Shoe Zone revenue falls 4.5% to £142.4 million as company forecasts £1 million loss
Key Facts
Herts Advertiser reported that Shoe Zone revenue fell 4.5% to £142.4 million in the 53 weeks ended October 3, 2026, and that the company expected an adjusted pre-tax loss of about £1 million for financial year 2025/2026. The report places the figures in the context of the annual trading update listed on the company’s calendar for October. But the forecast reported by the newspaper does not by itself establish that the company issued a detailed statement, and the primary statement of the annual figures could not be verified. In July, the company’s guidance indicated an adjusted pre-tax loss of no more than £1 million, after a previous estimate of between £1 million and £2 million. The comparison shows that the expected loss ceiling had improved before the year-end, despite the decline in revenue reported by the newspaper.
The annual revenue figures followed a contraction in both sales channels in the first half of 2026. Store revenue fell 14.1% to £45.8 million in the 26 weeks to March 28, compared with £53.3 million in the corresponding period of 2025. Digital revenue declined 6.0% to £17.1 million, from £18.2 million a year earlier. Revenue weakness therefore extended to stores and online sales in the interim period, ahead of the annual decline reported by Herts Advertiser. These figures alone do not provide a breakdown of each channel’s contribution to the full-year result.
The company recorded a pre-tax loss of £5.3 million in the first half, compared with £2.3 million in the same period of 2025. At the same time, net cash rose to £7.5 million on March 28, compared with £1.7 million a year earlier, according to first-half results carried by Alliance News via Morningstar. The indicators show a divergence between a widening loss and an improved cash balance in the interim period. The company had attributed improved trading in its July guidance to warehouse clearance sales and favourable seasonal weather. On the basis of that update, it narrowed its expected adjusted loss range from £1 million to £2 million to a maximum of £1 million for the year ended October 3.
In its operations, Shoe Zone ended the first half of 2026 with a network of 259 stores, after closing 14 stores, opening four larger stores and refurbishing three. The company is relocating and refurbishing stores, but the programme is progressing more slowly, with completion expected by the end of 2027. This points to an adjustment of the store network alongside a decline in store revenue in the first half, while digital revenue also fell. The available figures do not quantify the effect of larger stores or refurbishments on margins or sales. The moves therefore form part of the background to the business’s restructuring, while interim results reflect pressure on both sales channels.
The company’s calendar lists January 2027 as the date for publication of final results for financial year 2025/2026, following the annual trading update listed in October 2026. The annual results will provide a later date for reporting the full performance for the year ended October 3. The store relocation and refurbishment programme is also targeted for completion by the end of 2027, according to the company’s operational update. Until the final results are released, the annual revenue figure and expected loss reported in press coverage remain the details available here on the year-end. The first-half figures provide earlier context, including declines in store and digital revenue and a wider pre-tax loss.