Builders suppliers and DIY firm, Grafton Group, has reported a 12.8 per cent increase in revenue to £2.11 billion (€2.40 billion) for the ten months to October 31st.

The company, which has operations in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium, posted revenues of £1.87 billion for the same period last year.

Growth in UK merchanting like-for-like sales, which make up more than 70 per cent of group revenues, increased 2.4 per cent in the ten months to October 31st. In Ireland, like-for-like revenues jumped 11.5 per cent in the period.

Grafton chief executive Gavin Slark said the group had a satisfactory performance in the period with development activity focused on expansion of the Selco branch network in the UK.

He said Woodie’s DIY continued to generate good like-for-like growth in Ireland benefitting from gains in employment and disposable incomes.

“The Irish and Netherlands businesses performed well and are attractively positioned to benefit from a relatively early stage recovery in the economic cycle and underpin the benefits to the group of exposure to multiple markets.”