 46 to 54.
Why this measure is important
Helps us understand how
successful we are in reducing our
impact on the environment and
progressing towards our long-term
carbon reduction targets.
FY24 progress
We have continued to make
progress in reducing our
Scope 1 emissions. Our store
decarbonisation programme
continues to make headway, and
carbon intensity reduced as a result
of using compressed natural gas
in our trunking fleet throughout
the year.
Market share
Absolute % market share
7.7%
5.1%
7.7%
7.1%
6.8%
5.8%
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Dunelm sales as a proportion of
the GlobalData UK combined
homewares and furniture markets,
excluding kitchen cabinetry and
bathroom furniture. Certain
Dunelm categories which are not
part of the GlobalData UK
homewares and furniture markets
are also excluded, such as rugs
and Pausa.
Why this measure is important
Demonstrates our performance
relative to the wider homewares
and furniture markets.
FY24 progress
We grew market share by 60bps
against a challenging backdrop,
owing to the strength and resilience
of our proposition.
Unique active customer growth
Year-on-year % growth
+5.1%
+3.8%
+5.1%
+2.8%
+8.5%
+12.2%
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Growth in unique active customers
who have shopped in the last 12
months, based on management
estimates using Barclays data. This
measure combines our active store
and online customers.
Why this measure is important
Measures the growth in our active
customer base and therefore our
ability to reach new customers.
FY24 progress
Unique active customers grew by
5.1% in FY24 alongside our market
share gains, demonstrating our
continued and growing customer
relevance and reach.
Net promoter score (‘NPS’)
Year-on-year improvement ppts
+1.9ppts
Base
year
+1.9%
-0.9%
-4.2%
+4.2%
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Weighted average NPS across store
and online channels. FY24 NPS
covers the nine months until
30 April 2024. In May 2024 we began
measuring customer satisfaction
(‘CSAT’), which instead shows the
percentage of customers who rate
their experience with us as 5/5. We
will report against CSAT from FY25.
Why this measure is important
NPS (and in future, CSAT) measures
how customers rate their overall
experience with us. Understanding
this is fundamental to retaining and
acquiring customers and informing
how we develop our offer.
FY24 progress
NPS improved slightly in the year
and going forward, in measuring
CSAT we anticipate driving new
insight into, and understanding of,
customer experience and driving
further improvements.
Diversity of our role-model leaders
% of role-model leaders from an
ethnic minority background
5.8%
5.8%
3.8%
FY24FY23
Basis of measurement
Proportion of our role-model
leaders that come from ethnic
minority backgrounds. Role-model
leaders are defined as ‘Heads of
and above and includes our
regional and store coaches, of
which we currently have around
300 across the organisation.
Why this measure is important
Ensuring our leadership and
colleague base is diverse and
representative of wider society
will lead to a better proposition for
our customers.
FY24 progress
The proportion of role-model
leaders from ethnic minority
backgrounds has increased by
2ppts to 5.8% by the end of FY24,
however we maintain a more
ambitious medium-term target.
Non-financial
Exec Rem Exec Rem
Dunelm Group plc
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26
Diluted earnings per share
Pence and growth %
74.4p
42.9
74.4
75.0
83.6
62.9
-14.0%
-0.8%
-10.3%
+32.9%
+46.6%
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Profit after tax attributable to
shareholders divided by the
average number of dilutive
outstanding shares (as per note 8
on page 140). Not that FY22
includes a 53rd week for statutory
reporting purposes.
Why this measure is important
Reflects overall profit after tax for
each share in the Company.
FY24 progress
FY24 dEPS was 74.4p, and -0.8%
on FY23. The slight year-on-year
reduction reflects the growth in
profit before tax offset by an
increase in the effective tax rate,
largely driven by the higher rate
of corporation tax introduced in
April 2023.
Total revenue
£m and growth %
£1,706m
1,058
1,706
1,639
1,581
1,336
-3.9%
+4.1%
+3.6%
+18.4%
+26.3%
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Total reported business revenue.
Note that FY22 includes a 53rd
week for statutory reporting
purposes.
Why this measure is important
Demonstrates our customer
appeal, showing how successful we
are at offering relevant products
through convenient and easy-to-
access channels.
FY24 progress
FY24 sales growth was 4.1%, with
full year revenue of £1.7bn. Both
digital and store channels were in
growth for the year.
Profit before tax
£m and % of sales
£205m
109
205
193
213
158
10.3%
12.0%
11.8%
13.5%
11.8%
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Profit before tax reported in £m and
as a % of total sales. Note that FY22
includes a 53rd week for statutory
reporting purposes.
Why this measure is important
Reflects our underlying financial
performance and the balance of
growth and grip exercised
throughout the year.
FY24 progress
FY24 PBT of £205m was 6.6%
ahead of the prior year, with PBT
margin improving to 12.0%
from 11.8% .
Free cash flow
£m
£132m
175
132
160
153
109
FY20 FY24FY23FY22FY21
Basis of measurement
Free cash flow is net cash
generated from operating activities
less capex (net of disposals), net
interest paid (including leases) and
loan transaction costs, and
repayment of lease liabilities. Note
that FY22 includes a 53rd week for
statutory reporting purposes.
Why this measure is important
Allows the Board to monitor cash
flows to support investment
decisions for long-term profitability,
or to return surplus cash to
shareholders.
FY24 progress
Free cash flow of £132m represents
62% of operating profit. This is
lower than in FY23 due to increased
capex, higher interest and tax rates,
and a working capital outflow, due
to timing on payables and the
impact on inventory of delayed
shipping routes.
Key performance indicators continued
We have long-term remuneration targets for
Executive Directors including a range of
financial and non-financial targets. Where
relevant, we have highlighted where Group
KPIs are also remuneration metrics.
Annually, we review our Group KPIs to ensure
that they remain the most relevant indicators of
the overall effectiveness of the Company, whilst
maintaining consistency. The following metrics
which were previously reported as Group KPIs
can be found in our Sustainability Report 2024:
Reduction in virgin plastic packaging of
own-brand products.
Percentage of own-brand products where
we offer a take-back service.
Percentage of own-brand products which
meet our ‘More Responsibly Sourced
Cotton’ standard.
Measures used in FY24 executive remuneration can be
found in the Annual Report on Remuneration from page 101.
Further information on the performance criteria that apply
to the FY25—27 LTIP award can be found on page 113.
Exec Rem
Financial
Exec Rem Exec Rem Exec Rem
Dunelm Group plc
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CFOs review
Continued profitable
growth and cash returns
In a challenging market which declined
year-on-year, our combined homewares and
furniture market share increased by 60bps to
7.7%
1
. This continues our strong track record
of share gains, and we remain confident in our
ability to keep growing our share of this large
and fragmented market.
Total active customers increased by 5.1%
2
, an
acceleration on the previous year (FY23: +2.8%),
with growth across all customer age, income
and geographical cohorts. In a year where we
invested in brand awareness, we saw particularly
strong growth rates in London and in younger
(16—24 years) demographics. We were also
pleased to see expansion in both multi-channel
shoppers and those who shop only in-store or
online, demonstrating the strength of our total
retail system.
Gross margin
Gross margin was strong at 51.8%, 170bps
ahead of FY23 (FY23: 50.1%). Throughout the
year we benefitted from a freight tailwind (partly
offset by a foreign exchange headwind), despite
Red Sea volatility and resulting surcharges. We
are pleased that sales volumes grew alongside
this strengthened margin, as we worked with
our suppliers and applied operational grip to
maintain our outstanding value proposition
for customers.
Total sales for the period to 29 June 2024 grew
by 4.1% to £1,706m (FY23: £1,639m), with
growth in all quarters of the year, despite ongoing
uncertainty in our market. We are pleased that our
sales progression was again driven by volume,
which was up 6.2% supported by the strength
and relevance of our proposition. The impact
of pricing was broadly stable, and we saw an
overall reduction in average item values driven
by the product mix of sales. Both store and
digital channels grew year-on-year, and digital
participation increased again, up 1ppt to 37%.
Customers continue to respond well to the
breadth of our ranges, which we expanded
throughout the year, ensuring that it remained
curated and relevant. Overall growth was broad-
based across categories, demonstrating our
customer appeal and the resilience of our
proposition. We continue to benefit from
elevating our product offer, with our ‘Cook &
Dine’ and upholstered furniture categories
maintaining their strong performance from the
first half of the year. We also saw significant
growth in our made-to-measure window
treatments, where we have continued to expand
our capability, bringing more of the manufacturing
in-house and introducing new ranges such as
Venetian blinds. Towards the end of the year,
whilst seasonal ranges saw softer sales during a
cooler spring and summer period, the Summer
Sale performed particularly well, with customers
taking advantage of both the discounted offers
available, and shopping for full-priced products
and new ranges.
FY 2024
Total Group sales
£1,706.5m
+4.1% YoY
Digital % total sales
37%
+1ppt YoY
Market share
1
£7.7%
+
60bps YoY
Active customer growth
2
+5.1% YoY
1. GlobalData UK combined homewares and furniture markets,
excluding kitchen cabinetry and bathroom furniture, for the
period July 2023 to June 2024. Prior year comparative restated.
2. Growth in unique active customers who have transacted at least
once in the 12 months to June 2024. Management estimates
using Barclays data.
We remain confident and
committed to investing in
the business for the long term,
to drive sustainable and
profitable growth.
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
28
CFO’s review continued
Despite the ongoing challenging consumer
environment, we have continued to invest in
the business for the long-term, investing £25m
in the year on new store openings, continuing
to improve our digital proposition, and
strengthening brand awareness and customer
reach with our ‘Home of Homes’ campaigns.
Our new store opening programme accelerated
to six new store openings (including one
relocation) in the year, and we now plan for 510
new stores per year over the medium term.
We continue to apply tight operational grip to
cost management, and in the year we generated
productivities and efficiencies of £11m,
including savings from the optimisation of
performance marketing costs, distribution cost
savings from exiting external storage facilities,
and continued process improvements in stores.
As we move forward, as well as focussing on
further continuous improvement initiatives, we
will be investing in programmatic activities to
help mitigate the impact of a wage inflationary
environment. Alongside this, we remain
committed to investment for long-term
profitable growth from our strategic priorities.
Profit and earnings per share
Operating profit of £213m was £14m higher
than the prior year (FY23: £199m), reflecting
sales growth and gross margin expansion
coupled with tight operational cost control in an
environment where wage inflation continues to
be a headwind.
In a year of higher base rates, net finance costs
of £8m (FY23: £6m) included interest on IFRS 16
lease liabilities of £6m (FY23: £5m). Our strong
cash flows and low levels of debt meant other
financing costs did not put pressure on
the business.
spend, and also included the impact of a
non-recurring deferred tax adjustment, as
previously reported. Going forward, we expect
the effective tax rate to trend between 50bps
and 100bps above the headline tax rate of 25%.
Basic earnings per share (EPS) for the period was
74.7 pence (FY23: 75.2 pence). Diluted earnings
per share was 74.4 pence (FY23: 75.0 pence).
Cash generation and net debt
In the period, the Group generated £132m of
free cash flow (FY23: £160m), with conversion
of operating profit to free cash flow of 62%
(FY23: 81%). The lower conversion year-on-year
is driven by higher capex, increased tax paid
and a working capital outflow.
In FY25 we will continue to tightly manage our
input costs to deliver a continued strong gross
margin, alongside outstanding value to
customers. With year-on-year freight benefits
now largely annualised and Red Sea disruption
ongoing, we currently expect FY25 gross
margins to be within a range of 51%52%.
Operating costs
Total operating costs were £670m (FY23: £622m)
representing an operating costs:sales ratio of 39.3%
(FY23: 38.0%). The year-on-year increase in the
costs:sales ratio reflects ongoing inflationary
pressures, and although we have partially offset
these with productivity gains across our operations,
our commitment to long-term investment in the
business and the volume-driven nature of our
sales growth means that as expected, there has
been an increase in operating costs relative to
sales. We focus on managing operating costs
whilst optimising our overall operating margin
to deliver long-term profitable growth.
The volume-driven nature of our sales growth
resulted in an incremental £14m of variable
costs, primarily across performance marketing
and in our supply chain. Looking ahead, we
expect our sales growth to continue to be
volume driven.
We have seen another year of inflationary
headwinds, which increased costs by £20m for
the year, consistent with the impact we saw in
FY23. The main driver of this was wages, with the
largest element of our cost base being the cost
of hourly-paid colleagues. This cost has been
impacted by the National Living Wage increasing
by close to 10% in each of the last two years.
Whilst we do not have visibility of the National
Living Wage increases going forward, we
expect this inflationary headwind to persist for
some time. Therefore, we expect inflation in our
operating cost base to continue at 34% in FY25.
Profit before tax in the period was £205m (FY23:
£193m) with PBT margin of 12.0% (FY23: 11.8%).
In FY25, we expect PBT margin to remain
broadly stable, reflecting the balance of volume-
driven sales growth, strong gross margin and
grip on operating costs in an inflationary
environment, alongside a commitment to
continued investment.
Profit after tax of £151m (FY23: £152m) reflected
an effective tax rate of 26.4% (FY23: 21.2%), the
5.2ppt increase largely due to the annualisation
of the higher UK headline rate of corporation tax
introduced in April 2023. The effective tax rate
was 140bps higher than the 25% headline rate,
as we had slightly more disallowable
expenditures in FY24 due to higher new store
Cash generation and net debt
FY24
£m
FY23
£m
Operating profit 213.3 198.8
Depreciation and amortisation
1
82.0 79.4
Net movement in working capital (17.7) (4.2)
Share-based payments 4.3 4.8
Tax paid (49.6) (38.2)
Net cash generated from operating activities 232.3 240.6
Capex and business combinations (39.9) (21.8)
Net interest and loan transaction costs
2
(3.3) (1.1)
Interest paid on lease liabilities (6.1) (5.3)
Repayment of principal element of lease liabilities (50.8) (52.0)
Free cash flow 132.2 160.4
1. Including impairment and loss on disposal
2. Excluding interest on lease liabilities
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
29
CFO’s review continued
After total dividend payments in the period of
£158m (FY23: £163m), the Group ended the
year with net debt
2
of £56m (FY23: £31m).
Banking agreements
At the year end, the Group had in place a
£250m unsecured revolving credit facility
(“RCF”). The terms of the RCF included
covenants in respect of leverage (net debt
3
to
be no greater than 2.5× adjusted EBITDA
4
) and
fixed charge cover (EBITDAR
5
to be no less than
1.75× fixed charges
6
), both of which were met
comfortably as at 29 June 2024. A one-year
extension to the facility was agreed in August
2024, with a maturity date of September 2028.
The terms are consistent with normal business
practice and the covenants are unchanged.
There is an option to extend by another year at
Dunelm’s request, subject to lender consent.
The Group also maintains £10m of
uncommitted overdraft facilities.
Going concern
At the time of approving the financial
statements, the Board of Directors is required to
formally assess that the business has adequate
resources to continue in operation and as such
can continue to adopt the ‘going concern’ basis
of accounting. To support this assessment, the
Board is required to consider the Group’s current
financial position, its strategy, the market outlook
and its principal risks.
The Directors continue to assess the risks that
climate change poses to the business. Currently,
climate change is not expected to have a
significant impact on the Group’s going concern
assessment or on the viability of the Group over
the next three years.
Reverse stress modelling has demonstrated that
a prolonged sales reduction of 26% in each year
is required to breach covenants by the end of
FY26 and a 42% sales reduction in each year is
required to breach the RCF limit by the end of
FY26, assuming reasonable mitigating actions
have been implemented.
Even in such an event, management would
follow a similar course of action to that initially
undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Such actions could include reductions in
discretionary spend and delaying investments.
The working capital outflow in the period
was £18m (FY23: £4m outflow). The main
contributing factors driving the outflow were
the timing of a VAT payment and the impact on
inventory of delays in our main shipping route,
which we continue to manage well operationally.
We expect working capital to be broadly neutral
for FY25.
Total capital investment was £40m (FY23:
£22m), in line with our guidance. Capex of
c.£25m related to stores, including the six new
superstores opened in the year, 13 refits of
existing stores and our ongoing decarbonisation
programme. In June 2024 we purchased a
tenanted non-retail freehold property for £8m,
providing current rental income and future
capacity for our support centre.
In FY25 we expect our capital expenditure to
increase to £50m£60m. In line with previous
guidance, we expect to open 510 new
superstores (as in FY24, broadly evenly split
between larger and smaller sites
1
), and we now
expect new openings to continue at this rate for
the medium term. In the early part of the new
financial year, we secured a freehold tenanted
retail property in an attractive location for £22m
which we plan to convert to a Dunelm format in
the future. Whilst we expect the majority of our
new openings to be leasehold, we have the
capacity to purchase freeholds where there
are sufficiently attractive returns.
Cash tax paid was £50m (FY23: £38m),
reflecting the higher effective tax rate.
In the period, the Group did not purchase
any shares to be held in treasury (FY23: £7m).
The Group held 1.2m shares in treasury as at
29 June 2024, sufficient to satisfy future
obligations under its employee share schemes.
The key judgement that the Directors have
considered in forming their conclusion is the
potential impact on future revenue, profits and
cashflows of a downturn in consumer spending
away from homewares, due to the ongoing
impact of sustained inflation, as well as the
impact of broader economic uncertainty across
a three-year review period. This scenario could
result in no growth in Year 1 and lower sales and
higher costs across all channels throughout the
review period. The Directors have also
considered a deeper downturn in consumer
spending away from homewares, resulting in
negative growth in Year 1 and lower sales and
higher costs across all channels throughout the
review period.
In both downside scenarios Dunelm has
sufficient liquidity to continue trading, including
maintaining the payment of dividends in line
with the business’ dividend policy, and to
comfortably meet financial covenants.
1. Larger superstores c.30,000 sq ft, smaller superstores
c.15,000 sq ft.
2. Excluding lease liabilities. Full definition provided in the table
of alternative performance measures.
3. Excluding lease liabilities. Full definition provided in the table
of alternative performance measures.
4. Adjusted EBITDA defined as EBITDA less depreciation on
right-of-use assets.
5. EBITDAR defined as EBITDA plus rent.
6. Fixed charges are defined as net interest costs plus right-of-use
asset depreciation plus rent.
Our tax strategy
FY24
£m
FY23
£m
Net VAT collected 173.0 164.7
Payroll taxes including National Insurance
7
60.8 56.2
Corporation tax 49.5 38.2
Plastic packaging tax 0.0 0.1
Total tax contributions 283.3 259.2
7. All Dunelm colleagues are based in the United Kingdom, except for 50 colleagues who work in our store in Jersey. Payroll taxes for
FY22 have been restated.
Dunelm is committed to full compliance with all statutory obligations and full disclosure to tax authorities. The
Group’s tax affairs are managed in a way that is consistent with the Group’s commitment to high standards of
governance. The Board has established a set of principles that form the basis of the management philosophy
and the tax policy of the Group. These principles can be found in full in our Group Tax Strategy which is
published on our corporate website and reviewed each year. Our Group Tax Strategy sets out one shared vision
within the Group of tax compliance and one view of performance.
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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30
FY24
43.5
35.0
FY23
42.0
40.0
FY22
40.0
37.0
FY20 FY21
35.0
65.0
FY19
28.0
32.0
FY18FY16
25.1
31.5
FY17FY15
21.5
70.0
FY14FY12 FY13
16.0
25.0
FY11FY10
8.0
21.5
FY08FY07 FY09
78.5
82.0
77.0
100.0
60.0
26.5
56.6
26.0
91.5
20.0
14.0
41.0
11.5
29.5
5.5
3.8
6.0
CFO’s review continued
Dividends
The Board has proposed a final ordinary
dividend of 27.5 pence per share, recognising
our performance in the year and ongoing
confidence in the business. This takes the full
year ordinary dividend to 43.5 pence per share,
3.6% ahead of the 42.0 pence per share paid in
FY23, with dividend cover
2
of 1.71×. Whilst
dividend cover is slightly below the range set
out in the Group’s policy, the Board considers
the level of cover appropriate in light of the 6.6%
year-on-year increase in PBT, with earnings
impacted by the increase in effective tax rate,
including a non-recurring impact. The final
dividend will be paid on 26 November 2024
subject to approval by shareholders at the AGM
on 21 November 2024. The ex-dividend date is
31 October 2024 and the record date is
1 November 2024.
We paid total dividends of £158m in the year,
including a special dividend of £71m.
Karen Witts
Chief Financial Officer
11 September 2024
As a result, the Board believes that the Group
is well placed to manage its financing and other
significant risks satisfactorily and that the Group
will be able to operate within the level of its
facilities and meet its liabilities as they fall due,
for at least the next three years. For this reason,
the Board considers it appropriate for the
Group to adopt the going concern basis in
preparing its financial statements.
Capital and dividend policies
The Board policy on capital structure targets
an average net debt level (excluding lease
obligations and short-term fluctuations in
working capital) of between 0.2× and 0.6× the
last 12 months’ EBITDA
1
. The Group expects
to maintain or steadily increase the absolute
amount of each dividend payment in line with
the growth of the business.
The Group’s dividend policy targets ordinary
dividend cover of between 1.75× and 2.25×
earnings per share during the financial year to
which the dividend relates. The Board may allow
a temporary fall in dividend cover requirements
in order to maintain the dividend.
The Board will continue to consider returning
surplus cash to shareholders if average net
debt, excluding lease liabilities, over a period,
consistently falls below the minimum target of
0.2× EBITDA
1
, subject to known and anticipated
investment and expenditure plans at the time.
The Group’s full capital and dividend
policies are available on our website at
corporate.dunelm.com
1. EBITDA defined as operating profit plus depreciation and amortisation of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets plus loss
on disposal and impairment of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets plus depreciation on right-of-use assets.
2. Dividend cover is calculated as earnings per share divided by the total ordinary dividend relating to the financial year.
3. Ordinary dividends plus special distributions.
Capital and dividend policies
Target average net debt between 0.
and 0.6× the last 12 months’ EBITDA.
1
Ordinary dividend cover of between 1.75×
and 2.25× earnings per share during the
financial year to which the dividend relates.
Return surplus cash if net debt consistently
falls below the minimum target of
0.2×EBITDA.
1
Dividend history (pence per share)
Ordinary dividend
Special distributions
Significant shareholder
returns since IPO
Ordinary dividend CAGR
15%
Cash returned to shareholders
3
C. £1.5bn
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
31
The Home of Homes:
Committed to being
good & circular
Dunelm Group plc
Sustainability report 2024
Sustainability
Our approach to sustainability:
Being Good & Circular
As the UKs leading homewares retailer, we have both a passion and an
obligation to do the right thing. This means remaining ambitious about being
a company that focuses on growing sustainably. It means long-term thinking
combined with shorter-term, achievable goals. It means being good and
circular, a core part of our customer proposition. Our approach is outlined
below, recognising that we want to look after all our homes:
A home for
our People
We recognise the Planet provides the
resources we use to create our products.
We have a role in the Communities where
our stores and sites operate.
We create a home for People working in both
our business and our wider supply chain.
Our home in
Communities
Our home
the Planet
Protecting all of our Homes
Our strong corporate and ESG governance frameworks, holistic approach to risk management and well-established codes of conduct and policies
protect our stakeholders and preserve value in our business.
SR
Read more on our
commitment to being
good and circular in our
Sustainability Report 2024
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
32
Sustainability continued
Being Good & Circular in FY24: key highlights
Reduced our overall Scope 1 carbon emissions by 27%
from our FY19 baseline despite strong sales growth of 53%
over the same period.
Increased the number of own-brand products in our
Conscious Choice range to c.26% from c.15% last year.
Conscious Choice products are made from at least 50%
‘More Responsibly Sourced’ materials (by weight) when
compared to conventional alternatives available
from Dunelm.
Developed our circularity strategy and worked with
product teams to implement circular design principles into
product development.
Launched the Higg Facility Environmental Module (‘FEM)
for our Tier 1 suppliers as part of our Better Manufacturing
programme. At the end of FY24, over 80% of our Tier 1
suppliers completed and disclosed data to the Higg FEM.
Doubled the number of gifts donated to over 125,000
during our ‘Delivering Joy’ campaign in December 2023,
our biggest year yet.
Raised £1.8m over three successful years of working with Mind.
In January we launched our new charity partnership with Age
UK, with a commitment to raise £2m over the next three years.
Expanded our Home to Home scheme, where customers
can donate pre-loved and good quality homewares such as
crockery and glasses in our stores, to 39 stores, with
support from Age UK.
Continued to run in-store repair pilots with workshops,
drop-in repair cafes and live demonstrations to engage local
customers and communities on extending product lifetimes.
Grew the popularity of our in-store textile takeback service,
with customers now, on average, bringing c.98 tonnes of
textiles to stores each month.
Colleague retention increased to 89% from 87% in FY23.
Further developed our colleague benefits package by
introducing a new £10,000 Life Assurance benefit.
Built on our Role Model Leadership programme with 86
enrolments to a year-long development scheme.
Continued to listen and respond to colleagues through an
expanded programme of engagement surveys.
Launched our ‘Reach’ development programme for
colleagues from underrepresented ethnic groups,
providing skills training, connection and career
advancement opportunities.
Introduced a data literacy campaign for colleagues to build
knowledge and capabilities within the business.
Our home the Planet A home for our PeopleOur home in Communities
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
33
In the following pages, we present information
relating to the non-financial reporting
requirements as contained in sections 414CA
and 414CB of the Companies Act 2006. These
include our commitment to and management
of environmental and social matters (as listed in
the requirements) and how these impact our
business and key stakeholders (including, for
these purposes, the Planet). We include links to
some of our relevant policies and references to
where additional information can be found both
within and outside this report. In addition, our
business model can be found on pages 10 to 11
and our principal risks, which are linked to each
stakeholder group (as appropriate), are set out
on pages 40 to 45.
Our approach
Our vision is to build the UK’s most trusted and
valuable brand for homewares and furniture.
We have a legal and moral obligation to
develop and sell products that are safe to use
(and safe to eat from our Pausa cafes) and that
are accurately and fairly labelled, marketed and
sold to our customers. We must also provide a
safe environment for our customers to shop —
whether in store, online or receiving home
deliveries. As we increase our customer
engagement, we have a responsibility to look
after and treat our customers’ personal data
and information with respect and integrity.
Increasingly, we are giving our customers the
option to choose from a range of products that
are sourced ‘more responsibly’ (with strict
qualifying criteria set).
Our outcomes
Alongside measuring customer numbers and
shopping frequency, we predominantly
measure the outcomes relevant to our approach
through our customer Net Promoter Score
(‘NPS’). We will report using a Customer
Satisfaction Score (‘CSAT’) from FY25.
Non-financial and sustainability
information statement FY24
Non-financial and sustainability information
Customers
Some of our relevant policies
(see website: corporate.dunelm.com)
Data Security and Privacy Policy
Health and Safety Policy
Where to find more information
and outcomes in this report Page/s
Customer proposition in the
business model 11
Stakeholder engagement
and s.172 statement 20—25
Net promoter score 26
Principal risks and uncertainties 40—45
Additional information outside
this report
Sustainability Report 2024
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
34
Gender breakdown, year-end FY24 versus year-end FY23
Female Male
Total
FY24FY24 FY23 Change FY24 FY23 Change
Group Board 5 5 0 7 6 +1 12
42% 45% -3% 58% 55% +3%
Senior leadership
1
12 17 -5 18 17 +1 30
40% 50% -10% 60% 50% +10%
Store
colleagues
6,376 6,499 -123 2,433 2,351 +82 8,809
72% 73% -1% 28% 27% +1%
All
colleagues
7,582 7,669 -87 3,990 3,828 +162 11,572
66% 67% -1% 34% 33% +1%
1. Senior leadership for these purposes means our Executive Team (excluding Executive Directors who sit on the Group Board) and
members of our Dunelm leadership team.
Non-financial and sustainability information continued
Note: This data covers 92% of all colleagues.
Ethnicity data
1. White — British 79%
2. White — Other 6%
3. Asian British 9%
4. Black 3%
5. Multi-ethnic 2%
6. Other 1%
1.
3.
2.
4.
5.
6.
Colleagues
Some of our relevant policies
(see website: corporate.dunelm.com)
Data Security and Privacy Policy
Health and Safety Policy
Equality and Diversity Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Anti-corruption and Anti-bribery Policy
Domestic Abuse Policy
Colleague Code of Conduct
Code of Business Conduct
Where to find more information
and outcomes in this report Page/s
Chair’s statement 4—5
CEO’s review 14—19
Stakeholder engagement,
s.172 statement and
‘Our approach to s.172’ in the
Governance report 20—25,72
Employee net promoter score 26
Sustainability 32—33
Principal risks and uncertainties 40—45
Culture and values 68—70
Diversity and inclusion’ in
Nomination Committee report 79
Remuneration Committee
report 89—115
Additional information outside
this report
Sustainability Report 2024
Gender Pay Report 2024
Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
Our approach
We are committed to treating our colleagues
fairly, to reward them appropriately for the work
they do and to give them opportunities to
develop and learn. We want them to be heard
and feel connected to our business and to feel
at home’ in a safe and inclusive working
environment. We continue to support their
mental and financial wellbeing — particularly
given the pressures on our colleagues in the
current UK economic environment.
Our commitment to protecting colleagues can
be found in our Code of Business Conduct and
Colleague Code of Conduct. All colleagues are
obliged to comply with our Anti-corruption and
Anti-bribery Policy and are trained upon induction.
We continue to focus on achieving diversity and
gender balance across all levels of the business.
Our median gender pay gap of 5.5% and our
mean gender pay gap of 16.9% reflect that 70%
of our colleagues are women, 90% of whom are
in hourly-paid, predominantly store roles.
We work with our colleague network groups to
understand possible barriers and challenges to
progression and have adapted policies as a
result. We have expanded our apprenticeship
programme to improve social mobility.
Our outcomes
Alongside a number of colleague and culture
metrics (including colleague retention and
promotion from within) we predominantly
measure the outcomes of the above through
our employee net promoter score (eNPS).
Colleague network groups
Dunelm Group plc
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Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
35
Non-financial and sustainability information continued
Our approach
We are increasingly making more meaningful
connections to support thriving, purpose-driven
communities in and around our stores and other
sites. We want to be known as the brand that
puts community at the heart of its business to
help people feel more at home by expanding
community initiatives and services (including
our take-back services which are highly popular
and valued by our store communities).
Alongside promoting Group-wide fundraising
activities we encourage colleagues to support
local charities, businesses and community
groups. We are also committed to full compliance
with all statutory tax obligations and full
disclosure to tax authorities.
Our outcomes
At a Group level we track the amount of Group
and colleague fundraising and Group cash
charity contributions. Informally, we monitor the
number of store Facebook group followers and
the number of small businesses and community
groups that we support at the store level.
Our approach
We have a responsibility to protect and respect
human rights and to uphold high ethical
standards in our supply chains. We set out our
minimum expectations in our Ethical Code of
Conduct for Suppliers and Partners that applies
to all businesses involved in the production of
goods for Dunelm and we use a risk-based
approach in our ethical auditing programme to
monitor supply chain practices against our
standards. We aim to work collaboratively with
suppliers to achieve continuous improvement
through increased engagement and education
— including environmental and product quality
standards, alongside ethical considerations. We
are committed to treating our suppliers properly
in accordance with agreed terms and conditions
and to paying them promptly.
Our outcomes
We have set a Group target to increase the
roll out of our Conscious Choice range which
promotes more sustainable practices. We have
also set sustainability metrics for other sourced
materials such as timber and palm oil.
Suppliers
Some of our relevant policies
(see website: corporate.dunelm.com)
Whistleblowing Policy
Anti-corruption and
Anti-bribery Policy
Ethical Code of Conduct for Suppliers and
Partners
Responsible Animal Welfare Policy
Responsible Cotton Policy
Responsible Palm Oil Sourcing Policy
Responsible Timber Policy
Competition Law Policy
Where to find more information
and outcomes in this report Page/s
Stakeholder engagement
and s.172 statement 20—25
Sustainability 32—33
Principal risks and uncertainties 40—45
Additional information outside
this report
Sustainability Report 2024
Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
Communities
Some of our relevant policies
(see website: corporate.dunelm.com)
Tax Strategy
Responsible Cotton Policy
Responsible Timber Policy
Where to find more information
and outcomes in this report Page/s
Chair’s statement 4—5
CEO’s review 14—19
Stakeholder engagement
and s.172 statement 20—25
Sustainability 32—33
Principal risks and uncertainties 40—45
Additional information outside
this report
Sustainability Report 2024
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
36
Non-financial and sustainability information continued
Planet
Some of our relevant policies
(see website: corporate.dunelm.com)
Environmental Policy
Plastic and Packaging Policy
Where to find more information
and outcomes in this report Page/s
s.172 statement 25
Scope 1 carbon intensity
reduction 26
Principal risks and uncertainties 40—45
Task Force on Climate-related
Financial Disclosures report 46—54
Streamlined Energy and
Carbon Reporting 53
Chair’s introduction in the
Governance report 57—58
Our approach to s.172’
in the Governance report 72
Sustainability reporting’ in
Audit and Risk Committee 84
ESG metrics within Executive
remuneration 105,106
Additional information outside
this report
Sustainability Report 2024
Our approach
Our investment in resources to focus on being
good and circular (a central part of our business
model and overall approach to sustainability)
has increased the level of awareness across the
business for the need to take urgent action to
reduce our impacts on the planet. Our goal is to
reduce our absolute greenhouse gas (‘GHG’)
emissions by 50% by FY30 against a FY19
baseline. We have had our near-term and net
zero targets validated by the SBTi, which sees
us align to the latest climate science from the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). We support the British Retail Consortium’s
Climate Action Roadmap to achieve net zero by
2040, and we are a partner member of Textiles
2030, with a commitment to meet their carbon
and water footprint reduction targets. We
remain focused on reducing operational waste,
including plastics and other packaging, and
exploring product circularity solutions.
Our outcomes
We have made considerable progress in better
understanding the most significant sources of
GHG emissions along our supply chains, using
our “improve-innovate-advocate” approach.
Metrics relating to Scope 1 carbon emissions
intensity are set as Group KPIs to maintain our
focus. Although we are still at an early stage,
we are making headway in our product
circularity plans.
Greenhouse gas emissions and Streamlined
Energy and Carbon Reporting information can
be found on page 53.
Our approach
We strive to provide our shareholders with as
clear a picture as possible of our business and
our prospects — both financial and non-financial
— in order to enable them to make informed
investment decisions. We give various
opportunities for shareholders to meet our
Board and management through scheduled
meetings and on request. We provide regular
overviews of our governance arrangements and
our progress in non-financial reporting.
Our outcomes
Our focus on sustainable returns has led to
progressive ordinary and special dividends. We
have returned c.£1.5bn since IPO to shareholders
through dividends and special distributions.
Shareholders
Some of our relevant policies
(see website: corporate.dunelm.com)
Capital and Dividend Policy
Employment of Former Employees of the
External Auditor Policy
Tax Strategy
Anti-corruption and Anti-bribery Policy
Where to find more information
and outcomes in this report Page/s
Stakeholder engagement
and s.172 statement 20—25
Principal risks and uncertainties 40—45
Our approach to s.172’ in the
Governance report 72
Sustainability reporting’ in
Audit and Risk Committee
and s.172 statement 84
ESG metrics in Executive
remuneration 105,106
Additional information outside
this report
Sustainability Report 2024
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Risks and risk management
Our approach to
risk management
The Board as a whole is responsible for the management of risk throughout the
Group and ensures that our strategic objectives are in line with our risk appetite.
Risk governance
The Board is supported by the Audit and Risk
Committee, which monitors the ongoing
effectiveness of our risk management
framework and receives independent assurance
on the effectiveness of our approach to risk
management and internal control systems
through the activities of internal audit.
For more information on the management
of our internal controls see page 86
There is a formal process for setting the risk
appetite and for identifying, assessing, and
reviewing risks, as described further on the
following pages. Risks inevitably evolve and
change over time and the Board acknowledges
that the risk management framework, and our
system of internal controls, are designed to
manage such risks appropriately, rather than
eliminate them.
Risk management
We have an established Risk and Resilience
Committee (‘R&R Committee’) which is chaired
by the CFO and meets monthly. It comprises
risk owners from various business areas and
senior representatives from our compliance
functions. A representative from internal audit
also attends the meetings to provide additional
insight and challenge.
R&R Committee meetings also consider regular
reports from key compliance areas (such as data
protection and information security, regulated
credit, health and safety, ethical sourcing, store
security and business conduct) as well as status
updates on any outstanding internal audit
actions. A summary of the R&R Committee’s
activities and findings is reported on a regular
basis to the Audit and Risk Committee.
A review of the structure and role of the R&R
Committee during the year, and its attendees,
provided assurance that there is a strong and
sound foundation of risk management practices
within the business, supported by a regular
cadence of updates and reporting activity.
Risk identification and prioritisation
We adopt a top-down and bottom-up
approach to ensure that there is an overarching
view of Group risks. This is considered monthly
by way of the KRIs presented to the R&R
Committee, and also more formally by way of
a biannual review of the key operational risks
(presented by each respective operational risk
register owner), and the Group’s principal risks
(presented by each respective principal risk
owner). As part of the assessment, the key
operational risks are mapped to the principal
risks to enable appropriate challenge to those
previously identified as most material to
the Group.
The R&R Committee’s key purpose is to develop
and review the risk management framework to
ensure that it is effective and assist the Board
and Audit and Risk Committee in their oversight
of risk management. At each meeting there is
a review of the leading and lagging key risk
indicators (‘KRIs’) associated with Dunelm’s
principal risks, enabling management to discuss
and take proactive steps to further mitigate as
may be appropriate. In addition, on an ad hoc
basis, the R&R Committee conducts deep dives
into specific risks that may be trending upwards
or retaining a high residual risk impact.
Individual members of the Executive Team
and senior leadership have responsibility for
managing the risks and mitigating controls
for their respective business areas, as well as
considering any new and emerging risks
specific to their own areas of the business and
on a wider enterprise basis. They do this by
maintaining their own operational risk registers
and having responsibility for ensuring that any
material issues, trends or emerging risks are
escalated to the R&R Committee as appropriate.
They are also responsible for ensuring that there
has been appropriate consideration of all
relevant risks when defining strategy, proposing
business cases and implementing decisions.
The assessment considers both the inherent risk
(before mitigation) and residual risk (after mitigation
is applied). The output of the assessment is
reported to the Audit and Risk Committee for
challenge and consideration ahead of being
presented to the Board for review and approval.
Risk appetite
The Board sets the risk appetite for the Group,
taking into consideration the expectations of
our shareholders and other stakeholders and
our internal culture. The clear articulation of our
risk appetite provides an effective mechanism
to inform investment decisions, facilitate the
discussion of risk, set parameters within which
objectives must be delivered, and support
the awareness of risk by our colleagues and
partners. The Board reviewed the Group risk
appetite in the year and confirmed that it
remains appropriate.
Key operational risks are
mapped to the principal
risks to enable appropriate
challenge to those
previously identified as
most material to the Group.
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Risk management framework
Risk governance
Group Board
Overall responsibility for the risk
management framework.
Sets the risk appetite for the Group.
Responsible for ensuring that effective
internal control and risk management
systems are embedded within
the business.
Conducts assessment of
principal risks.
Audit and Risk Committee
Responsible for assessing the ongoing
effectiveness of the Group’s risk
management framework, controls
and processes.
Approves the internal audit programme
and undertakes an independent
review of action plans to mitigate
and manage material risks.
Reviews principal risks for
presentation to the Board.
Independent assurance
Internal audit
Provides independent assurance to
the Board, Audit and Risk Committee
and management on the effectiveness
of risk management and internal
control systems.
Conducts independent audits of risks
to the business in accordance with
risk-based internal audit programme.
Risk-based reviews
Conducts specialist third-party reviews
as required.
Risk and Resilience Committee
Responsible for developing and
reviewing the risk management
framework and processes.
Supports the Board and Audit and
Risk Committee in their oversight of
risk management.
Conducts reviews of the principal risks.
Identifies and manages risks as
they arise.
Monitors Key Risk Indicators.
Provides a forum to assess progress
under action plans to mitigate and
manage risks.
Conducts deep dives into areas of
operational risk.
Reviews reports on key compliance
areas: health and safety; data
protection and information security;
regulated credit; ethical sourcing;
store security and business conduct.
Risk and control owners
Individual members of Executive Team or senior leadership
Primary responsibility for identifying,
assessing and managing risk in area of
responsibility within risk appetite.
Maintains operational risk register
in area of responsibility.
Escalates key risks and concerns
as appropriate.
Bottom-up
review of risks
Top-down
review of risks
Risks and risk management continued
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Principal risks and uncertainties
Principal risks and uncertainties
The Board confirms that a robust assessment
of the principal risks facing the Group has been
carried out, including emerging risks and those
that would threaten its business model, future
performance, solvency, or liquidity. In
conducting such a review, we identified two
principal risks where the potential impact is
deemed to be increasing.
’Business change’ risk reflects our ongoing
investment in change programmes that are key
to our strategy and the delivery of further
growth and efficiencies. We consider this an
increasing risk in the short term as we continue
to take on larger and more complex projects.
However, it is anticipated that the risk will
stabilise as we continue to deliver.
‘Supply chain resilience’ risk is considered to be
increasing due to ongoing geopolitical pressure
and tensions around key trade routes. Whilst we
adopt a proactive approach to supply chain
management, the situation remains volatile and
events continue to be challenging to predict
and plan for.
The Board’s assessment of the principal risks
and uncertainties facing the Group as at the
date of this report and how we mitigate them is
set out on pages 41 to 45. The principal risks are
not set out in any order of priority and do not
represent all risks associated with the Group’s
activities. Additional risks that are not currently
deemed principal risks are nevertheless
monitored for their impact on the Group.
Emerging risks and opportunities
Risks continue to evolve and change, and an
awareness of emerging risks is important in
driving effective strategic planning.
Understanding the potential implications of
emerging risks and monitoring them enables
us to consider them appropriately within our
decision-making processes.
We identify emerging risks by reviewing
customer and market metrics and insights,
relevant publications and consultation papers,
with the assistance of both internal and external
subject matter experts.
While no significant emerging principal risks
were identified in the year, we recognise that
there continues to be a heightened level of
socio-economic risk and geopolitical uncertainty
beyond our control, in relation to which we
continue to closely monitor the potential impact
so far as it relates to Dunelm. We also continue
to consider the impact of technological change
and monitor the pace of regulatory change and
stakeholder sentiment in relation to environmental
and other sustainability-related matters.
Task Force on Climate-related Financial
Disclosures (‘TCFD’)
Climate change has been considered a principal
risk for the Group since FY19, and continues to
be so. The process of reviewing this risk and
how we mitigate, alongside preparation of this
year’s TCFD report, has enabled us to take stock
of our approach to data collection and reporting,
our achievements so far and where further work
is required.
We are proud of our progress during the year,
notably strengthening our governance
framework, improving the effectiveness of our
controls and the ongoing integration of climate
change considerations into day-to-day business
activities. However, in reflecting on what we
have achieved, we are also reminded of the
challenges in this area and the need to maintain
focus in order to achieve our sustainability goals.
For more information on how we manage our
climate-related risks see our TCFD report on
pages 46 to 54
Principal risks at a glance
Principal risks Risk trend
Customer offer
Product reputation and trust
Business change
People and culture
IT systems, data and cyber security
Regulatory and compliance
Supply chain resilience
Finance and treasury
Climate change and environment
Risk trend
Stable Increasing Decreasing
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Principal risks and uncertainties continued
Customer offer
Description of risk
Ongoing external uncertainty and inflationary
pressure on consumers has led to significant change
in consumer behaviour. Failure to respond to
changing consumer needs and to maintain a
competitive offer (value & choice, friendly & expert,
fast & convenient and good & circular) will undermine
our ambition to increase market share and drive
profitable and sustainable growth.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Customer Director
How we mitigate
Increased utilisation of customer and market
insights enabling us to understand more about our
existing and potential new customers and adapt as
appropriate to their changing needs.
Continued review and development of our strategy
to become a more trusted and valuable brand (see
pages 10 and 11 for business model).
Continued investment in digitalising our business
to improve our customer offer.
Focus on new product development, particularly
own brand, in both existing and new categories,
as well as continued product innovation in existing
categories with ‘sustainability’ being a key element
to strengthen our customer offer.
Ongoing review of supply chain capacity and
capability, investing as needed.
Continued expansion of our range of products to
appeal to every budget and style and regular
review of price points.
Strong focus on engagement through social media
and community involvement.
Strategic pillars
Elevate
our product
offer
Connect
with more
customers
Harness our
operational
capabilities
Stakeholder groups
Customers Colleagues Communities
Suppliers Planet Shareholders
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Principal risks and uncertainties continued
Business change
Description of risk
Dunelm recognises that there is significant
opportunity in digitalising the business and has
invested and will continue to invest in system
improvements to drive growth and efficiency.
Failing to successfully introduce, deliver and leverage
new technology and systems, along with the
associated process and organisational changes
across the business to further improve our
proposition and operations could result in reduced
operational efficiency, competitiveness, relevance
and growth. Furthermore, failure to deliver the
expected objectives on time and on budget could
impact delivery of the planned business benefits.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Chief Technology and Information Officer
How we mitigate
Continued investment in digitalisation aligned to
strategic priorities.
Structured and disciplined delivery methodology
applied to business change programmes, led by
experienced project managers.
Executive Team transformation forum to ensure that
we deliver on strategic business priorities (both
customer and efficiency driven) that will drive
longer-term growth.
Refreshed ways of working and allocation of
resource to key change programmes (supported by
external expertise as needed) to ensure clear
ownership of projects and enable ongoing
knowledge-build, supporting rapid and agile
system development.
Regular review of roadmaps and workstream
prioritisation by cross-functional leaders to ensure
ongoing alignment with delivery of strategy.
Focus on building and developing strong
third-party relationships to enable effective
collaboration, communication and
ongoing delivery.
Ongoing simplification and rationalisation of
processes and systems.
Regular reviews of progress using appropriate KPIs
with all stakeholders, including identification and
management of risks to delivery.
Product reputation and trust
Description of risk
Our stakeholders expect us to deliver products
that are safe, compliant with legal and regulatory
requirements, and fit for purpose. Our customers are
increasingly aware of the environmental and social
impact of their purchases and want to know that our
products have been responsibly sourced and that
their environmental impact is minimised.
Failure by our suppliers to uphold our approach
to business ethics, regulatory compliance, human
rights (including safety and modern slavery) and the
environment may undermine or damage our reputation
as a responsible retailer, and result in a loss of
confidence in Dunelm.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Director of Commercial and Supply Chain
How we mitigate
Mandatory training, a range of policies and our
Ethical Code of Conduct for Suppliers and Partners
govern, amongst other things, the quality of
products and production processes, and our
expectations in relation to responsible sourcing,
anti-corruption and anti-bribery and modern slavery.
A dedicated and experienced team, supported by
third-party specialists, monitors compliance with
our policies, codes and applicable regulations.
Ongoing expansion of our ethical audit
programme.
Provision of enhanced training to commercial teams
and suppliers on identifying and utilising sustainable
materials in our products and packaging.
Annual supplier webinar and awareness training at
which compliance with policies and the Ethical
Code of Conduct for Suppliers and Partners are
a key topic.
Focus on collation of data from suppliers in
connection with sustainability targets for products
and packaging.
Regular review by senior colleagues of product
recalls and product safety-related issues, with clear
procedures in place to enable swift action to be
taken as appropriate.
Whistleblowing procedure and independently
administered hotline enables concerns to be raised
in confidence.
Third-party mapping and risk assessment of our
cotton and timber supply chains.
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Principal risks and uncertainties continued
IT systems, data and cyber security
Description of risk
Our IT systems and infrastructure are critical to
managing our operations, interacting with customers,
and trading successfully. A key system being
unavailable or suffering a security breach could lead
to operational difficulties, loss of sales and
productivity, legal and regulatory penalties due to
loss of personal data, reputational damage, and loss
of stakeholder trust.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Chief Technology and Information Officer
How we mitigate
Continued investment and roadmap for further
investment in systems development and security.
Ongoing programme of works to decommission
outdated applications, platforms, and
infrastructure.
Assessment of the robustness of security and data
protection controls required when onboarding new
suppliers or undertaking contract renewal.
Data protection and information security policies
and procedures in place and governed by subject
matter experts, including a dedicated specialist
information security team, data protection officer
and head of data management.
Mandatory training and ongoing awareness
programmes keep colleagues informed and aware
of data protection and information security risks.
Restricted access to sensitive data.
Security Operations Centre and vulnerability
management service tools provide increased
visibility of security events and enable
vulnerabilities to be monitored and quickly
addressed. In addition, periodic systems
vulnerability and penetration testing carried out
along with internal audit reviews of security related
policies and processes.
Regular review and testing of incident and crisis
management plans, and business continuity plans,
which includes reviewing the resilience of and
disaster recovery for IT systems.
Data and reporting used to track system
performance, utilisation, and vulnerability across
our IT estate, with regular reviews undertaken and
delivery of resulting actions monitored.
People and culture
Description of risk
Our business could be adversely impacted if we fail
to attract, retain, and develop colleagues with the
appropriate skills, capabilities, and diverse backgrounds.
