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Grafton Group plc Trading Update Strong Trading and Increased Operating Profit Guidance Grafton Group plc , the international building materials distributor and DIY retailer , issues this trading update for the year ended 31 December 2020 in advance of the announcement of its Final Results for the year on 25 February 2021 . Highlights ● Revenue and profitability in the two months to 31 December 2020 ahead of expectations Adjusted operating profit¹ expected to exceed current consensus² of £ 174 million by slightly more than five per cent Strong year end net cash position and excellent liquidity All distribution , retail and manufacturing branches currently remain open as essential suppliers Covid - 19 Update Health and safety is our number one priority and we remain very focused on the safety of our colleagues and customers . Our branches , stores and manufacturing locations operate to the highest health and safety standards in line with Covid - 19 guidance provided locally by Governments and health authorities in the countries where we operate . Whilst the most recently announced lockdown measures in Ireland have seen the temporary closure of most construction activity from 9 January , our branches remain open to support essential maintenance and those elements of the industry that are permitted to operate . Trading Performance Trading in the two months to 31 December 2020 was ahead of expectations with Group average daily like - for - like revenue up by 7.2 per cent and total revenue ahead by 10.8 per cent to £ 439.4 million ( 2019 : £ 396.7 million ) . This marked a continuation , through to the year end , of the strong recovery evident in the four months to the end of October which followed a sharp decline in second quarter revenue caused by the pandemic . Demand was strongest in the Woodie's and Chadwicks businesses in Ireland and in Selco in the UK . The Group benefitted from its strategy of investing in higher returning businesses and from households spending a greater proportion of disposable income on their homes . Group revenue for the year from continuing operations declined by 6.1 per cent to £ 2.51 billion ( 2019 : £ 2.67 billion ) reflecting a sharp decline in trading during the second quarter lockdown that was significantly offset by a strong recovery in the second half of the year . The table below shows the changes in average daily like - for - like revenue and in total revenue for continuing operations compared to the same periods in 2019 . Segment Merchanting - UK - Ireland -Netherlands Retailing Manufacturing Group Average Daily Like - for - Like Revenue Growth in Constant Currency Two Months to 31 December 2020 5.1 % 10.3 % ( 1.1 % ) 26.5 % ( 10.5 % ) 7.2 % Year to 31 December 2020 ( 14.2 % ) ( 2.9 % ) 0.7 % 17.2 % ( 25.0 % ) ( 8.7 % ) Total Revenue Constant Currency Year to 31 December 2020 ( 14.6 % ) ( 1.7 % ) 28.8 % 17.5 % ( 22.8 % ) ( 6.6 % ) Actual ( Sterling ) Year to 31 December 2020 ( 14.6 % ) ( 0.2 % ) 30.6 % 20.0 % ( 22.7 % ) ( 6.1 % )