The Very Group has published its results for Q1 of FY26 (the 13 weeks to late September 2025) and they show the e-tail giant still loss-making but seeing “further improvements in profitability and a return to top-line growth compared to the same period in the prior year”.

It comes after what it described as “robust” results for FY25, even though they included a major pre-tax loss linked to a writedown of an inter-company loan made to the then-controlling Barclay family’s holding company as lenders prepared to take over the business.

Now owned by major lender Carlyle and reportedly up for sale, the company said that the market remains challenging but the group saw revenue growth of 2.4% to £460.8 million in Q1. At the star Very UK operation, revenue (which accounts for the bulk of the firm’s total retail sales) rose 3.7% to £406.7 million.

Growth was achieved in both Retail revenue with group sales of goods up 0.9% to £341.3 million and in Finance revenue, which jumped 5.8% to £112.9 million.

The company added that the Very UK operation saw strong results within its higher-margin Home category that rose 10.9% year on year, while its Sports offering increased 12.3% following the introduction of a number of key new brands in the second half of the previous year.

Meanwhile the Toys and Beauty category continue to perform well with 6.4% growth, of which Beauty alone saw 4.1% growth.

That said, Fashion and Sports combined declined 1% in a tough market but, as mentioned, Sports was strong. Parts of the Fashion market were buoyant as well with a 30.1% increase in casual womenswear sales, in part supported by the launch of its new own-brand offering The Very Collection in September 2025. Given that Q1 only ran until the end of that month, it looks likely that the collection will be able to contribute even more in the future.

This all led to gross profit rising to £173.4 million from £163.3 million, or a statutory gross margin rate of 37.6% up 1.3%pts.

It also said that its continued focus on cost controls contributed to a 16.3% increased in pre-exceptional EBITDA to £63.4 million.

That said, it still made a total pre-tax loss of £24.9 million, wider than the £23.1 million loss in the previous year. Similarly, the net loss of £31.4 million was larger than a loss of £23.1 million of the year before, although the company is clearly moving in the right direction on an underlying basis.