Failing to embed and live our values could impact
business performance, the delivery of our purpose
and the long-term sustainability of our business.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Stores and People Director
How we mitigate
Regular review by the Executive Team and the
Group Board of colleague ‘dashboard’ and KPIs,
including attrition and recruitment rates. Such
reviews also include an assessment of capabilities
to ensure that we continue to have the right skillsets
in the business to deliver our strategy.
Continued focus on training, development
and mentoring opportunities, with emphasis
on ‘growing our own’ talent, driven by the
Talent Committee.
Ongoing review of succession planning for
Executive Team and senior leadership roles.
Ongoing review and development of our employee
value and reward proposition, assisted by
benchmarking exercises as appropriate.
Commitment to increasing diversity across the
Group by way of focused initiatives and training.
Enhanced mental and financial wellbeing
programmes and initiatives to support colleagues,
including targeted support relating to parenthood,
pregnancy loss, and menopause.
Regular communication with colleagues through
engagement surveys, National, Regional and Local
Colleague Voice meetings, D&I networks and
huddles. Utilising feedback to understand
colleague perception of culture and implementing
actions based on the output.
Continuing to ‘bring our shared values to life’ under
our behavioural framework project.
Dedicated Group Board and Executive Team
discussions on culture and the vision for the
business in the short, medium and longer-term.
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Principal risks and uncertainties continued
Supply chain resilience
Description of risk
We are dependent on complex global supply chains
and fulfilment solutions to deliver products to our
customers. Instability in the global supply chain or failure
of a key supplier may impact our ability to effectively
manage stock and satisfy customer demand.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Director of Commercial and Supply Chain
How we mitigate
Ongoing review of supply chain strategy to ensure
capacity is in line with longer-term financial plans.
Continuous monitoring of the macroeconomic
environment for emerging risks that may lead to
disruption in our supply chain. Scenario planning
conducted, so as to enable a swift response and
adjustment to strategic and operational plans
as appropriate.
Detailed budgeting and forecasting processes
match capacity to demand, and are reviewed
weekly by a cross-functional team.
Continuous monitoring of demand and stock visibility.
Active management and monitoring of key supplier
relationships to enable early warnings of disruption
and agree mitigating actions.
Dedicated procurement team oversees process
for tendering and negotiating with supply chain
suppliers and ensures that appropriate due
diligence is carried out on existing and prospective
third-party partners.
Active engagement with suppliers and partners on
the collation of data required to assess delivery
against carbon reduction targets.
Active engagement with suppliers and partners on
our ethical and compliance requirements.
Ongoing focus on initiatives to improve efficiencies
in our customer delivery processes.
Regular review and testing of incident and crisis
management plans, and business continuity plans.
Regulatory and compliance
Description of risk
We operate in an increasingly regulated environment
and must comply with a wide range of laws,
regulations, and standards. Failure to comply with or
to take appropriate steps to prevent a breach of these
requirements could result in formal investigations,
legal and financial penalties, reputational damage
and loss of business.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
How we mitigate
Suite of compliance policies in place which are
reviewed regularly and governed by subject
matter experts.
Group-wide mandatory training provided for
high-risk compliance areas such as health and
safety, regulated credit, anti-corruption and
anti-bribery, data protection and cyber security,
with additional training undertaken as required or
as may be appropriate to a specific role.
Data trends for high-risk compliance areas and KPIs
monitored and reviewed by the Risk and Resilience
Committee, as well as cross-functional steering
groups (such as Good and Circular).
Dedicated teams for product quality and ethics,
sustainability and health and safety, supported by
in-house legal team.
Whistleblowing procedure and independently
administered hotline enables concerns to be raised
in confidence.
Compliance with policies and Ethical Code of
Conduct for Suppliers and Partners monitored via
our ethical audit programme.
Regular health and safety meetings for each of the
retail and distribution centres. Health and safety
reports, including audit outcomes, reviewed by the
Risk and Resilience Committee and the Board on
a regular basis, with in-depth presentation made
by the Head of Health and Safety to the Board at
least annually.
Continued focus on food hygiene and allergen
awareness in our Pausa cafes by way of regularly
reviewed operating guidelines, compulsory
colleague training and regular audits.
Active monitoring of the financial reporting and
legislative landscape for new regulations and
reporting requirements. Appropriate plans and
roadmaps developed to ensure timely compliance.
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Principal risks and uncertainties continued
Climate change and environment
Description of risk
Failure to positively change our impact on the
environment would fall short of the expectations of
our customers, colleagues, shareholders, and other
stakeholders which could lead to reputational
damage and financial loss.
In addition, an inability to anticipate and mitigate
climate change and other environmental risks could
cause disruption in the availability and quality of
raw materials such as cotton and timber, affecting
production capacity, product quality, and overall
supply chain resilience. This, and potential transition
risks related to environmental taxation, could result in
higher costs, delays, and potential loss of customers.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Chief Executive Officer
How we mitigate
Annualised targets (for Scope 1 and 2) in place to
reduce emissions, energy usage and waste to
landfill, and increase recycling in our operations.
Longer-term targets in place for Scope 3 carbon
emissions.
Good and Circular Steering Group oversees
progress against environmental targets and climate
change work.
Updates on progress towards targets, including
emerging risks, challenges and opportunities
under our climate change roadmap, which is shared
with the Board for discussion and challenge.
Active engagement with suppliers and partners to
support the reduction of their carbon emissions
through setting aligned carbon reduction targets
and sourcing better quality data.
Regular review of standards and policies that
govern our approach to high-risk raw material types
and routes.
Increased use of lower-impact raw materials in
products and ongoing work with our suppliers
to move towards a more circular design and
business model.
Sustainability targets built into Executive Director
variable pay.
Dedicated internal resource to support delivery
and measure progress against our targets.
Regular horizon scanning conducted to keep
abreast of regulatory change and stakeholder
sentiment.
Membership and involvement with industry
working groups.
The following pages 46 to 54 present the full TCFD report for FY24.
Finance and treasury
Description of risk
Progress against business objectives may be
constrained by a lack of short-term funding or access
to long-term capital.
Stakeholder groups Risk trend
Link to strategy Risk owner
Chief Financial Officer
How we mitigate
Maintain relationships with a syndicate of
committed partner banks to ensure appropriate
funding is available.
Revolving credit facility of £250m in place,
extended until September 2027.
Group treasury policy governs levels of debt,
cash management strategies and foreign
exchange exposures.
Hedging for foreign exchange and freight and
energy prices agreed in advance, to help mitigate
volatility and aid margin management.
Continued focus on cost discipline through capital
investment approval process and ongoing scrutiny
of discretionary expenditure.
Treasury and Capital Committee ensures
appropriate governance around matters such
as funding, dividends, foreign exchange, and
energy hedging.
Ongoing focus on actions to improve controls
around stock and cash management, stock
purchasing and forecasting.
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Group Board
Audit and Risk Committee Nomination CommitteeRemuneration Committee
Good and Circular
Steering Group
Talent Committee
Risk and Resilience
Committee
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Team
Board Committees
Operational Committees
Introduction
Climate change has been managed as a
principal risk for the Group since FY19; the
current view of this risk is described in detail on
page 45. Following release of our first full TCFD
report in FY22 and progress made in FY23, we
have developed our approach to assessing risks
and opportunities and remain committed to
improving disclosures in line with evolving
requirements and practice. This year, we
brought in-house the assessment of financial
impact for climate related risks and opportunities
enabling more tailored data and assumptions to
be used. Additionally, new internal processes
have helped improve focus on potential impacts
across the business.
Our report continues to be compliant with
TCFD disclosures and UK Listing Rules. We
continue to consider the potential financial
impacts of climate change in the cash flow
scenario modelling within our viability statement
on page 55 and in our accounting policies note
on page 137 of the financial statements.
Governance
Governance a) Board’s oversight of climate-
related risks and opportunities
The Board takes overall responsibility for our
climate change roadmap. It considers our
approach, strategy, risk management and
performance, receiving regular updates on
progress against our climate-related KPIs, as well
as other related topics such as water reduction
and product circularity. It continues to listen and
learn about the implications of climate change
on the Group’s business model.
This year the Board received an update on our
emerging Scope 3 emissions reduction roadmap,
as well as our broader ‘Good & Circular’ strategy,
looking at circularity, carbon and responsible
sourcing, as well as our overall approach to
governance and reporting (which is explained
in more detail on the following page).
The Board is supported by the Audit and Risk
Committee, Remuneration Committee and
Nomination Committee.
Task Force on Climate-related
Financial Disclosures (‘TCFD’)
The Board recognises the risks and opportunities posed by
climate change to the Group’s business model and strategy.
TCFD report
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TCFD report continued
The Audit and Risk Committee formally reviews
principal risks twice a year, and ESG processes
and reporting (including TCFD), to verify
non-financial KPIs, annually. It receives updates
on upcoming sustainability reporting
requirements and Dunelm’s planned approach.
In FY24, it also received an internal audit report
on the assessment of Dunelm’s processes,
controls, and governance arrangements over
methodology, data collection, and reporting in
relation to Scope 3 emissions. The report did not
identify any significant gaps or high-risk findings;
it highlighted several areas of good practice and
confirmed the effective design and operation
of key controls. The Committee noted the need
to continue to focus on this area to remain
adequately equipped to operate controls over
Scope 3 emissions and reporting readiness.
The Remuneration Committee reviews and
approves Executive Director and Executive Team
remuneration, including climate-related targets
in performance-related pay.
The Nomination Committee sets specifications
for new Board roles and has oversight of the
Talent Committee to ensure necessary talent
and skills are available to deliver our
sustainability strategy.
Governance b) Management’s role in
assessing and managing climate related risks
and opportunities
Our CEO leads on the Group’s climate-related
activities and chairs the Good and Circular
Steering Group. This was re-named (from
Pathway to Zero Steering Group) and re-
constituted in FY24 following completion of our
FY23 materiality assessment, to reflect a wider
remit across sustainability, community and
customer initiatives. Meetings are held six times
a year and include the CFO, Commercial and
Supply Chain Director, Customer Director,
Group General Counsel and Company
Secretary and the Head of Sustainability and
Climate Change.
The Executive Team receives regular updates
on our climate-related KPIs and reviews the
principal risks prior to the Group Board review.
The Risk and Resilience Committee is chaired
by our CFO, Karen Witts. It is responsible for
reviewing our risk management framework and
processes and monitors existing and emerging
risks, including climate change and environment
risk. The Talent Committee is chaired by our
Stores and People Director and ensures that we
have the correct capability in place to meet our
ambitions in this area.
Climate change considerations are increasingly
integrated into day-to-day business activities:
an assessment of energy efficiency and carbon
impact is included in all new store and store
refit proposals; our product design team is
focused on increasing the use of less carbon
intensive materials such as recycled cotton
and polyester; and we continue to reduce
packaging or use more sustainable packaging.
In FY24, we increased our use of Better Cotton
and FSC timber.
We are proud of our continued progress this
year towards embedding our sustainability
strategy, including climate-related considerations,
within the business. Examples of how we have
done so include (i) ensuring that our Executive
Team business performance meetings regularly
discuss our sustainability KPIs, including climate
change, (ii) refreshing how we communicate our
strategy and initiatives to colleagues and
externally and (iii) continuing work with our
suppliers to ensure that everyone with whom we
partner is clear on the importance to Dunelm of
delivering on our sustainability goals.
Strategy
Strategy a) Climate-related risks and
opportunities identified over the short,
medium and long term
Our purpose — To help create the joy of truly
feeling at home, now and for generations to
come — is deliberately forward-looking, and
when combined with our business model (see
pages 10 and 11), is designed to encapsulate
our desire to have a positive impact on the
planet, now and in the future. It is underpinned
by our commitment to building sustainability
into all that we do. A key component of our
business model and customer proposition is
‘being good and circular’ which we describe
as being ‘positive choices for our planet,
communities and people’.
During FY24 we have reviewed our identified
climate-related risks and opportunities, and
considered any further risks and opportunities
presented in our risk registers or based on
systematic peer comparison and sector review.
Each risk and opportunity was assessed based
on potential impact, likelihood and velocity to
determine its relative materiality. The top-ranked
risks and opportunities were selected for
climate scenario analysis and financial impact
modelling. Climate-related risks and
opportunities were assessed using internal
and external data.
To further understand and explore how specific
climate-related risks and opportunities could
evolve and impact our business over the short,
medium and long term, we have carried out
climate scenario analysis and financial impact
modelling on six risks and opportunities.
We worked closely with internal stakeholders to
update baseline data, in addition to leveraging
external data sources, including the Network for
Greening the Financial System (NGFS) v3.2 and
the International Energy Agency (IEA) World
Economic Outlook 2023. By exploring the latest
developments and insights, several assumptions
were improved and applied, improving
specificity of predicted financial impact. For
example, we utilised the latest report from the
Waste and Resources Action Programme
(WRAP) to appropriately calculate the financial
impact of introducing packaging-style
Extended Producer Responsibility obligations to
textile products. This approach has ensured that
our assessments are based on the most current
and relevant data available. Although such
modelling still generates a high level of
uncertainty, improvements have and will
continue to be made. This modelling uses
medium and long-term internal forecasts, market
research and climate forecasts to explore the
potential impacts of climate change on the
Group’s financial position and performance.
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Financial impact ranges
We have used financial impact ranges, which are the same as we use for our corporate risk
management process.
Impact Financial range (Annual Profit before tax)
Low Less than £5m
Medium Between £5m and £50m
High Greater than £50m
Time horizons
We have used the three time horizons described below:
Time period Years Reason
Short 2024—2030 Aligned to our 50% carbon
reduction target and strategic plan
Medium 2030—2040 Aligned to our net zero target and to capture
transition risks and opportunities
Long 2040—2050 Longer term to capture physical risks
and opportunities
Climate Scenarios: We undertook climate risk and opportunity analysis under three climate
scenarios outlined below:
Global Net Zero 2050 Delayed Transition Business as usual (BAU)
Scenario
Limits global warming
to 1.5°C by 2100, with
stringent and immediately
introduced climate policies
and emissions reductions
to achieve net zero
emissions by 2050.
Scenario
Action taken to limit
emissions growth, but
2015 Paris Agreement
targets missed resulting in
greater than 2°C warming
by 2050.
Scenario
World takes no/limited action,
equivalent to a 3.5—4.5°C
warming.
Transition Risk
Transition risks are extreme
under this scenario in the
short to medium terms,
unless mitigated.
Transition Risk
This scenario presents a
significant transition risk in
the medium to long term,
given the speed and
severity of the response
required when
implemented.
Transition Risk
Limited transition risks
expected due to lack of policy
changes and regulation.
Physical Risk
Physical risks will be the
least extreme under this
scenario.
Physical Risk
Physical risks will be higher
than the Global Net Zero
2050 scenario due to
warming greater than 2°C
instead of well below.
Physical Risk
The most extreme physical
risk impacts in this scenario.
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Strategy b) Impact of climate-related risks and
opportunities on business, strategy and
financial planning
In preparing the financial statements, the
Directors have considered the cash flow
impacts of climate change. This includes:
The impact of climate change on the going
concern basis of preparation and the viability
of the Group over the next three years.
The impact on potential impairment triggers,
and where a trigger is identified, the impact
on the value-in-use of the related non-
current assets.
Given the majority of our long-term assets are
based in the UK, there is not likely to be any
material impact as a result of climate change on
financial reporting judgements or estimates
applied in the preparation of the FY24 financial
statements.
We are committed to transitioning to a net zero
future, and this is reflected within our strategic
pillars and planning both in our direct
operations and in our value chain, which
accounts for c.99% of our carbon emissions (see
the table on page 53 for the breakdown of our
emissions). Our product categories have plans
in place to reduce the impact and carbon
intensity of the products we sell, in support of
our carbon reduction goals. We work in
partnership with our suppliers to support them
in various ways to help reduce supply chain
emissions. We have developed and launched
our Better Manufacturing programme which
focuses on lowering carbon emissions during
the product manufacturing stage, and in FY23
we held our first ‘Introduction to Net Zero’
workshops which was attended by key suppliers.
In FY24 we invested in a supplier data capture
platform. Over 80% of our Tier 1 stock suppliers
have completed the environmental
questionnaire on the platform in FY24 and we
have started to analyse the data. These insights
will inform the type of support and work we do
with our suppliers to help them achieve the
carbon reduction required to hit our targets.
We have sustainability action plan meetings
with our key stock suppliers at least every six
months and we continue to advocate at an
industry level through organisations such as the
British Retail Consortium, Better Cotton and
WRAP Textiles 2030 and the Sustainable
Logistics Forum to accelerate the reduction
of carbon emissions in our supply chains.
Additionally, we have invested in a tool to assess
scalable options for product carbon footprinting
via product life-cycle assessments, which will
help focus our attention on reducing carbon
in the most impactful areas and improve the
robustness of data to enhance the accuracy of
our emissions reporting.
Strategy c) Resilience of strategy, taking into
consideration different climate-related
scenarios, including a 2°C or lower scenario
Our commitment to building sustainability into
all that we do ensures that climate change
considerations are integrated into our business
activities. As we better understand the impact
of climate change on the Group, we commit to
continuing to assess and prioritise material risks
and explore opportunities.
The analysis carried out has considered 3
climate scenarios, including a ‘2°C or lower
scenario’, aligned with the 2015 Paris
Agreement. This has been examined across
various timeframes, bringing confidence in the
long-term resilience of the business.
The table on the following page summarises the
material climate change risks and opportunities
that we have considered and the actions we are
taking to mitigate or manage risks and enhance
opportunities. It confirms that we should
continue to identify and explore mitigating
actions in alignment with each risk identified.
We will continue to work with relevant internal
and external stakeholders to address these risks,
and identify any new risks or opportunities upon
horizon scanning.
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Transition risks and opportunities — FY24
Risks and opportunities summary description Potential impact (pre-mitigation) Potential impact (post-mitigation) Specific mitigants in place Related metrics and targets
Policy & Legal
Global Net Zero scenario — most significant impact in long term
Impact of carbon taxes on Dunelm suppliers
Introduction of a carbon price could lead
to an increase in the cost of products with
high greenhouse gas emissions; this could
negatively impact profits due to taxation
on Dunelm or taxation on suppliers
passed on to Dunelm in product cost.
High in Global Net Zero scenario
across all timeframes, low in BAU
scenario across all timeframes.
Low in all timeframes. Actively engaging with our suppliers to support the reduction of their
carbon emissions through setting aligned carbon reduction targets and
sourcing better quality data.
Designing products to use lower carbon materials, such as recycled
polyester.
In FY24 we launched the Higg Facility Environmental Module and started
collecting data from Tier 1 stock suppliers. We will use this to inform the
support we will give Tier 1 suppliers to move to lower carbon production.
Actively monitoring the development of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment
Mechanism in preparation to assess and mitigate potential impact on both
direct and pass-through cost.
Carbon emissions metrics
and targets
Extension of producer responsibility: increased cost of existing packaging regime and extension to additional product categories such as textiles
Extended Producer Responsibility ‘EPR’
fees are being implemented in the UK
from October 2025. It is also predicted
that an EPR type scheme for textiles will be
introduced before 2030.
Medium across all timeframes. Not yet fully modelled for textiles
as scheme not currently proposed
(but no exemptions assumed).
Engaging with industry groups and specialists and closely monitoring
development of the Packaging EPR charging mechanism and rates.
Well-informed estimated costs are included in our financial plans.
Increasing recycled content in packaging (both plastic and cardboard).
Working collaboratively with BRC and WRAP Textiles 2030 to be prepared
for EPR extension to textiles.
Through designing our textile products to become more circular we are
aiming to reduce the impact that an EPR extension would have.
Monitoring extension to other categories beyond textiles.
Nature and packaging
metrics and targets
Market
BAU scenario is most impactful for this risk as fuel prices increase the most in the outer year
Changes to fuel prices caused by climate-related market disruption or increased taxation
Changing market dynamics and
decarbonisation trends impact both fuel
prices and the transition to non-fossil fuel
alternatives, leading to increased fuel
costs across the delivery network.
Medium or low across all
timeframes.
Low across all timeframes as we
assume a degree of offset through
a range of operational actions.
Movement of trunking vehicles from diesel to CNG, which produce
significantly fewer emissions than the diesel equivalent
Further assess the viability of electric vehicles in our fitter van fleet and
implementing a low-carbon transition strategy in our stores and Home
Delivery Network ‘HDN’ fleet for 2030.
Increasing the share of electric and hybrid vehicles within our company car
fleet. Currently 40% of the cars in-use are electric within our car fleet.
Working with our key logistics suppliers to support their transition from
diesel to non-fossil fuel alternatives.
Carbon emissions metrics
and targets
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Transition risks and opportunities — FY24 continued
Risk and opportunities summary description Potential impact (pre-mitigation) Potential impact (post-mitigation) Specific mitigants in place Related metrics and targets
Reputation
Global Net Zero scenario most significant impact in medium to long term
Reputational damage due to failure to act on sustainability trends
If Dunelm fails to continue to move
towards using more sustainable raw
materials and reduce carbon emissions
then we might lose customers who switch
to retailers who they consider to be more
sustainable; we could also struggle to
retain and attract colleagues and to
secure funding.
No impact in the short term in all
scenarios, reflecting Dunelm’s
current position versus the market.
High in the medium to long term
in both the Global Net Zero and
Delayed Transition scenarios if
other retailers outpace Dunelm in
sustainability.
See opportunity below in relation
to increasing market share by
demonstrating leadership in
addressing climate change and
sustainability.
We have set ambitious climate change reduction targets.
Our ‘Conscious Choice’ product label helps customers to identify products
made from more sustainable materials.
We follow the CMA’s Green Claims Code, seeking to ensure that our green
claims are genuine and not misleading.
Carbon, nature, water
stress, packaging and
circular metrics and targets
Increased market share by demonstrating leadership in addressing climate change and sustainability
If Dunelm demonstrates leadership in
addressing climate change and delivering
its climate change reduction targets,
whilst other retailers do not, we might gain
market share from customers actively
moving towards shopping at Dunelm.
Medium in the short term in all
scenarios. Medium in the medium
and long term in the BAU
scenario, but not a differentiator
in the medium or long term in
the Global Net Zero or Delayed
Transition scenarios as it is
assumed that other retailers also
take similar action.
n/a Working in collaboration with our suppliers to reduce their carbon emissions
and create a more circular sourcing model.
Followed the LEAP process to review and set internal nature-based targets
related to our cotton and timber sourcing. These targets are aligned to our
internal net zero roadmap actions.
Starting to use lower-impact materials in our products and moving towards
a more circular sourcing model to enhance our competitive advantage.
Carbon, nature, water
stress, packaging and
circular metrics and targets
Physical risk — FY24
Risk and opportunities summary description Potential impact (pre-mitigation) Potential impact (post-mitigation) Specific mitigants in place Related metrics and targets
Physical Risks
BAU scenario most impactful
Physical risks (drought, flooding, wildfires, etc.) impact the availability of raw materials such as cotton or timber, or impact manufacturing sites and logistics in countries from which we source our products
Physical risks mainly manifest themselves
in our supply chain as none of our UK
store or depot footprints are in areas at
high risk of flooding.
Medium across all timeframes
(dependent on extreme weather).
Not modelled as changes in
sourcing strategy are not currently
defined.
We have followed the LEAP process to review and set internal nature-based
targets related to our cotton and timber sourcing. These targets are aligned
to our internal net zero roadmap actions.
Working with the Textiles 2030 group of retailers to support actions to
mitigate these risks and to move towards a more circular sourcing model,
which is being built into our product design process.
Overall our sourcing strategy is across multiple locations, to reduce the risk
any in-country disruption may cause.
Nature and water stress
metrics and targets
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Risk management
Risk management a) Processes for identifying
and assessing climate-related risks
Climate-change and environment is considered
a principal risk within our risk register. In FY21,
we implemented a comprehensive climate
change risk register with the support of the
Carbon Trust. During FY22 and FY23, we
refined this risk register with external TCFD
consultants, and quantified the most significant
risks by likelihood and potential impact on our
business. We also conducted an external
materiality assessment in FY23 using both
quantitative and qualitative information via
surveys and interviews. It was concluded that
there were no material risks or opportunities
omitted. Throughout FY24, we reviewed and
updated these previously identified risks to
ensure that we continue to understand the
potential financial impacts and have effective
mitigations in place now and for the future.
Risk management b) Processes for managing
climate-related risks
Climate-change and environmental risk is a
principal risk owned by our CEO. The detailed
climate-related risks identified fall under this
principal risk. Senior leadership within our Good
and Circular Steering Group assess and
recognise these risks, enabling performance
management and planning of mitigating
actions. Our CEO, Head of Sustainability and
Climate Change and other senior colleagues
within the Group continue to engage with
external advisors such as British Retail
Consortium (BRC), WRAP, Textiles 2030, the
Aldersgate Group and others, improving
business resilience through best practice.
Risk management c) Processes for identifying,
assessing and managing climate-related risks
are integrated into the organisation’s overall
risk management
As an identified principal risk, climate change
and the environment is formally assessed twice
a year with the Risk and Resilience Committee.
This approach supports both the Audit and Risk
Committee and Group Board in assessing and
reviewing climate change and environmental
risk bi-annually. Our overall risk management
framework and supporting processes can be
found on pages 38 and 39.
The principal risks are considered by
management in connection with the assessment
of the viability of the business over the longer
term, with these considerations informing the
viability statement on page 55 of this Annual
Report. Further details on the assessment of our
climate change and environment risk can be
found on page 45.
Metrics and targets
Metrics and targets a) Metrics used to assess
climate-related risks and opportunities in line
with strategy and risk management process
The metrics we use as part of managing
climate-related risks and opportunities are set
out in the table on page 54. We have chosen
these metrics because they relate directly to our
material climate risks and opportunities, and
because they are where we can make the biggest
potential impact. In setting our GHG metrics and
targets, we have ensured that they are in line
with the 2015 Paris Agreement and aligned to
a 1.5°C pathway, the UK’s commitment in the
Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target
Amendment) Order 2019 and other relevant
legislation, as well as the British Retail Consortium’s
Climate Action Roadmap, which we support.
The carbon, cotton and water metrics are
aligned to the Textiles 2030 voluntary agreement,
which we have signed up to as a partner. These
topics are also important to our colleagues,
customers and society more broadly.
Metrics and targets b) Scope 1, Scope 2 and
Scope 3 greenhouse gas ‘GHG’ emissions and
the related risks
In FY24, we reduced our overall Scope 1 carbon
emissions by 27% from our FY19 baseline
despite strong sales growth of 53% over the
same period. We achieved this through our gas
boiler replacement programme in stores (which
is on track to be completed by FY30), the
ongoing transition of our company car fleet to
lower carbon, and moving our trunking vehicles
from diesel to compressed natural gas. We
actively look for more opportunities to reduce
emissions within our vehicle fleet in line with the
innovation of the fleet industry.
We continue to purchase 100% renewable
electricity and to install solar PVs across our sites
where viable. This means that we report zero
Scope 2 emissions using the market-based
approach, and that on a location-based basis,
our FY24 Scope 2 emissions were 21% lower
than in FY19.
We report the majority of our Scope 3 emissions
using a spend-based methodology as set out in
the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard. Consistent
with this approach, the Scope 3 emissions within
our target boundary have increased by 59%
since FY19, driven mostly by the 53% increase
in sales over the same period.
In FY24, as part of our ongoing data
management plans for Scope 3, we again
reviewed and improved our data and methods
for reporting. This will continue in FY25 as
explained below.
In line with our Base Year Emissions
Recalculation and Prior Year Restatement Policy
we are now reporting updated emissions for
both FY19 and FY23. The changes to emissions
are most materially affected by improvements in
our approaches to measurement for Purchased
Goods & Services, and Use of Sold Products.
In FY24 we used a hybrid of activity and
spend-based calculation methodologies and
applying a continuous improvement approach
to develop the accuracy and specificity of
reporting methodologies. For example, for our
most material category of purchased goods
and services, we have improved the granularity
of our spend-based methodology to a product-
level, enabling more accurate emissions
calculations through better country of origin
and emissions factor matching.
We will continue to transition away from
a spend-based approach in FY25. This will
include increasing the amount of supplier-
specific data that we are gathering and
completing life-cycle assessments across a
broad range of our products. We intend to
incorporate this more accurate data into our
reporting from FY25 onwards.
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions and energy use data for Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (tCO
2
e) FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24
Scope 1 7,059 7,108 8,633 7,902 7,044 5,139
Scope 2 (location-based) 10,861 8,757 7,854 8,015 8,782 8,568
Scope 2 (market-based) 10,861 8,757 268 21 27
Scope 3
1
Purchased goods and services 536,177 n/a n/a n/a 776,292 850,919
Use of sold products (direct use phase only) 236,920 n/a n/a n/a 366,195 408,681
Upstream transportation and distribution 29,439 n/a n/a n/a 47,255 32,019
End-of-life treatment of sold products 26,873 n/a n/a n/a 33,986 32,016
All other categories combined
2
14,339 n/a n/a n/a 18,836 20,998
Total Scope 3 within target boundary
3
843,748 n/a n/a n/a 1,242,564 1,344,633
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (energy by source) FY19 MWh FY20 MWh FY21 MWh FY22 MWh FY23 MWh FY24 MWh
Purchase of energy (electricity) 42,491 37,560 36,988 41,446 42,410 41,383
Purchase of energy (stationary combustion) 14,676 12,987 16,170 10,534 9,004 6,018
Use of fuel for vehicles (mobile combustion) 13,528 15,918 20,341 19,752 19,123 19,325
1. Includes updated numbers due to continuous improvements made throughout FY24 in line with our Base Year Emissions Recalculation & Prior Year Restatement Policy.
2. All other categories includes capital goods, fuel and energy-related activities, employee commuting, and downstream transportation & distribution.
3. Target boundary for Scope 3 excludes indirect use of sold products, waste generated in operations and business travel (both previously measured but removed based on de minimis materiality), upstream leased assets, processing of sold products, downstream leased assets,
franchises and investments (assessed and deemed as not relevant).
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Metrics and Targets c) Targets used to manage
climate-related risks and opportunities and
performance against targets
In response to the Net-Zero Standard set by
SBTi, we submitted our net zero 1.5°C aligned
targets across all Scopes to be validated by
SBTi, and received confirmation of approval in
October 2023. As members of the BRC and
Textiles 2030, our Net Zero carbon target is
aligned to the BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap
and our cotton and water usage targets are
aligned to the Textiles 2030 voluntary
agreement. Executive Director variable pay
includes sustainability metrics which vary from
year to year. Further information can be found
in this year’s Remuneration Committee report
found on page 89.
UK Listing Rule 6.6.6R(8) Compliance
Statement
Dunelm Group plc has complied with all
of the requirements of UK LR 6.6.6R(8) by
including climate-related financial disclosures
in this section (and in the information
available at the locations referenced in it)
consistent with the TCFD Recommendations
and Recommended Disclosures.
Climate-related risk Metric and target Baseline Progress
Carbon
emissions
Reduce absolute Scope 1 carbon
emissions by 50% against an FY19
baseline by FY30
7,059 tCO
2
e in FY19 5,139 tCO
2
e in FY24, which is a 27% reduction on the FY19
baseline reflecting the progress made (see Scope 1 commentary
on page 52).
Reduce Scope 1 carbon emission
intensity against FY19 baseline
6.4 tCO
2
e/£1m Group
revenue in FY19
53% reduction in FY24 to 3 tCO
2
e/£1m Group revenue
(32% reduction on the FY19 baseline in FY23).
Purchase 100% renewable electricity
every year
n/a We continue to purchase 100% renewable electricity.
Reduce absolute Scope 3 carbon
emissions in our target boundary
by 50% against an FY19 baseline
by FY30
843,748 tCO
2
e
in FY19
1,344,633 tCO
2
e in FY24. Increased by 59% due to increased
sales and spend. We continue to invest in data, measurement
and reporting capabilities and have re-baselined and restated
emissions in line with our base-year restatement policy.
Water stress Reduce aggregate water footprint
in own brand textile products by
30% by 2030
116.5m M³ in calendar
year (CY)19
195.0m M
3
in CY23. Increased by 67% compared to base year.
This is due to selling more products containing cotton. The
majority of cotton sourced is Better Cotton and we continue
to work with industry via WRAP’s Textiles 2030 collaboration
towards the collective 30% reduction target.
Nature 100% of own-brand cotton more
responsibly sourced by 2025
n/a 71% in FY24 (FY23: 26%). Increase due to improved process of
mapping cotton supply chain and suppliers transitioning more
cotton to Better Cotton. We intend to continue this trajectory
into FY25.
50% more responsibly sourced
timber by FY25
n/a 37% in FY24. Good progress made toward sourcing more FSC
timber in products. We intend to continue this trajectory into FY25.
Packaging 30% less virgin packaging in
own-brand range by 2025
measured by weight per £1 sales
packaging
2.2g per £1 sales
in FY20
42% reduction in FY24 to 1.3g per £1 of sales (FY23: 36%
reduction). Reduction due to improvements such as reducing the
thickness of our curtain bags, and compliance checks resulting in
more accurate data.
Circular
economy
Easy to use take-back service in
place for 50% of our own-brand
products
n/a 62% in FY24 (FY23: 61%). Our take-back service has continued to
prove popular with customers in stores and the volume of textile
take-back has increased. We have focused on testing and trialing
new circular business models and scaling up the ‘Home to Home’
offering across our estate.
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At the time of approving the financial
statements, the Board of Directors is required to
formally assess that the business has adequate
resources to continue in operational existence
and can therefore continue to adopt the ‘going
concern’ basis of accounting. The Board is also
required to state that it ‘has a reasonable
expectation that the Group will continue in
operation and meet its longer-term liabilities
as they fall due’ (the ‘viability statement’).
To support this statement, the Board has
considered the Group’s current financial
position, its strategy, the market outlook and
its principal risks. Note that the Board reviews
viability over a three-year period. Historically,
this has been a five-year period, however a
three-year horizon aligns with the wider
business strategic plans, as well as the
timeframe for performance targets. The base
case for this review is the three-year plan that
was presented to and approved by the
Directors in May 2024.
The Group is operationally and financially strong
and has a long track record of consistently
generating profits and cash, which is expected
to continue throughout the plan period.
Modelling potential downside scenarios
In their consideration of going concern and the
future viability of the Group, the Directors have
reviewed future profit forecasts and cash
projections, reflecting their experience in
managing the business. Both scenarios
modelled assume that variable costs would
reduce as sales reduce.
The ‘market downturn’ scenario assumes
consumer spending moves away from
homewares due to the impact of ongoing
economic uncertainty and geopolitical
instability. In this scenario, FY25 shows no sales
growth on FY24 and a 4% lower growth rate in
Reverse stress testing
To provide additional assurance around the
Group’s viability, two reverse stress tests have
been modelled. In both of these reverse stress
tests we have assumed that variable costs would
reduce in line with sales, that we would be able
to save £20m per annum of fixed costs, that we
would reduce the level of capital investment to
reduce uncommitted spend in FY25 to £5m and
to £10m in FY26 and suspend the payment of
dividends. In the first reverse stress test, we have
modelled the sales decline required to breach
either of the current covenants in the Revolving
Credit Facility (‘RCF’). A sales reduction of 26%
in both FY25 and FY26 from the base case would
be required for covenants to be breached by
the end of FY26. In the second reverse stress
test scenario, we have modelled the level of
sales reduction required to breach the RCF limit
of £250m. This would require a reduction in
sales of 42% in both FY25 and FY26 from the
base case to effectively run out of funding by
the end of FY26, assuming reasonable
mitigating actions have been implemented.
Financing
The Group’s banking agreements and
associated covenants are set out in the CFO’s
Review and include a £250m RCF (maturing in
September 2028, having exercised a one-year
extension, with a further one-year extension
option available subject to lender consent), an
accordion option with a maximum facility of
£100m and a £10m uncommitted overdraft.
The Group ended the financial year with net debt
of £56m. The financial covenants are tested in line
with our December interim reporting and June
year-end reporting. These covenants are met with
significant headroom. In both downside scenarios,
the Group continues to forecast compliance
with all financial covenants throughout the
going concern and viability period.
FY26 than in the base case scenario. In addition,
higher costs than base case are assumed
throughout the three-year period. This ‘market
downturn’ scenario does not include any
mitigating cost reduction actions, which would
be taken if such a downturn occurred, and
assumes the continuation of dividend payments
in line with our current dividend policy. In this
‘market downturn’ scenario, the Group would
not breach any of its financial covenants and
would have sufficient funds to meet obligations
as they fall due.
The ‘deeper market downturn’ scenario
assumes a 5% sales decline in FY25 compared
to FY24 and 4% lower growth in FY26 than in
the base case. More severe cost increases are
assumed in this scenario compared to the
‘market downturn’ scenario, and costs are not
assumed to revert or recover to the levels
assumed in the base plan throughout the
three-year period. Similar to the ‘market
downturn’ scenario, we have assumed no cost
mitigation and the continuation of dividend
payments in line with our current dividend
policy. As with the ‘market downturn’ scenario,
the Group would not breach any of its financial
covenants and would have sufficient funds to
meet obligations as they fall due.
The Directors continue to assess the risks that
climate change poses to the business via
modelling and disclosures in line with the Task
Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
The Group will actively manage and mitigate
these risks as required within the existing
enterprise risk management processes (as
outlined on page 52). Currently, climate change
is not expected to have a significant impact
on the Group’s going concern assessment or
on the viability of the Group over the next
three years.
Going concern and viability conclusion
In both downside scenarios Dunelm has
sufficient liquidity to continue trading, including
maintaining the payment of dividends in line
with its dividend policy and comfortably
meeting its financial covenants. The reverse
stress modelling has demonstrated that a
significant, prolonged sales reduction of 26% in
each year is required to breach covenants by the
end of FY26 and a 42% sales reduction in each
year is required to breach the RCF limit by the
end of FY26, assuming reasonable mitigating
actions have been implemented. Even in such
an event, management would follow a similar
course of action to that initially undertaken
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such actions
could include reductions in discretionary spend
(e.g. marketing and travel), headcount and
capital investment in new stores and refits.
The Board believes that the Group is well placed
to manage its financing and other significant
risks satisfactorily and that the Group will be
able to operate within the level of its facilities
and meet its liabilities as they fall due, for at least
the next three years. For this reason, the Board
also considers it appropriate for the Group to
adopt the going concern basis in preparing its
financial statements.
Strategic report
This report was reviewed and signed by order of
the Board on 11 September 2024.
Nick Wilkinson
Chief Executive Officer
11 September 2024
Going concern and viability statement
Dunelm Group plc
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55
Governance
report
57 Chair’s introduction
59 Compliance with the Code
60 Directors and officers
63 Governance dashboard
64 Governance framework
68 Culture and values
71 Board activities
74 Nomination Committee report
81 Audit and Risk Committee report
88 Remuneration at a glance
89 Remuneration Committee report
116 Directors’ report
120 Statement of Directors’ responsibilities
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56
Chairs introduction to corporate governance
How our governance helps
to unlock our full potential
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present our
Governance report for the year ended 29 June 2024.
Our FY24 performance has been strong amidst
a challenging market, in which the Group has
demonstrated its resilience by means of its
continued focus on growth and operational
grip. These remain important attributes as we
continue to unlock our full potential and work
towards achieving our ambitions. As the
business continues to evolve, innovate and grow,
we are mindful that our approach to governance
will need to mature with it and we are
committed to ensuring that we maintain a clear
and robust framework within which decisions
are made for the benefit of all our stakeholders.
Culture and values
Our strong culture and shared values remain
fundamental to the continued success of the
business, and it is important to the Board that
our purpose, values and strategy are aligned.
We recognise our role in monitoring, assessing
and promoting a healthy culture throughout
Dunelm and fulfil this by means of regular
reports from the Stores & People Director, site
visits, attending National Colleague Voice
meetings, reviewing the outputs and progress
against actions arising from colleague surveys
and Good & Circular Steering Group updates.
The Board also regularly considers a variety of
metrics in relation to colleagues, customers,
sustainability and risk allowing it to assess
culture within the Group, and ensure that it is
aligned with our purpose and strategy.
See page 68 for more information on culture
and values
Stakeholder engagement
We recognise the ongoing focus given to all
aspects of governance by our stakeholders,
including audit and risk, regulatory compliance
and sustainability, and the need to ensure that
our approach remains appropriate for Dunelm.
I am confident in our ability to effectively
engage with our key stakeholders, utilise the
insights gained, incorporate their views in our
decision-making and meet their expectations.
A good example of this was our Board away day
in November 2023, which included a deepdive
into our supply chain. The agenda included a
focus on responsible and ethical sourcing and
an in-person Q&A session with some of our key
suppliers, which provided increased insight and
understanding for all.
Alison Brittain
Chair
Strong and engaged leadership that supports long-term performance
A robust review of strategy
The Board met in May 2024 for its annual
strategy review. The structure of the day
enabled detailed understanding and debate
of our strategy and growth plans, with
challenge to management on the potential
for further acceleration and efficiencies.
Read more on page 72
Implementing effective
succession plans
Refreshing and implementing succession
plans was an important priority for the Board
this year, with changes implemented during
FY24 and further to come in FY25.
Read more on pages 76 and 77
Understanding our suppliers and
delving into the supply chain
On-site visits are essential to understanding
how our operations work and are evolving.
In-person conversations are equally important
and the Board appreciated hearing directly
from key suppliers what matters most to them.
Read more on page 73
Delivering improvements in
infrastructure
With the increase in our Home Delivery sales,
and taking account of feedback from
colleagues, we relocated our Barnsley depot
to a new location with increased space and
improved facilities.
Read more on page 73
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Chair’s introduction to corporate governance continued
Our Non-Executive Directors also enjoyed
a number of site visits during the year, some
undertaken independently and others planned
around Board meetings. These visits enabled
engagement with colleagues, in addition to
Non-Executive Director attendance at National
Colleague Voice meetings and our review of the
outputs from colleague surveys.
We also appreciated conversations during
the year with investors on remuneration and
sustainability, and I enjoyed meeting with a
number of our larger institutional shareholders
at the beginning of the year to better
understand their latest views on strategy
and governance.
See pages 20 to 25 and 72 to 73 for more
information on stakeholder engagement
Board changes and succession planning
An important priority for the Board in relation
to governance in the past year has been
establishing and implementing effective
succession planning. We have already made
changes to the Board, with further to come later
this year. Peter Ruis stepped down in January
2024 and Arja Taaveniku will be stepping down
at the end of the calendar year, in both cases
having accepted roles with other retailers.
In July, we announced that William Reeve will
not be standing for re-election at the AGM in
November 2024, having completed his
nine-year term as a Board Director. I thank each
of William, Peter and Arja for their significant
contributions to Dunelm.
After the FY24 year end Kelly Devine also
stepped down, having agreed to join Dunelm’s
Executive Team as Customer Director. Whilst
she will be missed around the Board table, we
are delighted to welcome her into her new role
where she will focus on pushing forward our
customer proposition and working with the rest
of our Executive Team to pursue the multiple
opportunities we have to grow the business and
develop our brand.
In March we welcomed Ajay Kavan and Dan
Taylor as independent Non-Executive Directors.
Ajay’s experience across a range of well-known
retailers strengthens our Board as we continue
to drive multi-channel growth across our total
retail system. Dan’s experience, particularly in
the delivery of digital growth strategies in
consumer-facing businesses, will add further
expertise and value as we continue to evolve
and improve our customer offer. We also
announced in July that Ian Bull will be appointed
Senior Independent Director and Ajay Kavan
our Remuneration Committee Chair when
William Reeve departs in November 2024.
See page 76 for more information on our
process for appointing new Directors
The Board has also continued to prioritise
senior leadership succession planning and the
development of internal talent to support our
growth ambitions. We continue to promote
diversity and inclusion on the Board and across
the colleague population.
See pages 79 to 80 for more information on
our approach to diversity and inclusion
AGM
Our AGM this year takes place on 21 November
2024. In line with the UK Corporate Governance
Code, all Directors will be seeking re-election
(other than William Reeve). In addition, in
accordance with the UK Listing Rules, each of
the Non-Executive Directors will be subject to
a vote of shareholders independent of the
Adderley family. In light of the Adderley family
holding, we are also required to seek a Rule 9
waiver to allow us to buy back shares to fulfil
colleague share option entitlements. We hope
that shareholders will support this resolution,
which is limited to this purpose.
The year ahead
As we go into FY25, we remain focused on
growth and unlocking the business’ full potential
to deliver long-term sustainable success.
Alongside this, the Board is conscious of the
ongoing need for good governance and
I remain confident that our framework is strong
and effective.
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank
you, on behalf of the Board, to all our colleagues
in the business for their continued hard work,
dedication and focus on ensuring we are ‘doing
the right thing’ for Dunelm and its stakeholders,
and to my fellow Directors for their valuable
contribution.
Alison Brittain
Chair
11 September 2024
Our Non-Executive
Directors also enjoyed
a number of site visits
during the year, some
undertaken independently
and others planned
around Board meetings.
58
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Compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code
How we comply with the UK
Corporate Governance Code 2018
The Board is responsible for demonstrating how the governance of the Company
contributes to its long-term sustainable success.
This Governance report explains how we have
applied the Principles of the UK Corporate
Governance Code 2018 (the ‘Code’) issued by
the Financial Reporting Council and available at
www.frc.org.uk. These Principles are applied to
the Company’s sole trading subsidiary through
the Group’s governance, risk management and
internal control structure.
The Board is pleased to confirm that during the
year ended 29 June 2024, the Company applied
the principles and complied fully with all the
provisions of the Code throughout the year.
Further information on compliance with the
Code can be found throughout this Governance
report, the Strategic report and Committee
reports signposted as follows:
Board leadership and
company purpose
An effective and entrepreneurial Board
which promotes the long-term
sustainable success of the Company.
Directors and officers — page 60
s.172 statement — page 25
Board evaluation — page 78
Alignment of our purpose, values,
culture and strategic objectives.
Our strategy — page 13
CEO’s review — page 14
Board activities — page 71
Culture and values — page 68
Our governance and risk management
framework.
Governance framework — page 64
Approach to risk management —
page 38
Effective engagement by the Board
with stakeholders.
Stakeholder engagement — page 20
s.172 statement — page 25
Our colleagues and alignment of our
policies to support long-term
sustainable success.
National Colleague Voice — page 22
NFSIS — page 34
Codes of conduct, anti-bribery and
other policies — page 68
Division of
responsibilities
The role of the Chair.
Chair’s statement — page 4
Directors and officers — page 60
Roles and responsibilities — page 65
Board evaluation — page 78
Composition of the Board and division
of responsibilities.
Directors and officers — page 60
Roles and responsibilities — page 65
Director independence — page 66
Non-Executive Directors’ external
commitments and role.
Directors and officers — page 60
Roles and responsibilities — page 65
Board activities — page 71
Effective and efficient functioning
of the Board.
Time commitment — page 66
Board evaluation — page 78
Composition, succession
and evaluation
Formal, rigorous and transparent
appointment procedure and effective
succession plans.
NED succession — page 76
Diversity and inclusion — page 79
A combination of skills, experience
and knowledge on the Board and
Committees.
Directors and officers — page 60
NED succession — page 76
Annual evaluation.
Board evaluation — page 78
Remuneration
Policies and practices designed to
support strategy, long-term success
and aligned to culture and values.
Remuneration Committee report
— page 89
Formal and transparent procedure for
developing policy.
Remuneration policy — page 91
Exercise of independent judgement
in respect of 2024 outcomes.
Annual Statement — page 89
Annual report on remuneration
— page 101
Audit, risk and internal
controls
Transparent policies and procedures to
ensure independence and effectiveness
of auditors and integrity of the Annual
Report and Accounts.
External auditor — page 85
Internal audits — page 87
Year end review process — page 84
Fair, balanced and understandable
assessment of position and prospects.
Fair, balanced and understandable
— page 83
Internal controls and management
of risk.
Approach to risk management
— page 38
Principal risks and uncertainties
— page 41
Risk management and internal
controls — page 86
59
Dunelm Group plc
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Directors and officers
Key
A
Audit and Risk Committee member
N
Nomination Committee member
R
Remuneration Committee member
Committee Chair
I
Independent Director
D
Designated NED for colleague matters
Alison Brittain
Chair
N
R
I
Independent on appointment
Appointed: September 2022 and as Chair in
January 2023
Skills and contribution: Alison is an experienced
business leader who brings considerable expertise
to the Board as NED and former Chief Executive of
a range of consumer-facing companies. Her skillset
enables her to provide valuable insight on strategic
matters and a strong focus on execution, which are
key to our continued growth. In addition, she has
successfully scaled businesses in the UK and
internationally, has long-standing plc experience and
a deep understanding of stakeholder perspectives.
This positions her perfectly to facilitate constructive
challenge and debate as our Chair.
Previous roles: Alison was CEO of Whitbread PLC from
2015 to 2023. Prior to that, she held several senior roles
in the UK banking industry, serving as Group Director
in the Retail Division of Lloyds Banking Group PLC
(2011—2015), Board Director at Santander UK PLC
(2007—2011) and Barclays PLC (1987—2007). Alison was a
Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer Group PLC
from 2014 to 2020.
Other commitments: Chair of English football’s Premier
League. Senior Independent Director at Experian plc.
Non-executive Director at British Airways plc. Chair of
the King’s Trust Group of Charities (formerly The
Princes Trust).
