Dr Martens has warned that its revenue margins will fall this yr because the UK bootmaker ploughs funding right into a enterprise that has been beset by distribution issues within the US, sending its shares down by as a lot as 12 per cent on Thursday.

The corporate, which began life in 1901 in a small city in Northamptonshire, has confronted a collection of promoting and distribution points within the US over the previous yr, in addition to lacklustre demand for its footwear within the area amid surging inflation.

It revealed on Thursday that the issues had pushed pre-tax income down by 1 / 4 to £159mn and mentioned there could be extra ache to come back, regardless of a ten per cent improve in income to greater than £1bn for the primary time within the firm’s historical past.

Chief government Kenny Wilson, who joined the retailer in 2018 when it was owned by non-public fairness group Permira, mentioned it was paramount to “put money into our future”.

Margins on the stage of earnings earlier than curiosity, tax, depreciation and amortisation dropped 4.5 proportion factors to 24.5 per cent within the yr ended March 31. Dr Martens expects them to drop one other 1 to 2 proportion factors within the present yr.

“Once I joined we have been doing £348mn [in sales]. The brand new ambition is to go from being a £1bn model to a £2bn model. The rationale why we’re making these investments [in stores and systems] is as a result of we nonetheless see big alternatives to develop,” Wilson mentioned. “Brief time period, this yr is dilutive, however it gained’t be dilutive long run.”

The shares dropped 12 per cent in early buying and selling in London earlier than they recovered some losses within the afternoon. The inventory has nearly halved in worth over the previous yr, leaving it down 68 per cent since its flotation in 2021.

“The problem isn’t the numbers for the yr to March, however the steerage for the approaching yr . . . That’s the newest in a string of disappointments and one which may feed the bias that non-public fairness corporations squeeze prices and funding too arduous once they personal a enterprise after which depart the following homeowners to choose up the tab,” mentioned Russ Mould, funding director at AJ Bell.

Wilson dismissed the suggestion on Thursday: “We invested earlier than the IPO after we have been a personal firm, we invested because the IPO and we’ll proceed to take a position.”

He added that he anticipated inflation “to be tamed subsequent yr” and that customers could be underneath much less stress, “however this yr continues to be going to be powerful”.

He additionally admitted that Dr Martens had an excessive amount of stock, predominantly within the US, “however there isn’t any method I’m going to mark down core black iconic product as a result of in December, identical to it was 59 years in the past, will probably be extremely related and due to this fact I can promote it at full worth” as reductions usually erode revenue margins.