Family furniture retailer Fishpools has reported a decline in sales while profit improved.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 2 February 2025, total sales fell 7.5% to £26.9m from £29.1m in 2024.

Pre-tax profit resulted at £230,000, up from £45,000 recorded the previous year. Margins were strong at 48.1%, up one point on last year.

Stated within its report, the company said: “In 2024 as Fishpools reached the milestone of its 125th Birthday, we celebrated everything and everyone who had contributed to our sustained success whilst also planning for the substantial challenges that lay ahead.

“Our core mission of providing customers with a fantastic selection of products, delivered with wonderful customer service has always been underpinned by a determination to apply commercial-common-sense in ensuring an appropriate balance of short- and longer-term decision making. Whilst these principles remain as important as ever, we must always challenge ourselves on the way we go about achieving these objectives.

“Election years are typically tricky for the furniture sector and with the added pressures of global cost-of-living increases and geo-political tensions, 2024 proved to be just as challenging as we anticipated. This was clearly not helped by the Governments autumn budget which negatively affected consumer and business confidence alike.

“Despite this external noise, we continued to review our product strategy across the business, with some of our accessories departments giving up trading space in order to further strengthen our furniture offering. The short to medium term disruption this generates will enhance our proposition going forward and it was pleasing to trade in line with expectations. Margins strengthened in the year, reflecting a more profitable product mix together with a somewhat calmer supply chain.

“With trading back to pre-pandemic levels, we have continued the process of ensuring that overheads are consistent with both our longer-term strategy and immediate term market conditions. Overheads were sensibly managed, with efficiency and effectiveness paramount.”