Nick Wilkinson
Chief Executive Officer
Non-independent
Appointed: February 2018
Skills and contribution: Nick is an experienced Chief
Executive, with a proven track record in multichannel
retail businesses operating across a number of
consumer brands and geographies. His leadership is
pivotal in developing and overseeing delivery of our
strategy, driving growth and ongoing transformation,
increasing market share, and continuing to strengthen
our customer offer and experience. Nick chairs our
Good and Circular Steering Group, steering our plans
to build sustainability into all that we do.
Previous roles: Nick was Chief Executive of Evans
Cycles from 2011 to 2016 and the Chief Executive of
Maxeda DIY from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that, he was
Group Buying Director and MD of Currys at Dixons
Retail Group (1999 to 2006). Nick spent his early career
at Unilever and McKinsey & Co.
Other commitments: Trustee of Rewilding Britain.
Karen Witts
Chief Financial Officer
Non-independent
Appointed: June 2022
Skills and contribution: Karen is a highly experienced
Chief Financial Officer with a strong background in
finance and management across global retail and
consumer-facing businesses. She plays an important
role in developing and overseeing delivery of our
strategic initiatives, driving innovation, and ensuring
that we maintain strong operational grip. In addition
to leading on financial management, Karen regularly
engages with our investors and corporate advisors.
Karen chairs the Risk and Resilience Committee,
providing oversight of risk management and ensuring
that the business is operating within our risk appetite.
Past experience: Karen was Chief Financial Officer of
Compass Group plc from 2019 to 2021 and CFO of
Kingfisher Group plc from 2012 to 2019. Before that,
she held various senior finance, strategic and operational
roles with Vodafone Group plc (2010 to 2012), and at BT
Group plc (1999 to 2010). Karen qualified as
a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Whinney.
Other commitments: Non-Executive Director of
Ipsen Pharma, SA.
Sir Will Adderley
Deputy Chair
N
Non-independent
Appointed: April 2003
Skills and contribution: Will brings a unique
perspective to the Board as a result of his broad and
deep understanding of the business and in-depth
knowledge of its corporate history. This adds significant
value to Board debate and informed decision-making.
Will also plays a key role in contributing to the ongoing
development of our purpose and culture, which has
been built from the shared values instilled by the
Adderley family when the business was founded. Will
retains an executive role to support the business in
matters agreed with the Chief Executive, as required.
Previous roles: Will has worked for Dunelm his
whole career since joining in 1992. He took over the
day-to-day running of the Group from his father in 1996
and remained as Chief Executive through the Group’s
IPO in 2006. Will became Deputy Chair in February
2011 and was reappointed Chief Executive in
September 2014 for an interim period until
31 December 2015.
Other commitments: Owner of WA Capital Limited
and Trustee of Stoneygate Trust.
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Directors and officers continued
Ian Bull
Non-Executive Director
A
N
R
I
Independent
Appointed: July 2019
Skills and contribution: Ian has over 30 years’
experience as a strategy and finance specialist built
from executive and non-executive roles at online and
multi-site consumer-facing businesses. He has
long-standing plc experience, with a deep
understanding of audit practices and risk management
frameworks, which enables him to promote open and
frank discussions and challenge, as well as ensure
strong relationships with management, auditors, and
other stakeholders. Ian is a Fellow of the Chartered
Institute of Management Accountants.
Ian will be appointed Senior Independent Director with
effect from the end of the 2024 AGM.
Previous roles: Ian was Chief Financial Officer of
Parkdean Resorts Group from 2016 to 2018 and Chief
Financial Officer of Ladbrokes plc from 2011 to 2016.
He was Group Finance Director of Greene King plc
(2006 to 2011), having spent his early finance career at
Whitbread PLC, Walt Disney Company and BT Group.
Ian is a former Non-Executive Director and Audit Chair
of Paypoint Limited, Senior Independent Director and
Audit Committee Chair of St. Modwen Properties plc
and Chair of Lookers plc.
Other commitments: Senior Independent Director at
Domino’s Pizza Group plc and Non-Executive Director
at Croda International Plc. Member of Chapter Zero,
the Directors’ Climate Forum.
Ajay Kavan
Non-Executive Director
A
N
R
I
Independent
Appointed: March 2024
Skills and contribution: Ajay is an accomplished
business leader with strong digital and retail credentials
and experience driving organic growth, strategic
partnerships, and M&A. Ajay’s expertise in delivering
online and multi-channel propositions, together with
his in-depth understanding of operations and
relationships from his work as an advisor and mentor,
strengthens the Board’s skills as we continue to drive
growth across our total retail system.
Ajay will be appointed as Chair of the Remuneration
Committee with effect from the end of the 2024 AGM.
Previous roles: Ajay was Chief Executive of Matches
Fashion from 2020 to 2021 and Vice President at
Amazon from 2011 to 2020. Prior to that, he was
Marketing and Strategy Director, Homebase at Home
Retail Group (2004—2011) and Multi-Channel Director,
B&Q at Kingfisher (2000—2004).
Other commitments: Senior Advisor at KKR, member
of advisory panel to Piper Private Equity, Non-Executive
at Rohlik Group, mentor to CEOs of high growth US/EU
digital businesses and Vice Chair of In Kind Direct.
William Reeve
A
N
R
I
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
Independent
Appointed: July 2015
Skills and contribution: William is a serial entrepreneur
and technology investor with extensive experience in
the digital sector and of M&A. He has served as a
Non-Executive Director of listed companies, P/E
backed businesses and startups, placing him in an ideal
position to be our Senior Independent Director and
chair our Remuneration Committee, ensuring that our
approach to remuneration is aligned with our strategic
objectives and values.
William Reeve will not be standing for re-election at the
Company’s 2024 AGM.
Previous roles: William co-founded three internet-
related businesses: Fletcher Research, LOVEFiLM.com,
and Secret Escapes. He is a former Non-Executive
Director of Graze.com, Paddy Power plc, Zoopla and
Nutmeg among others.
Other commitments: Chief Executive of Oh
Goodlord Limited.
Marion Sears
Non-Executive Director
N
D
Non-Independent
Appointed: July 2004
Skills and contribution: A long-standing Board
Director, Marion brings a wealth of expertise from her
extensive City, investment and banking career which
included navigating complex mergers and acquisitions.
Utilising her significant plc experience and stakeholder
understanding, enhanced by her role as the
Designated Colleague NED for colleague matters,
Marion plays an important role in facilitating informed
Board decision-making.
Previous roles: Marion was Dunelm’s Senior
Independent Director and Chair of the Remuneration
Committee from 2006 to 2015 and was Chair of the
Nomination Committee until 2016. She had an
executive career in the City in investment banking at
Flemings, Chase and JP Morgan, prior to which she
worked in corporate finance, as an investment analyst
and in industry. Marion’s previous Non-Executive
Director experience includes WH Smith and
Persimmon where she chaired the remuneration
and ESG committees.
Other commitments: Non-Executive Director and
Chair of Remuneration Committee at Keywords Studios
plc, Non-Executive Director at Schroder Asian Total
Return Investment Company plc and Director of
WA Capital Limited. Member of Chapter Zero, the
Directors’ Climate Forum.
Key
A
Audit and Risk Committee member
N
Nomination Committee member
R
Remuneration Committee member
Committee Chair
I
Independent Director
D
Designated NED for colleague matters
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Directors and officers continued
Arja Taaveniku
Non-Executive Director
A
N
R
I
Independent
Appointed: February 2021
Skills and contribution: Arja is an experienced business
leader, with a wealth of knowledge from her executive
roles at international home retail businesses. She has
particular expertise in the strategic and operational
development of customer propositions and product
value chains, as well as environmental, social and
governance (‘ESG’) initiatives, driving Board debate
in these important areas.
Arja Taaveniku will step down from the Board at the end
of the calendar year.
Past experience: Arja was a member of the Group
Executive at Kingfisher plc and Chief Executive of its
subsidiary, Kingfisher International Products Limited
from 2015 to 2018. Before that, she was Chief Executive
of lkano Group S.A. (2012 to 2015), having previously
held various leadership roles at IKEA Group from 1989
to 2012 including Global Business Area Director.
Arja is a former Chair of Polarn O. Pyret and Svenska
Handelsfastigheter AB and Non-Executive Director at
Handelsbanken Group.
Other commitments: CEO of HomeCentre
(Landmark Group).
Vijay Talwar
Non-Executive Director
A
N
R
I
Independent
Appointed: October 2021
Skills and contribution: Vijay is a proven business
leader in driving significant digital and operational
transformations. He has broad international executive
experience developed at consumer-facing, omni-
channel businesses, bringing a different dimension to
Board discussions. Further, as a former Certified Public
Accountant and CFO, he provides depth to the Audit
and Risk Committee’s oversight.
Previous roles: Vijay was Chief Executive Officer of
ContextLogic Inc from February to September 2022.
Prior to that, he was Chief Executive Officer of
Footlocker EMEA from 2019 to 2022 and President of
Digital at Foot Locker from 2016 to 2019. Previously, he
was President of Gifts/Special Occasions at Sears
Holdings (2014 to 2016), held C-suite positions at Blue
Nile from 2010 to 2014 and was Chief Executive Officer
at William J Clinton Foundation India (2008 to 2010).
Vijay was COO for EMEA at Nike from 2002 to 2008.
Other commitments: Chief Commercial Officer and
Chief Digital Officer at Avolta AG (formerly Dufry AG).
Dan Taylor
Non-Executive Director
A
N
R
I
Independent
Appointed: March 2024
Skills and contribution: Dan is an experienced CEO,
with a recognised track record of delivering strategic
plans to drive growth in digital and consumer-facing
brands and leading on M&A and integration
programmes, both in the UK and internationally.
His experience adds further depth and understanding
to Board debate as we continue to evolve our
customer proposition.
Previous roles: Dan held senior Executive roles at
PaddyPowerBetfair from 2015 to 2020; he was Chief
Executive (2018—2020), MD, UK & Ireland (2017—2018)
and MD, Retail (2015—2017). Before that, he was
Managing Director of Teletext Holidays (2013—2014),
Director of Strategy and Commercial Development
at DMG Media (2009—2013) and Associate Partner at
OC&C Strategy Consultants (2001—2009).
Other commitments: CEO of Flutter International at
Flutter Entertainment plc.
Luisa Wright
Group General Counsel & Company Secretary
Appointed: November 2022
Skills and contribution: Luisa is an accomplished
general counsel, company secretary and regulatory
advisor, with extensive plc experience built at
consumer-facing digital, retail and technology
companies. She attends Board and Board Committee
meetings, ensures that legal and governance matters
are not only anticipated but also considered and
addressed, and offers invaluable support to the Board.
Previous roles: Luisa was Group General Counsel &
Company Secretary of The Rank Group Plc from 2018
to 2022 and Group General Counsel & Company
Secretary of Sportech Plc from 2011 to 2017. Prior to
that, Luisa was a private practice lawyer at Olswang LLP
(now CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP)
from 2000 to 2011. Luisa qualified as a lawyer with
Olswang LLP.
Other commitments: None.
Bill Adderley
Founder and Life President
Bill together with his wife Jean founded the business
in 1979. Although no longer on the Board or actively
involved in management, Jean remains a major
shareholder.
Key
A
Audit and Risk Committee member
N
Nomination Committee member
R
Remuneration Committee member
Committee Chair
I
Independent Director
D
Designated NED for colleague matters
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A leadership team with good balance
and relevant experience
Governance dashboard
Board overview as at 29 June 2024
Independence*
1. Non independent 45%
2. Independent 55%
FY24 Board and Committee attendance
The table below sets out Board and Committee meeting attendance during the year to 29 June 2024.
The number of meetings attended is shown next to the maximum number of meetings that each Director was
entitled to attend.
Director
Committee
memberships Board
Audit and Risk
Committee
Remuneration
Committee
Nomination
Committee
Will Adderley
N
8/8 n/a n/a 3/3
Alison Brittain
R
N
8/8 n/a 3/3 3/3
Ian Bull
A
R
N
8/8 4/4 3/3 3/3
Kelly Devine
1
A
R
N
8/8 3/3 2/2 2/2
Ajay Kavan
2
A
R
N
3/3 1/1 2/2 1/1
William Reeve
A
R
N
8/8 4/4 3/3 3/3
Peter Ruis
3
A
R
N
3/3 2/2 2/2 2/2
Marion Sears
N
8/8 n/a n/a 3/3
Arja Taaveniku
A
R
N
8/8 4/4 3/3 3/3
Vijay Talwar
A
R
N
8/8 4/4 3/3 3/3
Dan Taylor
2
A
R
N
3/3 1/1 2/2 1/1
Nick Wilkinson
n/a
8/8 n/a n/a n/a
Karen Witts
n/a
8/8 n/a n/a n/a
1. Kelly Devine was not considered independent with effect from 11 March 2024 due to her accepting a role in-house with the Company. She was not a
member of any Board Committee after such date. Kelly stepped down from the Board on 5 July 2024, ahead of commencing her new role later in the month.
2. Ajay Kavan and Dan Taylor joined the Board on 1 March 2024.
3. Peter Ruis stepped down from the Board on 10 January 2024.
* Number excludes the Chair
who was independent on
appointment.
For more information on
our Board appointment
process see page 76
For our annual statement
on Board diversity targets
see page 80
Chair Senior
Independent
Director
Senior Board positions
Chief
Executive
Officer
Chief
Financial
Officer
Ethnicity
1. White 83%
2. Asian 17%
2.
1.
2.
1.
Age diversity
1. 40—50 17%
2. 5060 58%
3. 60+ 25%
3.
2.
1.
Gender
1. Male 58%
2. Female 42%
Female
Male
2.
1.
Length of tenure
1. 0—3 years 50%
2. 36 years 17%
3. 6—9 years 17%
4. 9+ years 17%
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Governance
framework
We have always believed that good
governance — in our words ‘doing the right
thing’ — helps companies make better
decisions for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Our governance framework enables
informed decision-making, effective
oversight and clear accountability. It also
allows for delegation of specific matters to
the appropriate committees. A high-level
summary of our approach, illustrating where
responsibilities fall, is set out on the right.
The Board believes that good governance
supports Dunelm’s purpose, shared values
and strategy, and is satisfied that these
elements and Dunelm’s culture are aligned.
Group Board Board Committees
Group Board reviews/challenges/approves
The Board is supported by three Committees
to which it has delegated certain matters in
order to ensure that they receive the
appropriate level of consideration. These
Committees support the Board in discharging
its duties. Each of the Committees operates
under terms of reference approved by the
Board, which are reviewed annually and can
be found on the corporate website:
corporate.dunelm.com.
Nomination Committee
Recommends appointments to the Board,
keeps the composition of the Board under
review, oversees the succession plans for the
Board, Executive Team and senior leadership
and promotes diversity on the Board and
across the Group.
See page 74 for Nomination
Committee report
Audit and Risk Committee
Maintains oversight of the Group’s financial and
narrative reporting, assesses the effectiveness
of internal control and risk management
systems, monitors the independence of internal
and external audits and manages the
relationship with the external auditor.
See page 81 for Audit and Risk
Committee report
Remuneration Committee
Establishes the Remuneration Policy,
determines the remuneration of the Executive
Directors and Chair, oversees implementation
of the Remuneration Policy and remuneration
policies and practices across the Group.
See page 89 for Remuneration
Committee report
The Executive Team is supported by three
executive-led committees, which provide
updates to the Board, Audit and Risk
Committee, Remuneration Committee and
Executive Team as appropriate.
Risk and Resilience Committee
Oversees and reviews principal and operational
risks, tracks key risk indicators, receives updates
on key compliance areas such as data
protection, regulated credit, ethical sourcing,
store security and business conduct and
monitors trends. Chaired by the CFO.
See pages 39 and 86 for more
information
Good and Circular Steering Group
Oversees initiatives focused on achieving our
Good and Circular goals, tracks progress
against targets and reviews new proposals such
as new circular business models and further
improvements to data collection and
monitoring. Chaired by the CEO.
SR
See our Sustainability Report 2024
Talent Committee
Oversees and develops succession planning at
all levels of the business and monitors progress
against our ‘Know-Grow-Flow’ talent
management initiative. Chaired by the Stores
and People Director.
SR
See our Sustainability Report 2024 for
more information on our ‘Know-Grow-
Flow’ initiative
The Board as a whole is
responsible for the overall
direction, performance and
long-term success of the Group.
It is responsible for setting and
role modelling our purpose and
shared values. It provides
effective challenge to
management on the execution
of the strategy and is
responsible for ensuring that
the Group maintains effective
risk management and internal
control systems.
The Board delegates
responsibility for the day-to-day
operational management of the
Company to the CEO.
The CEO is supported by a
team of executives each of
whom head a key function area
of the Group and form the
Executive Team, which
operates under the CEO’s
direction and leadership.
Executive Team CommitteesExecutive Team
Executive Team informs/recommends/reports
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Governance framework continued
Roles and
Responsibilities
The Chair and Chief Executive have clearly
defined roles which are separate and distinct.
The specific duties and division of
responsibilities between them have been
agreed by the Board and are summarised
here, together with an overview of the roles
of the Senior Independent Director, the
Executive Directors, the Non-Executive
Directors, the Group General Counsel and
Company Secretary and the Designated
NED for colleague matters.
Written statements setting out the full
responsibilities for each role are available
to download from the corporate website:
corporate.dunelm.com
Chief Executive Officer
Proposing the strategic objectives of the Group for approval by the
Board and delivering the strategic and financial objectives in line with
the agreed purpose and strategy.
Leading the Executive Team and senior leadership in managing the
operational requirements of the business.
Leading on climate change and sustainability objectives of the Group.
Providing clear and visible leadership of our shared values.
Effective and ongoing communication with colleagues and
shareholders.
Chief Financial Officer
Working with the CEO to develop and implement the Group’s
purpose and strategic objectives.
Focusing on the financial delivery and performance of the Group.
Ensuring that the Group remains appropriately funded to pursue
our strategic objectives.
Ensuring proper financial controls and risk management of the
Group and compliance with associated regulations.
Leading on investor relations activities and communications
with shareholders.
Deputy Chair
Maintaining a close dialogue with the Chair and the CEO.
Contributing to the development of the Group’s purpose, culture
and values by promoting and visibly demonstrating the Company’s
long-established shared values.
Assisting the CEO in strategic and operational activities as requested.
Supporting and deputising for the Chair as required.
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
Supporting the Chair and Non-Executive Directors with their
responsibilities.
Advising on corporate governance matters and regulatory compliance.
Facilitating individual induction programmes for Directors and
assisting with training needs as required.
Assisting with communications with shareholders and organising
the AGM.
Chair
Leading the Board and responsible for its effectiveness. Leading on
governance.
Setting the agenda, style and tone of Board discussions with
a particular focus on strategic matters.
Ensuring that each Non-Executive Director makes an effective
contribution to the Board.
Ensuring that the Directors receive accurate, timely and clear
information.
Promoting a culture of openness and debate.
Facilitating constructive Board relations.
Senior independent Non-Executive Director
Acting as a ‘sounding board’ for the Chair and an intermediary for
the other Directors.
Leading the Non-Executive Directors in their annual assessment of
the Chair’s performance.
Available to shareholders, particularly if they have concerns that the
normal channels have failed to resolve, or for which such contact
would be inappropriate.
Leading the Chair succession process.
Non-Executive Directors
Providing constructive contribution and challenge to the development
of strategy and ensuring that decisions are taken so as to promote
the success of the Company in the interests of all stakeholders.
Monitoring operational and financial performance and scrutiny of
management performance in the delivery of strategic objectives.
Providing oversight of financial and other control processes for
risk management.
Designated Non-Executive Director for colleague matters
Engaging with colleagues (for example through the National
Colleague Voice) to represent the ‘Colleague Voice’ at the Board.
Monitoring the effectiveness of colleague engagement initiatives.
Providing regular updates to the Board.
Executive
Governance
Non-Executive
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Governance framework continued
About our Board
The Board has agreed that our optimum
number of Board Directors is between nine and
eleven. As at the date of this report it comprises
eleven
1
, with an independent Chair, four
Executive Directors/non-independent Non-
Executive Directors, and six independent
Non-Executive Directors. We consider that this
structure provides a good mix of backgrounds
and skills, enables the right level of independent
challenge, and is one that allows for effective
decision-making. We maintain a clear division
o1esponsibilities between the leadership of the
Board and the executive leadership of the
business, as articulated on the preceding page.
Schedule of Matters Reserved
Certain key matters requiring Board approval
are set out in a formal schedule of matters
reserved, which the Board reviews periodically.
Examples of such matters include Group
strategy and budget, Group capital structure,
approval of financial results and Annual Report
and Accounts, significant capital or contractual
commitments, ensuring maintenance of internal
control and risk management systems and
approval of significant Group-wide policies.
The schedule of matters reserved for the
Board is available on corporate.dunelm.com
Managing conflicts of interests
Directors are required to disclose any actual
or potential conflicts of interest to the Board
immediately as and when they arise throughout
the year. These are considered by the Board
and any authorisations given are recorded in the
Board minutes and reviewed annually. In addition,
a formal process is undertaken each year when
all Directors confirm to the Board details of any
other directorships and relevant information in
connection with related parties.
The Board takes action to ensure that the
influence of third parties does not compromise
or override the independent judgement of the
Board. Should Directors have any concerns
about the operation of the Board or Dunelm
management that cannot be resolved, these
can be recorded in the Board minutes. If, upon
resignation, any Non-Executive Director has
concerns of this nature, they may provide a
written statement to the Chair for circulation.
The Board considers that its procedures to
approve actual and potential conflicts of interest,
to ensure that any related party transactions
involving Directors or their connected persons
are conducted on an arm’s length basis and
to provide a communications channel for
any unresolved concerns, are in place and
operating effectively.
Director independence
The Board considers that Alison Brittain was
independent on her appointment to the Board
and subsequently as Chair. Kelly Devine was
not considered independent with effect from
11 March 2024 upon accepting a role in-house
with the Company and as a result stepped
down from all Board Committees. She stepped
down from the Board in July 2024, ahead of
commencing her new role the following month.
William Reeve reached his nine-year tenure in
July 2024. The Nomination Committee
confirmed that it is comfortable that he continues
to demonstrate independent judgement and
leadership skills — further information can be
found in the Nomination Committee Report on
page 74. William will be stepping down from
the Board at the close of the AGM. All other
Non-Executive Directors with the exception of
Marion Sears, are considered to be independent.
The Board has treated Marion Sears as non-
independent since September 2015 in view of
her tenure of more than nine years on the
Board, and her subsequent appointment as a
Director of WA Capital Limited in March 2016.
WA Capital Limited is a private limited company
established by Sir Will Adderley (the Deputy
Chair, and major shareholder) to act as a
long-term holding company for his beneficial
interest in the Company and various other
investments. The Board determined that this
appointment does not affect her judgement as
a Non-Executive Director of Dunelm, and that
any potential conflict of interest has been
cleared on the basis that WA Capital Limited
and Sir Will Adderley are parties to a
Relationship Agreement, details of which can
be found in the Directors’ Report on page 117.
Re-election
In accordance with the UK Corporate
Governance Code, all Directors, with the
exception of William Reeve, will stand for
re-election at the 2024 AGM.
Non-Executive Directors will be subject to
a separate vote by shareholders independent
of the Adderley family as required by the UK
Listing Rules. Marion Sears will put herself
forward for reappointment at the AGM by
shareholders, independent of the Adderley
family, as well as under a full shareholder vote.
Time commitment
The Board recognises the importance of
individual members having sufficient time to
discharge their duties. On behalf of the Board,
the Nomination Committee reviews the time
commitment of the Chair and each Non-
Executive Director. The Board is satisfied that
they each commit sufficient time to their duties
to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
None of the Executive Directors hold any non-
executive board positions at a FTSE 100 company.
Please see pages 60 to 62 for each Director’s
biography, which includes details of their
other key commitments
1. There were twelve Directors at FY24 year end. Kelly Devine
stepped down from the Board on 5 July 2024.
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Governance framework continued
Induction and training
Upon joining the Board, each new Director is
offered a comprehensive and tailored induction
programme with visits to key sites and meetings
with the Executive Team, senior leadership and
other colleagues.
See page 76 for an overview of the recently
appointed NEDs’ induction process
The Group General Counsel and Company
Secretary reports to the Board at each meeting
on new legal, regulatory and governance
developments that affect the Group and actions
are agreed where needed. Directors attend
seminars provided by independent organisations
which cover a wide range of governance topics.
As part of the annual Board evaluation, any
additional training or development needs are
addressed by the Chair with each Director.
For details of the specific skills and
contribution of each Director see the
Directors’ biographies on pages 60 to 62
Advice and insurance
All Directors have access to the advice and
services of the Group General Counsel and
Company Secretary. In addition, Directors may
seek legal advice at the Group’s expense if they
consider it necessary in connection with their
duties. The Group purchases Directors’ and
Officers’ liability insurance cover for its Directors
and officers.
Share buyback and Rule 9 waiver
Since the time of flotation of the Company,
the members of the Adderley family, including
Bill and Jean Adderley, Lady Nadine Adderley
and Sir Will Adderley, have been considered to
be acting in concert (‘a Concert Party’) for the
purposes of Rule 9 of the City Code on
Takeovers and Mergers (the ‘Takeover Code’).
At the date of this report, Sir Will Adderley is
beneficially interested in 31.1% of the issued
share capital of the Company, and the Concert
Party controls 42.4%. Bill and Jean Adderley are
no longer Directors of the Company or actively
involved. Sir Will Adderley is a Director and
Deputy Chair.
As usual we will be requesting authority to buy
back up to 5 million shares (2.5%) of our share
capital) at the AGM. This authority is to allow the
Company to purchase shares in order to satisfy
future share option entitlements for colleagues,
excluding Sir Will Adderley. Given that it is
expected that shares bought by Dunelm in the
market will be reissued, then no dilution or
change of control should occur either for the
Concert Party or for other shareholders. As Sir
Will Adderley has a beneficial interest of above
30% of our share capital, and the interest of the
Concert Party is less than 50%, we are required
to ask shareholders to approve a waiver of Rule
9 of the Takeover Code. This waiver permits the
Company to exercise its authority to buy back
shares without triggering an obligation on
Sir Will Adderley to make an offer to buy all
of the shares in the Company.
We understand that some shareholders have
concerns about Rule 9 waivers in general and/or
they may be bound by their voting policy to vote
against the resolution. Nevertheless, we hope
that shareholders will give this administrative
matter full consideration and conclude that they
can support the waiver in line with the Board’s
recommendation, notwithstanding any internal
voting policy. In this regard we would like to
reassure shareholders that:
Shares bought back by the Company would
be held in treasury and used only to satisfy
share option entitlements, and not cancelled.
Since 2012, Sir Will Adderley no longer
participates in the Long-Term Incentive Plan
or any other share-based incentive plan, and
therefore his shareholding will not increase
through that mechanism.
Since flotation of the Company in 2006, the
Adderley family has reduced its holding (from
67% to 42.4% currently).
There has been a Relationship Agreement in
place since flotation which provides
safeguards to other shareholders — for details
please see page 117.
We therefore request that shareholders take
into account our specific circumstances when
making their voting decision on the waiver
resolution, and hope that shareholders will
support the Board’s recommendation.
The Board has reviewed whether our policy to
purchase shares in the market to satisfy share
option entitlements (as opposed to issuing
shares) is still appropriate; we believe that it is in
the interests of our shareholder base as a whole
as it avoids dilution of shareholdings, and it is
supported by the majority of our institutional
shareholders. We would like to reiterate that
shares bought back by the Company will be
held in treasury and used only to satisfy share
option entitlements, and not cancelled. The
Company did not purchase any of its own
shares during FY24.
Risk
The Board has overall responsibility for the
management of risk and for setting the risk
appetite. During the year, the Board conducted
a review of the Company’s principal risks and
approved the Group’s risk appetite.
See page 38 to 45 for the risk management
framework and the Group’s principal risks
and uncertainties
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Culture and values
Culture
Dunelm has an open and straightforward
culture, with a focus on doing the right thing
and taking decisions for the long term. This
reflects the values instilled by the Adderley
family, who founded our business 45 years
ago and are still our major shareholders.
The foundations of our culture and values are
apparent in the reflections of some of our
longest-serving colleagues who came together
as part of our recent celebration of 40 years of
stores; a snapshot of their comments is set out
on the following pages.
The Board is careful to ensure that we protect
and retain this culture as the business grows and
becomes more complex.
Our shared values
Our shared values have inevitably evolved over
time from the business principles formulated
by Sir Will Adderley, our Deputy Chair, over
a decade ago. However, that they have not
changed significantly is testament to their
strength and importance to the business.
We very much believe in setting the tone from
the top and consider it the Board’s responsibility
to instil and maintain a culture of openness,
integrity and transparency. We also expect our
Directors and senior leadership team to role
model our shared values and consider them
when making decisions and communicating
with stakeholders.
We believe that our shared values are an
essential contributor towards driving the right
behaviours and maintaining a positive culture of
mutual respect, trust and constructive challenge.
We are strongly opposed to any form of
corruption or bribery and have controls in place
that have been built around a clear understanding
of how and where bribery risks could affect our
business. This includes policies (such as our
Anti-bribery & Anti-corruption policy),
procedures such as conducting due diligence
on suppliers, annual training for colleagues
on bribery risks and an ongoing audit and
assurance programme in respect of our
suppliers. Bribery risk management is discussed
at senior leadership meetings, including at the
Risk and Resilience Committee, and also at the
Audit and Risk Committee.
We encourage any colleagues and other
stakeholders with concerns to speak out and
have facilitated this through our Whistleblowing
policy, which enables reports to be submitted
on a named or anonymous basis. Reports are
kept strictly confidential and concerns identified
are referred to appropriate managers within the
Group for investigation. An analysis of reports is
provided regularly to the Audit and Risk
Committee.
Monitoring our culture
We aim to provide an environment that inspires,
engages and develops all of our colleagues to
reach their full potential. The Board engages
directly with our colleagues in a number of ways
that assist it in monitoring our culture, including
by means of our colleague representative body,
National Colleague Voice (‘NCV’) (see page 22
for more information).
Our Designated NED for colleague matters
(who attends NCV meetings) is Marion Sears,
who has a wealth of workforce experience from
her roles as chair of remuneration and ESG
committees at listed companies, including
Dunelm’s Remuneration Committee from 2006
to 2015. She also has an in-depth understanding
Our purpose is ‘To help create the joy of truly
feeling at home, now and for generations to
come’. It informs our strategy, is underpinned
by our shared values and is supported by our
approach to sustainability (see our Sustainability
Report 2024 for more information). We are
committed to ensuring that the Company’s
actions are in keeping with our culture, values
and purpose to drive long-term success.
Codes of Conduct, anti-bribery and other
policies
Our shared values are reflected in our Group
policies, which are an important expression of
how we look after our colleagues and how they
should expect to be treated by others. These
policies include a Code of Business Conduct
and a Colleague Code of Conduct, which set
out specific standards of ethics and behaviour.
These Codes make reference to a number of
other policies and procedures that have to be
followed, including Equality & Diversity, Health
& Safety, Prevention of Slavery and Human
Trafficking Statement, Ethical Code of Conduct
for Suppliers and Partners, Tax Strategy,
Whistleblowing and our privacy notices.
Mandatory training is provided on all high-risk
areas as part of induction and on an annual basis.
of Dunelm’s culture, values and people, having
been on the Board since 2004, placing her in an
ideal position to understand colleague views
and ensure that these are fed into the Board’s
decision-making processes.
People and culture is one of our principal risks,
which are considered formally by the Executive
Team and Board of Directors twice a year with
relevant trends tracked and discussed as
appropriate. For more information on our
People and Culture risk see page 43.
Culture is also monitored by way of regular
reporting to the Group Board and Executive
Team, by way of specific ‘People’ reports
(covering engagement, retention, gender pay
and diversity, amongst other things) and others
that are indicative of culture, such as health and
safety and whistleblowing. The Nomination
Committee supports the Board in reviewing
culture, diversity, inclusion and talent
management and the Remuneration Committee
in assessing executive performance.
Finally, we encourage our Directors, Executive
Team and senior leadership to ensure that they
regularly interact in-person with colleagues
working in all areas of our business. By
engaging with, listening to, respecting and
responding to our colleagues, we facilitate an
open working environment, encourage a sense
of belonging and develop a strategy that
resonates, all of which supports our ongoing
ambition to deliver continuous improvement
and further growth.
We very much believe in setting
the tone from the top… we are
committed to ensuring that the
Company’s actions are in keeping
with our culture, values and
purpose to drive long-term success.
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Culture and values continued
40
This year we celebrated the 40th anniversary
of the first Dunelm store, which opened at
Leicester Churchgate in the early 1980s. The
store marked the first move by the Adderley
family away from the market stall where they
started the Dunelm business back in 1979.
To mark the milestone, over the summer
we provided colleagues with an additional
‘Double Discount’ day, an opportunity to
celebrate with their teams and reflect on our
heritage and culture, and featured a pop-up
museum of Dunelm memorabilia at our Head
Office in Leicester.
We brought together 10 of our longest-
serving colleagues to reminisce about their
earliest memories of Dunelm stores, including
Churchgate. They also discussed how far the
business has come since that opening, and
what makes it special to work at Dunelm.
We filmed an internal video to capture
their recollections and a few snippets from
their discussions can be found on the
following page.
Will Adderley
Deputy Chair
(31 years)
Sarah Way
Central E-Fulfilment Manager
(26 years)
Cheryl Archer
Furniture Operations
Support Manager
(21 years)
Emma Connor
Buyer — Bathroom
(27 years)
Ian Sanders
Project Manager
(30 years)
years of stores
Steve Barton
Director of Property
(21 years)
Rory McAllister
Stores Director
(16 years)
Barbara Inchley
Senior Manager,
Commercial
(22 years)
Lisa Allen
Buying Administration
Manager (35 years)
James Rowell
Audit and Security
(33 years)
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Leicester Churchgate:
Dunelm’s first store opened in
an old foundry in the early 1980s
— and the brand Dunelm Mill
was established.
Culture and values continued
Barbara: [On Churchgate] “That was an
absolute favourite shop of mine…I worked
just down the road, so at lunchtime I used to
go into Churchgate and it was just a treasure
trove of really exciting products.”
Will: [On Churchgate] “It was an old foundry,
most people would describe it as a mill. It
certainly wasn’t designed to be a shop and
had an awful configuration. But we set it up
and in the lobby, we had all of the wall
covered in curtains. Initially it just sold
seconds, but over time, it really got us on the
map in Leicester, and my Dad was able to
close his market stall and move there.
Because it had three floors above, that
became the warehouse.”
James: “Churchgate traded on its own for
a few years before the likes of Coalville,
Cannock and Hinkley, and then East Street.”
Barbara:The fabrics were always so
important for us.”
Lisa:[In our early stores] customers kept
coming backsome people would come
every single week…they were gutted if they
were going on holiday in case they missed
something. You didn’t know what was on our
delivery from one week to the nextit was
simply whatever Bill could buy. Customers
might have bought something the week
before and came back, hoping to find
something to match it.”
Barbara:I remember driving down the road
and we would look out the window thinking
“that could be a good store”, and we’d write
it down!
Rory: “Colleagues really knew what they
were doing — but did make the odd error.
I remember walking into the Thurmaston
store one day and there was a huge table
full of purple bedding. I asked where it all
came from and the manager said his auntie
quite liked it so he’d ordered loads of it.”
Cheryl:I joined when we opened our first
distribution centre in Burton-on-Trent back
in 2003…we thought we were never going to
fill itwe filled it within the first six months.”
Sarah: We took the first order for our
website in 2005, from the basement of our
Radcliffe store.
Steve:We once opened 16 stores in one
year — big stores and big investments.”
Rory:It’s still really exciting when we open
a new store, with lots of energy. For the
customers in that catchment, it’s something
new for them. Recently in Cwmbran we
had a queue of over 400 customers
waiting outside.
Will:If you think about our history,
including our first website, and the Covid
period, we seem to be at our best when it’s
almost chaos. We move quickly when it’s
difficult. We have to keep taking those
opportunities, to move quicker…and that’s
exciting. If we’d stayed the same, we
wouldn’t still be here, and if we don’t
change we’ll be less relevant.”
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Board activities
Board meetings follow a rolling agenda of strategic, operational and
governance matters, which is refreshed during the year as necessary
to ensure the Board continues to focus on areas of priority.
The Board discharges its responsibilities
through an annual programme of Board and
Committee meetings, with additional ad hoc
meetings as required to meet business needs.
These are supplemented by visits to stores and
other sites. Agendas are determined in advance
to ensure that meetings are well-planned and
time is allocated as appropriate. Papers are
circulated ahead of time to ensure that
Directors are able to review and arrive at
meetings fully prepared.
The Chair meets with the Non-Executive
Directors at the end of each Board meeting.
This is a useful way of exchanging views and
dealing with any concerns or questions. In
addition to this, the Chair and the other
Non-Executive Directors regularly have informal,
individual meetings with the Executive Directors,
other members of the Executive Team and
other senior leaders in the business.
At each meeting in the year, the CEO reports on
strategic progress and operational performance
(including customers, colleagues and health
and safety) and the CFO reports on financial
performance. A rolling agenda of other
strategic, operational, sustainability, risk and
governance matters is refreshed during the year
as necessary to ensure the Board continues to
focus on areas of priority, whilst also continuing
to meet regulatory requirements.
Annual strategy review
Presentations on strategic
plans for each of stores,
digital and commercial
Review of tech strategy
and roadmap
Overview of responsible
sourcing
Business development
updates
Review of culture and values
Deep dive on supply chain
Q&A with suppliers
Reviewed sustainability
strategy and received
updates on Good & Circular
initiatives and KRIs
Received presentation on
generative AI
Deep dive on customer
segmentation
CEO and CFO reports
(which include trading
updates, KRIs, people and
H&S updates, customer and
market trends etc)
Received feedback from the
National Colleague Voice
Reviewed colleague
dashboard
Reviewed interim and
preliminary results
Approved final, interim and
special dividends
Discussed feedback on
results and investor
engagement
Reviewed principal risks
Received cyber and data
protection updates
Approved tax strategy
Received corporate
governance and legislative
updates
Annual health and safety
update
Approved delegation
of authorities
Approved actions from
Board evaluation
Received Modern Day
Slavery update and
approved annual statement
Approved share plans
Approved Notice of
Meeting, received AGM
results and feedback
Reviewed NED fees
Reviewed conflicts of
interest register
Approved gender pay
gap report
Reviewed forward agenda
planner
Confirmed risk appetite
Strategy Operational performance Governance
Strategy
31%
Time spent
Operational performance
38%
Time spent
Governance
26%
Time spent
FY24 Board activities
The Board held eight formally scheduled
meetings in FY24, as well as a full day
dedicated to strategy. Its activities are
broadly split between strategy, operational
performance & governance.
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Our approach to Section 172
Each of our Directors is mindful of their duties
under section 172 of the Companies Act 2006
(‘s.172’) to run the Company for the long-term
benefit of its shareholders and, in doing so, to
consider the interests of its key stakeholders
during its decision-making, and the impact of its
decisions on stakeholder relationships, on the
Company’s reputation for high standards of
business conduct, and on the environment.
The matters encompassed in s.172 touch on
everything we do, at a Board level in our
discussions and decision-making, and also at
a business level by members of our Executive
Team and the senior leadership team. Examples
of the ‘Board in action’ are set out on this page
and on page 73. On pages 20 to 24 we describe
our key stakeholders and summarise how and
why we engage with them more generally, what
matters most to them, allocation of responsibility
within the business and how we consider the
effectiveness of our engagement.
A key consideration when making decisions is
for the Board to balance the needs of our various
stakeholders, which may not themselves always
be aligned, while considering the Company’s
purpose, values and strategic priorities. The
Board acknowledges that not all decisions that
it makes will result in a positive outcome for all
stakeholders, but it remains focused on ensuring
that its decision-making is consistent and in the
best interests of the Company.
We ensure that the requirements of s.172(1)
Companies Act 2006 are met and the interests
of our stakeholder groups are considered,
challenged and debated through a combination
of the following practical approaches (all of
which were applied during FY24):
the Board carries out an annual review of
strategy which assesses the long-term
sustainable success of the Group and our
impact on key stakeholders. Agenda items for
the following year are based on the decisions
and next steps agreed at this meeting;
the Board’s risk management procedures
identify the principal and emerging risks
facing the Group, and the mitigation in place
to manage their impact. We consider these
through a stakeholder lens as set out on
pages 20 to 24;
the Group General Counsel and Company
Secretary references relevant s.172 factors
against each agenda item in the minutes to
ensure they remain at the forefront of Directors’
minds when reflecting on discussions;
the rolling Board agenda includes standing
items to ensure that stakeholders are fully
considered, including investor roadshow
feedback, updates on people matters, the
annual health and safety presentation,
modern slavery and anti-bribery reporting
and sustainability updates;
there is a formal review of many of these
topics through standard Audit and Risk
Committee and Remuneration Committee
agenda items, as described later in this report;
the Board considers impact on key
stakeholders when it reviews Group KPIs and
requests additional information as
appropriate; and
all Directors attend our AGM, which provides
a valuable opportunity each year for all
shareholders to hear from the Board, and for
the Board to hear from our shareholders.
Strategy review
The Board met in May 2024 for its annual
strategy review. The day commenced with
a store-walk accompanied by commentary
from product category directors enabling
engagement with senior leaders and store
colleagues. Key topics then presented by the
Executive Team over the course of the day
included consumer trends and customers of
the future, elevating product mastery,
connecting with our customers digitally and
instore and reviewing our technology roadmap.
The structure of the day enabled a detailed
understanding and debate by the Board of
our strategy and growth plans. The extent of
our operational grip was both welcomed and
challenged, as was the scale of our ambition
and innovation. The Board also challenged
management on the potential for acceleration
of business change and efficiencies, whether
there can be even greater focus on operational
leverage and how the risks and opportunities
in the three-year plan have been balanced.
The Board acknowledged the importance of
continued investment in technology, insights
and data as key drivers to sustainable growth,
as well as the value of ongoing engagement
with our key stakeholders so as to ensure we
really understand their views, how our actions
are likely to impact them and consider this
within our decision-making.
The Board welcomed management’s
articulation of the growth strategy: building
The Home of Homes. It participated in a lively
discussion on our culture and values and
confirmed its support for the three-year plan.
The agreed actions and takeaways for
management were noted with updates to be
provided by way of further presentations and
deep dives by business area built into the
Board agenda over the course of the next
12 months.
Board in action
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The investment has given the
team a place they can be proud to
work in and there’s an amazing
sense of togetherness. Furniture
is a fast-growing category, and
HDN is a core part of that. Having
our own people, in our own vans,
giving a fantastic service to
customers is a real point of
difference and one that we
should celebrate.
Faye Atkins
Director of Commercial and Supply Chain
New home delivery depot
To ensure continued growth and delivery
on our strategic ambitions, it is critical that
we invest appropriately in our infrastructure.
With the increase in our Home Delivery sales
and ongoing development of our customer
proposition, together with feedback from
colleagues, we considered that our existing
Barnsley depot was no longer suitable to
support our ambitions. We therefore made
the decision to relocate the depot to another
location within Barnsley with increased space,
better colleague facilities and improved
security and transport links. It provides for a
more suitable and safer operation, improving
how much stock can pass through the site
and enhancing our customer service.
The site is one of five standalone hubs for our
Home Delivery Network (‘HDN), which is a key
part of Dunelm’s customer proposition, enabling
us to deliver furniture directly to a room of our
customer’s choice.
Commercial and supply chain deep dive
In November 2023, the Board met at our Stoke
Distribution Centre. The Director of Logistics
Operations provided an update on logistics
performance, ongoing improvement projects,
our carrier strategy and colleague engagement
specific to this area of the business. Guided
tours were conducted around our site,
reminding Directors how our fulfilment
operations work and enabling them to ask
questions directly of colleagues at this location
and see firsthand improvements articulated in
previous Board updates, including those
relating to health and safety.
At the same meeting, the Directors were
provided with an overview of our Commercial
plans by our Director of Commercial and
Supply Chain and participated in detailed
discussions relating to our sustainability
initiatives, including our better manufacturing
programme and our responsible sourcing
programme (and the new tools that we are
implementing to assist with the collation and
monitoring of data and actions).
The Board considered the role that a trusted
and transparent supply base, with strong
communication and understanding, plays in
maintaining our reputation for high standards
of business conduct and meeting our
sustainability goals. The Directors were also
reminded of how our supply base has been
built up and the important role that committed
suppliers have played, and continue to play, in
our growth story. They discussed the ways in
which the role and demands on suppliers have
developed over time and how our own model
and approach has evolved to-date and will
need to evolve further in the future in order to
maintain value and competitive advantage.
To bring to life those relationships, the Board
then met in-person with a number of our
committed suppliers, participating in an
engaging Q&A, which further demonstrated
the value of direct engagement in
understanding what matters most to our
key stakeholders, in the short, medium and
longer term.
Board in action continued
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Alison Brittain
Committee membership
Alison Brittain (Committee Chair)
Sir Will Adderley
Ian Bull
Ajay Kavan
William Reeve
Marion Sears
Arja Taaveniku
Vijay Talwar
Dan Taylor
See page 63 for meeting attendance
Composition, succession
and evaluation
Nomination Committee report
On behalf of the Nomination Committee
(‘Committee’), I am pleased to present the
Nomination Committee report for the year
ended 29 June 2024. It was another busy
year, with added emphasis on ensuring that
we maintain the appropriate combination
of skills, experience and knowledge on our
Board in light of several changes to its
membership.
FY24 highlights/key activities
Reviewed Board composition and Director
independence.
Recommended the appointment of
Ajay Kavan and Dan Taylor as NEDs.
Recommended the appointment of
Ian Bull as Senior Independent Director and
Ajay Kavan as Chair of the Remuneration
Committee.
Focused on senior leadership succession
planning.
Conducted an internal Board effectiveness
evaluation.
FY25 focus/priorities
Externally facilitated Board evaluation.
Further evolution of succession plans.
Continued focus on diversity and inclusion.
1. Peter Ruis resigned from the Board on 10 January 2024, ahead
of the ninth anniversary of his appointment.
New appointments
We were mindful that a review of the
composition of the Board was required, with
Peter Ruis and William Reeve both approaching
nine years’ tenure during the course of 2024
1
.
Therefore, we commenced a search for new
Non-Executive Directors in the autumn of 2023.
We were delighted to welcome Ajay Kavan and
Dan Taylor to the Board in March 2024. Ajay and
Dan bring varied experience from different
multi-channel, consumer-facing businesses,
adding further expertise and skills to the Board
as we continue to unlock our potential and grow
our customer proposition. More information
about the recruitment process and Ajay and
Dan’s induction can be found on pages 76 and
77 respectively.
We announced on 11 July 2024, that after nine
years on the Board, William Reeve will not be
standing for re-election at our 2024 AGM.
In anticipation of this decision, during the year
the Committee’s work on succession planning
included the positions of Senior Independent
Director and Chair of the Remuneration
Committee, and I am delighted that, with effect
from 21 November 2024, Ian Bull and Ajay Kavan
respectively have been appointed by the Board
to undertake those roles.
Ian is our Audit and Risk Committee Chair
and is a long-standing Board member with an
in-depth understanding of the business and its
culture, placing him in an ideal position to be
appointed as our Senior Independent Director.
Ajay joined the Board earlier this year, and
whilst he is relatively new to the Company,
will have served nearly nine months on the
Remuneration Committee by the time of his
appointment and have completed a full annual
cycle of Remuneration Committee meetings.
We are confident that his wealth of executive
retail experience and role as an advisor and
mentor to CEOs stand him in good stead to
take on the role of Remuneration Committee
Chair. A detailed handover is underway
between William and Ajay. In addition, Ajay
has been engaging with colleagues, including
by attending National Colleague Voice
meetings, participating in a series of meetings
with me, our Group General Counsel and
Company Secretary, Stores and People
Director and other senior leaders in the
people and finance teams, and meeting with
our external remuneration consultants.
Independence
We apply careful consideration to ensuring
that we meet all relevant independence
criteria and, with a number of appointments
and resignations this year, this has been a
particular area of focus for the Committee.
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In light of other Board changes, and our wish
to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities,
we asked William Reeve to continue on the
Board for an additional five-month period
beyond his ninth anniversary. However, in
doing so, we were mindful of the need to
consider his ongoing independence. The
Committee reflected on William’s contribution
and performance as an independent Non-
Executive Director and concluded that there
is no reason to suggest that his length of time
on the Board has or will affect his effective
challenge of the status quo and of management,
nor has it resulted in his being considered too
close to management to fulfil his oversight
roles. Although we agreed to reassess the
position regularly, the Committee remains
comfortable that he continues to demonstrate
independent judgement and leadership skills,
enhanced by his knowledge of the Company.
As mentioned above, William will step down
in November and will not seek re-election at
our AGM.
During the year, the Committee remained
informed on plans to appoint a new Customer
Director to the Executive Team. Following
a formal and robust recruitment process,
Kelly Devine, an independent Non-Executive
Director on our Board, was offered the role.
Kelly’s new role with us was announced
on 11 March 2024, when we confirmed that
she would step down from the Board on
5 July 2024. We also confirmed that she
would be considered non-independent with
immediate effect and would step down from
all Board Committees.
