Peter Parkinson’s family business, McCloud Shoes in the CBD, came through Melbourne’s first four COVID-19 lockdowns “with a great degree of difficulty”.

The second-generation shoemaker and retailer said he was confident McCloud could survive Victoria’s fifth lockdown, too, but many other businesses in the city might not be so fortunate.

Mr Parkinson said it was not easy to sell upmarket shoes online, with customers expecting a full retail service when spending $600 or more on a pair. To keep McLoud afloat during lockdowns, the Queen Street institution had to do something for the first time in its 76-year history: it cut prices.

“With all of the lockdowns, we offered a discount on our products ... bear in mind that we have never had a sale in all of our history,” the business owner said.

“That gave us some cash flow. Two of my guys would come into work, behind locked doors, and they would get stuff out to the post office, send shoe repairs up to the factory and other stuff.

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“But when you’re giving discounts, it’s taking a reasonable slice off your margin and you tend to be losing a little bit all around.

“You’ve still got to pay rent, wages, utilities, WorkCover, a whole host of costs that still continue on.”

Despite the challenges, Mr Parkinson said his business had proven resilient and would likely come through the latest lockdown, announced by Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday evening. Many others, he said, would not.