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PRIVACY
Retail & Consumer

Shoe Zone shuts 20 stores and carries out head office redundancy programme

Online trade up but “a review of the viability of all stores continues post exit from lockdown”

Shoe Zone has had a "difficult year"

Discount footwear chain Shoe Zone stores has decided to close 20 stores.

It has also carried out a redundancy programme at its Leicester head office.

The business said a double whammy of lockdown and supply chain disruption had pushed it into the red for the last six months.

The chain, which has 3,500 staff, was suffering the effects of the coronavirus even before the lockdown was imposed as shoppers stayed at home.

Last week it was able to reopen 416 of its 490 shops, with more due to open at the end of the month as Wales and Scotland ease their restrictions.

A trading update shows the business suffered pre-tax losses of £2.5 million in the half year to April 4 - when lockdown had only just begun - compared to a £1 million profit a year earlier.

Turnover for the period was £68.9 million, compared to £73 million the same time last year.

Chief executive Anthony Smith said “Covid-19 will continue to have an unprecedented impact on the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ economy and the retail industry.