Debenhams sales recover on back of rapid online growth However, the retailer, which has 235 stores, said in trading update on Tuesday that like-for-like sales rose 1.9pc in the 10 weeks to August 31 and that its profit margins have improved over the last six months. However, Debenham's performance was driven by a 46.2pc surge in online sales. Mr Sharp said the department store chain is benefiting from its "width of choice of products and categories" and the fact that 50pc of its products are exclusive to Debenhams, thanks to the Designers at Debenhams collection that includes John Rocha and Jasper Conran. He added: "Looking forward, we are confident in our strategy but are not expecting any rapid recovery in consumer sentiment and the marketplace remains highly competitive." Debenhams share rose 1.8, or 2pc, to 105p. Analysts at Oriel Securities said: "Robust trading over the last quarter should go some way to reassuring investors that the Debenhams proposition continues to appeal to customers." For the full-year to August 31, Debenhams like-for-like sales rose 2pc. However, the consensus among City analyst is that annual pre-tax profits will still fall by 3pc to around £153m following the profits warning earlier in the year.