Diversity and inclusion
Diversity and inclusion remain a central and
vital area of focus for the Committee. We
welcomed the progress that management
made during the year in developing and
introducing new initiatives, and in particular
those focused on supporting colleagues from
underrepresented groups and ethnicities.
For details of our progress see page 80.
The diversity of our Board is on page 79, and
I am pleased to report that we have exceeded
the target set in the UK Listing Rules and Parker
Review guidelines to have at least one Board
member from a minority ethnic background.
Similarly, we exceed the requirement to have
at least one senior Board position held by a
woman and, throughout FY24, met the UK
Listing Rule and FTSE Women Leaders Review’s
target to have at least 40% female Board
members. We are extremely mindful that, for
the period between Kelly stepping down in July
2024 and William stepping down in November
2024, we will briefly fall below this target and
we will carefully consider gender balance in
the process for our next Board appointment.
Board evaluation
Finally, I am pleased to confirm that this
year’s Board evaluation process, which was
conducted internally, found that the Board and
its Committees continue to operate effectively.
Further details can be found on pages 78 and 79.
I look forward to meeting shareholders at the
Annual General Meeting on 21 November 2024.
Alison Brittain
Chair of the Nomination Committee
11 September 2024
Committee composition and governance
The majority of the Committee was
independent throughout FY24. It remains
so as at the date of this report, its members
comprising six independent Non-Executive
Directors, the independent Chair of the
Board, one non-independent Non-Executive
Director
1
and the Board’s non-independent
Deputy Chair
2
.
See pages 63 and 66 for more information on
the independence of Directors.
Only members of the Committee have the
right to attend Committee meetings. Other
individuals, such as the CEO and People and
Stores Director, are invited to attend all or part
of the meetings as appropriate. No Director
attends that part of a meeting during which his
or her own position is discussed. The Group
General Counsel and Company Secretary
acts as secretary to the Committee and attends
all meetings.
In FY24, the Committee met formally on three
scheduled occasions. An additional meeting
was held to recommend the appointment of
two new Non-Executive Directors. The agenda
for each scheduled meeting is based on a
standing agenda for the financial year, which
is updated as appropriate.
Role and principal duties
The Nomination Committee is responsible for
leading the process for Board appointments,
ensuring appropriate succession plans are
in place, and overseeing the development
of a diverse talent pipeline. Its principal
duties include:
reviewing the structure, size and
composition (including the skills, knowledge,
experience and diversity) of the Board,
ensuring it remains effective and suited to
the Company’s strategic priorities;
ensuring plans are in place for an orderly
succession to Board, Executive Team and
senior leadership positions and overseeing
the development of a diverse pipeline
for succession;
keeping under review the leadership needs
of the business with a view to ensuring its
continued ability to compete effectively in
the marketplace;
identifying and nominating for the approval
of the Board, candidates to fill Board
vacancies as and when they arise;
leading a rigorous and transparent process
for Board appointments; and
keeping under review demands on
Directors’ time.
The Committee’s full terms of reference can
be found at: corporate.dunelm.com
1. Marion Sears is not considered independent, due to the length
of her tenure and her role as a Director of WA Capital Limited.
2. Sir Will Adderley is not considered independent as he is a
significant shareholder and due to the length of his tenure and
his executive Deputy Chair role.
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NED succession — review of skills,
experience and knowledge
During the year, the Committee undertook
a detailed skills review, utilising the framework
introduced the previous year for considering
each Director’s skills and experience. The
process anticipated the forthcoming departure
of two long-standing Non-Executive Directors
in 2024, which would also lead to the roles of
Senior Independent Director and Remuneration
Committee Chair being vacated.
The Committee considered the impact of the
expected departures from a skills perspective,
alongside other areas where additional
experience might be beneficial in light of the
Group’s strategic aims and objectives. The
same framework was used to review how
Directors identify from a gender and ethnicity
perspective. This was then used to guide the
search brief for recruiting Ajay Kavan and Dan
Taylor, who were appointed in March 2024.
The work has since been updated to reflect Ajay
and Dan’s respective skills and diversity, as well
as the impact of Kelly Devine stepping down
from the Board in July 2024 and Arja Taaveniku
stepping down at the end of the calendar year.
It is being used to inform the search brief for
the recruitment of the next independent
Non-Executive Director.
Key search criteria
Consumer-focused leader with growth
mindset.
Clear experience of driving innovation and
using technology to build businesses.
Strong understanding of digital and
data-centric strategies to drive performance.
External search firm
MWM Consulting supported the search in
FY24 for Non-Executive Directors. It has no
further connection with the Company or
its Board.
External search diversity (longlist)
29%
of profiles female
14%
of profiles ethnic minority
8
nationalities represented
FY24 independent Non-Executive Director appointment process
We generally follow a well-established process for Board appointments as set out below, adapted where necessary to account for specific skills
required and circumstances.
Stage 1
Jul 2023
Stage 2
Sep 2023
Stage 3
Nov 2023
Stage 4
Nov 2023
Jan 2024
Stage 5
Jan 2024
Stage 6
Feb 2024
MWM Consulting
engaged to support
the process and
conduct the search.
Detailed role and
person specification
drawn up and
approved by the
Committee, with
MWM Consulting
asked to ensure
a diverse longlist.
Longlist of potential
candidates presented
and discussed by the
Committee, following
which a shortlist was
determined.
Shortlisted candidates
met with the Chair,
Deputy Chair and
Marion Sears,
following which the
two preferred
candidates, Ajay
Kavan and Dan Taylor,
met with all other
Board members.
References taken,
alongside reputational
checks. Other
commitments were
assessed to ensure
that the candidates
had sufficient time to
dedicate to Board
member duties.
Recommendation
made to the Board
for approval and
announcement issued
on 8 February 2024
that they would join
the Board, and be
appointed to the Audit
and Risk, Nomination
and Remuneration
Committees with effect
from 1 March 2024.
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Each new Board Director receives a full and tailored induction,
led by the Chair and Group General Counsel and Company
Secretary. Dan and Ajay’s induction when they joined the Board
in FY24 included the following meetings:
Members of the Board.
Chair provided an overview of the Board and its annual
programme of meetings.
CEO discussed the strategy and ‘Plan on a Page.
Committee Chairs discussed how their respective
Committees operate and matters of significance.
CFO provided a summary of the Group’s financial
performance and future plans.
Executive Team and senior leadership team.
Introduction to management structure, business operations,
focus areas and performance.
Introduction to key opportunities and risks in each area of
the business.
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary provided an
overview of the governance framework and corporate structure.
Other colleagues and site visits.
Attended a National Colleague Voice meeting to develop
an understanding of the views of colleagues.
Visits to stores.
Visits to our logistics and manufacturing centres.
Key advisors
External and internal auditors.
Remuneration consultants.
Brokers.
For more information about our new NEDs, see biographies
on pages 61 and 62
Induction process for our new NEDs
Dan Taylor
Dan is a customer-oriented leader with strong retail credentials,
fluent on customer trends within the UK market and clear
understanding of how to harness insight and customer data
across online platforms to drive strategic decisions.
Ajay Kavan
Ajay has strong digital expertise across multiple consumer
categories, bringing strong focus on value creation. He has a
proven track record of developing and refining strategic plans
to drive performance and growth.
Executive Director succession
The Committee reviewed and refreshed CEO
and CFO succession plans during the year,
having dissolved the working groups initially
established for this purpose in favour of
discussions taking place with the full Committee
present. Work in this area built upon the
previously conducted market mapping exercise.
It also included a review of the internal pipeline
for the CEO and CFO roles, with a particular
focus on learning and development plans,
mentoring and Board exposure.
Senior leadership succession
During the year, the Committee reviewed
succession plans for the Executive Team and
other senior leadership roles. It also received
updates on the talent and skills of the senior
leadership team within our ‘Know, Grow, Flow’
framework, which provides the Committee
with a clear and consistent approach to
understanding capabilities. The focus this year
on ‘role model leadership’ as part of senior team
career development was particularly welcomed.
The Committee also discussed the interim
arrangements that were put in place for the
period between the previous Customer
Director’s departure from the business in early
2024 and Kelly Devine commencing the role in
July 2024.
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Assessing Board effectiveness
An evaluation of the Board, its Committees and
Directors is carried out each year. The review
helps to identify areas for improvement, informs
training plans and identifies areas of knowledge,
expertise or diversity which should be
considered in our succession plans. The Chair
engages with each individual Director during the
year on their performance and contribution and
the Senior Independent Director and Deputy
Chair review the performance of the Chair. The
Committee reviews the time commitment of the
Chair and each Non-Executive Director during
the year as appropriate.
During the year, the Board and each Committee
reflects on progress against the actions
identified from the previous year’s effectiveness
review. Progress against our FY23 evaluation is
set out on the right.
The FY24 evaluation was conducted internally
on a consistent basis with FY23. Each Director
completed a questionnaire in respect of the
Board and each Committee of which they are a
member or otherwise attended meetings on a
regular basis. The Group General Counsel and
Company Secretary collated the responses and
shared them with the Chair and each respective
Committee Chair. An executive summary with
the key findings was then shared, alongside
each report, with the Board and each
Committee’s members for discussion.
Progress against FY23 evaluation recommendations
Theme/Topic Outcomes from FY23 evaluation Actions implemented in FY24
Succession Planning Acknowledgement that the appointment of new NEDs
to the Board, and to the roles of Senior Independent
Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee
when William Reeve and Peter Ruis step down in 2024,
is a priority.
Continue to focus on succession plans and capability
development for key senior positions.
Successful conclusion of recruitment process with the
appointment of Ajay Kavan and Dan Taylor in March
2024. Ian Bull to be appointed as Senior Independent
Director and Ajay Kavan as Chair of the Remuneration
Committee with effect from 21 November 2024.
Updates delivered on succession plans and capability
development for senior leadership during the year.
Stakeholder engagement Undertake a more detailed review of supplier
relationships and consider increased supplier
engagement at Board level to further develop
understanding of opportunities and risks.
Supplier deep dive included presentations on supply
chain strategy, circular sourcing, and responsible
sourcing. The Board also participated in a Q&A event
with key suppliers.
ESG-related risks and
opportunities
Continue to support management in refining our ESG
strategy and approach and ensure that it remains
relevant to our strategy.
Provide feedback on reporting and share wider
learnings and experience.
Supported evolution of governance, reporting and
communication in this area, as articulated further in
the TCFD report on pages 46 and 47 and in our
Sustainability Report 2024.
Testing the Company’s
strategy and ambitions
Include key topics raised by the Board at the strategy
day in May on the agenda for the forthcoming year.
Continue to constructively challenge the Executive
Team in order to maintain our focus on driving
long-term growth.
Standing agenda items and allocation of time to
topics reviewed.
Executive presentations given at Board meetings
throughout the year and May strategy day provided
opportunity for in-depth review and challenge of
three-year plan and strategic objectives (please see
page 72 for further information).
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Nomination Committee report continued
Overall, the results of the FY24 evaluation were
very positive, with no major concerns or issues
raised. High scores continue to reflect a strong
and positive culture and an effective and
well-managed Board, notwithstanding the
changes in its composition during the year.
The comments are being used to help shape
the Board agenda and its priorities in FY25. It
was also confirmed that each Director, including
the Chair, continues to make an effective
contribution to the Board, is well-prepared and
demonstrates commitment to their role. It is
anticipated that an externally-facilitated
evaluation will be conducted in FY25.
Committee effectiveness
The effectiveness of the Committee was
considered as part of this year’s Board evaluation
process, details of which are set out on the
previous page. The review concluded that the
Committee continues to operate effectively and
having considered the findings, it was agreed
that the particular areas of focus for the
forthcoming year should be:
1. Continuing to focus on Executive and senior
leadership succession plans, both short term
and longer term;
2. Maintaining the emphasis on diversity and
inclusion in appointments and succession
plans and oversight of the impact of
initiatives; and
3. Appointing a new Non-Executive Director.
Diversity and Inclusion
Policy
Our overriding aim is to ensure that the Board,
its Committees and the Company comprise
outstanding people and teams who can lead
the business effectively in a manner aligned
to our purpose, shared values and strategy.
We believe that the Group’s best interests are
served by ensuring that our people represent
a range of skills, experiences, backgrounds and
perspectives. This is encapsulated in our
’stronger together’ shared value.
To achieve this aim, we remain focused on three
broad principles:
refining the way we recruit;
identifying, supporting and mentoring
existing diverse talent in the business; and
increasing diversity amongst senior
appointments as they are made, including to
our Board and each of its Committees.
In line with this approach, the Committee is
committed to ensuring that the Board is at least
40% female
1
, that at least one of the Chair,
Senior Independent Director, CEO and CFO
positions is held by a woman and at least one
Board Director is from an ethnically diverse
background.
In addition, the Committee receives updates on
our approach to recruitment at all levels of the
business as part of its oversight of colleague
policies and practices. It continues to require
that specific effort is made to bring forward
diverse candidates for senior leadership and
Board appointments and monitors the Group’s
approach to people development to ensure
that it continues to enable talented individuals,
regardless of gender, marital status, sexual
orientation, disability, race, religion, colour,
nationality, ethnic origin, or age to enjoy career
progression within Dunelm.
Board
At a Board level, the UK Listing Rules prescribe
diversity targets. As at 29 June 2024, these were
met as follows:
Target Compliance
At least 40% of the
Board are women.
42% of our Board
were women.
At least one of the
senior Board
positions is held by
a woman.
Alison Brittain is Chair
and Karen Witts is
CFO.
At least one member
of the Board is from a
minority ethnic
background.
Vijay Talwar joined
the Board in October
2021 and Ajay Kavan
joined the Board in
March 2024.
FY24 Board evaluation findings
The key themes and outcomes from the Board review were as follows:
Theme Outcome
Board size and
composition
Acknowledgement that the Board is going through a period of change.
Gender balance is a consideration in light of recent and forthcoming
changes.
Continue to focus on succession plans.
Monitoring of
culture and
behaviours
Further reflect on how we assess and monitor culture, how our desired
culture has been embedded and how we will continue to align
behaviours with our purpose, values and strategy.
Stakeholder
engagement
Ongoing desire for deeper understanding of key stakeholders.
ESG-related risks
and opportunities
Noted to still be a maturing area, with a need to continue to develop and
maintain clarity of plans and reporting.
Testing the
Company’s strategy
Include key topics raised by the Board at the strategy day in May on the
agenda for the forthcoming year.
Request for deeper understanding of how leveraging technology will
continue to drive our growth.
1. We are extremely mindful that, for the period between Kelly
Devine stepping down in July 2024 and William Reeve stepping
down in November 2024, we will briefly fall below this target.
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Nomination Committee report continued
Group
We have strong representation of women at a
senior leadership level. As at 29 June 2024, 50%
of our Executive Team (FY23:62%) and 38% of
our senior leadership¹ roles (FY23:47%) were
held by women.
Dunelm published its seventh Gender Pay report
in April 2024 and an overview is provided in our
Sustainability Report 2024. Both documents are
available to download at corporate.dunelm.com.
Following the recommendation of the Parker
Review to set targets for ethnic minority
representation across senior leadership teams,
we have set an ethnic diversity target of 8% of
our senior leadership¹ to achieve by FY27. This
sits alongside the ethnic diversity target of 8% of
role-model leaders
2
by the end of FY26 that was
included in last year’s LTIP grant (see page 116
of the 2023 Annual Report and Account for
more details). At year-end FY24, ethnic minority
representation was 2.9% (FY23: 2.6%) for
senior leadership and 5.5% (FY23: 3.7%) for
role-model leaders.
FY24 initiatives and progress
The Committee was updated during the year
on the significant work undertaken in FY24 to
link our diversity and inclusion aims to initiatives
within the business and to our values, purpose
and strategy. This includes raising leadership
awareness through a series of training and
development workshops and supporting all
colleagues more generally in building their
knowledge and understanding by way of a
series of learning modules, collecting and
sharing more data so that we can review and
track from a pay gap perspective and also
enable stores to consider the representation
of their teams versus the local community, to
further develop understanding and engagement.
Other key initiatives have included the launch
of our ‘Reach’ ethnicity talent programme,
designed to support colleagues from under-
represented ethnic groups as they develop their
careers at Dunelm and further focus on our
approach to recruitment.
SR
More information on our diversity and
inclusion initiatives can be found in our
Sustainability Report 2024
Our equality and diversity policy can be found
at: corporate.dunelm.com
1. ‘Senior leadership’ for these purposes means our Executive
Team (including Executive Directors) and members of our
Dunelm leadership team).
2. Role-model leaders’ is a wider definition than ‘senior
leadership’ to reflect leadership roles more broadly across our
colleague base as a national retailer. It includes Heads of roles
and Regional and Store Coaches.
Annual statement on Board diversity targets
Our Board and Executive Team gender and ethnicity data is provided below in accordance with UK
Listing Rule 6.6.6R(9) as at 29 June 2024. Diversity data is collected for Executive Team members via
the engagement survey. At the end of the financial year the Board were asked to confirm the
categories with which they identified.
Gender
Dunelm Group plc
Group Board Executive Team
Number of
Board
members
Percentage
on the Board
Number of
senior positions
on the Board
(CEO, CFO, SID
and Chair)
Number in
Executive
Team
Percentage
of Executive
Team
Men 7 58% 2 4 50%
Women 5 42% 2 4 50%
Not specified/prefer not to say
Ethnicity
Dunelm Group plc
Group Board Executive Team
Number of
Board
members
Percentage
on the Board
Number of
senior positions
on the Board
(CEO, CFO, SID
and Chair)
Number in
Executive
Team
Percentage
of Executive
Team
White British or other white
(including minority-white
groups)
10 83% 4 8 100%
Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups
Asian/Asian British 2 17%
Black/African/Caribbean/
Black British
Other ethnic group including
Arab
Not specified/prefer not to say
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Audit, risk and
internal control
Audit and Risk Committee report
On behalf of the Audit and Risk Committee
(‘Committee’) I am pleased to present the
Audit and Risk Committee report for the year
ended 29 June 2024. This report provides an
overview of the Committee’s main activities
during FY24, the highlights of which I have set
out below.
FY24 highlights/key activities
Reviewed the financial judgements made
during the year.
Conducted a review of the Annual Report
and Accounts to confirm that it was fair,
balanced and understandable.
Continued to monitor the internal controls
framework and its effectiveness.
Approved the FY24 internal audit plan
and provided oversight of the internal
audit function.
Continued focus on cyber security and
data protection.
Ensured a smooth and effective transition
to our new external audit partner.
Approved move to co-sourcing
arrangement for internal audit.
Monitored progress and key improvements
in GHG reporting including the adoption of
a Scope 3 recalculation policy.
FY25 priorities
Support management’s plans to meet the
requirements of the Corporate Governance
Code 2024 and continue to monitor changes
in regulatory reporting requirements.
Continue to provide oversight of integration
of new controls systems across the Group.
Ongoing focus on cyber security and data
protection.
Support the delivery of the FY25 internal audit
plan in light of the transition to a co-source
arrangement.
Consideration of significant issues
and judgements
The Committee has reviewed and constructively
challenged the accounting methodologies,
judgements and disclosures set out in papers
prepared by management during the year. It
has determined their appropriateness and
assessed for consistency, with input from PwC.
Our review of key judgements and financial
reporting matters (including inventory
provisions, store impairment assessments,
deferred tax and going concern considerations)
made during the year are described on pages
83 and 84 of this report.
Reporting and governance
On behalf of the Board, the Committee
undertook a review of whether the Annual
Report and Accounts 2024, taken as a whole,
was fair, balanced and understandable and
provides the necessary information to
shareholders to assess the Group’s position
and performance, business model and strategy.
This is described in more detail on pages 83
and 84.
Looking externally, we maintained a watching
brief on regulatory and Government
announcements and updates relating to audit
and governance reform and discussed the
impact of the revised Corporate Governance
Code 2024, most notably for this Committee
the requirement for an internal controls
declaration. This will be considered further
over the forthcoming year.
The Committee undertook a detailed review
of its schedule of proposed meetings and
rolling agenda items. This resulted in a new
cadence this year that we felt provided an
improved flow to our discussions, particularly
in relation to internal control and risk reporting.
Sustainability reporting
The Committee has continued to monitor
the ongoing development of management’s
approach to sustainability reporting, both in
respect of current requirements and future
disclosure obligations such as the UK
Sustainability Reporting Requirements. The
Company’s ESG reporting team has refined
and streamlined our processes in this area,
providing greater efficiency and clarity of
reporting for disclosure purposes.
As last year, we can confirm that we are
reporting on all areas of the TCFD framework.
The report can be found on pages 46 to 54.
Ian Bull
Committee membership
Ian Bull (Committee Chair)
Ajay Kavan
William Reeve
Arja Taaveniku
Vijay Talwar
Dan Taylor
See page 63 for meeting attendance
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Risk management, internal controls
and internal audit
During the year, the Committee received
regular updates on work to further improve
and strengthen our risk management
processes and internal control environment.
We welcomed the evolution of the Executive-
led Risk and Resilience Committee, which has
provided clearer accountability and increased
visibility and challenge on higher risk aspects
of the Group’s operations for both
management and the Committee.
See pages 39 and 86 for more information
about our Risk and Resilience Committee
Other Committee highlights have included
reviewing progress to standardise key finance
processes as part of our wider finance
transformation programme, its objective
being to support current and future business
growth plans; overseeing implementation
of governance and controls around our
regulated credit offer which launched in
October 2023; and overseeing implementation
of enhancements to our fraud risk framework
in response to the new corporate criminal
offence for failure to prevent fraud. The
Committee also oversaw the development
of our programme to monitor internal
controls over financial reporting and
considered relevant control observations
that were identified.
KPMG, who has been the Group’s internal
auditor since December 2019, delivered the
FY24 internal audit plan (as approved) in full.
This included completion of six internal audits
covering areas such as store audits process,
risk management and supply chain resilience.
More details can be found on page 87.
An important decision for the Committee
this year, which reflects the extent to which
the Group’s internal control framework has
matured, was that we should bring the internal
audit function in-house in FY25, initially by
way of a co-source arrangement, with the
appointment of a head of internal audit.
Engagement
The Committee has been pleased with the
high level of engagement throughout the year,
including with senior colleagues, KPMG
(internal auditor) and PwC (external auditor),
to ensure our processes and controls remain
robust. In particular, I have held regular
meetings with Gill Hinks, our new external
audit partner at PwC, as well as with our
KPMG lead internal audit partner.
It has again been a busy year, and I would
like to take this opportunity to recognise the
valuable input and support provided by
members of the Committee, Executive Team
and senior leadership and thank them for their
constructive engagement. I would be happy
to answer any shareholder questions on the
activities of the Committee at the AGM.
Ian Bull
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee
11 September 2024
Committee composition and governance
The Committee comprises solely independent
Non-Executive Directors, and did so
throughout FY24. The Board is satisfied that
they demonstrate a breadth of knowledge
and experience, including sector expertise, to
enable the Committee to fulfil its duties. Both
Ian Bull and Vijay Talwar are considered by the
Board to have recent and relevant financial
experience and to be competent in auditing
and accounting. Ian, who has chaired the
Committee since joining the Board in 2019,
is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Management Accountants with over 30 years’
business and financial experience in leading
consumer-facing businesses. Vijay, who joined
the Committee in October 2021, is a former
Certified Public Accountant.
Only members of the Committee have the
right to attend meetings. Other Board
Directors, as well as the Group Finance
Director, Chief Technology and Information
Officer, Head of Cyber Security, PwC (external
audit) and KPMG (internal audit) are invited to
attend, as appropriate. The Group General
Counsel and Company Secretary acts as
secretary to the Committee and attends
all meetings.
The Committee met four times in FY24. It has
also met once since the end of the financial
year prior to the signing of this Annual Report.
Meetings are generally scheduled in line with
key times in the Company’s financial reporting
calendar. The Committee maintains a rolling
calendar of items for consideration at each
meeting and reviews and updates it regularly.
The external auditor and the internal auditor
are provided with the opportunity at each
meeting to discuss matters without the
presence of management and, the Committee
Chair meets with the external and internal
audit partners outside of meetings.
Role and principal duties
The Committee’s role is to support the Board
in fulfilling its corporate governance and
reporting obligations as to the effectiveness
of our risk management systems, internal
controls, and financial reporting. Its principal
duties include monitoring, reviewing and
challenging:
the integrity of the Group’s financial
statements and public announcements
relating to financial performance;
key accounting policies and judgements;
the effectiveness of internal controls and the
process for identifying and managing risk;
statements concerning internal control, risk
management (including the assessment of
principal risks), and the viability statement
and approving them for inclusion in the
annual report;
the internal audit plan and the role and
effectiveness of the internal audit function
and, ensuring its ability to exercise
independent judgement; and
the relationship with the external auditor, its
reports, effectiveness and independence.
The Committee’s full terms of reference can
be found at: corporate.dunelm.com
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Key judgements and financial
reporting matters
An important aspect of the Committee’s work is
monitoring the integrity of the annual and interim
reports, including a review of the significant
financial reporting matters and judgements
contained in them prior to recommending them
to the Board for approval.
Key accounting judgements relating to the
financial statements considered by the
Committee during the year under review were:
Provisions for inventory
The Committee discussed in detail the
approach taken by management to provisions
for inventory. Particular attention was given to
reviewing the provision for obsolete, slow-
moving or discontinued inventories including
the utilisation of provisions reported in prior
periods. The external auditor challenged
management’s assumptions on what they
deemed to be the ‘at risk’ inventory lines,
and corroborated this position with the
commercial team. They also challenged the
completeness of such lines concluding that the
relevant provision was consistent with the
evidence obtained. The Committee noted the
work undertaken by both management and
the external auditor, and that there was a high
degree of consistency in the methodology
applied by management, with any updated
inputs based on specific trading experience.
The Committee concurred with management’s
conclusions that the values recorded in the
financial statements are appropriate.
Other accounting matters
The Committee received regular updates on
management’s assessment of impairment
triggers as required under IFRS and it was noted
that only minor charges were appropriate in
FY24. The Committee also noted that there is
no material change in deferred tax assets and
the Group has no uncertain tax provisions.
Going concern and viability statement
The Directors must determine that the
business has adequate resources to continue
in operational existence and can continue to
adopt the ‘going concern’ basis of accounting.
Furthermore, the Directors are required to make
a statement in this Annual Report as to the
longer-term viability of the Company.
The Committee conducted an assessment
based on the Group’s current financial position,
its strategy, the market outlook and its principal
risks. It also considered the Group’s available
facilities, including the revolving credit facility,
which was renegotiated during the year to an
extended limit of £250m and runs until
September 2028, subject to a further one-year
extension. The Committee reviewed financial
models (including downside scenarios over a
three-year period and two reverse stress tests),
taking time to understand and challenge,
where necessary, significant judgements and
assumptions in the modelling, the reverse stress
test models and covenant and liquidity headroom.
The Committee evaluated management’s
work in conducting a robust assessment of
the Company’s longer-term viability. It affirmed
the reasonableness of the assumptions
and considered the appropriateness of
a viability period of three financial years.
It noted that historically viability has been
considered over a five-year period, but
determined that a three-year horizon is
appropriate, aligning with wider strategic
plans and the timeframe for performance
targets. The Committee confirmed this as
part of its recommendation to the Board.
Further to this, the Directors were able to
conclude that it is appropriate to prepare the
financial statements on a going concern basis.
See page 55 for going concern and viability
statements
Fair, balanced and understandable
At the request of the Board, the Committee
considered whether the Annual Report and
Accounts 2024, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced
and understandable, and provides the information
necessary for shareholders to assess the
Company’s position and performance, business
model and strategy.
To form its opinion, the Committee reviewed
the financial statements set out in the
Company’s annual and interim results and
reflected on the information and reporting
received from management and the external
auditor and the discussions that took place
during the year. In carrying out its review, the
Committee had regard to the following:
Fairness and balance
Is the report open and honest with the whole
story presented and difficulties/challenges
presented alongside successes/opportunities?
Is the review of business performance in
the narrative reporting consistent with that
used for the financial reporting in the
financial statements?
Do we provide clear explanations of our
KPIs and is there strong linkage between
our KPIs and our strategy? Are the KPIs
disclosed at an appropriate level based on
the financial reporting?
Do we show our progress over time and is
there consistency in our metrics, KPIs and
measurements?
How do the key judgements identified
compare with the risks that PwC plans to
include in its report?
Understandable
Do we explain our business model, strategy
and accounting policies simply, using precise
and clear language?
Do we have a consistent tone across the
Annual Report & Accounts?
Are the important messages highlighted
appropriately throughout the document?
Are we clearly ‘signposting’ to where
additional information can be found?
Is the layout clear with good linkage
throughout in a manner that reflects the
whole story?
The Board considered the recommendations
of the Committee and concluded that, taken
as a whole, the 2024 Annual Report and
Accounts is fair, balanced and understandable.
The Board further believes that the 2024 Annual
Report and Accounts provides sufficient clarity
for shareholders to adequately assess our
business model, strategy, financial position
and performance.
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Audit and Risk Committee report continued
Sustainability reporting
The Committee’s role is to gain assurance that
the effects and consequences of climate
change are being adequately reflected in our
financial statements and valuations, that we are
applying appropriate standards and rigour
when reporting progress against our
Greenhouse Gas (‘GHG’) reduction
commitments and fulfilling our mandatory
disclosure obligations.
Throughout FY24 our internal ESG reporting
team has refined and streamlined our GHG
Reporting and Task Force on Climate-related
Financial Disclosures (‘TCFD’) processes.
This dedicated team supports the various
sustainability-related workstreams across the
business and ensures ongoing efficiency and
clarity of reporting for disclosure purposes.
We are reporting for FY24 on carbon emissions
on a ‘spend-based’ basis that is consistent with
our baseline and are in full compliance with the
TCFD recommendations. All GHG
measurement and reporting is in line with the
GHG Protocol.
See pages 46 to 54 for more detailed
information about TCFD and GHG reporting
The Committee is aware that as our
understanding and processes continue to
evolve, there is a need to enable ongoing data
consistency and meaningful comparisons. With
this in mind, during the year, it approved a
baseline recalculation policy, which guides on
when and how to recalculate our baseline year
or update prior year disclosures for Scope 3
emissions. This was not considered necessary
for the year under review.
The Committee will continue to monitor the
Company’s progress against forthcoming
sustainability-related disclosure requirements,
such as the UK Sustainability Reporting
Standards, and consider further developments
in best practice, seeking training/guidance
when required, to ensure that it continues to
effectively oversee our reporting in this area.
To support the Committee in its oversight
management has proposed a progressive
assurance plan around our processes,
governance and data over our material
ESG-related measures.
Corporate and financial reporting
developments
The Committee has considered the impact
of key findings of the FRC’s thematic reviews
of corporate reporting issued during the year,
as well as other matters which have come to its
attention which impact corporate reporting.
The Committee has also reviewed changes
to accounting standards and interpretations
(both those adopted during the year and
future changes for FY25 and beyond). It is
comfortable that these have been adopted
as appropriate and that none have a material
impact on the Company.
Provision 29 of the revised Corporate
Governance Code 2024, which requires the
Board to provide a declaration on the
effectiveness of material controls, will apply to
the Company in FY27. In preparation for this
change, management presented a high-level
roadmap to the Committee that will be
discussed in more detail over the forthcoming
year to ensure that the Group is well-prepared
to meet the new requirement.
Year end review process
The Committee noted the robust year end governance processes that were performed in parallel with the formal process undertaken by the
external auditor, as set out below:
Mar 2024 Apr—Aug 2024 Aug 2024 Aug 2024 JulSep 2024
Discussions begin
with Executive Directors
on plans, developments
and key messaging for
the year.
Work commences
with external advisors on
how best to present
information in a clear and
understandable way.
Project management
undertaken by a team
including the Group GC
and Company Secretary,
Head of FP&A and
Investor Relations, Director
of Communications and
Group Finance Director,
overseen by the CFO.
Wider team reminded
of ‘fair, balanced and
understandable’
requirements.
Internal verification
conducted by the finance
team of non-financial
factual statements, key
performance indicators
and descriptions used
within the narrative.
Engagement with, and
feedback from, external
parties (including
remuneration advisors
and the external auditor)
to enhance the quality
of reporting.
Engagement with the
senior colleagues on
proposed content and
changes.
Opportunities for the
Committee to challenge
management and the
external auditor on the
process and content of
the report before it is
recommended to the Board
for approval.
Process to ensure that any
unfavourable outcomes
have been duly highlighted.
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External auditor
The Committee is responsible for overseeing
the relationship with the external auditor,
including recommending to the Board their
appointment, reappointment and removal,
assessing their independence on an ongoing
basis, and approving the statutory audit fees.
Tenure
PwC has been the Group’s external auditor
since 2014. They were reappointed at the
Company’s 2023 AGM in respect of the FY24
audit following a formal tender process. Gill
Hinks replaced Mark Skedgel as the external
audit partner following the conclusion of Mark
Skedgel’s fifth year in FY23 and the 2024
financial year is therefore her first year as lead
audit partner.
The Committee recommended, and the
Board intends to propose, the reappointment
of PwC as the Company’s auditor for FY25.
It believes the independence and objectivity
of the external auditor and the effectiveness
of the audit process are safeguarded and
remain strong.
The Committee considers that the Company
has complied with the Competition and Markets
Authority’s Statutory Audit Services for Large
Companies Market Investigation (Mandatory
Use of Competitive Tender Processes and
Audit Committee Responsibilities) Order 2014
for the financial year under review. There are
no contractual obligations that restrict the
Committee’s choice of external auditor.
The external audit
PwC is engaged to express an opinion on the
financial statements. It reviews the data contained
in the financial statements, discusses with
management the reporting of results and the
financial position of the Company and presents
its findings to the Committee. Where it makes
recommendations in its reports to the
Committee, the Committee reviews them and
agrees with management the manner and
extent to which they should be implemented.
None of the Directors in office at the date of this
report is aware of any relevant information that
has not been made available to PwC and each
Director has taken steps to be aware of all such
information and to ensure it is available to PwC.
PwC did not report any significant deficiencies
in controls nor did it disagree with any of the
Group’s accounting judgements and estimates
in relation to FY24. PwC’s audit report is
published on pages 122 to 127.
Fees paid to PwC for its FY24 audit work were
£359,000 (2023: £327,000).
Audit quality and auditor effectiveness
The Committee is responsible for ensuring audit
quality is maintained, and reviews and challenges
PwC’s proposed external audit plan, including
its scope and materiality, before approval.
It is also the Committee’s responsibility to assess
the effectiveness and independence of the
external audit process. The assessment is
conducted in accordance with a process agreed
with the Committee. It involves seeking the
views of the Committee, as well as those of
colleagues who have regular interactions with
the external auditor and considering them
alongside five Audit Quality Indicators which
have been developed with PwC and are
measured and tracked annually and the FRC’s
Audit Quality Inspection and Supervision report.
The Committee was provided with a summary
of the responses received in respect of the FY23
audit to assist with its considerations. Feedback
was positive, consistent with previous years and
no material concerns were raised. A common
theme, which was discussed with the external
audit partner, was continuing to find ways in which
year end processes can be made even more
efficient, using technology where appropriate.
Having conducted its review, and also
considered the quality of interactions during the
year, the Committee concluded that PwC had
applied appropriately robust challenge and
professional scepticism throughout the audit to
demonstrate independence, that it possessed
the skills and experience required to fulfil its
duties effectively and efficiently, and that the
audit was effective.
The Committee will formally assess PwC’s
performance in relation to the FY24 audit
following its completion. The assessment will
also include a review of the aforementioned Audit
Quality Indicators to ensure that they remain
appropriate in assisting the Committee in its
review of the quality of the audit going forwards.
Safeguarding auditor independence
and objectivity
The Committee recognises the importance of
ensuring that the independence and objectivity
of the external auditor is not impaired through
the provision of non-audit services. We have in
place robust policies on the use of auditors for
non-audit work and the recruitment of former
employees of the external auditor, which can be
found on our website at corporate.dunelm.com.
These include the following:
fees for non-audit services provided by the
statutory auditor in any year may not exceed
70% of the average fees for the Group
statutory audit in the three previous years;
the auditor is prohibited from providing
certain non-audit services as set out in our
policy, including almost all tax work, internal
audit, corporate finance, and those that
involve any part in management activities;
the external auditor may not be engaged to
provide any non-audit services without the
approval of the Committee; and
time restrictions on employees of the
external auditor involved in our audit joining
the Company.
During the period we paid PwC £50,000 (2023:
£46,000) for their review of the interim financial
statements (a non-audit service). This was
12.22% of the total audit fees, and the three-year
average is 12.26%. No other non-audit services
were provided by the external auditor.
The Committee can confirm that the policies
referred to above were complied with
throughout the year and, in its opinion, the
external auditor remains independent.
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Audit and Risk Committee report continued
Risk management and internal controls
Risk management
Whilst the Board has overall responsibility for risk
management, it delegates to the Committee
responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of
systems to identify, assess, manage and monitor
financial and non-financial risks.
During the year, the Committee undertook
the following risk management and assurance
activities, which enabled it to maintain oversight
and discuss risks and challenges faced by
the Company:
reviewed principal risks and the Company’s
formal risk appetite statement ahead of
submission to the Board for approval (for
more information see pages 38 to 45);
considered and challenged management’s
key risk indicators to ensure that they remain
appropriate and monitored performance
against them;
received regular reports and updates from
the CFO as chair of the Risk and Resilience
Committee on its activities and on any specific
matters that impacted internal controls
(more information on our Risk and Resilience
Committee can be found on the right);
received reports from management on
developments and improvements to the
control environment during the year,
including details of an enhanced monitoring
and testing programme for internal controls
over financial reporting;
reviewed internal and external audit
reports and progress on delivering
management actions;
received updates on data protection,
anti-bribery, material litigation and
business continuity;
approved the annual fraud risk assessment
and considered improvements to fraud
monitoring and the actions taken by
management to mitigate (including
consideration of processes management has
in place in readiness for the new corporate
criminal offence of failing to prevent fraud,
which comes into effect at the end of 2024);
approved a co-source model for internal audit;
approved a refreshed Whistleblowing policy
and procedure (see page 68 for more
information about our Whistleblowing policy);
discussed the governance framework and
controls established ahead of the launch of
our regulated credit offer;
considered the output from a Business Risk
Review conducted by HMRC, the outcome of
which aligned to our risk appetite; and
noted that a satisfactory insurance
programme is in place.
In addition, there was continued focus on
IT systems and cyber security by way of
presentations to the Committee from the Chief
Technology and Information Officer and Head
of Cyber Security. During the year a maturity
review was undertaken to assess our cyber
controls against ISO27001. It found that
management has made significant progress in
enhancing controls, with several areas of good
practice identified alongside opportunities for
further improvement. The Committee welcomes
the ongoing work in this area, recognising that
our approach to mitigation must continue to
evolve at pace in line with the risk.
The Committee considers that the processes
in place to manage risk by the Board and
management are robust and working effectively.
Internal control framework
Management is responsible for establishing
and maintaining an effective system of internal
controls and the Committee has responsibility
for ensuring the effectiveness of those controls.
The Group has established internal controls
and risk management systems in relation to the
process for preparing consolidated financial
statements. Examples of the controls in
operation include regular balance sheet
reconciliations, monthly analysis and reviews,
technical accounting papers and review and
approval of externally reported financial
information. A status update on the monitoring
programme for internal controls over financial
reporting is provided on a regular basis to the
Committee. The Committee is satisfied as to the
effectiveness of these controls.
We continue to invest in the modernisation of
our key business systems to ensure that we have
the right foundations in place to support our
ambitious strategic growth plans and the
Committee continues to monitor progress.
Risk and Resilience Committee
During FY24, management conducted
a review of the structure and role of the
Risk and Resilience Committee (‘R&R
Committee’), chaired by the CFO, to critically
assess the effectiveness of its format and
composition. As a result of this work, the R&R
Committee has evolved its membership and
scope to ensure balanced representation
from all key functional areas, with clearer
ownership and accountability across
operational as well as principal risks. This has
enabled greater visibility, stronger governance
and increased challenge on higher risk
aspects of the Group’s operations, with
regular updates provided on:
data protection and information security;
regulated credit;
health and safety;
ethical sourcing;
store security;
business conduct (including fraud); and
outstanding internal audit actions.
The Audit and Risk Committee receives
regular updates on the R&R Committee’s
activities and is informed of any material
issues or concerns. As part of our continued
focus on improving our control environment,
we will assess the effectiveness of the new
format after twelve months.
See pages 38 to 39 for more information
about our approach to risk management
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Internal audits
The internal audit function provides
independent and objective assurance to all
levels of management up to the Board. Its
responsibilities include evaluating and reporting
on the adequacy and effectiveness of the
systems of risk management and internal
controls. The function has been outsourced
to KPMG since December 2019.
KPMG’s purpose, scope and authority are
defined within its charter which is approved by
the Committee annually. The team develops an
internal audit plan for the year, with input from
management, that is structured to align with
the Group’s strategic priorities and key risks and
is approved by the Committee. The plan is
reviewed periodically throughout the year to
confirm it remains relevant.
Each review concludes with a formal report
with graded recommendations, management
responses and actions. These are communicated
to the Committee by KPMG, and rigorously
tracked through to completion. The Committee
as a whole and the Committee Chair each meet
with KPMG without management present on
a regular basis to allow for open discussion.
During the year, the Committee carried out a
review of the effectiveness of the internal audit
function. This was undertaken by way of a
questionnaire, and feedback was sought from
members of the Committee and the senior
leadership team. The Committee concluded
that overall the function continues to operate
effectively, with areas noted for further
consideration being greater collaboration with
management around the timing of audits and
ways to improve communication of progress
during audits and in presenting findings.
Committee effectiveness
The effectiveness of the Committee was
considered as part of this year’s Board
evaluation process, more details of which can
be found on page 78. The review concluded
that the Committee continues to operate
effectively and having considered the findings,
the following actions were agreed for the
forthcoming year:
1. continue to engage with the external lead
audit partner and find ways in which year-end
processes can be made even more efficient;
2. manage and support the internal audit
transition to a co-sourcing arrangement; and
3. maintain focus on non-financial disclosures,
key performance indicators and assurance in
light of regulatory changes.
Internal audits undertaken in FY24
KPMG conducted the following risk-based internal audits in FY24:
Internal audits Overview of scope
Stores audit process Evaluated the design and effectiveness of processes in place
to manage the delivery of the stores audit programme.
Risk management Assessed the maturity of our strategic/enterprise risk
management processes.
Order to cash Assessed the design and effectiveness of controls over the
end-to-end order-to-cash process across our main revenue
streams, including in-store and online sales. This audit also
considered the new complaints process for regulated credit.
Review of ESG processes:
phase 2
1
Considered processes, controls, and governance relating to
methodology, data collection, and reporting on Scope 3
emissions.
Cloud controls: phase 1 and 2 Assessed the effectiveness of controls relating to the
management of our cloud services, including third-party
service partners, to provide a risk-based assessment of cloud
maturity capabilities.
Supply chain resilience Assessed the risks relating to IT and operational service
providers, specifically in respect of vendor resilience,
dependency and data management.
1. Phase 1 was completed in FY23.
During the year, the Committee reviewed our
approach to internal audit and the outsourced
model, reflecting on how the business has
changed since 2019, and noting in particular
its growth, the increased maturity of our internal
control framework and the potential future
needs of the business. It concluded that a
move to a co-sourced arrangement would
deliver increased capacity to enable higher
levels of assurance going forwards.
The internal audit function will transition to
this new model from the beginning of FY25,
following the appointment of a head of internal
audit. This role reports to the Chair of the Audit
and Risk Committee to ensure independence,
with a dotted line to the CFO.
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Remuneration at a glance
Remuneration principles
Our remuneration principles guide our approach
to reward, ensuring that it remains aligned with
our vision, values and purpose, and clearly linked to
the successful delivery of our strategic plans, as we
seek to unlock our full potential.
Pay fairly for an
individual’s role and
responsibilities
Aligned to shared
values and ownership
structure
Rewards strong
performance and
sustainable growth
over the long term
Enshrined in
Remuneration Policy
Summary of Executive Remuneration Structure under 2023 Policy
Base Pay
Median or below
Pension
Aligned to workforce
average
Benefits
Median
Variable pay — annual cash
bonus and LTIP
Maximum opportunity 375%
for CEO and 325% for CFO
Annual cash bonus
Median
Up to 150% of salary*
Linked to performance:
sales, profit, strategic/
personal
Clawback and malus apply
* Subject to maximum variable pay
opportunity.
Lifetime lock-in
Two-thirds of bonus and
LTIP outcome retained in
shares for the duration of
employment
Shareholding requirements
During employment retain
shares worth maximum LTIP
opportunity
Two-year post-employment
holding requirement
Simple and transparent Consistently applied
throughout business
LTIP
Upper quartile
Up to 250% of salary*
Three-year performance
period
Two-year retention period
Mix of performance
conditions
Clawback and malus apply
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Remuneration
Remuneration Committee report
FY24 business performance and incentive
outcomes
Our Executive Team performed well throughout
the year, delivering a solid performance in what
remains a challenging environment for UK
consumers and businesses, and resulting in sales
of £1,706.5m, and profit before tax of £205.4m.
The Committee’s decision-making on the
remuneration outcome for our Executive
Directors has been shaped by this year’s financial
performance, as well as recognition of the
opportunities and challenges for our business
that lie ahead. We remain committed to ensuring
that we reward sustainable, profitable growth
over the longer term on a consistent basis and
aligned with our shared values.
The overall formulaic vesting level for the FY24
annual bonus is 36% of maximum opportunity
for Nick Wilkinson and 37% of maximum
opportunity for Karen Witts. Full details of
performance against FY24 measures and
objectives are set out on pages 103 and 104.
Nick Wilkinson was granted an LTIP award in
October 2021 with vesting subject to
performance conditions assessed over the
three-year period FY22 to FY24. Karen Witts
was granted an award in June 2022 that was
subject to the same performance conditions
assessed over the same three-year period, but
pro-rated to reflect her joining date. These
awards have vested at 58% as set out on
page 105.
The Committee considered whether to use its
discretion to adjust either the bonus outcomes
or the LTIP award outcome. We concluded
that the outcomes of the annual bonus and
LTIP were fair and well-deserved and reflect
both the performance of the business and the
overall stakeholder experience, including the
wider workforce, and therefore no discretion
should be applied.
At least two-thirds of Nick and Karen’s
respective cash bonuses (after payment of
tax and National Insurance contributions)
must be invested in shares and retained in
accordance with our in- and post-employment
shareholding guidelines. Two-thirds of their
vesting LTIP awards (after payment of tax
and National Insurance contributions) must
similarly be retained, and they are, in any
event, subject to a two-year hold on the
full amount.
FY25 remuneration
Our review of salaries for Executive Directors
in FY24 and intended operation of the new
Policy for the financial year ending 28 June
2025 is as follows:
Salary
When considering salary increases, the
Committee was mindful of Director
performance, our remuneration principles as
set out on page 88 and the wider colleague
experience. We also considered feedback on
William Reeve
Committee membership
William Reeve (Committee Chair)
Alison Brittain
Ian Bull
Ajay Kavan
Arja Taaveniku
Vijay Talwar
Dan Taylor
See page 63 for meeting attendance
On behalf of the Remuneration Committee
(‘Committee’) I am pleased to present the
Remuneration Committee report for the year
ended 29 June 2024. This comprises:
my Annual Statement as Chair of the
Committee (pages 89 to 90);
the Directors’ Remuneration Policy (‘Policy’)
approved at the 2023 AGM (pages 91 to
100); and
the Annual Report on Remuneration (pages
101 to 115), describing how the Policy has
been applied for the year ended 29 June
2024 and how we intend to implement the
Policy for FY25.
The Remuneration Committee report
(excluding the Policy) will be subject to an
advisory shareholder vote at the 2024 AGM.
FY24 highlights/key activities
Reviewed variable pay outcomes.
Approved revised measures for LTIP grant
and bonus.
Approved gender pay gap report for
publication.
FY25 priorities
Ensure smooth transition to our new
Remuneration Committee Chair.
Review measures proposed for FY25 bonus
and LTIP grant.
Continue to consider the evolution of our
reward structure in line with our principles.
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Executive pay received from our National
Colleague Voice. Further to this, we reviewed
the salary levels of the Executive Directors and
approved a 2.75% increase in base salary for
each of Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts in line
with the average percentage increase for
senior colleagues. The median pay award
made to the wider colleague population
was 6.9%.
Variable pay/incentives
We apply a consistent pay structure
throughout the business, with the
remuneration of Executive Directors more
heavily weighted towards variable pay and
share-based incentives than other colleagues
so that a greater part of their pay is linked to
successful delivery of strategy and aligned
with shareholders.
A significant change to our approach for FY25
has been to the measures that we will be
applying to the annual bonus and the LTIP.
In prior years, performance conditions for the
annual bonus have been based on financial
measures (with a 75% weighting) and strategic
and personal targets (with a 25% weighting),
with the LTIP based on an EPS measure
(with an 80% weighting) and ESG measures
(with a 20% weighting). We have changed our
approach for FY25.
