Plumbworld, billed as “the kitchen and bathroom industry’s first online pure-play business,” has celebrated its 25th anniversary by reaching the £100million sales landmark.
Plumbworld was founded by current CEO James Hickman in 1999 – before the first iPhone and pre-Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. It was an era when people were still wondering if the internet would catch on, especially in the retail sector, however accounts for the year ending December 2023 have revealed the business grew by 15%, with sales reaching £102.8million and EBITDA profit of £9.6m.
With the new figures showing that Plumbworld continues to go from strength to strength, James said: “It is great to break through the £100m sales level for the first time and enter our 25th year of trading in such a strong position. The internet has changed a lot since 1999, but the core business principle of selling high quality products at affordable prices is as successful today as it was in the last millennium.”
Plumbworld employs 164 staff across its two sites at Evesham, Worcestershire, and Barrowford in Lancashire. James sold the business to Grafton Group plc in 2006, bought it back in a management buy-out in 2018, and sold it to the current owners, Highbourne Group, in 2022.
