DORSET-based fashion chain New Look saw sales plummet in the year of the Covid lockdowns but recover strongly in the early part of 2021.

The high street retailer said total revenues have almost tripled for the first quarter of the current year.

But sales fell by 40 per cent to £542.2million for the financial year which ended in March.

Nigel Oddy, chief executive of the Weymouth-headquartered firm, said last year’s figures “are clearly not reflective of the health of the business as it stands here today”.

The company confirmed in its accounts that it closed 39 stores to take its portfolio to 472 sites at the end of the year.

It came after New Look pushed through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) restructuring deal which also heavily reduced its rent bill.

It reduced its employee numbers by almost 2,000 to 10,912 by the end of March this year.

New Look, based at Mercery Road, said it had been boosted by the reopening of stores in April but had also seen e-commerce sales rise over the period, with a 3.8 per cent increase for the quarter to the end of June

Total revenues for the period rose by 181.7 per cent to £194.4m compared with the same period last year, which had seen the firm hammered by pandemic closures.

The group also said it had seen a positive reaction from shoppers to its latest summer ranges with “strong” sales of dresses and sandals since UK weather warmed up.

Mr Oddy said: “We have been delighted to welcome our customers back to our stores since reopening from April 2021, which, as expected, has driven strong sales growth as lower footfall has been offset by improved sales conversion rates.

“Looking ahead, structural changes in the market have accelerated as a result of the pandemic and there is no doubt the retail landscape has been permanently transformed.

“New Look has an excellent opportunity to capitalise on, and the combination of a cohesive omnichannel model, conveniently located stores, and feel-good fashion at great prices will put us in a strong position to deliver long-term and sustainable growth.”