Our use of ESG measures for the LTIP over
the last three LTIP cycles has been positive for
Dunelm, and we have benefitted from the
resultant step change. However, we have
become increasingly aware of the challenges
arising from the rebasing and restating of ESG
measures as understanding and capability to
measure progress has evolved. The Committee
has also recognised the extent to which ESG is
now embedded in the business, meaning that
we can continue to drive Dunelm’s sustainability
strategy more effectively by way of annual
targets within bonus objectives, rather than over
a three-year period. Therefore, for FY25, ESG
measures will be moved from the LTIP to the
annual bonus, with a 10% weighting allocated
to specific ESG targets.
We have decided to replace the ESG measures
in the LTIP with a measure based on Total
Shareholder Return (‘TSR’). The introduction
of a TSR-based measure follows discussions
with some of our investors and a detailed review
by the Committee as to the appropriateness of
this measure for Dunelm. The Committee
recognises that a TSR-based measure will
maintain the alignment of the Executive Directors
interests with those of shareholders, by providing
a direct link to share price performance and
dividends paid. The Committee considers that
returns to shareholders as reflected by a
TSR-based measure will align with Dunelm’s
longer-term prospects, and reward long-term
thinking. The TSR-based measure will be
assessed on a relative basis against the
constituents of the FTSE 350 excluding financial
services companies and investment trusts.
The weightings of the measures are summarised
below (with a small re-weighting of the EPS
measure for the LTIP which is reduced from
80% to 75%), with further information on the
measures and targets set out on page 113. For
the EPS measure, which accounts for three-
quarters of the overall LTIP award, for delivery of
threshold performance the vesting level will be
10%. In line with the Policy approved by
shareholders at the 2023 AGM and in line with
market practice, vesting in respect of the TSR
element (accounting for one quarter of the
overall award) will be 25%, and will require
median performance, with maximum vesting
requiring upper quartile performance.
Annual bonus
Measure Weighting
PBT 50%
Sales 25%
Strategic and personal targets
(including ESG measures)
25%
LTIP
Measure Weighting
EPS 75%
Relative TSR 25%
The targets for the LTIP award expected to be
made in October 2024 are set out on page 113.
Two-thirds of variable pay will continue to be
invested in Dunelm shares, to be held for the
duration of employment.
Non-Executive fees
It is the responsibility of the Board to review
Non-Executive Director fees, and the
responsibility of this Committee to review
Chair fees. The Board considered the former
at its meeting in June 2024, having conducted
a detailed benchmarking exercise and
reflected on the role and contribution of our
Directors, as well as our remuneration
principles. The Board determined that fees
for the Non-Executive Directors had fallen
some way behind the market and our own
remuneration principles and approved
increases as set out on page 114. In relation to
our Chair’s fee, the Committee recommended
an increase of 2.75% (in line with the average
percentage increase for senior colleagues and
below the median pay award made to the
wider colleague population of 6.9%) which
was approved by the Board.
Finally, I will be stepping down on
21 November 2024 following completion of
our 2024 AGM, having completed just over
nine years on the Board. The Company
confirmed on 11 July 2024 that Ajay Kavan will
be replacing me as Chair of this Committee
with effect from the end of the 2024 AGM.
I wish him every success in the role and, noting
that this is my final Remuneration Committee
report, would like to take this opportunity to
thank my fellow Directors for their support and
that of the Executive Team, senior leadership
and all other colleagues with whom I have had
the pleasure of engaging during my tenure.
William Reeve
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
11 September 2024
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Remuneration Committee report conti nued
Our current binding Remuneration Policy was approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on 16 November 2023 with over 99% of votes in favour. We remain confident that it aligns with our
strategic goals, investor sentiment and market practice, as well as our shared values, which include ‘long-term thinking’ and to ‘act like owners’, in keeping with the family origin of the business.
The Committee has ensured that the Policy and practices are consistent with the factors set out in Provision 40 of the UK Corporate Governance Code:
Clarity and Simplicity Predictability
We operate a simple, sustainable, and transparent remuneration structure.
Performance targets for variable pay are linked to our strategy.
Performance requirements are clearly disclosed and transparent and we provide detailed
disclosures of the relevant performance assessments and outcomes for our stakeholders
to consider.
Engagement is welcomed from stakeholders throughout the year.
A National Colleague Voice meeting (see pages 22 and 115) is dedicated to providing clarity
to colleagues and inviting discussion on our approach to executive pay.
The remuneration scenarios for Executive Directors on page 97 indicate the potential values that
may be earned through the remuneration structure.
Where discretion may be exercised, this is clearly stated in the Policy.
Risk Proportionality
The Committee is comfortable that the Company’s incentive arrangements do not encourage
inappropriate risk-taking.
Our Policy includes (i) balanced use of short- and long-term incentives, (ii) the ability for the
Committee to apply discretion and judgement to outcomes, (iii) malus and clawback provisions,
and (iv) the majority of the variable remuneration of the Executive Directors is paid in shares which
are subject to in-employment and post-employment shareholding requirements.
Our variable pay arrangements include the ability on the part of the Committee to adjust
formulaic vesting outturns so that vesting levels can be aligned with overall performance.
Shareholding requirements apply both during and after employment to promote alignment with
the longer-term interests of shareholders and longer-term performance.
Variable pay arrangements include malus and clawback provisions.
Our Policy is drafted with clear consideration of the need to ensure that total remuneration fairly
reflects performance and enables meaningful and appropriate targets to be set with a significant
proportion linked to long-term shareholder value.
A significant proportion of the Executive Directors’ remuneration is subject to performance
conditions and awarded in shares to ensure alignment with shareholders’ interests.
Alignment to culture
The Committee ensures that our incentive structure drives the right behaviours and reinforces the Group’s purpose and shared values.
Alignment is reflected in the approach to performance measures used in our incentive schemes, for example (i) financial targets under the annual bonus and LTIP are the same for all management,
regardless of seniority, linking everyone’s contribution to a shared Group financial outcome; (ii) strategic targets require our Executive Directors and senior leadership to work together to deliver growth
and value to the benefit of our stakeholders; and (iii) non-financial performance measures continue to focus on ensuring that participants ‘do the right thing’, including delivery of our sustainability strategy.
Directors’ Remuneration Policy 2024
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The Policy sets out the structure of remuneration for Directors of the Company. It was approved by
shareholders at the 2023 AGM and is set out in full on pages 92 to 100 of this Report. The illustrative
performance scenarios on page 97 have been updated to reflect the proposed implementation
of the Policy in FY25 as set out on pages 112 to 114 and other changes have been made to reflect
elements of Karen Witts’ recruitment remuneration that are no longer relevant. Sir Will Adderley has
requested that he not be considered for participation in the annual bonus or LTIP.
The full Policy can also be found on our corporate website: corporate.dunelm.com.
Executive Directors
Base Salary
Purpose and link to strategic
objectives
Fixed remuneration for the role.
To attract and retain the high calibre talent necessary to
develop and deliver the business strategy.
Reflects the size and scope of the Executive Director’s
responsibilities.
Operation Normally paid monthly.
Base level set in the context of:
Pay for similar roles in companies of similar size and
complexity in the relevant market.
Scale and complexity of the role.
Should comprise a minority of potential remuneration.
Maximum opportunity Reviewed annually, with percentage increases usually in line
with or below the Group-wide review unless other
circumstances apply, such as:
A significant change in the size, scale or complexity of the role
or of the Group’s business.
Development and performance in role (for example, on a
new appointment, base salary might be initially set at a lower
level with the intention of increasing over time).
The Committee does not consider it to be appropriate to set a
monetary limit on the maximum base salary that may be paid
to an Executive Director within the terms of this Policy.
Performance metrics None, although performance of the individual is considered
at the annual salary review.
Retirement benefits
Purpose and link to strategic
objectives
To provide a competitive post-retirement benefit.
To attract and retain the high calibre talent necessary to
develop and deliver the business strategy.
Operation Contribution to a defined contribution plan or a cash allowance
in respect of some or all of the contribution that would
otherwise be made to a pension plan.
Maximum opportunity An amount as a percentage of base salary not exceeding the
maximum rate available to the majority of the wider workforce
(currently 3%).
Performance metrics None.
Benefits
Purpose and link to strategic
objectives
To provide a competitive benefits package.
To attract and retain the high calibre talent necessary to
develop and deliver the business strategy.
Operation A range of benefits are provided which may include car or
allowance; private health insurance for the individual and their
family; permanent health cover; life assurance; mobile phone;
use of a car and driver in connection with the role or an
appropriate travel allowance; and colleague discount.
Additional benefits, such as relocation expenses, housing
allowance and school fees may also be provided in certain
circumstances if considered reasonable and appropriate by
the Committee.
For non-UK Executives (none at present) the Committee
may consider additional allowances in accordance with
standard practice.
Maximum opportunity The Committee reserves the right to provide such benefits as
it considers necessary to support the strategy of the Group.
The Committee does not consider it to be appropriate to set
a maximum cost to the Group of benefits to be paid.
Performance metrics None.
The policy report
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Executive Directors continued
Bonus
Purpose and link to strategic
objectives
Rewards and incentivises delivery of annual financial, strategic
and personal targets.
Operation The amount of the bonus earned is determined after the
results for the financial year have been audited, subject to
performance targets having been met. The Committee has
discretion to adjust the bonus payout upwards or downwards
if it considers that the formulaic outturn does not reflect its
assessment of the overall financial or non-financial performance
of the participant or the Group, or is inappropriate in the context
of circumstances that were unexpected or unforeseen at the
start of the relevant year, or is inappropriate for any other reason.
At least two-thirds of any bonus earned will be either subject to
a requirement that the after-tax amount is invested in Dunelm
shares or will be granted in the form of a share bonus award
on a pre-tax basis. Any shares acquired pursuant to such a
requirement are subject to retention provisions as set out in
the ’Shareholding requirements’ section below.
Maximum opportunity Maximum opportunity: 150% of base salary per annum.
The combined annual bonus and LTIP opportunities for any
year may not exceed: (a) 375% of salary in the case of the
Company’s CEO; and (b) 325% of salary in the case of any other
Executive Director.
Where bonus awards are granted as share awards, dividend
accruals may be made in respect of dividends paid during the
vesting period applicable to an award. Any such dividend
equivalents will ordinarily be paid in shares.
Performance metrics Stretching performance targets are set each year. Performance
targets for the Executive Directors may be based on financial
objectives and/or strategic objectives and/or personal goals set
by the Committee annually.
Financial objectives may include, but are not limited to,
budgeted PBT for the financial year.
The strategic objectives will vary depending on the specific
business priorities in a particular year.
The Committee will determine the weighting of performance
measures for any year based on specific business priorities for
the year. Ordinarily, at least 50% of the annual bonus for
Executive Directors will be subject to financial objectives.
Subject to the Committee’s discretion to override formulaic
outturns, for financial measures typically up to 10% of the
maximum opportunity will be earned for threshold performance,
and for on-target performance up to 50% of the maximum
opportunity will be earned, and for exceeding on-target
performance up to 100% of the maximum opportunity will be
earned. Bonuses will typically be earned between threshold
and on-target and between on-target and maximum on a
straight-line basis.
For strategic measures and personal goals, vesting of the
bonus will be determined by the Committee between 0% and
100% based on its assessment of the extent to which the
relevant metrics or objectives have been met.
Awards are subject to recovery provisions (malus and clawback)
as set out below.
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Executive Directors continued
Long-Term Incentive Plan
Purpose and link to strategic
objectives
Supports delivery of strategy by requiring the achievement of
appropriate targets and objectives which will normally include
a measure based on EPS.
Rewards strong financial performance and sustained increase
in shareholder value over the long term.
Aligns with shareholder interests through the delivery of shares,
with share retention requirements as set out below.
Operation Awards (which can take the form of a conditional award, nil-cost
option or nominal value option) are made annually, with vesting
subject to performance, usually assessed following the end of a
performance period of three years, followed by a ‘Holding
Period’ of two years. The Holding Period may operate on the
basis of: (i) the award vesting following assessment of
performance but that, other than as regards sales of shares to
cover tax liabilities, shares acquired must be retained until the
end of the Holding Period; or (ii) vesting being deferred until
the end of the Holding Period.
Shares acquired are then subject to retention provisions as set
out in the ’Shareholding requirements’ section below.
The Committee has discretion to adjust the LTIP vesting outturn
upwards or downwards if it considers that the formulaic output
does not reflect its assessment of the overall financial or
non-financial performance of the participant or the Group,
or is inappropriate in the context of circumstances that were
unexpected or unforeseen at grant, or is inappropriate for any
other reason.
Maximum opportunity The maximum award for an Executive Director in respect of any
financial year is an award over shares with a value (as
determined by the Committee) of 250% of salary.
The combined annual bonus and LTIP opportunities for any
year may not exceed: (i) 375% of salary in the case of the
Company’s CEO; and (ii) 325% of salary in the case of any other
Executive Director.
Dividend accruals may be made in respect of dividends paid
during the performance period applicable to an award and up
to the vesting date. Payment would only be made in respect of
shares vesting after applying performance criteria. Any such
dividend equivalents will ordinarily be paid in shares.
Performance metrics The Committee will determine the weighting of performance
measures for any year. For at least 75% of an award, vesting will
be subject to the satisfaction of one or more financial measures,
which will normally include a measure based on EPS. The balance
of the award vesting will be subject to one or more other financial,
strategic, environmental, social or governance measures.
The Committee considers the targets annually taking into
account a range of factors which will include the Group’s plans,
external forecasts and the overall business environment.
Subject to the Committee’s discretion to override formulaic
outturns, for financial measures typically up to 10% of an award
will vest for threshold performance (the lowest level of
performance at which awards will vest), rising to up to 50% for
achieving a stretching level of ‘on-target’ performance and to
100% for achieving or exceeding a stretch level of performance.
Vesting between threshold and on target and between
on-target and maximum will typically be on a straight-line basis.
For strategic, environmental, social or governance measures,
vesting will be determined by the Committee between 0% and
100% based on its assessment of the extent to which the
relevant measures have been met.
Awards are subject to recovery provisions (malus and clawback)
as set out below.
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Executive Directors continued
All employee share plan (Sharesave)
Purpose and link to strategic
objectives
Promotes share ownership by all eligible colleagues (including
Executive Directors).
Operation All UK employees with a minimum service requirement are
eligible to join the UK tax qualifying Dunelm Group Savings
Related Share Option Plan (the Sharesave). Employees outside
the UK are eligible to join an equivalent plan which is not
tax qualifying.
Monthly savings are made over a period of three years (or such
other period as may be permitted by the applicable UK tax
legislation) linked to the grant of an option over Dunelm shares
at a discount of up to 20% to the market price (or such other
amount as permitted by the applicable UK tax legislation) at the
date of invitation to join the plan.
Invitations are normally issued annually at the discretion of the
Committee, which also has discretion to set the minimum
service requirement, maximum discount, maximum monthly
savings and any other limits within the terms of the plan rules.
Maximum opportunity Maximum participation limits reflect the limits prescribed by
the applicable UK tax legislation from time to time. Currently
the maximum limit is savings of £500 per month.
Performance metrics None.
Shareholding requirements
To align the interests of Executive Directors with
those of shareholders and to promote long-
term thinking, the Committee has adopted
shareholding requirements which apply both
during employment and for a period following
employment, as set out below. The Committee
retains the right to waive or relax the retention
requirements in respect of shares acquired
pursuant to annual bonus deferral arrangements
or following the end of the Holding Period
applying to any LTIP award granted after 1 July
2020 if the Executive Director meets the required
level of shareholding during employment.
The Committee also retains the right to waive
or relax any element of the shareholding
requirements in exceptional circumstances,
such as death, divorce, ill health or severe
financial hardship.
Shareholding requirements during
employment
Executive Directors are expected to make a
personal investment in Dunelm shares on
appointment as an Executive Director (subject
to closed periods).
Each Executive Director is required to build a
beneficial holding of shares with a value (as a
percentage of salary) equal to the higher of:
(i) their normal annual LTIP grant; and (ii) 200%
of salary. Executive Directors are ordinarily
expected to achieve this holding within five
years from appointment. Shares subject to:
(i) LTIP awards which are exercisable but which
have not been exercised; (ii) LTIP awards for
which the performance assessment has been
carried out but for which vesting is deferred
until the end of the Holding Period; and
(iii) share bonus awards, count towards this
requirement on a net of assumed tax basis.
Any shares acquired pursuant to required
annual bonus deferral arrangements must be
retained during employment, other than any
shares sold to cover associated tax liabilities.
Following the end of the Holding Period
applying to any LTIP award granted after
1 July 2020, an Executive Director must retain
at least two-thirds of the shares acquired,
other than any shares sold to cover associated
tax liabilities.
Shareholding requirements following
termination of employment
Following termination of their employment for
any reason, an Executive Director must retain
for two years shares equal to the lower of the
shareholding requirement applicable to them
during employment, and their actual
shareholding on departure. This is a contractual
requirement set out in each Director’s service
contract. The Company also reserves the right
to require share certificates to be lodged in
its custody.
Payment of fixed remuneration in shares
The Company may deliver any element of fixed
remuneration for an Executive Director in shares
rather than in cash or any other form in which
it is usually provided. The number of shares
would be such number as have a value at the
relevant time equal to the value of the fixed
remuneration being delivered in shares.
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Recovery provisions (malus and clawback)
The annual bonus (including any granted as a
share award) and LTIP are subject to recovery
provisions as set out below.
Malus provisions apply which enable the
Committee to determine before the payment of
an annual bonus or the vesting of an LTIP award,
that the bonus opportunity or LTIP award may
be cancelled or reduced.
Clawback provisions apply which enable the
Committee to determine for up to three years
following the payment of a cash bonus or the
assessment of the performance outturn for an
LTIP award, that the amount of the bonus paid
may be recovered and the LTIP or share bonus
award may be cancelled or reduced (if it has
not been exercised) or recovery may be applied
to it (if it has been exercised).
The malus and clawback provisions may be
applied in the event of:
a material misstatement of any Group
company’s financial results;
a material error in assessing a performance
condition applicable to the award or in the
information or assumptions on which the
award was granted or vests;
a material failure of risk management in any
Group company or a relevant business unit;
serious reputational damage to any Group
company or a relevant business unit;
serious misconduct or material error on the
part of the participant;
a material corporate failure as determined by
the Board;
fraud; or
any other circumstances which the Committee
in its discretion considers to be similar in their
nature or effect to those set out above.
Salary, pension, benefits and Sharesave options
are not subject to recovery.
Non-Executive Directors
Fees and appropriate benefits
Purpose and link to strategic
objectives
To attract and retain a high calibre Chair and Non-Executive
Directors by offering competitive fee levels and, where relevant,
appropriate benefits.
Operation Fees for the Chair are set by the Committee. Fees for
Non-Executive Directors are set by the Board. No Director
participates in any decision relating to their own remuneration.
The Chair is paid an all-inclusive fee for all Board
responsibilities. The Non-Executive Directors receive a
basic fee, with supplemental fees for additional Board
responsibilities.
The level of fee reflects the size and complexity of the role and
the time commitment.
Fees are normally reviewed annually, having regard to a range
of factors, including increases in remuneration across the
Group. In addition, a periodic review is undertaken against
market rates and taking into account time commitment and any
change in size, scale or complexity of the business.
The Group’s colleague discount is available to the Chair and
Non-Executive Directors. In addition, they may receive benefits
such as travel, accommodation and other reasonable expenses
incurred in the fulfilment of their duties, which may be ‘grossed
up’ to reflect any tax liabilities associated with the benefits.
Additional benefits may be provided where considered
appropriate. The Chair and Non-Executive Directors do not
participate in any incentive scheme.
Maximum opportunity The maximum to be paid by way of fees to the Non-Executive
Directors is set out in the Company’s Articles of Association as
amended from time to time.
Performance metrics None.
The Committee may make minor changes to this Policy which do not have a material advantage to
Directors, to aid its operation or implementation without seeking shareholder approval but taking
into account the interests of shareholders.
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Remuneration Committee report conti nued
Performance measures and how they
are set
The Committee selects performance measures
that it believes are:
aligned with the Group’s strategic goals and
set, where relevant, taking into account market
consensus and individual broker expectations.
For the LTIP, financial measures will normally
include EPS which the Committee considers
to be the most appropriate measure for
medium-term performance, aligned with our
growth ambitions and continuing to win
market share;
unambiguous and easy to calculate; and
transparent to Directors and shareholders.
For both the annual bonus and the LTIP, the
Committee reserves the right to vary or
substitute any performance measure if justified
by the circumstances, for example if there was
a significant transaction.
Performance measures for the annual bonus
for FY25 are set out on page 113. Performance
measures for the LTIP awards proposed to be
granted in respect of FY25 are set out on
pages 113.
Illustrative performance scenarios
At his request, Sir Will Adderley does not
receive any remuneration apart from an annual
salary, car allowance and healthcare benefits.
Therefore, his remuneration has not been
included in the scenarios below.
The following graphs set out what Nick Wilkinson
and Karen Witts, the other Executive Directors
in office at the date of this report, could earn in
FY25 under the following scenarios:
Nick Wilkinson
Remuneration (£’000)
100%
Total
701
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
Maximum plus
50% increase
in price of LTIP
shares vesting
MaximumIn line with
expectations
Minimum
39%
Total
1,831
23%
46%
Total
3,055
19%
Total
3,762
37%
25%31%
19%23%38%
Karen Witts
Remuneration (£’000)
100%
Total
540
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
Maximum plus
50% increase
in price of LTIP
shares vesting
MaximumIn line with
expectations
Minimum
37%
Total
1,299
21%
46%
Total
2,118
19%
Total
2,604
37%
23%29%
21%25%42%
Minimum
Annual bonus
LTIP
Maximum plus 50% increase
in price of LTIP shares vesting
The following assumptions have been made in respect of the scenarios set out on this page:
Fixed pay (base salary, benefits and pension only)
Base salary
£’000
Benefits
£’000
Pension
£’000
Nick Wilkinson 628 54 19
Karen Witts 485 40 15
Performance level Fixed pay Annual Bonus LTIP
Minimum
(performance
below threshold)
As above Nil Nil
In line with
expectations
As above 45% of bonus opportunity
earned (67.5% of salary for Nick
Wilkinson, 56.25% of salary for
Karen Witts).
50% of the LTIP award vests
(112.5% of salary for Nick
Wilkinson and 100% of salary
for Karen Witts), based on face
value of the award at the date
of grant.
Maximum
performance
As above 100% of bonus opportunity
earned (150% of salary for Nick
Wilkinson, 125% of salary for
Karen Witts).
100% of the LTIP vests (225%
of salary for Nick Wilkinson and
200% of salary for Karen Witts),
based on face value of the
award at the date of grant.
Maximum
performance,
plus share price
increase
As above 100% of bonus opportunity
earned (150% of salary for Nick
Wilkinson, 125% of salary for
Karen Witts).
100% of the LTIP vests (225%
of salary for Nick Wilkinson and
200% of salary for Karen Witts),
plus an increase in the value of
the LTIP of 50% across the
relevant performance period
to reflect possible share price
appreciation.
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Dunelm Group plc
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Service contracts and loss of
office payments
All of the Executive Directors have service
contracts. The notice period for termination for
Sir Will Adderley is 12 months from either party,
and for Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts is six
months from either party.
In connection with her joining Dunelm and as
disclosed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report
for the year ended 2 July 2022, Karen Witts is
entitled to an allowance of £1,500 per month to
cover the cost of rent on a property close to
Dunelm’s offices in Leicester and/or other
expenses and travel costs.
If the Company terminates the employment
of an Executive Director it would honour its
contractual commitments. If termination was
with immediate effect, a payment in lieu of notice
may be made. The Committee may apply
mitigation in respect of any termination payment.
Details in relation to the service contracts for
Executive Directors are set out in Table 6 on page
107 of the Annual Report on Remuneration.
Bonus
The Committee has discretion to make a
payment to a ‘good leaver’ (as determined by
the Committee) in respect of any annual bonus.
Any such bonus would normally be pro-rated to
the period of active service during the relevant
financial year. Ordinarily, any bonus would be
subject to deferral into shares in the usual way;
however, the Committee retains discretion not
to apply deferral in appropriate circumstances.
Share bonus awards will lapse on termination
of employment before vesting other than in the
event of death, serious ill health and any other
reason at the discretion of the Committee.
If an award does not lapse, the Committee will
determine whether it vests on termination or at
the ordinary vesting date.
LTIP
If a participant leaves the employment of the
Group, the following provisions apply to awards
granted under the LTIP:
awards in the form of options that have vested
but have not yet been exercised may be
exercised within six months of cessation of
employment (12 months in the case of death);
except in the case of dismissal for gross
misconduct, awards which have not yet
vested, but where the performance period
has elapsed, may vest at the relevant vesting
date. The Committee has discretion to vest
the award earlier but would only use this in
exceptional circumstances (such as ill-health).
In the event of death, unless the Board
determines otherwise, vesting will be as soon
as practicable. In the case of an option, the
option must be exercised within six months of
vesting (or 12 months in the case of death), to
the extent that the performance conditions
have been met; and
if the participant leaves the Group before an
award has vested and before the performance
period has elapsed, the award will usually
lapse. However, if the participant ceases
employment due to ill-health, injury or
disability or if the Committee exercises its
discretion to treat the participant as a ‘good
leaver, the award will be retained and vest at
the normal vesting date. The Committee has
discretion to vest the award earlier, but would
only use this in exceptional circumstances
(such as ill-health). In the event of death, unless
the Board determines otherwise, vesting will
be as soon as practicable. In the case of an
option, the option may be exercised within
six months of the relevant vesting date (or 12
months in the case of death). Any vesting
would be subject to assessment of the
performance conditions (and the exercise of
any discretion to vary formulaic outturns in line
with the Policy) and, unless the Committee
determined otherwise, a reduction to reflect
the proportion of the performance period that
had elapsed at cessation.
In all cases, LTIP awards would be subject to the
applicable malus and clawback provisions.
Sharesave
If a participant leaves the Group, options
granted under the Sharesave will normally lapse,
but may be exercised within six months from
the cessation of employment due to injury,
disability, retirement, or redundancy (or 12
months in the case of death), or the employing
company leaving the Group or, provided that
the option has been held for at least three years,
cessation for any other reason (apart from
dismissal by the Company).
Non-Executive Directors’ letters
of appointment
Non-Executive Directors have letters of
appointment. The term is for an initial period of
three years with a provision for termination on
one month’s notice from either party, or three
months’ notice from either party in the case of
the Chair. Letters are renewed for up to two
additional three-year terms, and then renewed
annually. The letter of appointment will terminate
without compensation if the Director is not
reappointed at the AGM.
Details in relation to the letters of appointment
are set out in Table 6 on page 107 of the Annual
Report on Remuneration.
Other payments
The Committee reserves the right to make any
other payments in connection with a Director’s
cessation of office or employment where the
payments are made in good faith in discharge
of an existing legal obligation (or by way of
damages for breach of such an obligation) or
by way of settlement of any claim arising in
connection with the cessation of a Director’s
office or employment or for any fees for
outplacement assistance and/or the Director’s
legal and/or professional advice fees in
connection with their cessation of office or
employment. In appropriate circumstances,
the Committee may continue the provision of
certain benefits (for example health insurance)
for a period following cessation.
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Change of control and other
corporate events
Share bonus awards
Share bonus awards will vest on a change of
control or winding up of the Company before
the originally anticipated vesting date.
LTIP
The following provisions apply to awards
made under the Long-Term Incentive Plan in
accordance with the plan rules if there is a
change of control or winding up of the
Company:
any vested but unexercised options may
be exercised;
any unvested awards in respect of which the
performance period has ended and to which
the performance condition has been applied
will vest and, in the case of options, may
be exercised;
any unvested awards in respect of which the
performance period has not ended may vest
and, in the case of options, be exercised at the
discretion of the Committee, subject to any
adjustment to take into account the amount of
time that has elapsed through the performance
period (unless the Committee decides not to
apply a time-based reduction) and the extent
to which any performance criteria have been
met (and the exercise of any discretion to
vary formulaic outturns in line with the Policy
table); and
the Executive Director may agree that their
awards are ‘rolled over’ into shares of the
acquiring company as an alternative.
If the Company has been, or will be, affected
by any demerger, dividend in specie, special
dividend or other transaction which will
adversely affect the current or future value of
any awards under the LTIP or any share bonus
awards, the plan rules allow the Committee,
acting fairly and reasonably, to determine the
extent to which any awards should vest and the
period within which options may be exercised.
Sharesave
Sharesave options may be exercised within
six months following a change of control or
winding up of the Company, using savings in
the participant’s account at the date of exercise.
The participant may agree that their awards
are ‘rolled over’ into shares of the acquiring
company as an alternative.
Operation of share plans
All discretions available under the Company’s
share plan rules will be available under this
Policy, except where explicitly limited under this
Policy. This includes that:
the Committee may amend the terms of
awards and options under the Company’s
share plans in accordance with the plan rules
in the event of a variation of Dunelm’s share
capital or a demerger, special dividend or
other similar event or otherwise in accordance
with the rules of those plans; and
awards may be settled, in whole or in part,
in cash, although the Committee would only
settle an Executive Director’s award in cash in
exceptional circumstances, such as where
there is a regulatory restriction on the delivery
of shares, or in connection with the settlement
of tax liabilities arising in respect of the award.
Executive pay and the pay of
other colleagues
The remuneration principles set out on page
88 are applied consistently to pay throughout
the Group.
Pay for all colleagues is set at a level that is fair
for the role and responsibilities of the individual,
and is designed to attract and retain high
calibre talent that is needed to deliver the
Group’s strategy, without paying too much.
The remuneration of Executive Directors is more
heavily weighted towards variable pay than for
other colleagues, so that a greater part of their
pay is linked to successful delivery of strategy
and aligned with shareholders. They are also
required to build and maintain a shareholding
in the Company as set out above.
The remuneration of colleagues below the
Board (including participation in the LTIP)
reflects the seniority of the role, market practice
and the ability of the individual to influence
Group performance.
All colleagues who have met a minimum service
requirement (usually three months or less) are
encouraged to participate in the Sharesave plan,
which enables them to become shareholders
at a discounted rate. Participation is usually
offered annually at the maximum price discount
permitted (currently 20%), at the discretion of
the Committee.
In setting the policy for the Executive Directors’
remuneration, the Committee takes note of the
overall approach to remuneration in the Group.
Although the Committee does not formally
consult with employees when setting the Policy,
details of how it engages with colleagues on
pay are set out on page 115.
Shareholder views
The Board is committed to ongoing engagement
with shareholders in respect of all governance
matters, including executive remuneration.
We consulted with shareholders in relation to
the current Policy including, in particular, our
approach to variable pay and shareholding
requirements for Executive Directors. We were
pleased with the level of engagement from
shareholders and for the support shown for our
proposals, which we finalised having regard to
feedback received.
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Remuneration Committee report conti nued
Approach to recruitment remuneration
The Committee will apply the principles set out
below when agreeing a remuneration package
for a new Executive Director (whether an
external candidate or an internal promotion):
the package must be sufficient to attract and
retain the high calibre talent necessary to
develop and deliver the Group’s strategy;
no more should be paid than is necessary;
pension provision will be in line with the Policy
table; and
the Committee reserves the discretion to
make appropriate remuneration decisions
outside the standard policy to meet the
individual needs of the recruitment provided
the Committee believes the relevant decisions
are in the best interests of the Group.
Circumstances in which the Committee might
apply its discretion to make appropriate
remuneration decisions as referenced
above include:
where an interim appointment is made on
a short-term basis, including where the Chair
or another Non-Executive Director has to
assume an executive position;
where employment commences at a time in
the year when it is inappropriate to provide a
bonus or share incentive award as there is
insufficient time to assess performance, the
quantum for the subsequent year might be
increased proportionately instead; and
where an executive is recruited from a
business or location that offered benefits that
the Committee considers it appropriate to
‘buy out, or which the Committee considers
it appropriate to offer.
Examples of remuneration decisions that the
Committee may make are set out below:
it may be appropriate to offer a lower salary
initially, with a series of increases to reach the
desired salary over a period of time, subject
to performance;
the Committee may also alter the
performance criteria applicable to the initial
annual bonus or LTIP award so that they are
more applicable to the circumstances of
the recruitment;
an internal candidate would be able to retain
any outstanding variable pay awarded in
respect of their previous role that pays out in
accordance with its terms of grant; and/or
appropriate costs and support will be
provided if the recruitment requires the
relocation of the individual.
The maximum level of variable pay that could
be awarded to a new Executive Director in the
first year of employment, excluding any buyout
arrangements, would be 375% of salary as set
out in the Policy table. The Committee would
explain the rationale for the remuneration package
in the next Annual Report of the Company.
In addition, on hiring an external candidate the
Committee may make arrangements to buy out
remuneration that the individual has forfeited
on leaving a previous employer. The Committee
will generally seek to structure buyout awards
and payments on a comparable basis to
remuneration arrangements forfeited. These
awards or payments are excluded from the
maximum level of variable pay referred to in
the Policy; however, the Committee’s intention
is that the value awarded or paid would be
no higher than the expected value of the
forfeited arrangements.
In order to implement the arrangements
described, the Committee may rely on the
exemption in UK Listing Rule 9.3.2, which allows
for the grant of share or share option awards to
facilitate, in unusual circumstances, the
recruitment of a Director.
The Committee does not intend to use any
discretion in this section to make a non-
performance-related incentive payment (for
example agolden hello’).
On the appointment of a new Chair the fee will
be set taking into account the experience and
calibre of the individual and pay for similar roles
in companies of similar size and complexity in
the market. The fees for any newly appointed
Non-Executive Director would be set in
accordance with the Policy table on page 96.
No share incentives or performance-related
incentives would be offered.
Legacy remuneration arrangements
The Committee reserves the right to make
remuneration payments and payments for loss
of office (including exercising any discretion
available to it in connection with any such
payment) notwithstanding that they are not in
line with the Policy set out above where the
terms of payments were agreed:
before the Policy came into effect (provided
that, in the case of any payments agreed on or
after 11 November 2014 they are in line with
any applicable shareholder approved
Directors’ remuneration policy in force at the
time they were agreed or were otherwise
approved by shareholders); or
at a time when the relevant individual was not
a Director of the Company (or other person to
whom the Policy set out above applies) and, in
the opinion of the Committee, the payment
was not in consideration for the individual
becoming a Director of the Company (or
other such person).
For these purposes, ‘payments’ includes the
satisfaction of variable remuneration and, in
relation to an award over shares, the terms of
the payment are ‘agreed’ no later than the time
the award is granted.
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Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Remuneration Committee report conti nued
This report has been prepared on behalf of the
Board by the Committee, chaired by William
Reeve. It sets out how the Directors’ Remuneration
Policy which was approved by shareholders on
16 November 2023 has been applied in FY24
and how the policy will be applied in FY25.
Committee members and meeting attendance during FY24
Member Attendance Notes
William Reeve 3/3
Alison Brittain 3/3
Ian Bull 3/3
Kelly Devine 2/2 Kelly stepped down from the Committee on 11 March 2024 and
the Board on 5 July 2024.
Ajay Kavan 1/1 Ajay joined the Board and the Committee on 1 March 2024.
Peter Ruis 2/2 Peter stepped down from the Board and Committee on 10
January 2024.
Arja Taaveniku 3/3
Vijay Talwar 3/3
Dan Taylor 1/1 Dan joined the Board and the Committee on 1 March 2024.
Annual Report on Remuneration
Composition of the Committee
The Committee comprises solely independent
Non-Executive Directors (including the Chair,
who was independent on appointment), and
did so throughout FY24. William Reeve has
chaired the Committee since 2018.
Only members of the Committee have the
right to attend meetings. Other Directors and
individuals such as the CEO and People &
Stores Director are invited to attend all or part
of meetings, as appropriate. No Director
participates when his or her own remuneration
is discussed. The Group General Counsel and
Company Secretary acts as secretary to the
Committee and attends all meetings.
During the year, the Committee met formally
three times with an additional ad hoc meeting
held in May. The Committee has held two
further meetings prior to the publication of
this report.
Role and principal duties
The Committee is responsible for determining
the policy for Directors’ remuneration and
setting the remuneration for the Chair of the
Board, Executive Directors and
members of the Executive Team in accordance
with the Principles and Provisions of the Code.
Its other principal duties include:
establishing remuneration schemes that
support alignment with long-term
shareholder interests;
designing remuneration policies and
practices to support strategy and promote
long-term sustainable success;
reviewing the design of all share incentive
plans for approval by the Board and for any
such plans determine whether awards will be
made each year; and
reviewing workforce remuneration and
related policies.
The Committee’s full terms of reference can
be found at: corporate.dunelm.com
Together with the Chair’s statement on pages
89 to 90, it will be put to shareholders for an
advisory vote at the FY24 AGM.
The information contained in this report is
unaudited unless expressly stated otherwise.
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Remuneration Committee report conti nued
Single figure for total remuneration (audited)
The following table sets out total remuneration for Directors for the period ended 29 June 2024:
Table 1: Directors’ remuneration — single figure table
Salary/fees
£’000
1
Benefits
£’000
2
Pension
£’000
3
Total fixed
remuneration
£’000
4
LTIP award
£’000
5
Bonus
£’000
6
Total Variable
remuneration
£’000
7
Total
£’000
Director FY24 FY23 FY24 FY23 FY24 FY23 FY24 FY23 FY24 FY23 FY24 FY23 FY24 FY23 FY24 FY23
Nick Wilkinson 609 582 53 48 18 17 680 647 632 964 331 335 963 1,299 1,643 1,946
Karen Witts 471 450 40 38 14 14 525 502 525 218 252 743 252 1,268 754
Sir Will Adderley 21 20 21 20 21 20
Sub-total 1,080 1,032 114 106 32 31 1,226 1,169 1,157 964 549 587 1,706 1,551 2,932 2,720
Non-Executive Director
Alison Brittain 337 179 337 179 337 179
Ian Bull 70 67 70 67 70 67
Kelly Devine 58 56 58 56 58 56
Ajay Kavan 20 20 20
William Reeve 77 73 77 73 77 73
Peter Ruis 31 56 31 56 31 56
Marion Sears 58 56 58 56 58 56
Arja Taaveniku 58 56 58 56 58 56
Vijay Talwar 58 56 58 56 58 56
Dan Taylor 20 20 20
Total 1,867 1,631 114 106 32 31 2,013 1,768 1,157 964 549 587 1,706 1,551 3,719 3,319
1. Alison Brittain joined the Board on 7 September 2022 and was appointed Chair on 1 January 2023. Ajay Kavan and Dan Taylor were appointed on 1 March 2024 and Peter Ruis stepped down on 10 January 2024. Basic fees for Alison Brittain, Ajay Kavan, Dan Taylor and Peter Ruis have
been pro-rated over the relevant year as appropriate. Sir Will Adderley’s base salary was held at £1 per annum. The salary for the Executive Directors increased by 5% and the fees for the Chair and other Non-Executive Directors increased by 5% with effect from 1 August 2023.
2. Benefits include the cost of a car allowance and private health insurance for the individual and their family. Nick Wilkinson is also entitled to an allowance of 5% of his annual salary towards the cost of travel from home to Leicester. Karen Witts is entitled to an allowance of £1,500 per
month to cover the cost of rent on a property close to the office in Leicester and travel costs.
3. Pension entitlement is 3% of contractual salary to a defined contribution plan or cash allowance in lieu. For Nick Wilkinson, prior to 1 August 2022 the pension entitlement was 8% of contractual salary. Sir Will Adderley waived his entitlement to a pension from 1 July 2015.
4. Total fixed remuneration includes salary/fees, benefits and pension.
5. The figure for Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts is the value of the FY22—24 LTIP award, the three-year performance period for which ended on the last day of the financial period being reported on. The price used to calculate the value of the awards, which will vest on 20 October 2024
for Nick and 9 June 2025 for Karen, was the average of Dunelm’s closing share price over the last three months of FY24, which was 1,056 pence per share. The value of a share when Nick’s award was granted was 1,307p; therefore none of the value of Nick’s award is attributable to an
increase in the share price. The value of a share when Karen’s award was granted was 946p; therefore c.10.4% of the value of Karen’s award attributable to the vesting of the shares over which the award was originally granted is attributable to an increase in the share price. The value
also includes a ’special dividend equivalent’ of 65p per vested share in respect of the special dividend paid on 8 October 2021, 37p per vested share in respect of the special dividend paid on 18 March 2022, 40p per vested share in respect of the special dividend paid on 11 April
2023 and 35p per vested share in respect of the special dividend paid on 9 April 2024. The share price used to calculate the number of shares in Nick and Karen’s ‘special dividend equivalent’ was 1,310p per share in respect of the October 2021 special dividend, 1,127p per share in
respect of the March 2022 special dividend,1,081 per share in respect of the April 2023 special dividend and 1,095p per share in respect of the April 2024 special dividend, in each case being the closing share price the working day before the special dividend date. No discretion was
applied to adjust the performance conditions or outcome of the FY22—24 LTIP for share price appreciation or depreciation or for any other reason. The prior year figures have been updated to reflect the actual closing share price of 1,089p on the day before the vesting date,
compared to last year’s report which was based on the average closing share price over the last three months of FY23. Sir Will Adderley asked not to be considered for an LTIP award.
6. Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts were awarded an annual performance-related bonus for FY24 with a maximum opportunity of (i) 150% of contractual salary for Nick Wilkinson and (ii) 125% of contractual salary for Karen Witts. The performance conditions which applied to the bonus
were set in September 2023 and are described on pages 103 and 104.
7. Total variable remuneration includes bonus and LTIP awards.
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FY24 annual bonus (audited)
Nick Wilkinson was eligible to earn an annual bonus of up to 150% of base salary during the year and Karen Witts was eligible to earn an annual bonus of up to 125% of base salary during the year, in each
case subject to meeting the performance targets set out below and on the following page. Sir Will Adderley asked not to be considered for an annual bonus.
The bonus was based on challenging targets set by the Committee at the start of the financial year, with 75% based on financial targets and 25% based on personal and strategic targets. The ‘Sales ’ and
personal elements of the bonus would only be paid if we achieved the threshold PBT. Information on the targets set and the performance against them is set out in Table 2. Based on performance against
those targets, Nick Wilkinson earned a bonus of £330,859 and Karen Witts earned a bonus of £217,591 as set out in Table 3. The full bonus is paid in cash, with two-thirds of the after-tax amount being
subject to a requirement that it is invested in shares.
Table 2: annual bonus 2024 payout (audited)
Performance measures
% of bonus
opportunity
Threshold
performance
2
On-target
performance
3
Maximum
performance
(100%)
FY24 actual
performance
% outcome
for each
measure
Financial measures
1
— Profit before tax 50% £188.6m £206.6m £227.3m £205.4m 38%
— Sales 25% £1,660m £1,804m £1,894m £1,706m 23%
Non-financial personal and strategic targets
25%
(see page 104 for details)
CEO—47%
CFO—50%
1. Bonus is earned between threshold and on-target and between on-target and maximum on a straight-line basis.
2. For threshold vesting is at 10% of maximum for sales and 5% of maximum for PBT.
3. For on-target, vesting is at 50% of maximum for sales and 40% for on-target for PBT.
Table 3: overall 2024 bonus earned (audited)
Base salary
£’000
Maximum
bonus % of
salary
2024 bonus
outcomes %
of maximum
Overall 2024
bonus
earned
£’000
2024 bonus
outcome %
of salary
Nick Wilkinson 609 150% 36% 331 54%
Karen Witts 471 125% 37% 218 46%
CEO and CFO Non-financial personal and strategic objectives
25% of the bonus opportunity is linked to performance against objectives, both personal and strategic. Payment of this element of the bonus is subject to meeting threshold on the PBT financial metric for
the year (which has been achieved). The targets, which are specific to each of the CEO and CFO, were set by the Committee to reflect personal and strategic priorities for FY24. Assessment against them
(including consideration of relevant KPIs) was considered by the Committee following the end of the financial year, and a bonus outcome determined accordingly.
It was assessed that 47% of the personal and strategic targets had been met by the CEO and 50% of the personal and strategic targets had been met by the CFO. Further details on their respective key
achievements against each objective are set out on the next page.
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CEO and CFO Non-financial personal and strategic objectives (continued)
CEO FY24 performance against personal and strategic objectives — outcome 47% of maximum
opportunity
Objectives Key achievements during FY24
Strategy
c.25% weighting
Navigated a complex and volatile trading environment to
deliver customer growth, market share gains and meet
margin targets.
Maintained focus on improving customer experience through
process and technology change.
Further progress on cost reduction, balanced with prioritisation
of growth drivers.
Organisation capabilities
c.25% weighting
Supported improvements to tech ways of working, roadmaps
and pace of delivery.
Continued progress on improving data fluency and insights to
optimise operations, increase productivity and further develop
the customer proposition.
Maintained focus on delivering our sustainability goals,
including in relation to circular design, manufacturing, and
strengthening governance and communications.
Corporate and investor
relations
c.25% weighting
Delivered clear investor communications throughout year.
Continued to develop capability and approach to business
development.
Hosted successful investor and analyst event, ‘At Home
with Dunelm’.
People
c.25% weighting
Successfully restructured Executive Team responsibilities and
continued development of ways of working.
Continued focus on capability building and succession
planning for senior roles.
Oversaw increased awareness of our inclusion and diversity
programme and its initiatives.
CFO FY24 performance against personal and strategic objectives — outcome 50% of maximum
opportunity
Objectives Key achievements during FY24
Driving business performance
c.25% weighting
Implemented refreshed operational KPIs to drive
budgeted performance.
Adapted plans throughout the year to deliver continued
growth in a volatile environment.
Further progress on cost reduction; role-modelled and
delivered operating cost savings.
Maintained strong free cash flow performance, allowing
continued investment and shareholder returns in line with
capital allocation policy.
Financial planning and finance
transformation projects
c.25% weighting
Created financial plans to support monitoring of progress
against the business strategy.
Continued to develop plans for finance systems development
and modernisation, whilst optimising existing functionality.
Revolving credit facility successfully refinanced in
December 2023.
Corporate and investor
relations
c.20% weighting
Continued to develop capability and approach around
business development.
Delivered clear investor communications throughout year.
Planned and delivered successful investor and analyst event,
At Home with Dunelm’.
Non-financial reporting
c.15% weighting
Developed understanding, capability and reportable metrics
within the business in relation to non-financial reporting.
Delivered detailed review of data points published.
Oversaw implementation of ‘no regrets’ work ahead of the
introduction of new regulatory requirements.
People
c.15% weighting
Recruited in-house Head of Internal Audit in line with decision
to move to a co-sourced arrangement.
Continued to support inclusion and diversity initiatives.
Ongoing focus on structure of finance team, including
development and succession plans.
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LTIP awards granted in respect of performance in FY22—24 (audited)
Nick Wilkinson was granted an LTIP award on 20 October 2021 with vesting subject to performance conditions assessed over the three-year period FY22 to FY24 and Karen Witts was granted a pro-rated
award on 9 June 2022 following her appointment as CFO, which was subject to the same three-year performance period. These awards were subject to performance conditions based on Diluted EPS
(with an 80% weighting) and sustainability measures (with a 20% weighting in aggregate) — the sustainability measures were split into three equal elements with stretching meet/fail targets, rather than
a target range, as discussed in the FY21 Directors’ Remuneration Report. These awards have vested at 58% as set out in the table below.
Sir Will Adderley does not have an LTIP award vesting in respect of performance in FY22 to FY24.
Table 4: LTIP awards due to vest for performance period ended 29 June 2024 (audited)
Performance condition and outturn
Director
Options over
ordinary
share
granted
FY24 Diluted EPS (80% of opportunity) Sustainability element (20% opportunity)
Vesting
percentage
Vested
shares
Dividend
equivalent
shares
1
Total
vesting
shares
2
Threshold
(10%
vesting)
On target
(50%
vesting)
Stretch
(75%
vesting)
Maximum
(100%
vesting)
FY24
outturn
Sustainability
measure 1
(1/3)
Sustainability
measure 2
(1/3)
Sustainability
measure 3
(1/3)
Nick Wilkinson 89,078
66.6p 72.2p 80.9p 88.8p 74.4p
Percentage of own
brand cotton products
which meet our ‘More
Responsibly Sourced
Cotton Standard’
Target: 80%
Not Met
Reduction in plastic
packaging of own
brand products
against FY20 base
Target: 20%
reduction
Met
% of own brand
products for which
we offer an easy to
use take back
service
Target: 50%
Met
58% 52,013 7,873 59,886
Karen Witts 73,979 58% 43,196 6,537 49,733
1. Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts will also receive additional shares by way of ‘special dividend equivalents. The number of additional shares to vest for Nick Wilkinson as a result is 7,873 and for Karen is 6,537 — information in relation to the calculation of the number of additional shares
is provided in the footnotes to Table 1 on page 102.
2. The value of this number of shares is included in the single figure for total remuneration for FY24 as set out in Table 1 on page 102, and the basis on which it has been calculated is set out in footnote 5 of Table 1. Vested shares must be retained in accordance with the shareholding
guidelines set out in the Remuneration Policy.
