has reported group operating profit up 4% to £14.1 million. Not only was that up year-on-year, but its previous financial year had covered 70 weeks as it adjusted its reporting date.

Group turnover rose 4% on a comparable 52-week basis to £226.3 million, but the company said “the performance dynamics were very different in the first seven months” compared to the rest of the year as the pandemic hit.

Pre-pandemic, it saw similar growth levels across stores and digital, but lockdowns drove more traffic to digital and it was “able to mitigate a large portion of the lost trade from the stores” so its five-month sales during the crisis only saw a slight decline.

And despite the ongoing pandemic impact since August, trading has “been positive, supported by a greater consumer appetite for home and gifting products”.

The company remains “cautiously optimistic for the future, especially with stores now reopened, but [is] conscious of the uncertainties” generally.

CEO Mary Homer said the year was “extremely challenging” but the company has made “further strides with our international growth, digital transformation and IT infrastructure”.