YORK-based shoe retailer Pavers has grown its national store portfolio by 30 per cent with the acquisition of Jones Bootmaker.

The family run firm, headquartered in Poppleton, has bought the Jones Bootmaker brand, the company’s online business, and 42 of its 47 stores from private equity firm Endless.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, sees Pavers initially safeguard more than 300 jobs, bringing the York firm’s total head count to more than 1,600.

Pavers director of operations Mark Granger said: “Strategically we have been planning for growth and acquisitions is one of the ways to achieve that.

“We have been growing organically but we felt this was a good opportunity for our business as there are a lot of synergies.

“We will keep a lot of the stores as Jones Bootmakers as we have bought the brand and everything that goes with that, but there may be one or two that we bring into the Pavers family.

“Jones Bootmaker is a well known, and well respected brand and we want to build on that. We intend to build on what was previously a family-run business and get it back to those core values.

“We are returning it to what it was originally, which was very much focussed on quality products and service, and mirrors the way we have built our business.

“The brand is coming back into the hands of shoe retail specialists and we feel returning it to that focussed knowledge will allow us to turn the business around.”

Pavers had originally eyed a deal to buy Jones Bootmakers when it went into administration in March last year, however was the takeover was completed by Endless, which acquired 72 stores and around 840 staff.

Endless said that despite “substantial investment”, adverse retail conditions meant it had not been possible to turn the business around.

The deal for Jones Bootmakers does not include the firm’s head office as operations are to be brought to Pavers site in York.

Mr Granger said: “There’s potential to create additional roles here. We have plans to develop and extend our head office here as part of our original growth plans, which were designed to future proof the business as it grows.”