Grafton half-year turnover drops €450m

Builders' merchants and DIY retailers the Grafton Group said today that turnover for the first six months of the year was down €450m or 31%.

The group, owners of Woodies, Heatons and Chadwicks with operations in Ireland and the UK, said turnover for the six months to June 30 was around €990m, down from €1.4bn in the same period last year.