Trouble in store: Interim profits forecast set to tumble at Debenhams

Debenhams is poised to report a halving of its profits this Thursday after the retailer performed poorly over Christmas and was forced to close stores in March due to extreme weather. The department store chain is expected to post half-year pre-tax profits of about £44 million, down from £87.8m the year before, according to City analysts. Consensus estimates also forecast a 2.5 per cent decline in like-for-like sales over the sixmonth period. Trading was impacted by the snowstorm that battered the UK in March.