Dixons latest to blame the weather

The owner of Currys and PC World has warned that annual profits are expected to be at the bottom end of forecasts after snow-hit sales fell 4 per cent in the UK and Ireland over the festive period.

Dixons Retail Group said the adverse weather wiped around 2 per cent off like-for-like sales in the 12 weeks to 8 January, which left Christmas trading well below last season's 8 per cent like-for-like improvement. The retailer, which has some 650 shops in the UK, said profits were now likely to come in at the lower end of City expectations, at between 100 million and 110m.