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Awards made to Directors under share incentive schemes in FY24 (audited)
LTIP awards were made on 21 November 2023 to Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts as set out below:
Table 5: LTIP awards made to Directors during FY24 (audited)
Director Award
Shares under
awar Basis of award Face value Performance conditions
Performance period
end date Vesting date
FY26 Diluted EPS (80% of opportunity)
Threshold
10% vesting
On-target (50%
vesting)
Maximum
(100% vesting)
Nick Wilkinson Nil-cost options under LTIP 126,725 225% of salary £1,374,975 78p 83p 100.0p or more 27 June 2026 21 November 2026
Non-financial measures² (20% of opportunity)
ESG metric 1
(one-third)
ESG metric 2
(one-third)
ESG metric 3
(one-third)
Karen Witts Nil-cost options under LTIP 87,096 200% of salary £945,000 As above As above
1. Based on the average closing share price on 16, 17 and 20 November 2023 of 1,085p per share.
2. Three sustainability-based measures, each accounting for a third of this element of the award, on a simple pass or fail basis against target: (i) ESG metric 1 — reduction in Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions per £m sales (FY26 target: 59.3%); (ii) percentage of own brand cotton
products which meet our ‘More Responsibly Sourced Cotton’ standard (FY26 target: 100%); and (iii) percentage of role model leadership roles filled by ethnic minority colleagues (target FY26: 8%).
All shares vesting (after payment of tax and National Insurance) must be held for two years from the vesting date, and thereafter at least two-thirds of these must be held for the duration of employment.
The Executive Directors are eligible to receive a ‘special dividend equivalent’ in relation to these awards, in respect of a special dividend of 35 pence per share paid on 9 April 2024 and any other special
dividend paid before the awards vest.
Payments to past Directors and for loss of office (audited)
No payments were made to any former Director in the financial year or to any Director in respect of loss of office or the termination of his or her employment.
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Service contracts
In accordance with the Group’s policy, the service contracts of the Executive Directors have no fixed
term. The notice period for termination is 12 months from either party for Sir Will Adderley, and six
months for each of Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts respectively. Service contracts for the Executive
Directors include a non-compete arrangement. Payments on termination are restricted to a
maximum of the value of base salary and benefits for the notice period. The Committee may apply
mitigation in respect of any termination payment. Copies of the Executive Directors’ service
contracts are available for inspection at the Company’s registered office.
The Non-Executive Directors have letters of appointment for an initial period of three years with
a provision for termination on one month’s notice from either party, or three months’ notice from
either party in the case of Alison Brittain, the Chair.
Table 6: Directors’ service contracts
Executives Start date Expiry of current term Notice period
Nick Wilkinson 1 February 2018 n/a 6 months
Karen Witts 9 June 2022 n/a 6 months
Sir Will Adderley 28 September 2006 n/a 12 months
Non-Executives
Alison Brittain 7 September 2022 7 September 2025 3 months
Ian Bull 10 July 2019 10 July 2025 1 month
Ajay Kavan 1 March 2024 1 March 2027 1 month
William Reeve
1
1 July 2015 21 November 2024 1 month
Marion Sears
2
22 July 2004 22 July 2025 1 month
Arja Taaveniku
3
15 February 2021 15 February 2027 1 month
Vijay Talwar 1 October 2021 1 October 2024 1 month
Dan Taylor 1 March 2024 1 March 2027 1 month
1. William Reeve is stepping down from the Board on 21 November 2024.
2. Marion Sears has served more than nine years on the Board. Her contract is renewed for a one-year term (rather than three), with the
notice period referred to above.
3. Arja Taaveniku is stepping down from the Board on at the end of the 2024 calendar year.
Directors’ shareholdings and share interests
Directors’ share interests
The interests of the Directors and their connected persons in the Company at 1 July 2023 and at
year end, or their date of cessation, if earlier are set out in Table 7. There have been no changes in
the interests of each Director in the period from 30 June 2024 to the date of this report.
Table 7: Shareholdings of Directors and Persons Closely Associated with them (audited)
Executives
At 29 June 2024
1p Ordinary shares
At 1 July 2023
1p Ordinary shares
Nick Wilkinson 428,940 371,330
Karen Witts 33,449 24,918
Sir Will Adderley 76,371,779 76,371,779
Non-Executives
Alison Brittain 37,500 37,500
Ian Bull 11,000 11,000
Kelly Devine
2
Ajay Kavan
1
4,921 n/a
William Reeve 22,000 22,000
Peter Ruis
2
n/a
Marion Sears 105,000 105,000
Arja Taaveniku 6,000 6,000
Vijay Talwar 9,670 9,670
Dan Taylor
1
n/a
1. Ajay Kavan and Dan Taylor joined the Board on 1 March 2024.
2. Peter Ruis stepped down from the Board on 10 January 2024 and Kelly Devine stepped down on 5 July 2024.
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Executive shareholdings (audited)
Executive Directors are subject to a shareholding target which requires them to build a holding of Dunelm shares with a value equal to the higher of their normal LTIP grant and 200% of salary
(measured by reference to share price at the financial year end). Ordinarily, Executive Directors are expected to achieve this holding requirement within five years of appointment.
Nick Wilkinson had substantially exceeded the minimum shareholding requirement within a five-year period from his appointment. At 29 June 2924, Karen Witts had acquired shares with a value of 73%
of salary, such that she is on track to meet the minimum shareholding requirement within the ordinarily expected five-year period. Achievement against this requirement is set out in Table 8 below, other
than in the case of Sir Will Adderley who only receives a salary of £1 per year and for whom the requirement is therefore not relevant.
Table 8: Executive Director shareholdings (audited)
Executive Director
Shareholding
requirement as
a % of salary
Number of shares
owned outright
Value of shareholding as
at 29 June 2024
Shares owned outright as
a % of salary
1
Nick Wilkinson 225% 428,940 £4,563,922 727%
Karen Witts 200% 33,449 £355,897 73%
2
1. Based on the closing share price of 1,064p on 29 June 2024 and base salary at 1 August 2024.
2. Karen Witts is 27 months into her five-year period to meet the shareholding requirement. She is on track to meet this requirement.
Table 9: Movements in Directors’ interests in share options during FY24 (audited)
All share awards and options held at the beginning of the financial year and at year end by the Executive Directors who served during the year, together with any movements, are shown below:
Date of award Name of award Type of award
Share options held
at 1 July 2023
Share options
granted during
the year
1
Share options
vested and
exercised during
the year
Share options
lapsed/cancelled
during the year
Share options at
29 June 2024
End of
performance
period Option price
Nick Wilkinson 21 November 2023 FY24—26 LTIP Nil-cost options 126,725 126,725 27 June 2026
27 October 2022 FY23—25 LTIP
3
Nil-cost options 139,765 139,765 28 June 2025
20 October 2021 FY22—24 LTIP
3
Nil-cost options 89,078 89,078 29 June 2024
20 November 2020 FY21—23 LTIP
3
Nil-cost options 94,846 9,439 88,477
2
(15,808) 1 July 2023
22 November 2022 FY23 Sharesave Share options 2,698 2,698 n/a 667p
Karen Witts 21 November 2023 FY24—26 LTIP Nil-cost options 87,096 87,096 27 June 2026
27 October 2022 FY23—25 LTIP
3
Nil-cost options 108,043 108,043 28 June 2025
9 June 2022 FY22—24 LTIP
3
Nil-cost options 73,979 73,979 29 June 2024
22 November 2022 FY23 Sharesave Share options 2,698 2,698 n/a 667p
1. LTIP awards are eligible to receive a ‘special dividend equivalent’ in respect of any special dividend paid during the performance period applicable to the award and up to the date of vesting. Dividend equivalent shares have been included where quantified.
2. During the year Nick Wilkinson exercised 88,477 nil-cost share options with a market value of 1,089p per share equalling a gain of £963,515.
3. Performance conditions in respect of the LTIP awards granted in FY21, FY22 and FY23 are set out in the FY21, FY22 and FY23 Annual Reports respectively.
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Share options and dilution limits
The Committee considers the provisions of the Investment Association’s Guidelines on Executive
Remuneration when determining the number of shares over which share scheme incentive awards
may be made.
As at 29 June 2024 over the last ten-year period options have been granted over 4.0% of the
Company’s issued share capital (adjusted for share issuance and cancellation). The Group does not
hold any shares in an employee benefit trust.
Total shareholder return performance and historic CEO remuneration
The graph below shows the Group’s historic performance over ten years, measured by total
shareholder return, compared with the FTSE 350 General Retail Index and the FTSE 250. The
Committee has chosen these indices for comparison because they generally provide a range of
comparator companies which have similar market capitalisation, which are in the same sector or
face similar market and economic challenges in the long term. We have added the FTSE 350
excluding financial services companies and investment trusts in light of the inclusion of a relative
TSR element for the FY25 LTIP award.
Table 10: Total shareholder return performance graph (rebased to 2 July 2014 = 100)
The shares traded in the range of 967p to 1,191p during the year and stood at 1,064p at 29 June 2024.
Total shareholder return
(Rebased to 100)
0
100
200
300
400
500
160.2%
79.6%
182.5%
175.0%
Jul 24Jul 14 Jul 15 Jul 16 July 17 Jul 18 Jul 19 Jul 20 Jul 21 Jul 22 Jul 23
Dunelm
FTSE 250
FTSE 350 General Retail
FTSE 350 excluding financial services companies and investment trusts
Factset as of 12 July 2024. Last ten years data on weekly frequency. FTSE 350 General Retail Index includes Dunelm.
Table 11: Historic Chief Executive Officer pay
The table below sets out the prescribed remuneration data for each of the individuals undertaking
the role of Chief Executive Officer during each of the last ten financial years.
CEO single
figure of total
remuneration
£’000
Annual bonus
payment against
maximum
opportunity
%
Long-term
incentive
vesting rates
against
maximum
opportunity
%
FY24 Nick Wilkinson 1,643 36.2% 58.4%
FY23 Nick Wilkinson 1,946 46.0% 83.3%
FY22 Nick Wilkinson 2,511 90.0% 100.0%
FY21 Nick Wilkinson 3,756 81.2% 100.0%
FY20 Nick Wilkinson
1
885 20.0% 19.8%
FY19 Nick Wilkinson 1,365 97.9% n/a
FY18 Nick Wilkinson
2
308 13.3% n/a
FY18 John Browett
2,3
429 n/a n/a
FY17 John Browett 722 14.0% n/a
FY16 John Browett
4
489 57.7% n/a
FY16 Sir Will Adderley
4
10 n/a n/a
FY15 Sir Will Adderley
5
507 5.0% n/a
FY15 Nick Wharton
5
110 n/a n/a
1. During the period April to June 2020 inclusive, Nick Wilkinson took a voluntary 90% reduction in base salary.
2. John Browett left the Group on 29 August 2017. He was succeeded by Nick Wilkinson on 1 February 2018. The total figure for John
Browett includes £322,120 in respect of salary and benefits paid for his six-month notice period. The data for each Director for FY18
is pro-rated by time of service as Chief Executive Officer.
3. No LTIP awards vested to John Browett during his tenure.
4. Sir Will Adderley was succeeded by John Browett as Chief Executive Officer on 1 January 2016. The data for each Director for FY16
is pro-rated by time of service as Chief Executive Officer. Sir Will Adderley’s base salary was reduced to £1 on 1 July 2015.
5. Sir Will Adderley was reappointed Chief Executive Officer on 11 September 2014, following the resignation of Nick Wharton on
10 September 2014. The data for each Director for FY15 is pro-rated by time of service as Chief Executive Officer.
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Statement of change in pay
The table below sets out the increase or decrease in total remuneration for each Director compared with other colleagues.
Table 12: Change in Directors’ pay compared with annual change in average employee’s pay
Percentage change in remuneration
between FY23 and FY24
1
Percentage change in remuneration
between FY22 and FY23
1
Percentage change in remuneration
between FY21 and FY22
1
Percentage change in remuneration
between FY20 and FY21
1
Percentage change in remuneration
between FY19 and FY20
1
Salary and
fees
4
Benefits
5
Short-term
incentive/
Bonus
6,7
Salary and
fees
4
Benefits
5
Short-term
incentive/
Bonus
6,7
Salary and
fees
4
Benefits
5
Short-term
incentive/
Bonus
6,7
Salary and
fees
4
Benefits
5
Short-term
incentive/
Bonus
6,7
Salary and
fees
4
Benefits
5
Short-term
incentive/
Bonus
6,7
All colleagues
2,3
7.8% 0.7% 1.8% 7.2% 1.9% (36.6%) 4.9% 0.8% (4.7%) 4.4% 0% 145.4% 3.5% 0% 42.7%
Executives
Nick Wilkinson
8
4.6% 5.8% (1.1%) 0.3% 0.0% (48.8%) 3.4% (4.3%) 14.6% 1.8% 3.6% 313.0% 2.0% (55.6%) (79.2%)
Karen Witts 4.6% 0.0% (13.6%) 0.0% 0.0% (33.7%) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Sir Will Adderley 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0% (4.8%) 0.0% 0.0%
Non-Executives
Alison Brittain 4.6% n/a n/a n/a n/a
Ian Bull 4.9% 3.9% 2.7% 0% 2.0%
Kelly Devine 4.9% 3.9% n/a n/a n/a
Ajay Kavan n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
William Reeve
9
4.9% 3.9% 4.5% 8.4% 2.2%
Peter Ruis
10
5.3% 4.0% 3.2% 0% 2.0%
Marion Sears 4.9% 4.0% 3.2% 0% 2.0%
Arja Taaveniku 4.9% 3.7% 3.2% n/a n/a
Vijay Talwar 4.9% 3.7% n/a n/a n/a
Dan Taylor n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
1. n/a refers to a nil value in the previous year or an incomplete prior year, meaning that the year-on-year change cannot be calculated.
2. All colleagues’ salary increase is calculated only for colleagues employed for the whole of the financial year.
3. Comparisons have been made against colleague pay across the entire Group as the parent company employs only one person other than the Directors and, accordingly, the percentage change in respect of the remuneration of a single employee is not considered
a meaningful disclosure.
4. Directors’ remuneration is based on contractual salary or fees as appropriate and does not take account of the voluntary salary reductions of 90% of Nick Wilkinson between April and June 2020 inclusive, or the waiver by all other Directors of 100% of their fees for this period.
5. The percentage change in benefits does not take into account the value of medical or critical illness benefits for either the Directors or for the all colleague changes.
6. Short-term incentive percentage has been calculated in relation to only those colleagues eligible to receive a bonus in the period as this is considered a more appropriate comparator group. All colleagues’ short-term incentives include a one-off £250 ‘thank you’ payment to all
colleagues not usually eligible for a bonus in respect of FY20 and the ‘thank you’ payment of between £250 and £350 made to colleagues not usually eligible for a bonus in respect of FY21.
7. The difference between the increase in short-term incentives of the Directors and the ‘all colleagues’ rate reflects the strong performance of the business, and the fact that a higher proportion of the Directors’ pay is performance-related.
8. The decrease in benefits for Nick Wilkinson in FY22 is due to benefits received in lieu of holiday in FY21 which were not received in FY22.
9. The increase in William Reeve’s fee in FY21 is due to the assumption of responsibilities as Senior Independent Director.
10. Peter Ruis stepped down from the Board on 10 January 2024. His FY24 fee has been annualised for the purposes of this calculation.
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CEO pay ratio
There are three permissible methods available to calculate the CEO pay ratio, which are
outlined below:
Option Method
A Determining the total full-term equivalent remuneration for all UK employees.
Rank from low to high.
Identify the colleagues at 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles.
B Identify the colleagues at 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles, using the Gender Pay
Gap Reporting.
C Use a different data set, but calculate in the same way as the Gender Pay
Gap Reporting.
Option A is considered the most statistically accurate method and therefore we have opted for this
method. It requires the pay and benefits of all UK colleagues to be calculated to identify the three
colleagues at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles as at 29 June 2024.
Table 13 shows the ratio of actual pay of Nick Wilkinson, CEO, to other colleagues. Full-year pay
data has been used to calculate these ratios and the elements included are based on the CEO
single figure remuneration in Table 1. We have used a 40-hour week in order to consistently
calculate the annual salary for everyone, converting hourly rate of pay into a full-time equivalent
salary, to ensure a direct comparison.
Table 13: CEO pay ratio
Financial year Method
25th
percentile pay
50th
percentile pay
75th
percentile pay
FY24 Option A 73:1 70:1 64:1
FY24 base salary Option A £22,464 £22,798 £24,960
FY24 total pay and benefits Option A £22,464 £23,482 £25,621
FY23 Option A 93:1 87:1 67:1
FY22 Option A 124:1 121:1 112:1
FY21 Option A 204:1 204:1 186:1
FY20 (based on actual remuneration
— including Nick’s 90% pay reduction
during the period April to June 2020) Option A 54:1 47:1 38:1
FY20 (based on contractual
remuneration) Option A 62:1 53:1 43:1
Commentary:
The Committee considered whether the median pay ratio for the year is consistent with the pay,
reward and progression policies for the Company’s UK employees taken as a whole, and concluded
that it is, for the following reasons:
the pay ratio has reduced compared to the previous year. The main difference is the CEO LTIP
outcome for FY24, which is at c.58% lower than the CEO LTIP outcome for FY23;
the colleagues at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles are hourly-paid colleagues. This reflects that
c.80% of our colleague base are employed in hourly-paid roles;
the median pay ratio is considered appropriate and consistent with the pay and reward policies
for the Company’s UK employees. Our remuneration strategy is based on paying median to
market for salary, to reward strong performance and focus on long-term value creation. The CEO
remuneration is reflective of this, as his pay has a larger quantum in variable pay; and
in comparison we pay our hourly-paid colleagues median or above versus the market.
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Relative spend on pay
The table below shows the all employee pay cost, returns to shareholders by way of dividends
(including special dividends) and share buyback for FY24 and FY23.
Table 14: Relative spend on pay
FY24
£’m
FY23
£’m % change
Total spend on pay 237.0 214.3 10.6%
Ordinary dividend to shareholders 86.8 82.6 5.1%
Distributions to shareholders via treasury
share purchase 7.0 (100%)
Special distributions to shareholders 70.8 80.7 (12.3%)
Total distributions to shareholders 157.6 170.3 (7.5%)
This information is based on the following:
Total spend on pay — total employee costs excluding car and travel allowances and bonuses from
note 4 on page 139.
Dividends taken from note 7 on page 140.
Executive Director external board appointments
Nick Wilkinson is a trustee of Rewilding Britain. Karen Witts is a Non-Executive Director of Ipsen
Pharma SA. Sir Will Adderley is a Director of WA Capital Limited.
Advisors
The UK Executive Compensation practice of Deloitte provides general advice on executive
remuneration to the Committee and access to external information and research on market data
and trends. They were appointed by the Committee following a review against other providers in
the market. Deloitte are signatories to the Remuneration Consultants’ Code of Conduct, which
requires their advice to be impartial, and they have confirmed their compliance with the Code to
the Committee.
Total fees paid to Deloitte for advice to the Committee in the year were £18,000 (FY23: £30,150)
which was a mixture of fixed fees and time spent basis, depending on the work conducted. Deloitte
provided other remuneration-related advice to the Company in the year, including in relation to the
operation of its share plans.
Risk Advisory and Consulting teams within Deloitte (outside of its UK Executive Compensation
practice) provided non-remuneration-related consultancy services in the year. In each case, the
appointment of Deloitte was made based on Deloitte’s expertise in the particular area, on an arm’s
length basis and without reference to the fact that Deloitte also provides remuneration advice.
Having considered the fees paid to Deloitte for non-remuneration-related work, the Committee is
satisfied that the remuneration advice that they have received from Deloitte in the year has been
objective and independent.
Statement of implementation of policy in FY25
Base salary and benefits for each of the Executive Directors with effect from 1 August 2024 are set
out in the table below.
Table 15: Executive Directors fixed remuneration
Base salary
Increase in
base salary
YoY Benefits
Increase to
benefits YoY Pension
Change to
pension
contribution
YoY
Nick Wilkinson £627,905 2.75% £53,985 1.6% 18,837 0.0
Karen Witts £485,493 2.75% £40,195 0.0 14,565 0.0
Sir Will Adderley £1 Nil £20,000 Nil Nil n/a
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Base salary
The Committee determined that the Executive Directors performed strongly throughout the year,
and this has been reflected in the financial performance of the Group. Further to this, the Committee
approved a 2.75% increase in base salary for each of the CEO and CFO in line with the increases
given to senior colleagues. In making its decision, the Committee took into account the median pay
award made to the wider colleague population of 6.9% and stakeholder considerations, including
the general feedback on Executive pay received from the National Colleague Voice. Sir Will Adderley
has asked that he not be considered for a pay increase.
Pension
The pension entitlement for both Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts is 3% of base salary, which is in
line with the current workforce average.
FY25 annual bonus
Nick Wilkinson has been awarded a bonus opportunity of up to 150% of salary and Karen Witts has
been awarded a bonus opportunity of up to 125% of base salary. The performance conditions
attached to their respective bonuses are:
50% linked to achievement of budget PBT;
25% linked to achievement of budget sales; and
25% linked to achievement of strategic and personal targets aligned to the Group strategy (15%),
and environmental, social and governance measures (10%).
The budget sales and PBT are set taking into account market consensus and broker expectations.
The actual financial and strategic targets have not been disclosed at this time as they are
commercially sensitive. The targets and an assessment of the extent to which they have been
achieved will be disclosed in next year’s Remuneration Committee report.
The Policy enables bonus vesting levels at up to 10% of maximum at threshold. The FY23 Directors’
Remuneration Report anticipated that for FY25 threshold vesting for each measure would be 10%
of maximum. However, the Committee has decided that for FY25 and in line with the approach for
FY24, threshold vesting will be at 10% of maximum for sales, but remain at 5% of maximum for PBT.
For on-target performance, and as anticipated in the FY23 Directors’ Remuneration Report, vesting
will be at 50% of maximum for each measure.
Nick Wilkinson and Karen Witts have contractually committed that two-thirds of the bonus earned
(after payment of income tax and National Insurance) will be invested in Dunelm shares, to be held
for the duration of employment. This is also in line with our Policy. Shares held on termination of
employment will be retained for up to a minimum of two years as required by the shareholding
requirements set out in the Policy.
Sir Will Adderley has asked that he not be considered for a bonus award.
LTIP FY25—27
In line with our 2023 Remuneration Policy, an award is expected to be made in October 2024 under
the LTIP over shares to the value of 225% of salary to Nick Wilkinson and 200% of salary to Karen
Witts. The award will vest, subject to continued employment, on the third anniversary of the grant
date, to the extent that performance conditions have been met. All of the vested shares (after sales
to cover tax and National Insurance liability on exercise) must be retained for two years after vesting,
after which one-third of these may be sold and the remainder must be retained for the duration of
employment. Shares held on termination of employment will be retained for a minimum of two
years as required by the shareholding requirements set out in the Policy. Our current intention is that
the FY25—27 LTIP awards will be granted in line with our standard approach (with the number of
shares to be awarded based on the average share price for the three business days preceding
grant) and we will review the final outturn to ensure that there have not been any windfall gains. This
is in addition to the performance underpin and review of the final outturn to ensure it is warranted
based on shareholder experience over the performance period.
The performance criteria that apply to the award were set by the Committee in line with the 2023
Remuneration Policy as follows:
Performance measures
Percentage of this element of the FY25—27 award vesting
1
Nil
Threshold
(10% for
Diluted EPS
and 25% for
Relative TSR)
On-target
(50%)
Maximum
(100%)
FY27 Diluted EPS (75%) Less than
77p
77p 82p 99p
Relative Total Shareholder Return
2
(25%) Below
median
Median n/a Upper
quartile
1. Performance between each of these percentage thresholds will be calculated on a straight-line basis.
2. Relative Total Shareholder Return versus the constituents of the FTSE 350 excluding Financial Services companies and Investment Trusts,
with a three-month averaging period applied at the start and end of the performance period.
These measures represent a change to previous years, with the introduction of relative total
shareholder return and transition of specific ESG targets to the annual bonus (see page 90).
Relative total shareholder return has been introduced with 25% weighting to align management
and investor experience by way of an external measure of shareholder value as noted in the Chair’s
letter. The LTIP targets themselves were chosen because they are aligned to our strategy and
long-term ambitions.
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Sharesave
An invitation will be issued in October 2024 to all eligible employees to apply for options to be
granted under the Sharesave scheme at a 20% discount to the average closing market price of
Dunelm shares on the three dealing days preceding the issue of the invitation. The maximum
monthly savings will be £500 per month. Executive Directors employed at the eligibility date may
apply for Sharesave options, subject to the plan rules.
Non-Executive Directors fees for FY25
Fees for the Non-Executive Directors were increased with effect from 1 August 2024 to the fee
levels set out below:
Table 16: Non-Executive Directors fees
Position
Base fee
£
Increase in fee
YoY
Chair 347,829 2.75%
Non-Executive Director base fee 61,000 3.9%
Audit and Risk Committee Chair 15,000 32.0%
Remuneration Committee Chair
1
15,000 32.0%
Senior Independent Director
1
11,000 52.4%
1. As noted earlier in this report, William Reeve will step down from the Board following the 2024 AGM. He will receive his fee for chairing
the Remuneration Committee and as Senior Independent Director up to the date of the AGM. Thereafter, Ajay Kavan will receive the fee
for chairing the Remuneration Committee and Ian Bull will receive the fee for holding the role of Senior Independent Director (in addition
to fees received for chairing the Audit and Risk Committee).
Statement of shareholder voting at AGM
At the Annual General Meeting on 16 November 2023, the total number of shares in issue with
voting rights (excluding treasury shares) was 201,949,888. Details of voting on remuneration-related
resolutions is set out below:
Resolution
Votes
for
% of
votes cast
Votes
against
% of
votes cast
Votes
withheld
%
withheld
Approve Directors’
Remuneration Report 172,705,866 99.35 1,128,014 0.65 6,187,454 3.06
Approve Directors’
Remuneration Policy 178,045,253 99.12 1,573,989 0.88 402,092 0.20
Gender pay disclosures
Dunelm’s purpose is ‘To help create the joy of truly feeling at home, now and for generations to
come.’ We want everyone to feel that Dunelm is a place for them, and this applies equally for our
colleagues and customers. Diversity, inclusion, and more generally the wellbeing of our colleagues,
are high on our agenda. We want all colleagues to feel they can grow with Dunelm and that they are
welcome. Improving our gender balance remains one of our commitments.
The Committee supports gender pay reporting and the actions taken in the business to drive
gender balance, supporting a culture of inclusion. Dunelm published its seventh Gender Pay Gap
Report in April 2024, and an overview is provided in our Sustainability Report 2024. Both documents
are available to download at corporate.dunelm.com.
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Engaging with our colleagues on pay
The National Colleague Voice (‘NCV’) allocated a full meeting in May 2024 to a discussion on pay
and reward. The meeting was well attended by representatives from across the business with a
36%:64% male/female gender split and ethnic minority representation of 29%. The meeting was led
by members of our People Team who were joined by Marion Sears, our designated Non-Executive
Director for colleague matters, and William Reeve, Chair of the Remuneration Committee. It was also
attended by Ajay Kavan who joined the Board and the Remuneration Committee on 1 March 2024
and the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary.
The meeting was arranged in three parts. The first part provided context and background to recent
decisions on pay and reward, discussed the findings from the ‘pulse’ reward survey conducted in
April 2024 and included a presentation on our pensions offer. In the second part of the meeting
attendees separated into breakout groups to discuss feedback from the recent pay review in more
detail. Discussions highlighted the ongoing cost-of-living pressures faced by our hourly colleagues,
particularly in stores and notwithstanding the recent salary increase in April 2024. The final part of
the meeting enabled William Reeve to provide insight into the role of the Remuneration Committee
and how it operates. He explained how the Committee considers strategy, performance and the
external environment when setting Executive remuneration and aligns its decision-making with
our remuneration principles, with a view to ensuring that these principles are applied throughout
the business.
A summary of the discussions, questions and responses was shared with the Board, which
welcomed the openness of the debate and noted management’s desire to find ways to continue
to improve communication as to the benefits that are on offer and act on the feedback received,
including how to offer an even more personalised approach within our Employee Value Proposition.
For more information on the NCV and its other activities during the year see page 22.
Committee effectiveness
The effectiveness of the Committee was considered as part of this year’s Board evaluation process,
more details of which can be found on page 78. The review concluded that the Committee
continues to operate effectively and having considered the findings, it was agreed that particular
areas of focus during the forthcoming year should be:
1. Reflecting on measures used to determine performance, alignment of management incentives;
2. Enabling an effective handover to the new Committee Chair; and
3. Reviewing papers to ensure succinct presentation of information, utilising templates to ensure
ongoing simplicity and consistency.
Approved by the Board on 11 September 2024.
William Reeve
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
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Directors report
The Directors present their report together with the audited financial
statements for the period ended 29 June 2024.
A final ordinary dividend of 27.5p per share
(2023: 27p per share) is proposed in respect of the
period ended 29 June 2024, to add to a special
dividend of 35p per share paid on 9 April 2024
(2023: 40p per share) and an interim ordinary
dividend of 16p per share paid on 9 April 2024
(2023: 15p per share). The final dividend will be
paid on 26 November 2024 to shareholders on
the register on 1 November 2024.
Treasury and risk management
The Group’s approach to treasury and financial
risk management, including its use of hedging
instruments, is explained in the Principal Risks
and Uncertainties section on page 45 and note
18 of the financial statements.
Stakeholder engagement
Details of how the Directors have engaged with
employees and other stakeholders, and had
regard to the interests of colleagues and the
need to foster the Company’s business
relationships with suppliers, customers and
others and the effect of that regard, including
on the principal decisions taken by the
Company during the financial year, are set out in
stakeholder engagement of the Strategic report
on pages 20 to 24, with complementary
information in the Governance report on pages
72 and 73. Our s.172(1) Companies Act 2006
statement can be found on page 25.
Disclosures that are relevant to the Directors’
report have been incorporated by reference
and can be found elsewhere within the Annual
Report and Accounts as noted below.
Strategic report
The Group’s Strategic report is set out on pages
1 to 55. It contains an indication of likely future
developments in the business of the Company
and the Group.
Corporate governance
Our Governance report on pages 57 to 120
explains how we have applied the Principles set
out in the UK Corporate Governance Code
published in July 2018 (the ‘Code’). Our Code
compliance statement can be found on page 59.
Employee information
Information relating to employees of the Group
is set out in the Nomination Committee report,
with more information in our Sustainability
Report 2024.
The Company is clear in its policy that people
with health conditions, both visible and
non-visible, will have full and fair consideration
for all vacancies. Dunelm continues to
demonstrate its commitment to interviewing
applicants with disabilities who fulfil the
minimum criteria for the role and endeavours to
retain colleagues in roles in the business if they
become disabled during their employment.
Dunelm will actively look to put into place
reasonable adjustments that may be required
by the colleague to allow them to thrive and
belong at Dunelm.
Share incentive schemes in which employees
participate are described in the Remuneration
Committee report on page 99.
Shareholder and voting rights
All members who hold Ordinary Shares are
entitled to attend and vote at the Annual
General Meeting. On a show of hands at a
general meeting every member present in
person shall have one vote and, on a poll, every
member present in person or by proxy shall
have one vote for every Ordinary Share held.
There are no special voting rights attached to
any of the Company’s shares.
Information to be disclosed under UK
Listing Rule (‘UKLR’) 6.6.1R
The majority of the disclosures required under
UKLR 6.6.1R are not applicable to Dunelm.
The table below sets out the location of those
requirements that are applicable:
Applicable sub-paragraph
within UKLR 6.6.1
Disclosure
provision
(pages)
(3) Long-term incentive schemes 105,106,113
(13) A statement made by the
Board that the Company
continues to comply with the
requirements in UKLR 6.2.3R
‘Shareholder
and voting
rights’ below.
Sustainability reporting
For information on the Group’s approach to
environmental, social and governance matters,
see Sustainability on pages 32 and 33, our
TCFD report on pages 46 to 54 which includes
the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting
disclosures, and our standalone Sustainability
Report 2024, available at corporate.dunelm.com.
Results and dividend
The consolidated profit of the Group for the
year after taxation was £151.2m (2023: £151.9m).
The results are discussed in more detail in the
CFO’s review on pages 28 to 31.
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Directors’ report continued
In order to be passed, an ordinary resolution of
the Company must be supported by at least
50% of the votes cast at a shareholders’
meeting, and a special resolution by at least
75% of votes cast.
On 2 October 2006, Jean Adderley, Bill Adderley
and Sir Will Adderley (all shareholders at that
time) entered into a Relationship Agreement
with the Company, pursuant to which each of
Jean Adderley, Bill Adderley and Sir Will
Adderley undertook to the Company that, for
so long as, individually or together, they are
entitled to exercise, or to control the exercise
of, 30% or more of the rights to vote at general
meetings of the Company or they are able to
control the appointment of Directors who are
able to exercise a majority of votes at Board
meetings of the Company, they will:
conduct all transactions and relationships with
any member of the Group on arm’s length
terms and on a normal commercial basis;
not take any action which precludes or inhibits
any member of the Group from carrying on its
business independently of Jean Adderley, Bill
Adderley, Sir Will Adderley or their associates
(as defined in the UK Listing Rules);
not exercise any of their voting rights or other
powers to procure any amendment to the
Articles of Association of the Company which
would be inconsistent with or undermine any
of the provisions of the Relationship Agreement;
only enter into, amend or terminate any
transaction, agreement or relationship
between themselves or any of their associates
and any member of the Group with the
approval of a majority of the independent
Non-Executive Directors; and
not carry on (other than through their holding
of securities of the Company) or have any
financial interest (other than a financial interest
in securities which are held for investment
purposes only) in any person who carries on a
business as a homewares retailer, to the extent
that it would be inconsistent with or undermine
any provisions of the Relationship Agreement.
WA Capital Limited and Lady Nadine Adderley,
to whom Sir Will Adderley transferred shares by
way of a gift, subsequently became parties to
the Relationship Agreement.
In July 2014, the Relationship Agreement was
amended so as to comply with amendments to
the UK Listing Rules and the following additional
undertakings were given by the parties:
no action will be taken that would have the
effect of preventing the Company from
complying with its obligations under the UK
Listing Rules; and
no resolution will be proposed, or procured to
be proposed, which is intended to, or appears
to be intended to circumvent the proper
application of the UK Listing Rules.
In addition, the Articles of Association of the
Company provide that the election and
re-election of independent Directors must be
conducted in accordance with the election
provisions set out in UKLR 6.2.8R and UKLR 6.2.9R.
The Company confirms that it has complied with
its obligations under the Relationship Agreement
during the financial period under review, and
that so far as it is aware, all other parties to that
agreement have complied with it.
The Company confirms that there are no
contracts of significance between any member
of the Group and any of the parties to the
Relationship Agreement, with the exception of
Sir Will Adderley’s service agreement as a Director
of the Company, the terms of which are outlined
in the Remuneration Committee report.
There are no restrictions on the transfer of
Ordinary Shares in the Company other than
certain restrictions imposed by laws and
regulations (such as insider trading and
marketing requirements relating to closed
periods) and requirements of the UK Listing
Rules whereby Directors and certain employees
of the Company require Board approval to deal
in the Company’s securities.
Change of control
The Company is not party to any significant
agreements which take effect, alter or terminate
solely on a change of control of the Company
following a takeover bid.
There are no agreements between the
Company and its Directors or employees
providing for additional compensation for loss
of office or employment (whether through
resignation, redundancy or otherwise) that
occurs because of a takeover bid.
Details of the rights of employees to exercise
options on a change of control of the Company
are set out in the Remuneration Policy found on
pages 91 to 100 of this report.
Share capital and treasury shares
The Company has only one class of shares,
Ordinary Shares of 1p each. As at 29 June 2024,
its capital comprised 203,426,835 (2023:
203,426,835) fully paid Ordinary Shares of
1p each.
At the 2023 Annual General Meeting,
shareholders renewed the Directors’ authority
to allot shares in the Company. No shares were
allotted during the year. A resolution to renew
the standard authority will be proposed at the
2024 Annual General Meeting.
At 29 June 2024, the Company held 1,226,461
Ordinary Shares in treasury (2023: 1,712,790).
During the year ended 29 June 2024, the
Company did not purchase shares under
a buyback authority.
Since the financial year end, 2,286 Ordinary Shares
have been moved out of treasury to employees
who exercised options under a share incentive
scheme. Details of option exercises by Directors
are set out in the Remuneration Committee
report on page 108.
Further details on the Company’s
share capital are set out in note 21 to the
financial statements
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Directors’ report continued
Substantial shareholders
At 29 June 2024, the Company had been notified under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules
(DTR 5) of the following notifiable interests in the Company’s issued share capital. The information
provided below was correct at the date of notification. These holdings are likely to have changed
since the Company was notified; however, notification of any change is not required until the next
notifiable threshold is crossed. Between 29 June 2024 and 11 September 2024 (being the date of
this report) the Company has been notified that JP Morgan Asset Management Holdings Inc now
holds 10,369,851 Ordinary Shares which equates to 5.13% of the issued share capital.
Notifiable interests Ordinary shares
Percentage of
share capital
disclosed Date of notification
Sir Will Adderley
1
76,371,779 37.8 15 February 2021
Jean Adderley 9,968,500 4.92 7 July 2021
JP Morgan Asset Management Holdings Inc 10,936,894 5.43 11 December 2022
Jupiter Fund Management PLC 10,044,063 4.95 6 January 2022
Royal London Asset Management Limited 9,907,809 4.91 13 July 2018
abrdn plc 9,565,468 4.74 22 March 2018
1. This includes: (i) 1,967,250 Ordinary Shares held by the Stoneygate Trust and 172,750 Ordinary Shares held by the Paddocks
Discretionary Trust, which Sir Will Adderley is deemed to hold a legal interest in by virtue of the fact that he is a trustee of those trusts;
and (ii) 11,000,000 Ordinary Shares held by his wife, Lady Nadine Adderley.
Directors and officers
The Directors of the Company who served on
the Board during the year, together with details
of changes to the Board are set out on page 63.
The biographies of the Directors on the Board
at the date of this report are set out on pages 60
to 62. Details of the interests of the Directors in
shares of the Company can be found in the
Annual Report on Remuneration on page 107.
Power of Directors
The business of the Company is managed by
the Board, which may exercise all the powers of
the Company, subject to the requirements of
the Companies Act, the Articles of Association
of the Company and any special resolution of
the Company. As stated in the Governance
report on pages 64 to 66, the Board has
adopted internal delegations of authority in
accordance with the Code and these set out
matters which are reserved to the Board or
Committees and the powers and duties of
the Chair, the Deputy Chair and the Chief
Executive respectively.
Appointment and removal of Directors
The Articles of Association of the Company
provide that a Director may be appointed
by ordinary resolution of the Company’s
shareholders in a general meeting, or by the
Board so long as the Director stands down and
offers him or herself for election at the next
Annual General Meeting of the Company.
The Board’s policy is that all Directors are
subject to annual re-election and therefore
should stand down and offer themselves for
re-election at each Annual General Meeting.
The Articles also provide that each Director
must stand down and offer him or herself for
re-election by shareholders at the Annual
General Meeting at least every three years.
The Nomination Committee makes
recommendations to the Board on the
appointment and removal of Directors.
Directors may be removed by a special
resolution of shareholders, or by an ordinary
resolution of which special notice has been
given in accordance with the Companies Act
2006. The Articles also provide that the office of
a Director shall be vacated if they are prohibited
by law from being a Director or are declared
bankrupt, and that the Board may resolve that
his or her office be vacated if he or she is of
unsound mind or is absent from Board meetings
without consent for six months or more.
A Director may also resign from the Board.
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Indemnities and insurance
The Company has granted indemnities to each
of its Directors and the Company Secretary to
the extent permitted by law in respect of costs
of defending claims against them and third-
party liabilities. A deed of indemnity in favour of
each of Ajay Kavan and Dan Taylor was entered
into during the year following their appointment
as Non-Executive Directors.
All indemnities, the provisions of which are
deemed to be qualifying third-party indemnity
provisions pursuant to section 234 of the Act,
were in force throughout FY24 (or, in the case of
Ajay Kavan and Dan Taylor from the date of their
respective appointments, and thereafter for the
remainder of FY24) and remain in force as at the
date of this report.
A copy of each indemnity is available for
inspection at the Company’s registered office
during normal business hours and will be
available for inspection at the Company’s
Annual General Meeting.
The Group maintained Directors’ and Officers’
liability insurance cover for its Directors and
officers as permitted under the Company’s
Articles of Association and the Companies Act
2006 throughout the financial year.
Managing conflicts of interest and related
party matters
The Companies Act 2006 allows the board
of a public company to authorise conflicts and
potential conflicts of interest of individual
Directors where the Articles of Association
contain a provision to that effect. The Company’s
Articles of Association give the Board this
authority subject to the following safeguards:
Directors who have an interest in matters
under discussion at a Board meeting must
declare that interest and abstain from voting;
only Directors who have no interest in the
matter being considered are able to approve
a conflict of interest and, in taking that
decision, the Directors must act in a way
that they consider, in good faith, would be
most likely to promote the success of the
Company; and
the Directors are able to impose limits or
conditions when giving authorisation if they
feel this is appropriate.
Directors are required to disclose any actual
or potential conflicts of interests to the Board
immediately when they arise. In addition, a
formal process is undertaken each year when
all Directors confirm to the Board details of any
other directorships and confirm relevant
information in connection with related parties.
Further to the above, the Board believes that it
has effective procedures in place to monitor
and manage conflicts of interest and ensure that
any related party transactions involving Directors
or their connected persons are conducted on
an arm’s length basis.
Donations
The Group does not make any political donations.
Public policy
We are members of the British Retail
Consortium and support relevant campaigning
activity by that body. During the year we have
not taken part in any direct lobbying or public
policy activity.
Articles of Association
The Company’s Articles of Association may only
be amended, or new articles adopted, by a
special resolution of shareholders.
Independent auditors
In accordance with section 489 of the
Companies Act 2006 and the recommendation
of the Audit and Risk Committee, a resolution
will be proposed at the 2024 AGM to reappoint
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the external
auditor of the Group.
Important events since 29 June 2024
There have been no important events affecting the
Company or any subsidiary since 29 June 2024.
Disclaimer
This Directors’ report, the Strategic report
and the financial statements contain certain
forward-looking statements with respect to
the financial condition, results, operations and
business of Dunelm Group plc. These statements
and forecasts involve risk and uncertainty
because they relate to events and depend
upon circumstances that will occur in the future.
There are a number of factors that could cause
actual results or developments to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements and forecasts.
Nothing in this Directors’ report, the Strategic
report or in the financial statements should be
construed as a profit forecast.
This document also contains non-financial
information and data. While reasonable steps
have been taken to ensure that this is correct,
it has not been externally audited or verified
unless specifically stated in this document.
Annual General Meeting
The 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held
at Dunelm Store Support Centre, Watermead
Business Park, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire,
LE7 1AD on Thursday 21 November 2024
at 11:30am.
A formal notice of meeting, explanatory notes
and a form of proxy will accompany this Annual
Report and financial statements.
This report was reviewed and signed by order
of the Board on 11 September 2024.
Luisa Wright
Company Secretary
11 September 2024
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Statement of Directors’ responsibilities
in respect of the financial statements
The Directors are responsible for preparing the
Annual Report and Accounts 2024 in accordance
with applicable law and regulation.
Company law requires the Directors to prepare
financial statements for each financial year.
Under that law, the Directors have prepared the
Group financial statements in accordance with
UK-adopted international accounting standards
and the parent company financial statements in
accordance with United Kingdom Generally
Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom
Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 101
‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’), and
applicable law.
Under company law, Directors must not
approve the financial statements unless they are
satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the
state of affairs of the Group and parent
company and of the profit or loss of the Group
for that period. In preparing the financial
statements, the Directors are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then
apply them consistently;
state whether applicable UK-adopted
international accounting standards have been
followed for the Group financial statements
and United Kingdom Accounting Standards,
comprising FRS 101, have been followed for
the parent company financial statements,
subject to any material departures disclosed
and explained in the financial statements;
make judgements and accounting estimates
that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going
concern basis unless it is inappropriate to
presume that the Group and parent company
will continue in business.
The Directors are responsible for safeguarding
the assets of the Group and parent company
and hence for taking reasonable steps for the
prevention and detection of fraud and other
irregularities.
The Directors are also responsible for keeping
adequate accounting records that are sufficient
to show and explain the Group’s and parent
company’s transactions and disclose with
reasonable accuracy at any time the financial
position of the Group and parent company and
enable them to ensure that the financial
statements and the Directors’ Remuneration
Report comply with the Companies Act 2006.
The Directors are responsible for the
maintenance and integrity of the parent
company’s website. Legislation in the United
Kingdom governing the preparation and
dissemination of financial statements may
differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Directors’ confirmations
Each of the Directors, whose names and
functions are listed in the Governance report
confirm that, to the best of their knowledge:
the Group financial statements, which have
been prepared in accordance with UK-
adopted international accounting standards,
give a true and fair view of the assets,
liabilities, financial position and profit of
the Group;
the parent company financial statements,
which have been prepared in accordance with
United Kingdom Accounting Standards,
comprising FRS 101, give a true and fair view
of the assets, liabilities and financial position
of the parent company; and
the Strategic report includes a fair review of
the development and performance of the
business and the position of the Group and
parent company, together with a description
of the principal risks and uncertainties that
it faces.
Disclosure of information to the auditor
Each Director in office at the date on which the
Directors’ report is approved confirms that:
so far as the Directors are aware, there is no
relevant audit information of which the auditor
is unaware; and
the Directors have taken all the steps that they
ought to have taken as Directors to make
themselves aware of any relevant audit
information and to establish that the auditor
is aware of that information.
Nick Wilkinson
Chief Executive Officer
11 September 2024
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Financial
Statements
122 Independent auditors’ report
128 Consolidated financial statements
151 Parent company financial statements
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121
Independent auditors’ report
to the members of Dunelm Group plc
Report on the audit of the financial statements
Opinion
In our opinion:
Dunelm Group plc’s group financial statements and parent company financial statements
(the “financial statements”) give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the parent
company’s affairs as at 29 June 2024 and of the group’s profit and the group’s cash flows for the
52 week period then ended;
the group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with UK-adopted
international accounting standards as applied in accordance with the provisions of the
Companies Act 2006;
the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with
United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting
Standards, including FRS 101 “Reduced Disclosure Framework, and applicable law); and
the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the
Companies Act 2006.
We have audited the financial statements, included within the Annual Report and Accounts (the
Annual Report”), which comprise: the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position and Parent
Company Statement of Financial Position as at 29 June 2024; the Consolidated Income Statement,
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows,
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity and Parent Company Statement of Changes in
Equity for the period then ended; the Consolidated Accounting Policies and Parent Company
Accounting Policies; and the notes to the financial statements.
Our opinion is consistent with our reporting to the Audit and Risk Committee.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”)
and applicable law. Our responsibilities under ISAs (UK) are further described in the Auditors’
responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We believe that the
audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Independence
We remained independent of the group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are
relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, which includes the FRC’s Ethical
Standard, as applicable to listed public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other ethical
responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.
To the best of our knowledge and belief, we declare that non-audit services prohibited by the
FRC’s Ethical Standard were not provided.
Other than those disclosed in note 3, we have provided no non-audit services to the parent
company or its controlled undertakings in the period under audit.
Our audit approach
Overview
Audit scope
The group is structured with one segment which comprises a consolidation of the parent
company and eight additional components.
For the purposes of the group financial statements, we conducted an audit of the complete
financial information of one financially significant component, together with additional
procedures performed centrally including auditing the group consolidation.
We separately audited the parent company financial statements.
Key audit matters
Inventory provisions (group)
Recoverability of investments in subsidiary undertakings (parent)
Materiality
Overall group materiality: £10,300,000 (2023: £9,635,000) based on 5% of profit before tax.
Overall parent company materiality: £1,550,000 (2023: £2,300,000) based on 1% of total assets.
Performance materiality: £7,700,000 (2023: £7,225,000) (group) and £1,150,000 (2023:
£1,725,000) (parent company).
The scope of our audit
As part of designing our audit, we determined materiality and assessed the risks of material
misstatement in the financial statements.
Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in the auditors’ professional judgement, were of most
significance in the audit of the financial statements of the current period and include the most
significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) identified by the
auditors, including those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; the allocation
of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters, and
any comments we make on the results of our procedures thereon, were addressed in the context
of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do
not provide a separate opinion on these matters.
This is not a complete list of all risks identified by our audit.
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The key audit matters below are consistent with last year.
Key audit matter How our audit addressed the key audit matter
Inventory provisions (group)
Refer to the Audit and Risk Committee Report, the Accounting Policies, Note 3 (Operating Profit)
and Note 13 (Inventories) to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Inventory represents a significant
asset on the Group’s balance sheet and is carried at the lower of cost and net realisable value
(“NRV”). The Group’s accounting policy is to determine a provision based upon: the historic negative
margin of the type of inventory, by ageing category, which is calculated by analysing the historic
sales price compared to the cost of inventory, and applying a percentage provision to each line of
inventory; and a further provision for ‘at risk’ lines where the calculated provision was not considered
to be sufficient.
We tested sales made post period-end to assess whether inventory items were held at the lower
of cost and NRV.
We examined inventory write-offs in the financial period to assess whether they are consistent with
the key assumptions used in the inventory provision model at the year end.
We tested the inputs to the provision calculation, including the classification of inventory and sales
data for each of the ageing categories from the Buying department, which is segregated from the
Finance department.
