Discount retailer B&M has reported "strong" growth and raised revenue forecasts for the financial year - despite the ongoing coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
The Liverpool-headquartered firm released a Q4 trading update on Thursday for the year to March 27, and said despite the UK now in its third national lockdown in the past 12 months, "revenues and margins have remained strong".
The firm said it was raising expectations of adjusted earnings before tax to between £590m and £620m - up from the previously stated range of £540m and £570m.
The statement added: "Group sales will shortly annualise against the elevated sales, driven initially by consumer stockpiling in mid-March 2020, and which continued throughout FY21 due to the ongoing impacts of Covid-19.
"This, together with the unknown impact of changes to restrictions in 2021, creates significant forecasting challenges which will persist well into the new financial year.
"The safety of the group's colleagues and customers remains the key priority, whilst working hard to continue to meet customers' needs. B&M also re-introduced the colleague discount for all NHS workers throughout January 2021."
