Along with the special dividend, a final dividend of 5.5c a share was paid.
The total ordinary dividend for the year was 21c, unchanged from last year.
The group showed it had managed its costs effectively during the year to increase its operating profit for the 12 months ending August 2 by 3.1% to $124.9 million.
Investors reacted positively to the news pushing the share price up 24c to $4.28 after the result was released to the NZX.
Chairman Keith Smith said that in light of economic conditions prevailing during the trading period, it was an excellent result.
"Very strong cash flow has enabled us to not only maintain our final ordinary dividend for the year, but to also distribute accumulated imputation credits to shareholders by way of a special dividend - a very pleasing outcome."
Sales of $1.53 billion were reported for the year, level with last year.
Chief executive officer Ian Morrice said the result was one that reflected a strong trading plan to drive sales and the measured response the group had taken in a very difficult trading environment.
"Our focus on gross margin, inventory management and cost reduction underpinned the profit outcome and strong operating cash flow."
While retail sales demand was expected to gradually improve over the year, uncertainty would continue to be a feature of the economic environment, he said.
Whether recent signs of economic improvement would translate into a sustained upturn remained to be seen.
In the next 12 months, the Warehouse would be focusing on growth through product and format development, Mr Morrice said.
The Warehouse result mirrored that of Briscoe Group which reported earlier in the week.
Briscoes had also managed its cost and inventory by using a new information technology system.
Forsyth Barr broker Suzanne Kinnaird said that while the Briscoes result was in line with their market update of August 21, the retailers who at that stage still had to report reacted positively.
Pumpkin Patch shares rose 1.6% in value and Hallenstein Glasson shares were up 4.5%.
Briscoes was also prepared to give some outlook comments with chief executive Rod Duke saying the second half would continue to benefit from cost reduction initiatives and a strong focus on inventory control.
The retail environment remained hard to predict, she said.
"I'd expect the common theme to remain similar - earnings hard to predict, the second half of the year to be significantly down on 2008 but not as bad as the market was predicting earlier in the year."
Craigs Investment Partners broker Chris Timms said the Briscoes and The Warehouse results should not be seen as an indication that the recession had ended or as a commentary on the state of the economy.
Rather they should be seen as a reflection of the companies' ability to manage their costs in a downturn.
The Warehouse group sales were down but were stabilising.
"This is not a recovery of retail sales. In tough times, the companies look to make a recovery of costs to generate a profit on the bottom-line," he said.