We tested the average cost of inventory by agreeing a sample of inputs to source documentation
and testing freight and duty costs.
We tested the integrity of the provision model to ensure that it was using the underlying data
correctly and calculating provision amounts accurately.
We challenged management’s assumptions on what they deemed the ‘at risk’ inventory lines were,
and corroborated whether these lines were at risk with the Merchandising team.
We also independently challenged the completeness of the ‘at risk’ lines based on our
understanding of the nature of the group’s inventory lines.
We found that the NRV provision recognised against inventory was consistent with the
evidence obtained.
Recoverability of investments in subsidiary undertakings (parent)
Refer to note 4 (Investments) to the Parent Company Financial Statements. In accordance with IAS 36
(Impairment of assets), the Parent Company’s investments balance of £72.5m (FY23: £68.8m) should
be carried at no more than its recoverable amount, being the higher of fair value less costs to sell
and its value in use. IAS 36 requires an entity to determine whether there are indications that an
impairment loss may have occurred and if so, make a formal estimate of the recoverable amount.
We evaluated whether there are any indications that an impairment loss may have occurred in relation
to the Parent Company’s investments balance with specific consideration given to the following:
the market capitalisation of the Group is significantly in excess of the investments balance,
noting that substantially all of the market capitalisation is considered to be in relation to one
indirect subsidiary (Dunelm (Soft Furnishings) Ltd) of the Parent Company;
the trading results of Dunelm (Soft Furnishings) Ltd are not worse than expected and are not
expected to be worse in future periods; and
there have not been and are not expected to be any significant changes with an adverse impact
in relation to the technological, market, economic or legal environment in which this indirect
subsidiary operates.
We consider management’s conclusion that there are no indicators of impairment to be appropriate.
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How we tailored the audit scope
We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed enough work to be able to give
an opinion on the financial statements as a whole, taking into account the structure of the group
and the parent company, the accounting processes and controls, and the industry in which they
operate.
The group is structured with one reporting segment which comprises a consolidation of the
parent company and eight additional components.
In establishing the overall approach to the group audit, we identified one component: Dunelm
(Soft Furnishings) Ltd, which, as the sole trading legal entity in the Group, required an audit of its
complete financial information due to its financial significance to the group.
Further specific audit procedures over central functions including the Group consolidation, equity
and taxes were performed.
All audit procedures were performed by the Group Engagement Team. The scoping above gave
us the evidence we needed for our opinion on the group financial statements as a whole.
The Parent Company is comprised of one component which was subject to a full scope audit for
the purposes of the Parent Company financial statements.
The impact of climate risk on our audit
As part of our audit we made enquiries of management to understand the process adopted to
assess the extent of the potential impact of climate risk on the financial statements and to support
the disclosures made within the Annual Report.
Our risk assessment was based on enquiry, as well as the review of Dunelm’s corporate
responsibility reporting and climate related commitments. As detailed in the group accounting
policies, management considers that there is no material risk to the financial statements in respect
of climate change.
We challenged, based on our knowledge of the business, the impact of climate risk on right-of-use
assets and property, plant and equipment, which were considered to be the assets at most risk of
the effects of climate change.
We also considered the consistency of the disclosures in relation to climate change (including the
disclosures in the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) section) within the
Annual Report with the financial statements and our knowledge obtained from our audit.
Our procedures did not identify any material impact in the context of our audit of the financial
statements as a whole, or our key audit matters for the 52 week period ended 29 June 2024.
Materiality
The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set certain quantitative
thresholds for materiality. These, together with qualitative considerations, helped us to determine
the scope of our audit and the nature, timing and extent of our audit procedures on the individual
financial statement line items and disclosures and in evaluating the effect of misstatements, both
individually and in aggregate on the financial statements as a whole.
Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements
as a whole as follows:
Financial statements — group Financial statements — parent company
Overall materiality £10,300,000 (2023: £9,635,000). £1,550,000 (2023: £2,300,000).
How we determined it 5% of profit before tax 1% of total assets
Rationale for benchmark
applied
Profit before tax is the primary
measure used by the
shareholders in assessing the
performance of the group
and is a generally accepted
auditing benchmark.
The parent company does not
trade and therefore total assets
is considered to be the most
appropriate benchmark.
For the component in the scope of our group audit, we allocated a materiality that is less than our
overall group materiality.
We use performance materiality to reduce to an appropriately low level the probability that the
aggregate of uncorrected and undetected misstatements exceeds overall materiality. Specifically,
we use performance materiality in determining the scope of our audit and the nature and extent
of our testing of account balances, classes of transactions and disclosures, for example in
determining sample sizes. Our performance materiality was 75% (2023: 75%) of overall materiality,
amounting to £7,700,000 (2023: £7,225,000) for the group financial statements and £1,150,000
(2023: £1,725,000) for the parent company financial statements.
In determining the performance materiality, we considered a number of factors — the history of
misstatements, risk assessment and aggregation risk and the effectiveness of controls — and
concluded that an amount at the upper end of our normal range was appropriate.
We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee that we would report to them misstatements
identified during our audit above £500,000 (group audit) (2023: £480,000) and £75,000 (parent
company audit) (2023: £115,000) as well as misstatements below those amounts that, in our view,
warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.
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Conclusions relating to going concern
Our evaluation of the directors’ assessment of the group’s and the parent company’s ability to
continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting included:
We obtained management’s going concern assessment and ensured that this was consistent
with board approved budgets;
We have evaluated management’s forecasting accuracy based on historical budgets versus
actual performance;
We obtained confirmation from lenders of the level of drawn and undrawn revolving credit
facilities and tested the actual and forecast covenant compliance associated with these facilities;
We considered the mitigating actions available to Dunelm to increase liquidity, if required,
with the key actions being reductions in stock purchases and capex, as well as cessation of
dividends; and
We assessed the adequacy of the going concern disclosures in the accounting policies.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating
to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group’s
and the parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve
months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors’ use of the going
concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
However, because not all future events or conditions can be predicted, this conclusion is not a
guarantee as to the group’s and the parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
In relation to the directors’ reporting on how they have applied the UK Corporate Governance
Code, we have nothing material to add or draw attention to in relation to the directors’ statement
in the financial statements about whether the directors considered it appropriate to adopt the
going concern basis of accounting.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are
described in the relevant sections of this report.
Reporting on other information
The other information comprises all of the information in the Annual Report other than the
financial statements and our auditors’ report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other
information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and,
accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated
in this report, any form of assurance thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other
information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent
with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be
materially misstated. If we identify an apparent material inconsistency or material misstatement,
we are required to perform procedures to conclude whether there is a material misstatement of
the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work
we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information,
we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report based on these responsibilities.
With respect to the Strategic report and Directors’ Report, we also considered whether the
disclosures required by the UK Companies Act 2006 have been included.
Based on our work undertaken in the course of the audit, the Companies Act 2006 requires us
also to report certain opinions and matters as described below.
Strategic report and Directors’ Report
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit, the information given in
the Strategic report and Directors’ Report for the period ended 29 June 2024 is consistent with
the financial statements and has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and parent company and their
environment obtained in the course of the audit, we did not identify any material misstatements
in the Strategic report and Directors’ Report.
Directors’ Remuneration
In our opinion, the part of the Remuneration Committee report to be audited has been properly
prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.
Corporate governance statement
The Listing Rules require us to review the directors’ statements in relation to going concern,
longer-term viability and that part of the corporate governance statement relating to the parent
company’s compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified for
our review. Our additional responsibilities with respect to the corporate governance statement as
other information are described in the Reporting on other information section of this report.
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Based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following
elements of the corporate governance statement, included within the Strategic report and
Governance report is materially consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge
obtained during the audit, and we have nothing material to add or draw attention to in relation to:
The directors’ confirmation that they have carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and
principal risks;
The disclosures in the Annual Report that describe those principal risks, what procedures
are in place to identify emerging risks and an explanation of how these are being managed
or mitigated;
The directors’ statement in the financial statements about whether they considered it
appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing them, and their
identification of any material uncertainties to the group’s and parent company’s ability to
continue to do so over a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the
financial statements;
The directors’ explanation as to their assessment of the group’s and parent company’s
prospects, the period this assessment covers and why the period is appropriate; and
The directors’ statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the parent
company will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the
period of its assessment, including any related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary
qualifications or assumptions.
Our review of the directors’ statement regarding the longer-term viability of the group and parent
company was substantially less in scope than an audit and only consisted of making inquiries and
considering the directors’ process supporting their statement; checking that the statement is in
alignment with the relevant provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code; and considering
whether the statement is consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge and
understanding of the group and parent company and their environment obtained in the course
of the audit.
In addition, based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of
the following elements of the corporate governance statement is materially consistent with the
financial statements and our knowledge obtained during the audit:
The directors’ statement that they consider the Annual Report, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced
and understandable, and provides the information necessary for the members to assess the
group’s and parent company’s position, performance, business model and strategy;
The section of the Annual Report that describes the review of effectiveness of risk management
and internal control systems; and
The section of the Annual Report describing the work of the Audit and Risk Committee.
We have nothing to report in respect of our responsibility to report when the directors’ statement
relating to the parent company’s compliance with the Code does not properly disclose a departure
from a relevant provision of the Code specified under the Listing Rules for review by the auditors.
Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit
Responsibilities of the directors for the financial statements
As explained more fully in the Statement of directors’ responsibilities in respect of the financial
statements, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in
accordance with the applicable framework and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair
view. The directors are also responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to
enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether
due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the group’s and
the parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters
related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors
either intend to liquidate the group or the parent company or to cease operations, or have no
realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a
whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’
report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a
guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material
misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered
material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the
economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We
design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements
in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of
detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Based on our understanding of the group and industry, we identified that the principal risks of
non-compliance with laws and regulations related to employment regulations, and we considered
the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We
also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the financial statements such
as the Companies Act 2006 and taxation. We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities
for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls),
and determined that the principal risks were related to the posting of journals with unexpected
account combinations, which manipulate revenue or profits, and management bias in accounting
estimates and judgements. Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:
Discussions with management, internal audit and the Company Secretary, including
consideration of known or suspected instances of non-compliance with laws and regulation
and fraud;
Assessment of matters reported on the Group’s whistleblowing log;
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Searches for news articles which would highlight potential non-compliance with laws
and regulations;
Identifying and testing journal entries, in particular journal entries posted with unusual
account combinations which manipulate revenue or profits; and
Challenging assumptions and judgements made by management in their significant
accounting estimates and judgements, in particular in relation to inventory provisions
(see related key audit matter).
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above. We are less likely to
become aware of instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations that are not closely
related to events and transactions reflected in the financial statements. Also, the risk of not
detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one
resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or
intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.
Our audit testing might include testing complete populations of certain transactions and balances,
possibly using data auditing techniques. However, it typically involves selecting a limited number
of items for testing, rather than testing complete populations. We will often seek to target
particular items for testing based on their size or risk characteristics. In other cases, we will use
audit sampling to enable us to draw a conclusion about the population from which the sample
is selected.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on
the FRC’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our
auditors’ report.
Use of this report
This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the parent company’s
members as a body in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for
no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any
other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may
come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.
Other required reporting
Companies Act 2006 exception reporting
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:
we have not obtained all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate
for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
the parent company financial statements and the part of the Remuneration Committee report
to be audited are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns.
We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.
Appointment
Following the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, we were appointed by the
members on 14 January 2014 to audit the financial statements for the year ended 28 June 2014
and subsequent financial periods. The period of total uninterrupted engagement is eleven years,
covering the years ended 28 June 2014 to 29 June 2024.
Other matter
The company is required by the Financial Conduct Authority Disclosure Guidance and
Transparency Rules to include these financial statements in an annual financial report prepared
under the structured digital format required by DTR 4.1.15R — 4.1.18R and filed on the National
Storage Mechanism of the Financial Conduct Authority. This auditors’ report provides no
assurance over whether the structured digital format annual financial report has been prepared
in accordance with those requirements.
Gillian Hinks
(Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors
East Midlands
11 September 2024
127
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Consolidated Income Statement
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
20242023
52 weeks52 weeks
Note£’m£’m
Revenue
1
1,706.5
1,638.8
Cost of sales
(823.2)
(817.9)
Gross profit
883.3
820.9
Operating costs
2
(670.0)
(622.1)
Operating profit
3
213.3
198.8
Financial income
5
2.0
1.7
Financial expenses
5
(9.9)
(7.8)
Profit before taxation
205.4
192.7
Taxation
6
(54.2)
(40.8)
Profit for the period
151.2
151.9
Earnings per Ordinary Share — basic
8
74.7p
75.2p
Earnings per Ordinary Share — diluted
8
74.4p
75.0p
20242023
52 weeks52 weeks
Note£’m£’m
Profit for the period
151.2
151.9
Other comprehensive income/(expense):
Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss:
Movement in fair value of cash flow hedges
18
0.2
(14.0)
Deferred tax on hedging movements
13
(1.0)
6.6
Other comprehensive Income/(expense) for the period,
netof tax
(0.8)
(7.4)
Total comprehensive income for the period
150.4
144.5
128
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
As at 29 June 2024
29 June1 July
20242023
Note£’m£’m
Non-current assets
Intangible assets
9
3.8
5.3
Property, plant and equipment
10
173.0
169.9
Right-of-use assets
11
222.9
231.3
Investment property
12
7.5
Deferred tax assets
13
1.8
6.9
Derivative financial instruments
18
0.1
Total non-current assets
409.1
413.4
Current assets
Inventories
14
223.0
211.0
Trade and other receivables
15
26.2
24.3
Derivative financial instruments
18
0.3
1.8
Cash and cash equivalents
16
23.4
46.3
Total current assets
272.9
283.4
Total assets
682.0
696.8
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
17
(205.0)
(208.1)
Lease liabilities
11
(52.1)
(53.4)
Current tax liability
(1.5)
(0.2)
Derivative financial instruments
18
(4.9)
(7.9)
Total current liabilities
(263.5)
(269.6)
Non-current liabilities
Bank loans
19
(77.0)
(75.9)
Lease liabilities
11
(197.5)
(204.8)
Provisions
20
(5.5)
(5.9)
Derivative financial instruments
18
(0.6)
(3.1)
Total non-current liabilities
(280.6)
(289.7)
Total liabilities
(544.1)
(559.3)
Net assets
137.9
137.5
29 June1 July
20242023
Note£’m£’m
Equity
Issued share capital
21
2.0
2.0
Share premium account
1.7
1.7
Capital redemption reserve
43.2
43.2
Hedging reserve
(3.8)
(6.9)
Retained earnings
94.8
97.5
Total equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent
137.9
137.5
The financial statements on pages 128 to 151 were approved by the Board of Directors on
11 September 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:
Karen Witts
Chief Financial Officer
11 September 2024
129
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
20242023
52 weeks52 weeks
Note£’m£’m
Cash flows from operating activities
Profit before taxation
205.4
192.7
Net financial expense
5
7.9
6.1
Operating profit
213.3
198.8
Depreciation and amortisation of property, plant and
equipment and intangible assets
3
30.4
29.8
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
3
50.2
49.3
Loss on disposal and impairment of property, plant and
equipment and intangible assets
3
0.5
0.3
Impairment of right-of-use assets
3
0.9
Share-based payments expense
4.3
4.8
Operating cash flows before movements in working
capital
299.6
283.0
(Increase)/decrease in inventories
(12.0)
12.0
Increase in trade and other receivables
(1.9)
(1.6)
Decrease in trade and other payables
(3.8)
(14.6)
Net movement in working capital
(17.7)
(4.2)
Tax paid
(49.6)
(38.2)
Net cash generated from operating activities
232.3
240.6
Cash flows from investing activities
Acquisition of intangible assets
(2.6)
(0.4)
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment
(29.8)
(21.4)
Acquisition of Investment Property
(7.5)
Interest received
1.6
1.1
Net cash used in investing activities
(38.3)
(20.7)
20242023
52 weeks52 weeks
Note£’m£’m
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issue of treasury shares and Ordinary
Shares
22
0.1
2.4
Purchase of treasury shares
22
(7.0)
Drawdowns on Revolving Credit Facility
110.0
139.0
Repayments of Revolving Credit Facility
(108.0)
(116.0)
Interest paid and loan transaction costs
(4.9)
(2.2)
Interest paid on lease liabilities
11
(6.1)
(5.3)
Repayment of principal element of lease liabilities
(50.8)
(52.0)
Dividends paid
7
(157.6)
(163.3)
Net cash used in financing activities
(217.3)
(204.4)
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
(23.3)
15.5
Foreign exchange revaluations
5
0.4
0.6
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the
period
16
46.3
30.2
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period
16
23.4
46.3
130
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
Total equity
attributable
Issued Share Capital to equity
share premium redemption Hedging Retained holders of
capitalaccountreservereserveearningsthe Parent
Note£’m£’m£’m£’m£’m£’m
As at 2 July 2022
2.0
1.7
43.2
20.2
111.2
178.3
Profit for the period
151.9
151.9
Movement in fair value of
cash flow hedges
18
(14.0)
(14.0)
Deferred tax on hedging
movements
13
6.6
6.6
Total comprehensive
income for the period
(7.4)
151.9
144.5
Proceeds from issue of
treasury shares
22
2.4
2.4
Purchase of treasury shares
22
(7.0)
(7.0)
Share-based payments
23
4.8
4.8
Deferred tax on share-based
payments
13
(3.1)
(3.1)
Current tax on share options
exercised
0.6
0.6
Movement on cash flow
hedges transferred to
inventory
18
(19.7)
(19.7)
Ordinary dividends paid
7
(163.3)
(163.3)
Total transactions with
owners, recorded directly
in equity
(19.7)
(165.6)
(185.3)
Total equity
attributable
Issued Share Capital to equity
share premium redemption Hedging Retained holders of
capitalaccountreservereserveearningsthe Parent
Note£’m£’m£’m£’m£’m£’m
As at 1 July 2023
2.0
1.7
43.2
(6.9)
97.5
137.5
Profit for the period
151.2
151.2
Movement in fair value of
cash flow hedges
18
0.2
0.2
Deferred tax on hedging
movements
13
(1.0)
(1.0)
Total comprehensive
income for the period
(0.8)
151.2
150.4
Proceeds from issue of
treasury shares
22
0.1
0.1
Purchase of treasury shares
22
Share-based payments
23
4.3
4.3
Deferred tax on share-based
payments
13
(1.3)
(1.3)
Current tax on share options
exercised
0.6
0.6
Movement on cash flow
hedges transferred to
inventory
18
3.9
3.9
Ordinary dividends paid
7
(157.6)
(157.6)
Total transactions with
owners, recorded directly
in equity
3.9
(153.9)
(150.0)
As at 29 June 2024
2.0
1.7
43.2
(3.8)
94.8
137.9
131
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Consolidated Accounting Policies
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
General information
The Group financial statements consolidate those of Dunelm Group plc (‘the Company) and its
subsidiaries (together referred to as ‘the Group’). The Company financial statements on pages 128
to 151 present information about the Company as a separate entity and not about its Group.
Dunelm Group plc and its subsidiaries are incorporated and domiciled in the UK, and registered
in England and Wales. Dunelm Group plc is a listed public Company, limited by shares and the
Company registration number is 04708277. The registered office is Dunelm Store Support Centre,
Watermead Business Park, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, LE7 1AD.
The primary business activity of the Group is the sale of homewares in the UK in stores and online.
Basis of preparation
The financial statements presented cover a 52-week trading period for the financial period ended
29 June 2024 (2023: 52-week period ended 1 July 2023).
The financial statements of Dunelm Group plc have been prepared in accordance with
UK-adopted International Accounting Standards and with the requirements of the Companies Act
2006 as applicable to companies reporting under those standards. These financial statements are
presented on pages 128 to 151.
The accounting policies set out below have, unless otherwise stated, been applied consistently
to all periods presented in these Group financial statements.
The annual financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention except for
financial assets and financial liabilities (including derivative financial instruments and share-based
payments), which have been stated at fair value. The financial statements are prepared in pounds
sterling, rounded to the nearest 0.1 million.
Going concern
At the time of approving the financial statements, the Board of Directors is required to formally
assess that the business has adequate resources to continue in operational existence and as such
can continue to adopt the ‘going concern’ basis of accounting. To support this assessment, the
Board is required to consider the Group’s current financial position, its strategy, the market
outlook, and its principal risks.
The key judgement that the Directors have considered in forming their conclusion is the potential impact
on future revenue, profits and cashflows of a downturn in consumer spending away from homewares due
to the ongoing impact of sustained inflation, as well as the impact of broader economic uncertainty across
a three-year review period. This scenario could result in no year growth in Year 1 and lower sales and
higher costs across all channels throughout the review period. The Directors’ have also considered
a deeper downturn in consumer spending away from homewares, resulting in negative growth in
Year 1 and lower sales and higher costs across all channels throughout the review period.
In both downside scenarios Dunelm has sufficient liquidity to continue trading, including maintaining
the payment of dividends in line with its dividend policy, and to comfortably meet its financial
covenants. The Directors continue to assess the risks that climate change poses to the business
and based on current legislation, climate change is not expected to have a significant impact on
the Group’s going concern assessment or on the viability of the Group over the next five years.
Therefore, no incremental impact has been modelled in either of the downturn scenarios.
Reverse stress modelling has demonstrated that a prolonged sales reduction of 26% in each year
is required to breach covenants by the end of FY26 and a reduction of 42% in both FY24 and FY25
is required to breach the RCF limit by the end of FY25, assuming reasonable mitigating actions
have been implemented.
Even in such an event, management would follow a similar course of action to that initially
undertaken during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Such actions could include further reductions
in discretionary spend (e.g. marketing and travel) and capital investment in new stores and refits,
and reducing headcount.
As a result, the Board believes that the Group is well placed to manage its financing and other
significant risks satisfactorily and that the Group will be able to operate within the level of its
facilities and meet its liabilities as they fall due, for at least the next five years. For this reason, the
Board considers it appropriate for the Group to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its
financial statements.
Further detail in respect of the Directors’ going concern assessment is included in the going
concern statement on page 55.
Further information regarding the Group’s business activities, together with the factors likely to
affect its future development, performance and position is set out in the Strategic Report on
pages 1 to 55. In addition, note 18 includes the Group’s objectives, policies, and processes for
managing its capital, its financial risk management objectives and its exposures to credit risk and
liquidity risk.
Use of estimates and judgements
Based on the IAS 1 definitions, there are no significant estimates or critical judgements used in
the Financial Statements. The inventory provision is not considered a significant estimate as there
is not a significant risk of a material adjustment to the level of the provision in the next 12 months.
Management does, however, consider the inventory provision to be a key estimate as it is based
on assumptions relating to a highly material balance (gross inventory) and is subject to uncertainty.
It is therefore disclosed as an other estimate in line with IAS 1.
132
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Inventory provisions
The Group provides against the carrying value of the inventories held where it is anticipated that
net realisable value (‘NRV) will be below cost. NRV is based on estimated selling price with future
price reductions assumed to be in line with historic margin analysis on a line-by-line basis and
applied to the inventory population as deemed appropriate given the expected sell through
period and discontinuation status. A 100 basis points change in the provision rate of each stock
discontinuation category would lead to a change in the provision of £2.0m (2023: £1.9m).
Consideration is also given to whether any stock categories require additional provision due
to specific circumstances in place at the period end date.
Basis of consolidation
Subsidiaries
Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Company. The Financial Statements of subsidiaries are
included in the Consolidated Financial Statements from the date that control commences until the
date that control ceases.
Transactions eliminated on consolidation
Intra-group balances, and any unrealised gains and losses or income and expenses arising from
intra-group transactions, are eliminated in preparing the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Consistent accounting policies have been adopted across the Group.
Revenue
Revenue is generated from the sale of homewares and related goods and services through the
Group’s stores and website, and is after deducting returns, relevant discounts and VAT. Revenue
is recognised when the Group has satisfied its performance obligations to its customers and the
customer has obtained control of the goods and services being transferred.
In general, these conditions for store sales are met at the point of sale. The exceptions to this are
custom-made products and Click & Collect sales, where revenue is recognised at the point that
the goods are collected, and gift cards, where revenue is deferred and subsequently recognised
when redeemed or expired. Gift card obligations are recognised as deferred income as shown in
note 16. An estimate of breakage is made on outstanding gift card balances based on historical
data and estimates of future usage patterns, and recognised in line with the pattern of utilisation
of the gift card balances. Revenue on home delivery sales is recognised at the point of delivery.
Revenue is settled in cash at the point of sale for all revenue channels.
The Group has two types of products; stocked products and products which are sent directly from
suppliers to customers. Management has established that the Group acts as a principal for both
types of products and thus should recognise revenue as the gross amount of consideration to
which it expects to be entitled.
The Group holds a sales return provision in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position to
provide for expected levels of returns on sales made before the period end but returned after
the period end. The Group recognises the expected value of revenue relating to returns within
sales provisions and the expected value of cost of sales relating to the returned items is included
within inventories.
Expenses
Financial income and expenses
Financial income and expenses comprise interest payable on borrowings calculated using the
effective interest method, interest receivable on funds invested and related foreign exchange
gains and losses.
Retirement benefits
The Group operates a defined contribution pension plan using a third-party provider. Obligations
for the contributions to this plan are recognised as an expense in the Consolidated Income
Statement as incurred.
Share-based payments
The Group operates a number of equity-settled, share-based compensation plans, under which
the entity receives services from employees as consideration for equity instruments (options) of
the Group. The fair value of the employee services received in exchange for the grant of the
options is recognised as an expense. The total amount to be expensed is determined by reference
to the fair value of the options granted:
including any market performance condition (for example, an entity’s share price);
excluding the impact of any service and non-market performance vesting conditions (for
example, profitability, sales growth targets and remaining an employee of the entity over a
specified time period); and
including the impact of any non-vesting conditions (for example, the requirement for employees
to save).
Non-market performance and service conditions are included in assumptions about the number
of options that are expected to vest. The total expense is recognised over the vesting period,
which is the period over which all of the specified vesting conditions are to be satisfied.
In addition, in some circumstances employees may provide services in advance of the grant date
and therefore the grant date fair value is estimated for the purposes of recognising the expense
during the period between service commencement period and grant date.
At the end of each reporting period, the Group revises its estimates of the number of options that
are expected to vest based on the non-market vesting conditions. It recognises the impact of the
revision to original estimates, if any, in the Consolidated Income Statement, with a corresponding
adjustment to equity.
Consolidated Accounting Policies continued
133
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
When options are exercised, the Company either issues new shares, or uses treasury shares
purchased for this purpose. For newly issued shares, the proceeds received net of any directly
attributable transaction costs are credited to share capital (nominal value) and the share
premium account.
Social security contributions payable in connection with the grant of the share options
are considered an integral part of the grant itself, and the charge will be treated as a
cash-settled transaction.
Foreign currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the prevailing rate at the date of the transaction.
Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency are translated at the rates ruling at
the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position date. Resulting exchange gains or losses are
recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement for the period in financial income and expenses,
except when deferred as qualifying cash flow hedges.
Taxation
Tax on the profit or loss for the period comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the
Consolidated Income Statement except to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in
equity, in which case it is recognised in equity.
Current tax represents the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the period, using tax
rates enacted or substantively enacted at the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position date,
together with any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous periods.
Deferred tax is provided using the Statement of Financial Position liability method, providing
for temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial
reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. Deferred tax is determined
using tax rates (and laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted at the Consolidated
Statement of Financial Position date and are expected to apply when the related deferred tax
asset is realised, or the deferred tax liability is settled.
A deferred tax asset is recognised only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits
will be available against which the asset can be recognised.
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to
offset current tax assets against current tax liabilities and when they relate to income taxes levied
by the same taxation authority on either the taxable entity or different taxable entities where there
is an intention to settle the balances on a net basis.
Dividends
Dividends are recognised as a liability in the period in which they are approved such that the
Group is obligated to pay the dividend.
Intangible assets
Intangible assets comprise of software development, licences, rights to brands and customer lists
and are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and impairment. Costs incurred in
developing the Group’s own brands are expensed as incurred.
Separately acquired brands and customer lists are shown at historical cost. Software, brands and
customer lists acquired in a business combination are recognised at fair value at the acquisition
date. These assets are deemed to have a finite useful life and are carried at cost less accumulated
amortisation. Amortisation is calculated using the straight-line method to allocate the cost over the
estimated useful life.
Acquired computer software licences are capitalised on the basis of the costs incurred to acquire
and bring to use the specific software. These costs are amortised over their estimated useful lives.
Costs associated with maintaining computer software programmes are recognised as an expense
as incurred. Development costs that are directly attributable to the design and testing of
identifiable and unique software products controlled by the Group are recognised as intangible
assets when the following criteria are met:
it is technically feasible to complete the software product so that it will be available for use;
management intends to complete the software product and use or sell it;
there is an ability to use or sell the software product;
it can be demonstrated how the software product will generate probable future economic benefits;
adequate technical, financial and other resources to complete the development and to use
or sell the software product are available; and
the expenditure attributable to the software product during its development can be
reliably measured.
Other development expenditures that do not meet these criteria are recognised as an expense
as incurred.
Computer software development costs recognised as assets are amortised over their estimated
useful lives.
Amortisation
Amortisation is charged to the Consolidated Income Statement on a straight-line basis over the
estimated useful life of the asset. These are as follows:
Software development and licences 3 to 5 years
Rights to brands and customer lists 5 to 15 years
Consolidated Accounting Policies continued
134
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Property, plant and equipment
Owned assets
Items of property, plant and equipment are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation
and impairment losses. Cost includes the original purchase price of the asset and the costs
attributable to bringing the asset to its working condition for intended use.
Where parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have different useful lives, they are
accounted for as separate items of property, plant and equipment.
Investment properties
Property held by the Group to earn rental income or for capital appreciation is classified as
investment property. Property occupied by the Group is recognised within property, plant and
equipment. Judgement is applied in determining classification when management’s future plans
for properties include possible changes in future use.
Investment property is initially measured at cost being purchase price and directly attributable
expenditure. Subsequently investment properties are held at cost less accumulated depreciation
and impairment losses. Depreciation is provided on a consistent basis with that applied to
property, plant and equipment.
For the current period, given the proximity of the transaction to the end of the reporting period,
an independent valuation has not been sought, as it is considered that the purchase price is
consistent with its fair value as at the period-end date.
Depreciation
Depreciation is charged to the Consolidated Income Statement on a straight-line basis over the
estimated useful lives of each part of an item of property, plant and equipment, to write down the
cost to its estimated residual value. Land is not depreciated.
The estimated useful lives are as follows:
Freehold buildings 50 years
Leasehold improvements over the remaining period of the lease, or useful life if shorter
Fixtures, fittings, and equipment 3 to 5 years
The assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed and adjusted if appropriate at the end of
each reporting period. An asset’s carrying amount is written down immediately to its recoverable
amount if the asset’s carrying amount is greater than its estimated recoverable amount.
Leases
Lease recognition
At the inception of a contract, the Group assesses whether a contract is, or contains, a lease.
A contract is, or contains, a lease if it conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for
a period of time in exchange for consideration. To assess whether a contract conveys the right to
control the use of an identified asset, the Group uses the definition of a lease in IFRS 16.
Right-of-use assets
The Group recognises right-of-use assets at the commencement date of the lease. Right-of-use
assets are measured at cost, less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses and adjusted
for any remeasurement of lease liabilities. The cost of right-of-use assets includes the amount of
lease liabilities recognised, adjusted for any lease payments made at or before the commencement
date, less any lease incentives received. Right-of-use assets are depreciated over the shorter of the
asset’s useful life or the lease term on a straight-line basis. Right-of-use assets are subject to, and
reviewed regularly for, impairment. Depreciation of right-of-use assets is included in operating
costs in the Consolidated Income Statement.
Lease liabilities
At the commencement date of the lease, the Group recognises lease liabilities measured at the
present value of the lease payments to be made over the lease term. Lease payments include
fixed payments less any lease incentives receivable.
In calculating the present value of lease payments, the Group uses its incremental borrowing rate
at the lease commencement date if the interest rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable.
The carrying amount of lease liabilities is remeasured if there is a modification, a change in the
lease term or a change in the fixed lease payments. Interest charges are included in finance costs
in the Consolidated Income Statement.
Short-term leases and leases of low-value assets
The Group has elected not to recognise right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for short-term
leases of machinery and equipment that have a lease term of less than 12 months and leases of
low-value assets (defined as assets with a value, when new, of £5,000 or less). Lease payments
relating to short-term leases and leases of low-value assets are recognised as an expense on
a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Consolidated Accounting Policies continued
135
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Subsequent measurement
The lease liability and right-of-use asset is subsequently remeasured to reflect changes in:
the lease term (using a revised discount rate);
the assessment of a purchase option (using a revised discount rate); and
future lease payments resulting from a change in an index, or a rate used to determine those
payments (using an unchanged discount rate).
Lease modifications may also prompt remeasurement of the lease liability unless they are
determined to be separate leases.
The payments related to leases are presented under cash flow from financing activities in the
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement.
Financial instruments
Recognition and measurement
At initial recognition, the Group measures a financial asset at its fair value plus, in the case of
a financial asset not at fair value through profit or loss (FVPL), transaction costs that are directly
attributable to the acquisition of the financial asset. Transaction costs of financial assets carried
at FVPL are expensed in the Consolidated Income Statement.
Financial assets with embedded derivatives are considered in their entirety when determining
whether their cash flows are solely payment of principal and interest.
Subsequent measurement of debt instruments depends on the Group’s business model for
managing the asset and the cash flow characteristics of the asset. There are two measurement
categories into which the Group classifies its debt instruments:
Amortised cost: Assets that are held for collection of contractual cash flows where those cash
flows represent solely payments of principal and interest are measured at amortised cost.
Interest income from these financial assets is included in finance income using the effective
interest rate method. Any gain or loss arising on derecognition is recognised directly in the
Consolidated Income Statement and presented in other gains/(losses) together with foreign
exchange gains and losses; and
FVPL: All other financial assets that do not meet the criteria for amortised cost are measured
at FVPL, unless the Group has made an irrevocable election at the time of initial recognition to
account for the equity investment at fair value through other comprehensive income (‘FVOCI’).
A gain or loss on a debt investment that is subsequently measured at FVPL is recognised in the
Consolidated Income Statement in the period in which it arises.
Impairment of financial assets
The Group uses a forward-looking approach to assess the expected credit losses associated with
its debt instruments carried at amortised cost. The impairment methodology applied depends on
whether there has been a significant increase in credit risk.
Derivatives
Derivative financial instruments used are forward foreign exchange contracts. These are measured
at fair value. The fair values are determined by reference to the market prices available from the
market on which the instruments are traded.
Certain derivative financial instruments are designated as hedges in line with the Group’s treasury
policy. These are instruments that hedge exposure to variability in cash flows that is attributable to
a particular risk associated with a highly probable forecasted transaction.
Any gains or losses arising from changes in fair value derivative financial instruments not
designated as hedges are recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement.
The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as
cash flow hedges is recognised in the cash flow hedge reserve within equity. The gain or loss
relating to the ineffective portion is recognised immediately in the Consolidated Income
Statement, within operating costs.
When option contracts are used to hedge forecast transactions, the Group designates only the
intrinsic value of the options as the hedging instrument.
Gains or losses relating to the effective portion of the change in intrinsic value of the options and
time value of options are recognised in the cash flow hedge reserve within equity.
When forward contracts are used to hedge forecast transactions, the Group designates the full
change in fair value of the forward contract (including forward points) as the hedging instrument.
The gains or losses relating to the effective portion of the change in fair value of the entire forward
contract are recognised in the cash flow hedge reserve within equity.
Amounts accumulated in equity are reclassified in the periods when the hedged item affects
profit or loss. Where the hedged item subsequently results in the recognition of a non-financial
asset (such as inventory), both the deferred hedging gains and losses and the deferred time value
of the option contracts or deferred forward points, if any, are included within the initial cost of the
asset. The deferred amounts are ultimately recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement as
the hedged item affects profit or loss (for example, through cost of sales).
When a hedging instrument expires, or is sold or terminated, or when a hedge no longer meets
the criteria for hedge accounting, any cumulative deferred gain/loss and deferred costs of hedging
in equity at that time remain in equity until the forecast transaction occurs, resulting in the
recognition of a non-financial asset such as inventory. When the forecast transaction is no longer
expected to occur, the cumulative gain/loss and deferred costs of hedging that were reported in
equity are immediately reclassified to the Consolidated Income Statement.
Consolidated Accounting Policies continued
136
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Offsetting financial instruments
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, and the net amount reported in the Consolidated
Statement of Financial Position when there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recognised
amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or realise the asset and settle the liability
simultaneously. The legally enforceable right must not be contingent on future events and must
be enforceable in the normal course of business and in the event of default, insolvency or
bankruptcy of the Group or the counterparty.
Trade and other receivables
Trade and other receivables are initially recognised at fair value and then carried at amortised cost
using the effective interest method, net of impairment provisions.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is derived using the
average cost method and includes costs incurred in bringing the inventories to their present
location and condition. Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less cost to sell in the
ordinary course of business. Provisions are made for obsolete, slow-moving or discontinued stock
and for stock losses.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances including credit card receipts and deposits.
All cash equivalents have an original maturity of three months or less.
Trade and other payables
Trade and other payables are recognised initially at their fair value and subsequently measured
at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.
Bank borrowings and borrowing costs
Interest-bearing bank loans are initially recorded at their fair value and subsequently held at
amortised cost. Transaction costs incurred are amortised over the term of the loan.
Borrowings are classed as current liabilities unless the Group has an unconditional right to defer
settlement of the liability for at least 12 months from the Consolidated Statement of Financial
Position date.
Impairment of non-financial assets
The carrying amounts of the Group’s assets are reviewed annually at each Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position date to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such
indication exists, the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated.
The recoverable amount is the greater of fair value less costs of disposal and value in use. In
assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using
a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time-value of money and
the risks specific to the asset. For an asset that does not generate largely independent cash
inflows, the recoverable amount is determined for assets grouped at the lowest levels for which
there are largely independent cash flows, i.e. the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.
An impairment loss is recognised whenever the carrying amount of an asset or its cash-generating
unit exceeds the recoverable amount. A cash-generating unit has been defined as an individual
store or the online business. If an impairment loss is identified for a cash-generating unit, the loss
shall be allocated to reduce the carrying amount of the assets of the unit pro-rated on the basis of
the carrying amount of each asset in the unit for both property, plant and equipment and
right-of-use assets. Impairment losses are recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement .
Share capital
Where the Group purchases its own equity share capital (treasury shares), the consideration
paid, including any directly attributable incremental costs, is deducted from equity attributable
to the Group’s equity holders until the shares are cancelled or reissued. Where such shares are
subsequently sold or reissued, any consideration received net of any directly attributable
incremental transaction costs and the related income tax effects, is included in equity attributab le
to the Group’s equity holders.
Provisions
A provision is recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position when the Group
has a current legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event and it is probable that an
outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, and the amount has been
reliably measured.
A provision for onerous contracts is recognised when the expected benefit to be derived by the Group
from a contract is lower than the unavoidable costs of meeting its obligations under the contract.
A dilapidations provision is recognised when there is an expectation of future obligations relating to
the maintenance of leasehold properties arising from events such as lease renewals or terminations.
Climate change
Climate change risks including the impact of achieving the Group’s carbon emissions reduction
targets and the risks identified in the TCFD disclosures on pages 46 to 54 have been considered
and assessed in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements for the period to
29 June 2024.
There has been no material impact identified on the financial reporting judgements and estimates
applied in the preparation of the Group’s Consolidated Financial Statements as a result of climate
change risks.
Consolidated Accounting Policies continued
137
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Given that the identified risks of climate change are expected to be present in the medium to long
term our focus has been on the non-current assets within the Consolidated Statement of Financial
Position. Specifically, for the material non-current assets, we note the following:
the plant, property and equipment, and the right-of-use assets have relatively short useful lives
(the average remaining lease term of our leasehold land and buildings is 5.2 years (2023: 5.0 years)).
The longer life assets relate to freehold stores and our head office, none of which are located in
areas identified as being at significant risk to climate change; and
the intangible assets, which consist of a brand, internally generated and other software, have a useful
life of 3 to 5 years and therefore we would not expect the identified risks to impact these assets.
The other non-current assets were also reviewed, and no risk was identified. Current assets, by
their nature, are expected to be fully utilised within the business in the short term and no climate
risk has been identified in this time horizon.
New standards and interpretations
The Group has applied the following new standards and interpretations for the first time for the
annual reporting period commencing 2 July 2023:
IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts;
amendments to IAS 1 and IFRS Practice Statement 2: Disclosure of Accounting Policies;
amendments to IAS 8: Definition of Accounting Estimates;
amendments to IAS 12: Deferred Tax Related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single
Transaction; and
amendments to IAS 12: International Tax Reform — Pillar Two Model Rules.
The Group has reviewed whether its arrangements meet the accounting definition of an insurance
contract. Product warranty agreements issued in connection with sales of goods transfer an
element of insurance risk, but contracts of this nature are excluded from IFRS 17 and will remain
accounted for under the existing revenue and provisions standards. Therefore there is no impact
on the financial position or performance of the Group on adoption.
The adoption of the standards and interpretations listed above has not led to any changes to the
Group’s accounting policies or had any other material impact on the financial position or
performance of the Group.
New accounting standards in issue but not yet effective
New standards and interpretations that are in issue, but not yet effective, are listed below:
amendments to IAS 1: Classification of Liabilities as Current or Non-Current;
amendments to IAS 7 and IFRS 7: Supplier finance arrangements; and
amendments to IFRS 16: Lease liability in a sale and leaseback.
The adoption of the above standards and interpretations is not expected to lead to any changes
to the Group’s accounting policies nor have any other material impact on the financial position or
performance of the Group.
Consolidated Accounting Policies continued
1. Revenue
The Group has one reportable segment, in accordance with IFRS 8 ‘Operating Segments’, which
is the retail of homewares in the UK.
Customers access the Group’s offer across multiple channels and their journey often involves
more than one channel. Therefore, internal reporting focuses on the Group as a whole and does
not identify individual segments.
The Chief Operating Decision-maker is the Executive Board of Directors of Dunelm Group plc.
The Executive Board reviews internal management reports on a monthly basis and performance is
assessed based on a number of financial and non-financial KPIs as well as on profit before taxation.
The list of our financial and non-financial KPIs can be found on pages 26 to 27.
Management believes that these measures are the most relevant in evaluating the performance
of the Group and for making resource allocation decisions.
All material operations of the Group are carried out in the UK. The Group’s revenue is driven by
the consolidation of individual small value transactions and as a result, Group revenue is not reliant
on a major customer or group of customers.
At the period end the Group had £12.5m (2023: £13.8m) of sales orders placed that will be
recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement when the goods are despatched in the
following financial period.
2. Operating costs
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Selling and distribution costs
528.6
489.7
Tech and support expenses
141.4
132.4
670.0
622.1
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
3. Operating profit
Operating profit is stated after charging the following items:
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Cost of inventories included in cost of sales
812.3
803.4
Amortisation of intangible assets
4.1
4.6
Depreciation of owned property, plant and equipment
26.3
25.2
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
50.2
49.3
Loss on disposal and impairment of property, plant and equipment and
intangible assets
0.5
0.3
Impairment of right-of-use assets
0.9
Expense related to short-term leases
3.7
1.6
The cost of inventories included in cost of sales includes the impact of a net increase in the
provision for obsolete inventory of £0.6m (2023: £0.8m decrease).
The analysis of the auditor remuneration is as follows:
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’000 £’000
Fees payable to the Group’s auditor for the audit of the Parent and
consolidated annual financial statements
37
34
Fees payable to the Group’s auditor and its associates for other services
to the Group
— Audit of the Company’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation
322
293
Other assurance services (See Audit and Risk Committee Report on
page 85 for further information)
50
46
4. Employee numbers and costs
The average monthly number of people employed by the Group (including Directors) was:
2024 2024 2023 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks 52 weeks 52 weeks
Number Full time Number Full time
of heads equivalents of heads equivalents
Selling
9,591
5,258
9,446
5,252
Distribution
1,148
1,110
1,057
1,026
Administration
1,170
1,153
1,099
1,082
11,909
7,521
11,602
7,360
The aggregate remuneration of all employees (including Directors) comprises:
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Wages and salaries (including termination benefits)
248.0
224.8
Social security costs
17.6
16.1
Share-based payment expense
4.3
4.8
Pension costs — defined contribution plans
6.9
6.2
276.8
251.9
Details of Directors’ remuneration, share options, long-term incentive schemes and pension
entitlements are disclosed in the Remuneration Report on pages 88 to 115 and in the Related
Parties note (note 26).
5. Financial income and expenses
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Financial income
Interest on bank deposits
1.6
1.1
Net foreign exchange gains
0.4
0.6
2.0
1.7
Financial expenses
Interest on bank borrowings
(3.0)
(2.2)
Amortisation of issue costs of bank loans
(0.8)
(0.3)
Interest on lease liabilities
(6.1)
(5.3)
(9.9)
(7.8)
Net financial expense
(7.9)
(6.1)
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
6. Taxation
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Current taxation
UK corporation tax charge for the period
51.8
40.0
Adjustments in respect of prior periods
(0.4)
0.1
51.4
40.1
Deferred taxation
Origination of temporary differences
2.9
0.7
Adjustments in respect of prior periods
(0.1)
0.1
Impact of change in tax rate
(0.1)
2.8
0.7
Total tax expense
54.2
40.8
The tax expense is reconciled with the standard rate of UK corporation tax as follows:
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Profit before taxation
205.4
192.7
UK corporation tax at standard rate of 25.0% (2023: 20.5%)
51.4
39.5
Factors affecting the charge in the period:
Non-deductible expenses
3.2
1.2
Adjustments in respect of prior periods
(0.5)
0.2
Profit on disposal of ineligible assets
0.1
Impact of change in tax rate
(0.1)
Tax expense
54.2
40.8
The taxation expense for the period as a percentage of profit before tax is 26.4% (2023: 21.2%).
The UK Government substantively enacted an increase in the corporation tax rate to 25.0%
effective from 1 April 2023. The deferred tax asset as at 1 July 2023 has been calculated based
on the rate of 25.0%.
Pillar Two legislation has been enacted or substantively enacted in certain jurisdictions in which the
Group operates. The legislation will be effective for the Group’s financial year beginning 30 June
2024. The Group has performed an assessment of the Group’s potential exposure to Pillar Two
income taxes. This assessment is based on the most recent information available regarding the
financial performance of the constituent entities in the Group. Based on the assessment
performed, the Pillar Two effective tax rates in all jurisdictions in which the Group operates are
above 15% and management is not currently aware of any circumstances under which this might
change. Therefore, the Group does not expect a potential exposure to Pillar Two top up taxes.
7. Dividends
The dividends set out in the table below relate to the 1 pence Ordinary Shares:
2024 2023
Pence per 52 weeks 52 weeks
Dividend type
In respect of period ended
share £’m £’m
Final
2 July 2022
26.0
52.4
Interim
1 July 2023
15.0
30.2
Special
1 July 2023
40.0
80.7
Final
1 July 2023
27.0
54.5
Interim
29 June 2024
16.0
32.3
Special
29 June 2024
35.0
70.8
157.6
163.3
The Board is proposing a final dividend of 27 .5 pence per Ordinary Share for the period ended
29 June 2024 which equates to £55.6m. Subject to shareholder approval at the AGM this will be
paid on 26 November 2024. The ex-dividend date is 31 October 2024 and the record date is
1 November 2024.
8. Earnings per Ordinary Share
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit for the period attributable to equity
holders of the Company by the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares in issue during the
period, excluding Ordinary Shares purchased by the Company and held as treasury shares
(note 22).
For diluted earnings per share, the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares in issue is
adjusted to assume conversion of all dilutive potential Ordinary Shares. These represent share
options granted to employees where the exercise price is less than the average market price of
the Group’s Ordinary Shares during the period.
2024 2023
52 weeks 54 weeks
£’m £’m
Profit for the period
151.2
151.9
Weighted average numbers of shares:
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
’000 ’000
Weighted average number of shares in issue during the period
202,355
201,917
Impact of share options
893
746
Number of shares for diluted earnings per share
203,248
202,663
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
8. Earnings per Ordinary Share continued
2024 2023
52 weeks 54 weeks
£p £p
Earnings per Ordinary Share — basic
74.7p
75.2p
Earnings per Ordinary Share — diluted
74.4p
75.0p
9. Intangible assets
Rights to
Software brands and
development customer
and licences lists Total
£’m £’m £’m
Cost
At 2 July 2022
52.6
11.5
64.1
Additions
0.1
0.1
Disposals
(0.7)
(0.7)
At 1 July 2023
52.0
11.5
63.5
Additions
2.6
2.6
Disposals
(0.2)
(0.2)
At 29 June 2024
54.4
11.5
65.9
Accumulated amortisation
2 July 2022
43.2
11.0
54.2
Charge for the financial period
4.5
0.1
4.6
Disposals
(0.6)
(0.6)
At 1 July 2023
47.1
11.1
58.2
Charge for the financial period
4.0
0.1
4.1
Disposals
(0.2)
(0.2)
At 29 June 2024
50.9
11.2
62.1
Net book value
At 2 July 2022
9.4
0.5
9.9
At 1 July 2023
4.9
0.4
5.3
At 29 June 2024
3.5
0.3
3.8
All amortisation is included within operating costs in the Consolidated Income Statement.
