Hellaby’s footwear brands, Hannahs, Hush Puppies, Pulp, and Number One Shoes have suffered a decrease in sales of three per cent for the first half of the financial year.

Total sales for Hellaby’s footwear division came in at $68.5 million, despite better margins and cost improvements.

According to the company, the footwear brands’ profitability is heavily weighted to the second half of the year and an improved performance is expected in the six months to June 2015.

A cold and wet second quarter delayed the start to summer, significantly impacting sales.

Hellaby is New Zealand’s biggest footwear retail group, with three retail chains operating 115 stores across New Zealand.

Hannahs is NZ’s largest specialty retail footwear chain with 51 stores. There are 10 Hush Puppies, 45 Number One Shoes, and three Pulp stores. There is also one Pulp store in Australia.