Debenhams has reported another slide in profits and sales after freezing weather in late February temporarily closed 100 stores in the UK.

The department store chain said like-for-like sales fell by 2.2% in the 26 weeks to 3 March, with the cold weather blamed for about half that decline.

Pre-tax profit plunged 84% to £13.5m.

The retailer also lowered expectations for annual profits and said chief financial officer Matt Smith had resigned to join rival Selfridges.

Debenhams said profits for the full year would now be at the lower end of brokers' forecasts of £50m to £61m, compared with £95.2m for the previous year.

Its shares fell 10% in early trading in London to 20.9p.

New strategy
In February, Debenhams said it planned to cut 320 store management jobs in an attempt to cut costs after disappointing Christmas trading resulted in a profit warning.

Chief executive Sergio Bucher said it had "not been an easy first half" and that retailer was concentrating on its Debenhams Redesigned strategy, which aimed to mitigate difficult trading conditions.

Sales of beauty products and food had risen, while it had maintained its market share for clothing in a weak market, he said.

The four food outlets at its new Stevenage store, including a Nando's, had exceeded expectations, he said, and accounted for almost a third of sales at that location.

The Stevenage store is being used as a "test lab", the chief executive said, with a cheaper and more flexible operating model.

The size of the Uxbridge store in west London had been cut by a fifth, reducing rent by the same amount, with a refit along similar lines to Stevenage. The revamp has boosted the sales at the store.

A year ago Debenhams said as many as 10 stores could become unprofitable and may be closed. Outlets in Farnborough and Eltham were closed in January, but a new store in Wolverhampton opened its doors.