Footwear group Clinkard, which opened its first shoe shop in Middlesbrough in 1924, has returned to profit in its latest financial results, with directors confident about future trading.

Results for the year ending 29 January 2022, show sales growth of 29%, with turnover rising from £23.9m to £30.8m. The group has also returned to a pre-tax profit of £1.4m, up from a £2.5m loss.

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Tim Payne, managing director of retail at The Clinkard Group, said: “We are confident that the business will remain profitable for the rest of the new financial year after a positive first half of 2022.”

Employing more than 480 people, The Clinkard Group operates as a store and online retailer, and also as a wholesale agent for a number of European footwear brands.

Tim continued, “Online sales helped us navigate through the pandemic and while our main challenge has traditionally been to be in the right location, we now need to take into consideration post-pandemic habits and adjust our strategy accordingly.

"The business must remain agile in order to respond quickly to changing trends in retail and stay ahead of what our customers expect and need. Our focus for the future is integrating our multi-channel offering, ensuring that whether a customer visits us in-store or online, they receive a consistently high-level of care, knowledge and expertise."