DEBENHAMS PROFIT ALERT

Volatile trading has been blamed by Debenhams for a 0.9% drop in sales. Britain’s second biggest department store chain said business over the past 15 weeks had been unpredictable, with May particularly tough.

It doesn’t mark a good start to new boss Sergio Bucher’s plans to overhaul the chain by making it a “social shopping” destination.

Full-year profits will be at the bottom end of expectations if things remain up and down, it said.

SLUMP May was a bad month for Debenhams