Carpet company is on a roll

Bumper carpet sales have boosted profits

A carpet firm says bumper sales means its full-year profits will be higher than expected.

Kidderminster-based Victoria said UK trading from October to December had been ahead of expectations - with sales up 30% on the previous year.

Analysts are now predicting pre-tax profits to rise to £2.5m, compared to a previous forecast of £2.25m.

Victoria bought Ireland-based Munster Carpets last October and added Australian yarn-spinning company Pacific Textiles to its portfolio in November.

Nothing revolutionary

Both businesses were performing well and were already contributing to profitability, the group said.

Group managing director Alan Bullock said last quarter's strong performance resulted from a combination of a "strong product portfolio, consistently high levels of service and long-term investment".

He added: "There is nothing revolutionary about what we are doing - it is just more and more of giving people good value for money and high quality service."

The company, whose customers include department store group John Lewis, employs 395 staff in the UK and a further 315 in Australia.