The group sought to control costs, including a reduction in the working hours of some staff, after consultation.
But the roll-out of the GreenEarth brand, which involves more environmentally-friendly cleaning processes, continued after a successful 10-store trial in late 2008.
There are now 94 GreenEarth branches which achieve a 4.9% sales improvement, having been open for 12 months or more, compared with conventional branches.
Mr Talbot admitted: “Our dry cleaning business faces the toughest challenges, as it is the division which appears most directly impacted by changes in consumer confidence.”
But he added that he was pleased with the overall results, saying: “I feel very positive about the prospects for the group, despite a harsh economic environment.”