Management’s review of indicators of impairment did not result in the recognition of any
impairment in the period (2023: £nil).
Within software development and licences there were £2.4m additions (2023: £nil) related
to internally generated assets.
10. Property, plant and equipment
Freehold Fixtures,
land and Leasehold fittings and
buildings improvements equipment Total
£’m £’m £’m £’m
Cost
At 2 July 2022
107.0
164.0
132.2
403.2
Transfer
0.2
(0.2)
Additions
10.2
11.4
21.6
Disposals
(7.2)
(3.1)
(10.3)
At 1 July 2023
107.0
167.2
140.3
414.5
Transfer
(0.2)
0.2
Additions
0.3
13.4
15.8
29.5
Disposals
(6.8)
(4.3)
(11.1)
At 29 June 2024
107.1
174.0
151.8
432.9
Accumulated depreciation
At 2 July 2022
19.9
97.7
111.9
229.5
Transfer
0.1
0.1
(0.2)
Charge for the financial period
1.8
14.3
9.1
25.2
Disposals
(7.0)
(3.1)
(10.1)
At 1 July 2023
21.8
105.1
117.7
244.6
Charge for the financial period
1.8
14.0
10.5
26.3
Disposals
(6.7)
(4.1)
(10.8)
Impairment
(0.1)
(0.1)
(0.2)
At 29 June 2024
23.6
112.3
124.0
259.9
Net book value
At 2 July 2022
87.1
66.3
20.3
173.7
At 1 July 2023
85.2
62.1
22.6
169.9
At 29 June 2024
83.5
61.7
27.8
173.0
All depreciation charges have been included within operating costs in the Consolidated
Income Statement.
The impairment charge of £(0.2)m recognised in the period (2023: £nil) relates to temporary
provision for impairment in respect of one store. The recoverable amount calculated in the
impairment review was based on a value in use, applying a pre-tax discount rate of 12.5%.
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
11. Leases
Right-of-use assets included in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position at 29 June 2024
were as follows:
2024
Motor
2024 vehicles,
Land and plant and 2024 2023
buildings equipment Total Total
£’m £’m £’m £’m
At the beginning of the period
215.5
15.8
231.3
248.5
Additions
33.6
11.0
44.6
32.3
Disposals
(1.8)
(0.1)
(1.9)
(0.2)
Impairment
(0.9)
(0.9)
Depreciation
(44.7)
(5.5)
(50.2)
(49.3)
At the end of the period
201.7
21.2
222.9
231.3
Right-of-use additions included £5.2m of lease modifications in the period (2023: £nil).
The impairment charge of £(0.9)m (2023: £nil) relates to a temporary provision for impairment
in respect of a lease for a property currently not in use.
Lease liabilities included in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position at 29 June 2024
were as follows:
2024
Motor
2024 vehicles,
Land and plant and 2024 2023
buildings equipment Total Total
£’m £’m £’m £’m
At the beginning of the period
(242.5)
(15.7)
(258.2)
(278.1)
Additions
(35.1)
(11.1)
(46.2)
(33.2)
Disposals
1.8
0.1
1.9
0.2
Interest
(5.1)
(1.0)
(6.1)
(5.3)
Repayment of lease liabilities
52.8
6.2
59.0
58.2
At the end of the period
(228.1)
(21.5)
(249.6)
(258.2)
The discount rate applied across all lease liabilities ranged between 0.90% and 6.76% (2023: 0.90%
and 5.85%). The discount rate reflects our incremental borrowing rate which we assess by considering
the marginal rate on the Group’s Revolving Credit Facility (‘RCF’), the Bank of England base rate,
the yield on Government bonds and the term of the lease.
The maturity analysis of the lease liabilities is as follows:
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Current
(52.1)
(53.4)
Non-current
(197.5)
(204.8)
(249.6)
(258.2)
The remaining contractual maturities of the lease liabilities, which are gross and undiscounted,
are as follows:
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Less than one year
(59.2)
(65.8)
One to two years
(50.9)
(61.4)
Two to five years
(104.1)
(123.0)
Five to ten years
(63.2)
(78.9)
More than ten years
(1.7)
(3.7)
Total undiscounted lease liability
(279.1)
(332.8)
The average remaining lease term of our leasehold land and buildings is 4.2 years (2023: 5.0 years).
The following amounts have been recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement:
2024
52 weeks
2024 Motor
52 weeks vehicles, 2024 2023
Land and plant and 52 weeks 52 weeks
buildings equipment Total Total
£’m £’m £’m £’m
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
44.7
5.5
50.2
49.3
Impairment of right-of-use assets
0.9
0.9
Interest expenses (included in financial expenses)
5.1
1.0
6.1
5.3
Expense relating to short-term leases
2.3
1.4
3.7
1.6
The total cash outflow for leases during the financial period was £56.9m (2023: £57.3m).
12. Investment properties
In June 2024 we purchased a tenanted freehold property for £7.5m, providing current rental
income and future capacity for our store support centre. Given the proximity of the transaction to
the end of the reporting period, an independent valuation has not been sought, as it is considered
that the purchase price is consistent with its fair value as at the period-end date.
Subsequent to the period end, we also secured a freehold tenanted retail property in an attractive
location for £22.2m. We expect to convert this into a Dunelm store in the future upon expiry of the
existing lease.
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
13. Deferred tax assets/liabilities
Deferred tax is provided in full on temporary differences under the liability method using
a taxation rate of 25.0%.
Deferred taxation assets and liabilities are attributable to the following:
Assets
Liabilities
Net assets/(liabilities)
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023
£’m £’m £’m £’m £’m £’m
Property, plant and equipment
(2.7)
(0.8)
(2.7)
(0.8)
Share-based payments
3.0
5.1
3.0
5.1
Hedging
1.3
2.3
1.3
2.3
Other temporary differences
0.4
0.5
(0.2)
(0.2)
0.2
0.3
4.7
7.9
(2.9)
(1.0)
1.8
6.9
Assets
Liabilities
Net assets/(liabilities)
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023
£’m £’m £’m £’m £’m £’m
Deferred tax recoverable/
(payable) after more than
12 months
1.9
2.1
(2.9)
(1.0)
(1.0)
1.1
Deferred tax recoverable/
(payable) within 12 months
2.8
5.8
2.8
5.8
4.7
7.9
(2.9)
(1.0)
1.8
6.9
The movement in the net deferred tax balance is as follows:
Balance at
Balance at
2 July Recognised Recognised
1 July
2022 in income
in equity
2023
£’m £’m
£’m
£’m
Property, plant and equipment
0.7
(1.5)
(0.8)
Share-based payments
7.5
0.7
(3.1)
5.1
Hedging
(4.3)
6.6
2.3
Other temporary differences
0.2
0.1
0.3
4.1
(0.7)
3.5
6.9
Balance at
Balance at
1 July Recognised Recognised
29 June
2023 in income
in equity
2024
£’m £’m
£’m
£’m
Property, plant and equipment
(0.8)
(1.9)
(2.7)
Share-based payments
5.1
(0.8)
(1.3)
3.0
Hedging
2.3
(1.0)
1.3
Other temporary differences
0.3
(0.1)
0.2
6.9
(2.8)
(2.3)
1.8
14. Inventories
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Raw materials
1.3
1.6
Work in progress
0.1
Goods for resale
221.6
209.4
223.0
211.0
Goods for resale includes a net realisable value provision of £21.3m (2023: £20.7m). Write-downs of
inventories to net realisable value amounted to £30.7m (2023: £30.2m). These were recognised as an
expense during the period and were included in cost of sales in the Consolidated Income Statement.
15. Trade and other receivables
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Trade receivables
3.7
3.1
Other receivables
0.4
0.1
Prepayments and accrued income
22.1
21.1
26.2
24.3
All trade receivables are due within one year from the end of the reporting period.
No impairment was incurred on trade and other receivables during the period and the expected
credit loss provision held at period end is £nil (2023: £nil). No material amounts are overdue
(2023: £nil).
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
16. Cash and cash equivalents
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Cash at bank and in hand
23.4
46.3
The Group deposits funds only with institutions that have a credit rating of ‘A’ and above and the
term is less than three months.
17. Trade and other payables
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Trade payables
92.3
94.6
Accruals
67.3
63.5
Deferred income
12.5
12.5
Taxation and social security
32.3
37.3
Other payables
0.6
0.2
205.0
208.1
Deferred income includes contract liabilities of £8.8m (2023: £9.1m) where payment has been
received in respect of performance obligations which will be met in future periods. Performance
obligations associated with contact liabilities relating to unfulfilled sales orders of £7.5m (2023: £8.0m)
are expected to be met within twelve months of the reporting date. Contract liability for gift cards
of £1.3m (2023: £1.1m) may be met over a period of up to two years from the reporting date,
consistent with the term of the gift cards in issue.
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Opening balance
1.1
1.3
Issued in the year
5.6
5.3
Released to income statement
(5.4)
(5.5)
1.3
1.1
18. Financial risk management
The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the oversight of the Group’s risk management
framework. A formal process for reviewing and managing risk in the business is in place.
Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial
instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations and arises principally from the Group’s deposits
with banks and financial institutions as well as foreign exchange hedging agreements with its
banking counterparties. The Group only deals with creditworthy counterparties and uses
publicly available financial information to rate its counterparties, therefore credit risk is considered
to be low.
Group policy is that surplus funds are placed on deposit with counterparties approved by the
Board, with a minimum of an ‘A’ credit rating. The credit limit for the syndicate banks is up to
£60.0m. All other parties are limited to £25.0m.
The Group’s maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the carrying amount of financial
assets. No collateral is held (2023: £nil). At the period end the maximum exposure is detailed in
the table below:
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Current
Cash and cash equivalents
23.4
46.3
Trade and other receivables
4.1
3.2
Accrued income
10.2
10.1
Derivative financial instruments
0.3
1.8
Total current financial assets
38.0
61.4
Non-current
Derivative financial instruments
0.1
Total financial assets
38.1
61.4
Credit risk
Trade and other receivables include rebates due from suppliers recognised as a reduction to cost
of sales in the period to which they relate. The rebates are recovered through deductions from
future payments to suppliers and therefore management is confident of the recoverability of
these balances.
The Group applies the IFRS 9 simplified approach to measuring expected credit losses (‘ECL’)
which uses a lifetime expected loss allowance for all trade and other receivables and accrued
income. To measure the expected credit losses, trade and other receivables and accrued income
have been grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and the days past due. There is
limited exposure to ECL due to the way the Group operates.
The Group will write off, either partially or in full, the gross carrying amount of a financial asset
when there is no realistic prospect of recovery. This is usually the case when it is determined that
the debtor does not have the assets or sources of income that could generate sufficient cash flows
to repay the amounts subject to the write-off. However, the Group may still choose to pursue
enforcement in order to recover the amounts due.
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
18. Financial risk management continued
On that basis, the loss allowance as at 1 July 2023 and 29 June 2024 was determined to not be
significant for trade and other receivables, accrued income and cash and cash equivalents.
Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall
due. The Group’s approach to managing liquidity risk is to ensure, as far as possible, that it will
always have sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities when due. The Group manages this risk by
regularly monitoring cash flow forecasts. Further details of the Group’s available facilities can be
found in the capital management section of this note.
All cash flows on financial liabilities for 2024 and 2023 are contractually due within one year with
the exception of provisions, bank loans, certain derivative financial liabilities and lease liabilities.
The details of lease liabilities are shown in note 11.
Total borrowings of £79.0m (2023: £77.0m) reflect the level of facility drawdown at the period end
on the Group’s committed RCF.
Interest rate risk
The Group’s bank borrowings incur variable interest rate charges. The Group’s policy aims to
manage the interest cost of the Group within the constraints of its financial covenants. The Group
will continue to monitor movements in the interest rate swap market.
During the period, if SONIA interest rates had been 100 basis points higher with all other variables
held constant, post-tax profit would have been £0.3m lower (2023: £0.3m lower).
Foreign currency risk
All of the Group’s revenues are in sterling. The majority of purchases are also in pounds sterling,
but some goods purchased direct from overseas suppliers are paid for in US dollars, accounting
for just over 30.0% (2023: 30.0%) of stock purchases in the period ended 29 June 2024.
The Group uses various means to cover its exposure to US dollars including holding US dollar
cash balances and taking out forward foreign exchange contracts for the purchase of US dollars.
All the Group’s foreign exchange transactions are designed to satisfy US dollar denominated
liabilities. The maximum level of hedging coverage which will be undertaken is 100.0% of
anticipated expenditure on a three-month horizon, stepping down to 75.0% on a four- to
12-month horizon and 50.0% on a 13- to 18-month horizon. There is a low level of coverage
beyond the 18-month horizon.
Cash flow hedges are in place to manage foreign exchange rate risk arising from forecast
purchases denominated in US dollars. At the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position date,
the fair value of US dollar foreign exchange forward contracts held in cash flow hedges was
a £5.1m liability (2023: £9.2m liability) which relates to a commitment to purchase $368.0m
(2023: $350.5m) for a fixed sterling amount. A fair value gain of £0.2m (2023: loss of £14.0m) was
recognised in other comprehensive income and no loss (2023: £nil) was recognised on cash flow
hedges during the period. In the period, a loss of £3.9m (2023: £19.7m gain) was recycled from the
cash flow hedge reserve to inventory to offset foreign exchange movements on purchases. The
remaining hedge reserve balance will be recycled to the Consolidated Income Statement to offset
future purchases occurring after the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position date, the
majority of which expire in the next 12 months.
The outstanding US dollar liabilities at the period end were $0.1m (2023: $0.1m).
At the period end if GBP had strengthened by 10% against US dollar with all other variables held
constant, post-tax profit would have been £0.1m higher (2023: £0.9m higher) as a result of foreign
exchange gains on translation of US dollar denominated trade payables and cash and cash
equivalents. Other components of equity would have been £0.5m higher (2023: £0.9m higher)
as a result of a decrease in fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges.
Conversely, if GBP had weakened by 10% against US dollar with all other variables held constant,
post-tax profit for the period would have been £0.1m lower (2023: £1.1m lower) and other
components of equity would have been £0.5m lower (2023: £0.9m lower).
The US dollar period end exchange rate applied in the above analysis is £1 = $1.2644 (2023:
£1 = $1. 2694).
Capital management
The Group considers equity plus debt as capital. There are no externally imposed capital
requirements on the Group.
The Board’s objective with respect to capital management is to ensure the Group continues as a
going concern in order to optimise returns to shareholders. The Board regularly monitors the level
of capital in the Group to ensure that this can be achieved.
The Company has a syndicated RCF of £250m which is committed until 6 September 2027, which
may be extended by a further two, one year increments at Dunelm’s request, subject to lender
consent. There is also an optional accordion facility of £100m. The terms of the RCF are consistent
with normal practice and include covenants in respect of leverage (Group net debt to be no
greater than 2.5x Group EBITDA before exceptional items) and fixed charge cover (Group EBITDAR
before exceptional items to be no less than 1.75x Group fixed charges), both of which were met
comfortably as at 29 June 2024 as shown below. In addition, the Company maintains £10m of
uncommitted overdraft facilities with one syndicate partner bank.
145
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Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
18. Financial risk management continued
The gearing ratio and banking covenants were as follows:
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Total borrowings (note 19)
79.0
77.0
Less: cash and cash equivalents (note 16)
(23.4)
(46.3)
Net debt
55.6
30.7
Less: unamortised debt issue costs (note 19)
(2.0)
(1.1)
Net debt including unamortised debt issue costs
53.6
29.6
Total equity
137.9
137.5
Total capital
191.5
167.1
Gearing ratio
28.0%
17.7%
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Operating profit
213.3
198.8
Add: Depreciation and amortisation of property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets (note 3)
30.4
29.8
Add: Loss on disposal and impairment of property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets (note 3)
0.5
0.3
Adjusted EBITDA
244.2
228.9
Leverage ratio
0.22
0.13
Adjusted EBITDA
244.2
228.9
Add: RoUA impairment
0.9
Add: RoUA depreciation
50.2
49.3
EBITDA
295.3
278.2
Add: Rent
4.3
4.5
EBITDAR
299.6
282.7
Net interest (note 5)
7.9
6.1
Rent plus RoUA depreciation
54.5
53.8
Fixed charges
62.4
59.9
Fixed charge cover
4.8
4.7
Derivatives: Hedge ineffectiveness
Hedge effectiveness is determined at the inception of the hedge relationship, and through
periodic prospective effectiveness assessments to ensure that an economic relationship exists
between the hedged item and hedging instrument.
For hedges of foreign currency purchases, the Group enters into hedge relationships where the
critical terms of the hedging instrument match exactly with the terms of the hedged item. The
Group therefore performs a qualitative assessment of effectiveness. If changes in circumstances
affect the terms of the hedged item such that the critical terms no longer match exactly with the
critical terms of the hedging instrument, the Group uses the hypothetical derivative method to
assess effectiveness.
In hedges of foreign currency purchases, ineffectiveness may arise if the timing of the forecast
transaction changes from what was originally estimated, or if there are changes in the credit risk
of the Group or the derivative counterparty.
Market risk
The Group has the option to use a combination of foreign currency options and foreign currency
forwards to hedge its exposure to foreign currency risk.
The Group only designates the spot component of foreign currency forwards in hedge relationships.
The spot component is determined with reference to relevant spot market exchange rates. The
differential between the contracted forward rate and the spot market exchange rate is defined as
the forward points. It is discounted where material.
The changes in the forward element of the foreign currency forwards and the time value of the
options that relate to hedged items are deferred in the hedging reserve.
Effects of hedge accounting on the financial position and performance
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Foreign currency forwards
Carrying amount of (liability)/asset
(5.1)
(9.2)
Notional amount
295.5
286.4
July 2024— July 2023—
Maturity date April 2026 June 2025
Hedge ratio
1:1
1:1
Change in value of hedged item used to determine hedge
effectiveness
£0.2m
£(14.0)m
Change in the value of hedging instruments
£(0.2)m
£14.0m
Weighted average hedged rate for the year
(includingforward points)
£1:US$1.2445 £1:US$1.2998
146
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
18. Financial risk management continued
Fair values
The fair value of the Group’s financial assets and liabilities are equal to their carrying value. The fair
value of foreign currency contracts are amounts required by the counterparties to cancel the
contracts at the end of the period.
Fair value hierarchy
Financial instruments carried at fair value are required to be measured by reference to the
following levels:
Level 1: quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset
or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices); and
Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data
(unobservable inputs).
All derivative financial instruments carried at fair value have been measured by a Level 2 valuation
method, based on observable market data.
Financial assets/(liabilities)
The carrying value of all financial assets and financial liabilities was materially equal to their
fair value.
Financial Financial
assets at liabilities at Derivatives
amortised amortised used for
cost cost hedging Total
At 1 July 2023 £’m £’m £’m £’m
Cash and cash equivalents
46.3
46.3
Trade and other receivables
3.2
3.2
Accrued income
10.1
10.1
Derivative financial instruments
1.8
1.8
Total financial assets
59.6
1.8
61.4
Trade and other payables
(94.8)
(94.8)
Accruals
(63.5)
(63.5)
Lease liabilities
(258.2)
(258.2)
Bank loans
(75.9)
(75.9)
Derivative financial instruments
(11.0)
(11.0)
Total financial liabilities
(492.4)
(11.0)
(503.4)
Net financial assets/(liabilities)
59.6
(492.4)
(9.2)
(442.0)
Financial Financial
assets at liabilities at Derivatives
amortised amortised used for
cost cost hedging Total
At 29 June 2024 £’m £’m £’m £’m
Cash and cash equivalents
23.4
23.4
Trade and other receivables
4.1
4.1
Accrued income
10.2
10.2
Derivative financial instruments
0.4
0.4
Total financial assets
37.7
0.4
38.1
Trade and other payables
(92.9)
(92.9)
Accruals
(67.3)
(67.3)
Lease liabilities
(249.6)
(249.6)
Bank loans
(77.0)
(77.0)
Derivative financial instruments
(5.5)
(5.5)
Total financial liabilities
(486.8)
(5.5)
(492.3)
Net financial assets/(liabilities)
37.7
(486.8)
(5.1)
(454.2)
The currency profile of the Group’s cash and cash equivalents is as follows:
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Sterling
22.2
33.8
US dollar
0.9
12.4
Euro
0.3
0.1
23.4
46.3
19. Bank loans
2024 2023
£’m £’m
Total borrowings
79.0
77.0
Less: unamortised debt issue costs
(2.0)
(1.1)
Net borrowings
77.0
75.9
Borrowings relate to the Group’s syndicated Revolving Credit Facility, as described in note 18.
147
Dunelm Group plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
19. Bank loans continued
The analysis below shows the reconciliation of net debt:
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Net debt at 2 July 2023 and 3 July 2022
(30.7)
(23.8)
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (excluding foreign
exchange revaluations)
(23.3)
15.5
Effect of foreign exchange (note 5)
0.4
0.6
Repayments of Revolving Credit Facility
108.0
116.0
Drawdowns of Revolving Credit Facility
(110.0)
(139.0)
Movement in net debt
(24.9)
(6.9)
Net debt represented by
Cash and cash equivalents (note 16)
23.4
46.3
Non-current borrowings (note 19)
(79.0)
(77.0)
Net debt at 29 June 2024 and 1 July 2023
(55.6)
(30.7)
Lease liabilities (note 11)
(249.6)
(258.2)
Net debt at 29 June 2024 and 1 July 2023 (including lease liabilities)
(305.2)
(288.9)
20. Provisions
Balance at
Balance at Utilised in Created in Released in 29 June
2 July 2023 the period the period the period 2024
£’m £’m £’m £’m £’m
Property related
5.9
(0.2)
1.5
(1.7)
5.5
Property-related provisions consist of costs associated with vacant property and dilapidations.
Dilapidations are based on the Directors’ best estimate of the Group’s future liabilities.
21. Issued share capital
2024 2023
Number of Number of
Ordinary Shares Ordinary Shares
of 1p each of 1p each
In issue at the start of the period
203,426,835
203,426,835
Issued during the period in respect of share option schemes
In issue at the end of the period
203,426,835
203,426,835
2024 2023
Number of 2024 Number of 2023
shares £’m shares £’m
Ordinary shares of 1p each:
Authorised
500,000,000
5.0
500,000,000
5.0
Allotted, called up and fully paid
203,426,835
2.0
203,426,835
2.0
Proceeds received in relation to shares issued during the period were £nil (2023: £nil).
22. Treasury shares
2024 2023
Number of 2024 Number of 2023
shares £’m shares £’m
Outstanding at the beginning of the period
1,712,790
16.0
1,686,200
17.5
Purchased during the period
908,064
7.0
Reissued during the period in respect of share
option schemes
(486,329)
(4.5)
(881,474)
(8.5)
Outstanding at the end of the period
1,226,461
11.5
1,712,790
16.0
The Group reissued 486,329 (2023: 881,474) treasury shares during the period for a total value of
£4.5m (2023: £8.5m). The Group acquired nil (2023: 908,064) shares through purchases on the
London Stock Exchange during the period for a total value of £nil (2023: £7.0m).
Proceeds from the issue of treasury shares included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
and Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity of £0.1m (2023: £2.4m) is the amount
employees contributed.
The Group has the right to reissue the remaining treasury shares at a later date.
23. Share-based payments
The Group operates a number of share-based payment schemes as follows:
Dunelm Group Savings Related Share Option Plan (Sharesave)
The Dunelm Group plc Savings Related Share Option Plan (Sharesave) scheme is open to all
colleagues with eligible length of service. Invitations to participate in the scheme are issued
annually and the scheme is ‘approved’ under HMRC rules. The current maximum monthly savings
for the schemes detailed below is £500. Options are granted at the prevailing market rate less a
discount of 20.0%. Options may be exercised under the scheme within six months of the
completion of each three-year savings contract (from the grant date). There is provision for early
exercise in certain circumstances such as death, disability, redundancy, and retirement. Sharesave
options are accounted for as equity-settled awards under IFRS 2.
148
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Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
23. Share-based payments continued
The following table summarises the movement in Dunelm Group plc Sharesave options during
the period:
2024 2023
Weighted Weighted
2024 average 2023 average
No. of exercise No. of exercise
Sharesave Plans options price (p) options price (p)
Outstanding at beginning of period
2,214,266
717.67
1,182,512
923.00
Granted
614,293
810.00
2,063,669
667.00
Exercised
(22,174)
658.94
(371,564)
634.54
Forfeited
(371,340)
754.03
(660,351)
973.79
Outstanding at end of period
2,435,045
735.95
2,214,266
717.67
Exercisable at end of period
78,984
1,167.00
30,550
654.00
Exercisable at end of period refers to all share options not exercised which have passed their
vesting date, but not yet reached their expiry date. The figure of 78,984 options (2023: 30,550
options) excludes the provisions for early exercise explained above.
Options outstanding at 29 June 2024 are exercisable at prices ranging between 667.00p and
1,167.00p (2023: 654.00p and 1,167.00p) and have a weighted average remaining contractual life
of 2.1 years (2023: 2.8 years), as analysed in the table below:
2024 2023
Weighted Weighted
average average
2024 remaining 2023 remaining
No. of contractual No. of contractual
Sharesave Plans options life (years) options life (years)
Exercise price (pence):
654.00
19,110
667.0 0
1,683,046
2.0
1,928,943
3.0
810.00
537,082
3.0
1,046.00
135,195
1.0
170,758
2.0
1,167.0 0
79,722
95,455
1.0
2,435,045
2.1
2,214,266
2.8
Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)
As explained in the Remuneration Report, the Group operates an equity-settled LTIP scheme for
Executive Directors and other senior colleagues. Performance conditions for the LTIP awards are
detailed in the Remuneration Report. LTIP options are also accounted for as equity-settled awards
under IFRS 2.
The following table summarises the movements in nil-cost LTIP awards during the period:
2024 2023
No. of No. of
LTIP awards options options
Outstanding at beginning of period
1,897,942
1,465,667
Granted
579,517
754,112
Dividend equivalent awarded in the period
67,275
122,382
Exercised
(348,727)
(345,487)
Forfeited
(204,096)
(98,732)
Outstanding at end of period
1,991,911
1,897,942
Exercisable at end of period
4,717
21,505
Exercisable at end of period refers to all share options not exercised which have passed their
vesting date, but not yet reached their expiry date.
The weighted average remaining contractual life of these options is 8.1 years (2023: 8.1 years).
Restricted Stock Award (RSA)
These awards are granted to particular individuals and are dependent on continuing employment.
The only performance condition is that the threshold diluted earnings per share as per the LTIP
conditions is met as detailed in the Remuneration Report on pages 88 to 115. RSA options are also
accounted for as equity-settled awards under IFRS 2.
The following table summarises the movements in nil-cost RSA options during the period:
2024 2023
No. of No. of
Restricted Stock Awards options options
Outstanding at beginning of period
316,446
123,544
Granted
155,032
207,203
Dividend equivalent awarded in the period
9,928
14,697
Exercised
(115,428)
(12,756)
Forfeited
(31,231)
(16,242)
Outstanding at end of period
334,747
316,446
Exercisable at end of period
12,437
2,836
Exercisable at end of period refers to all share options not exercised which have passed their
vesting date, but not yet reached their expiry date.
The weighted average remaining contractual life of these options is 7.9 years (2023: 7.5 years).
149
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Strategic report Governance report Financial statements Other information
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
23. Share-based payments continued
Bonus Deferred Shares Award
The Bonus Deferred Shares Award provides options over shares in Dunelm Group plc for
colleagues of the Group as a discretionary bonus. This is an equity-settled share option scheme
and there are no performance conditions attached to these awards, they are only dependent on
continued employment. Under this arrangement, colleagues are awarded a number of options
which is based on the cash value of the earned bonus award, determined by their achievement of
a mixture of Group and individual performance metrics, divided by a share price value of 1,189.00p
which was approved at the November 2020 AGM. The deferred shares awarded vested in
September 2021 and/or September 2022, depending on colleague level.
The Bonus Deferred Shares Award is structured as nil-cost options and the following table
summarises their movement during the period:
2024 2023
Bonus Deferred Shares Award No. of options No. of options
Outstanding at beginning of period
2,783
158,398
Dividend equivalent awarded in the period
Exercised
(151,667)
Forfeited
(74)
(3,948)
Outstanding at end of period
2,709
2,783
Exercisable at end of period
2,709
2,783
The weighted average remaining contractual life of these options is nil years (2023: nil years).
Fair value calculations
The fair values of all share options granted are calculated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes
option pricing model. Expected volatility is determined by calculating the historical volatility of the
Group’s share price over a period equivalent to the expected life of an option which is aligned to
its vesting period.
The following tables list the inputs to the model used for options granted in the periods ended
29 June 2024 and 1 July 2023 based on information at the date of grant:
Sharesave plans
2024
2023
Share price at date of grant
1,086.00p
974.00p
Exercise price
810.00p
667.00p
Volatility
34.55%
42.28%
Expected life
3 years
3 years
Risk-free rate
3.31%
3.66%
Dividend yield
3.88%
3.27%
Fair value per option
342.80p
393.50p
LTIP awards
2024
2023
Share price at date of grant
1,086.00p
865.00p
Exercise price
0.00p
0.00p
Volatility
34.55%
43.06%
Expected life
3 years
3 years
Risk-free rate
3.93%
3.62%
Dividend yield
3.88%
3.27%
Fair value per option
736.90p
623.30p
Restricted Stock awards
2024
2023
Share price at date of grant
1,086.00p—1,111.00p
678.00p—867.00p
Exercise price
0.00p
0.00p
Volatility
27.43%—34.55%
35.58%—35.90%
Expected life
1—2 years
1—2 years
Risk-free rate
3.93%—3.97%
2.82%—3.62%
Dividend yield
3.88%
3.27%
Fair value per option
736.90—1,086.20p
623.30p—839.10p
The charge to the Income Statement for all share option schemes is disclosed in note 4.
24. Commitments
As at the period end date, the Group had entered into capital contracts for new stores and refits
amounting to £1.5m (2023: £8.1m).
25. Contingent liabilities
The Group had no contingent liabilities at the period end date (2023: none).
26. Related parties
Identity of related parties
The Group has related party relationships with its subsidiaries and with its Directors. Transactions
between the Group and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated on
consolidation for the Group. A list of subsidiaries can be found in note C4 to the Parent Company
Financial Statements.
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
26. Related parties continued
Key management personnel
The key management personnel of the Group comprise members of the Board of Directors and
the Executive Board.
Directors of the Company and their close relatives control 42.7% (2023: 42.7%) of the voting shares
of the Company.
Disclosures relating to remuneration of Directors are set out in the Remuneration Report on
pages 88 to 115. The remuneration of the key management personnel is set out below:
2024 2023
52 weeks 52 weeks
£’m £’m
Wages and salaries
3.7
3.8
Termination benefits
0.1
Short-term employee benefits
2.0
3.1
Post-employment benefits
0.1
0.1
Share-based payments (including NI)
1.0
1.9
6.8
9.0
The amount of gains made by Directors on the exercise of share options are disclosed in the
Remuneration Report on page 108.
From time to time Directors of the Group, or their related entities, may purchase goods from the
Group. These purchases are on the same terms and conditions as those entered into by other
Group employees and values involved are trivial.
27. Ultimate controlling party
The Directors consider that there is no ultimate controlling party of Dunelm Group plc.
Parent Company Statement of Financial Position
As at 29 June 2024
Note
29 June
2024
£’m
1 July
2023
£’m
Non-current assets
Investments in subsidiary undertakings C4 72.5 68.8
Deferred tax assets C5 0.4 0.6
Total non-current assets 72.9 69.4
Current assets
Trade and other receivables C6 84.7 162.3
Total current assets 84.7 162.3
Total assets 157.6 231.7
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables C7 (0.2) (0.3)
Total current liabilities (0.2) (0.3)
Total liabilities (0.2) (0.3)
Net assets 157.4 231.4
Equity
Issued share capital C11 2.0 2.0
Share premium account 1.7 1.7
Non-distributable reserves 27.4 23.6
Capital redemption reserve 43.2 43.2
Retained earnings 83.1 160.9
Total equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent 157.4 231.4
The Company made a profit after tax of £79.3m (2023: £230.9m).
The financial statements on pages 151 to 156 were approved by the Board of Directors on
11 September 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:
Karen Witts
Director
Company number 04708277
11 September 2024
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Parent Company Statement of Changes in Equity
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
Note
Issued
share
capital
£’m
Share
premium
account
£’m
Non-
distributable
reserves
£’m
Capital
redemption
reserve
£’m
Retained
earnings
£’m
Total equity
attributable
to equity
holders of
the Parent
£’m
As at 2 July 2022 2.0 1.7 19.6 43.2 97.3 163.8
Profit for the period 230.9 230.9
Total comprehensive
income for the period 230.9 230.9
Purchase of treasury
shares C12 (7.0) (7.0)
Proceeds from issue of
treasury shares C12 2.4 2.4
Share-based payments C13 4.0 0.8 4.8
Deferred tax on share-
based payments C5 (0.3) (0.3)
Current corporation tax
on share options
exercised C8 0.1 0.1
Dividends C3 (163.3) (163.3)
Total transactions with
owners, recorded directly
in equity 4.0 (167.3) (163.3)
As at 1 July 2023 2.0 1.7 23.6 43.2 160.9 231.4
Profit for the period 79.3 79.3
Note
Issued
share
capital
£’m
Share
premium
account
£’m
Non-
distributable
reserves
£’m
Capital
redemption
reserve
£’m
Retained
earnings
£’m
Total equity
attributable
to equity
holders of
the Parent
£’m
Total comprehensive
income for the period 79.3 79.3
Purchase of treasury
shares C12
Proceeds from issue of
treasury shares C12 0.1 0.1
Share-based payments C13 3.8 0.5 4.3
Deferred tax on share-
based payments C5 (0.1) (0.1)
Current corporation tax
on share options
exercised C8
Dividends C3 (157.6) (157.6)
Total transactions with
owners, recorded directly
in equity 3.8 (157.1) (153.3)
As at 29 June 2024 2.0 1.7 27.4 43.2 83.1 157.4
The non-distributable reserves’ purpose is to reflect movements in share-based payments in
respect of awards given by the Parent Company to employees of its subsidiaries.
At the time of declaring dividends, the Directors assessed the level of available distributable
reserves with reference to relevant accounts and considered there to be sufficient levels to
support the dividend.
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Parent Company Accounting Policies
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
Non-market performance and service conditions are included in assumptions about the number
of options that are expected to vest. The total expense is recognised over the vesting period,
which is the period over which all of the specified vesting conditions are to be satisfied.
In addition, in some circumstances employees may provide services in advance of the grant date
and therefore the grant date fair value is estimated for the purposes of recognising the expense
during the period between service commencement period and grant date.
At the end of each reporting period, the Company revises its estimates of the number of options
that are expected to vest based on the non-market vesting conditions. It recognises the impact of
the revision to original estimates, if any, in the Income Statement, with a corresponding adjustment
to equity.
When the options are exercised, the Company either issues new shares, or uses treasury shares
purchased for this purpose. For newly issued shares, the proceeds received net of any directly
attributable transaction costs are credited to share capital (nominal value) and share premium.
The social security contributions payable in connection with the grant of the share options
are considered an integral part of the grant itself, and the charge will be treated as a
cash-settled transaction.
Taxation
Tax on the profit or loss for the period comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the
Income Statement except to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in equity, in
which case it is recognised in equity.
Current tax represents the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the period, using tax
rates enacted or substantively enacted at the Statement of Financial Position date, together with
any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous periods.
Deferred tax provides for temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and
liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. Deferred
tax is determined using tax rates (and laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted at the
Statement of Financial Position date and are expected to apply when the related deferred tax
asset is realised or the deferred tax liability is settled.
A deferred tax asset is recognised only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits
will be available against which the asset can be recognised.
General information
Dunelm Group plc (the ‘Company) is incorporated and domiciled in the UK. Dunelm Group plc
is a listed public Company, limited by shares and the Company registration number is 04708277.
The registered office is Dunelm Store Support Centre, Watermead Business Park, Syston,
Leicester, Leicestershire, England, LE7 1AD.
Basis of preparation
These Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 101 “Reduced Disclosure
Framework” (FRS101).
As permitted by FRS 101, the Company has taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions
available under that standard in relation to standards not yet effective, presentation of a cash flow
statement and requirements to disclose related party transactions entered into between two or
more members of a group. The accounting policies adopted for the Parent Company, Dunelm
Group plc, are otherwise consistent with those used for the Group which are set out on pages 132
to 138.
The annual Financial Statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in
accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and other applicable law. The Financial Statements are
prepared in pounds sterling, rounded to the nearest 0.1 million.
Going concern
After making enquiries, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has
adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly,
they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
Additional considerations relating to the potential downturn in the homewares market on the
going concern assumptions are set out in the Consolidated Financial Statements on page 132.
Share-based payments
Employees of the Company have been granted options for two equity-settled, share-based
compensation plans, under which the entity receives services from employees as consideration for
equity instruments (options) of the Company. The fair value of the employee services received in
exchange for the grant of the options is recognised as an expense. The total amount to be expensed
is determined by reference to the fair value of the options granted:
including any market performance conditions (for example, an entity’s share price);
excluding the impact of any service and non-market performance vesting conditions (for
example, profitability, sales growth targets and remaining an employee of the entity over a
specified time period); and
including the impact of any non-vesting conditions (for example, the requirement for employees
to save).
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Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to
offset current tax assets against current tax liabilities and when they relate to income taxes levied
by the same taxation authority on either the taxable entity or different taxable entities where there
is an intention to settle the balances on a net basis.
Dividends
Dividends are recognised as a liability in the period in which they are approved such that the
Company is obligated to pay the dividend.
Trade and other receivables
Trade and other receivables are initially recognised at fair value and then carried at amortised cost,
net of impairment provisions.
Share capital
Where the Company purchases its own equity share capital (treasury shares) the consideration
paid, including any directly attributable incremental costs, is deducted from equity attributable
to the Company’s equity holders until the shares are cancelled or reissued. Where such shares
are subsequently sold or reissued, any consideration received net of any directly attributable
incremental transaction costs and the related income tax effects, is included in equity attributable
to the Company’s equity holders.
Investments
Investments in subsidiary undertakings are stated at the adjusted cost of the investment. IFRS 2
requires the Parent Company to recognise an increase in the cost of its investment in a subsidiary
which has issued share options in the Parent Company’s shares to its employees.
New standards and interpretations
A detailed list of new standards, amendments or interpretations can be found in the consolidated
accounting policies on page 138.
Use of estimates and judgements
Based on the IAS 1 definitions, there are no significant estimates or critical judgements used in the
Company Financial Statements.
C1. Income Statement
The Company made a profit after tax of £79.3m (2023: £230.9m). The Directors have taken
advantage of the exemption available under section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and have not
presented an Income Statement for the Company.
Disclosures relating to the fees paid to the Company’s auditors are set out in note 3 in the Group’s
financial statements on page 139.
C2. Employee costs
The Company’s employees are the three Executive Directors and the Non-Executive Directors.
Full details of the Directors’ remuneration and interests are set out in the Remuneration Report on
pages 88 to 115. Share-based payments details are given in note C13 on page 156.
C3. Dividends and special distributions to shareholders
Disclosures relating to dividends and special distributions to shareholders are set out in note 7
in the Group’s financial statements on page 140.
C4. Investments in subsidiary undertakings
Shares in subsidiary undertakings:
£’m
As at 2 July 2022 64.8
Share-based payments 4.0
As at 1 July 2023 68.8
Share-based payments 3.7
As at 29 June 2024 72.5
The share-based payment adjustment to investments reflects share option awards given by the
Parent Company to employees of its subsidiaries.
Parent Company Accounting Policies continued
Notes to the Parent Company Financial Statements
For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2024
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Notes to the Parent Company Financial Statements continued
C4. Investments in subsidiary undertakings continued
The following were subsidiaries as at 29 June 2024:
Subsidiary Proportion of ordinary shares held Nature of business
Dunelm Limited 100% Holding company
Dunelm (Soft Furnishings) Ltd* 100% Retailer of soft furnishings
Dunelm Estates Limited* 100% Dormant company
Zoncolan Limited* 100% Dormant company
Fogarty Holdings Limited* 100% Non-trading company
Globe Online Limited* 100% Dormant company
Dunelm (Soft Furnishings)
Londonderry Ltd* 100% Non-trading company
* Share capital held by subsidiary undertaking.
Dunelm Group plc, the Parent Company, and its subsidiaries (excluding Dunelm (Soft Furnishings)
Londonderry Ltd) are incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The registered office is Dunelm Store
Support Centre, Watermead Business Park, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, LE7 1AD.
The registered address for Dunelm (Soft Furnishings) Londonderry Ltd is Faustina Retail Park,
35 Buncrana Road, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, BT48 8QN.
C5. Deferred tax assets
2024
£’m
2023
£’m
Employee benefits 0.4 0.6
The movement in deferred tax assets is as follows:
Balance at
3 July 2022
£’m
Recognised
in income
£’m
Recognised
in equity
£’m
Balance at
1 July 2023
£’m
Employee benefits 1.0 (0.1) (0.3) 0.6
Balance at
2 July 2023
£’m
Recognised
in income
£’m
Recognised
in equity
£’m
Balance at
29 June
2024
£’m
Employee benefits 0.6 (0.1) (0.1) 0.4
C6. Trade and other receivables
2024
£’m
2023
£’m
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings 84.7 162.3
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings are repayable on demand. Interest is charged monthly
on all intercompany balances at an annual rate of 2.0%. There is no security on these balances.
These amounts pose no liquidity or credit risk as they are owed by other Group undertakings and
are expected to be settled by Group transactions.
C7. Trade and other payables
2024
£’m
2023
£’m
Accruals and deferred income 0.2 0.3
0.2 0.3
C8. Taxation
2024
£’m
2023
£’m
Current taxation
UK corporation tax charge for the period 0.1
Deferred taxation
Origination of temporary differences 0.1 0.1
Tax expense 0.1 0.2
The tax charge is reconciled with the standard rate of UK corporation tax as follows:
2024
£’m
2023
£’m
Profit before taxation 79.4 231.1
UK corporation tax at standard rate of 25% (2023: 20.5%) 19.9 47.4
Factors affecting the charge in the period:
Income not subject to tax (20.4) (47.8)
Impact of change in tax rate (0.1)
Group relief 0.6 0.7
Tax expense 0.1 0.2
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Notes to the Parent Company Financial Statements continued
C8. Taxation continued
The UK Government substantively enacted an increase in the corporation tax rate to 25.0%
effective from 1 April 2023. The deferred tax asset as at 29 June 2024 has been calculated based
on the rate of 25.0%.
C9. Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
The Company’s only interest-bearing borrowings relate to intercompany loans which have interest
charges of 2.0% and are not affected by changes in SONIA.
C10. Financial risk management
Capital management
The Board’s objective with respect to capital management is to ensure the Company continues as
a going concern in order to optimise returns to shareholders. The Board’s policy is to retain a
strong capital base so as to maintain investor, creditor and market confidence and to sustain future
development. The Board regularly monitors the level of capital in the Group to ensure that this can
be achieved.
C11. Issued share capital
Disclosures relating to issued share capital are set out in note 21 in the Group’s financial
statements on page 148.
C12. Treasury shares
Disclosures relating to treasury shares are set out in note 22 in the Group’s financial statements
on page 148.
C13. Share-based payments
The Company operates the following share-based payment schemes for the CEO and CFO:
a. Dunelm Group Savings Related Share Option Plan (Sharesave)
The Dunelm Group plc Savings Related Share Option Plan (Sharesave) scheme is open to all
colleagues with eligible length of service. Invitations to participate in the scheme are issued
annually and the scheme is ‘approved’ under HMRC rules. The current maximum monthly savings
for the schemes is £500. Options are granted at the prevailing market rate less a discount of 20%.
Options may be exercised under the scheme within six months of the completion of each
three-year savings contract (from the grant date). There is provision for early exercise in certain
circumstances such as death, disability, redundancy, and retirement. Sharesave options are
accounted for as equity-settled awards under IFRS 2.
b. Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)
As explained in the Remuneration report, the Company operates an equity-settled LTIP scheme.
Performance conditions for the LTIP awards are detailed in the Remuneration Report. LTIP options
are also accounted for as equity-settled awards under IFRS 2.
C14. Contingent liabilities
The Company had no contingent liabilities at the period end date (2023: £nil).
C15. Related parties
Key management personnel
All employees of the Company are key management personnel.
Directors of the Company and their close relatives control 42.7% (2023: 42.7%) of the voting shares
of the Company.
2024
52 weeks
£’m
2023
52 weeks
£’m
Wages and salaries 1.9 1.7
Short-term employee benefits 1.0 1.4
Share-based payments (including NI) 0.6 0.9
3.5 4.0
There were no termination benefits for employees of the Company.
The amount of gains made by Directors on the exercise of share options are disclosed in the
Remuneration report on page 108.
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Alternative performance measures (‘APMs’)
APM Definition, purpose and reconciliation to statutory measure
Adjusted EBITDA EBITDA less depreciation on right-of-use assets. To measure
compliance with bank covenants.
EBITDAR EBITDAR is calculated as EBITDA plus rent. To measure
compliance with bank covenants.
Effective tax rate Taxation expressed as a percentage of profit before taxation.
To measure how close we are to the UK corporation tax rate and
understand the reasons for any differences.
Capex (net of disposals) Acquisition of intangible assets, property, plant and equipment
and investment properties less proceeds on disposal of
intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and
investment properties.
Free cash flow Free cash flow is defined as net cash generated from operating
activities less capex (net of disposals) and business combinations,
net interest paid (including leases) and loan transaction costs, and
repayment of principal element of lease liabilities. Measures the
cash generated that is available for disbursement to shareholders.
Net cash/(debt) Cash and cash equivalents less total borrowings (as shown in note
19). Excludes IFRS 16 lease liabilities.
Cash conversion Free cash flow expressed as a percentage of operating profit.
APM Definition, purpose and reconciliation to statutory measure
Total sales Equivalent to revenue (from all channels). This is net of
customer returns.
Digital sales Digital sales include home delivery, Click & Collect and tablet-
based sales in store.
Digital % total sales Digital sales (as defined above) expressed as a percentage of
revenue. This is not a measure that we seek to maximise in itself,
but we measure it to track our adaptability to changing
customer behaviours.
Ordinary dividend cover Ordinary dividend cover is calculated as earnings per share
divided by the total ordinary dividend relating to the financial
year. This measure is used in our capital and dividend policy.
Gross margin % Gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenue. Measures the
profitability of product sales prior to operating costs.
Operating costs to sales ratio Operating costs expressed as a percentage of revenue.
To measure the growth of costs relative to sales growth.
EBITDA Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and
impairment. Operating profit plus depreciation and amortisation
of property, plant and equipment, right-of-use assets and
intangible assets plus loss on disposal and impairment of property,
plant and equipment and intangible assets. Used in our capital
and dividend policy.
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Advisors and contacts
Corporate
brokers
Barclays Bank plc
1 Churchill Place
London E14 5HP
Tel: 020 7623 2323
Peel Hunt LLP
100 Liverpool Street
London EC2M 2AT
Tel: 020 7418 8900
Financial
advisors
UBS Investment Bank
5 Broadgate
London EC2M 2QS
Tel: 020 7567 8000
Financial
public
relations
MHP Communications
60 Great Portland Street
London W1W 7RT
Tel: 020 3128 8100
Independent
auditors
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Pegasus Business Park
Castle Donnington
East Midlands DE74 2UZ
Tel: 01509 604 000
Registered
office
Dunelm Store Support Centre
Watermead Business Park
Syston Leicester
Leicestershire England LE7 1AD
Company registration no: 4708277
Principal
bankers
Barclays Bank plc
1 Churchill Place
London E14 5HP
Tel: 020 7623 2323
Investor
relations
corporate.dunelm.com
Tel: 0116 264 4400
Email: investorrelations@dunelm.com
Registrars Equiniti
Aspect House
Spencer Road, Lancing
West Sussex BN99 6DA
Tel: 0371 384 2030
1
1. If dialling internationally, call +44 121 415 7047. The helpline is open Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, excluding bank holidays.
158
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Designed and produced by Gather.London
This report is printed on Revive 100 Silk paper certified in accordance with the FS
(Forest Stewardship Council®) and is recyclable and acid-free.
Pureprint Ltd is FSC certified and ISO 14001 certified showing that it is committed to all round
excellence and improving environmental performance is an important part of this strategy.
Pureprint Ltd aims to reduce at source the effect its operations have on the environment and
is committed to continual improvement, prevention of pollution and compliance with any
legislation or industry standards.
Pureprint Ltd is a Carbon/Neutral® Printing Company.
This is to certify that by using Carbon Balanced Paper for the Dunelm Group Annual Report,
Dunelm has balanced through World Land Trust the equivalent of 122kg of carbon dioxide.
This support will enable World Trust to protect 23m
2
. of critically threatened tropical forest.
Issued on 20/09/2024 — Certificate number CBP026995. Presented by Denmaur Paper Media.
Tel: 0116 264 4400
Email: investorrelations@dunelm.com
corporate.dunelm.com