Shoe Zone said sales were up almost a third over the past year as it bounced back from months of closures during lockdown.
The discount retailer said revenues for the year to October 1 were £156.2 million compared to £119.1 million the previous year when stores were forced to shut for 16 weeks.
However online sales, which grew during the pandemic, were down more than 13 per cent to £30.6 million. They now represent around one-in-six Shoe Zone sales.
The Leicestershire-headquartered business said it expected pre-tax profits of £11 million and above for the year – which includes £1.4 million from property sales and gains from a foreign exchange revaluation which was worth £1 million.
During the year the business shut 63 shops, opened 13 and refitted 11, taking the total number down to 360.
There are now 271 original Shoe Zone stores, 45 out-of-town “Big Box” shops and 44 “Hybrid” stores which are positioned mid-way between the two.
In a trading update it said: “We continue our strategy to expand the number of Big Box and Hybrid formats through relocations and refits of existing Shoe Zone stores.
“In the year we sold 14 freehold properties which generated a profit on sale of £1.4 million.”
Chief executive Anthony Smith said: "I am pleased to announce that Shoe Zone had a positive year that included a full 52 weeks trade post-pandemic.
“We continue our strategy to expand our Hybrid and Big Box formats via refits and relocations.
“Shoe Zone continues to show how resilient it is, with a proven track record of delivering robust results during times of economic uncertainty.
“We look forward to updating shareholders in more detail at the time of our final results on 10 January 2023.
“I would like to thank all of our teams for their continued commitment and hard work that have produced these great results."
