Frances Chalmers, 37, who runs Exclusive Footwear, in York, knocked through the unit next door to begin selling children's shoes in the increased floorspace.

Mrs Chalmers, a former IT sales director, hopes to increase her turnover to £415,000. In the year to this April, she saw her sales rise from £167,000 to £215,000. Sales for this month so far are up 39 per cent on the same period last year.

She said that her store, on Gillygate, had not been hit by the economic downturn as customers were reluctant to downgrade, recalling former Prime Minister Tony Blair's dictum that cheap shoes are a false economy.

"You get used to wearing a certain type of shoe and it is very difficult to go back to a cheap shoe. You do get what you pay for, and a lot of customers are repeat customers. They know they are investing in a decent pair of shoes, and people still want to look good at work."

Mrs Chalmers opened the store in 2005.