The department store has heavily revised its projected profits after revealing that the store achieved poor sales during the Christmas period.

Analysts had been expecting the store to make £110 million in pre-tax profit in the six months leading up to April 2014 but the stores currently estimates the much more modest figure of £85 million.

Debenhams have said they did not have the final surge in sales they had expected in the last week of the Christmas period.

The store has also attributed some of the loss in profit to the “highly promotional” nature of the retail...

A comment in a donor file has begun an intriguing search involving international commerce during England’s Civil War, silk togs, and a fake letter that may have finished a career... Shelley Tobin, RAMM’s Curator for Costume, reports:

Family treasures

A silk robe and quilted velvet tarboush (hat) were presented to RAMM in 1965 by Miss Mollie Prideaux, who referred to herself as the only surviving member of her family who knew their origin. They had belonged to an ancestor, Edward Barnard, not to be confused with the famous seventeenth-century philosopher and astronomer....

Customers of the high-end supermarket Waitrose have complained that that a new loyalty card scheme is bringing “down the image” of the store.

The scheme has seen the upmarket chain give complimentary hot drinks to loyalty card holders – even if they do not make a purchase, leading several of the stores customers, including the controversial commentator Katie Hopkins to complain about the scheme.

Former apprentice contestant and regular Waitrose shopper, Katie Hopkins said "People that go to Waitrose for a free coffee without making a purchase, are not customers. They are...

New Year's revellers are asked to take care as Devon’s Firefighters prepare to strike again tonight in the latest action of the pensions dispute.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will walk out tonight at 6:30pm until 12:30am on New Years Day

FBU General Secretary, Matt Wrack, said: “Christmas is just an ordinary working time for firefighters, and our members have been on the front line dealing with storms, floods and other emergencies every day. “None of us wanted these strikes, but firefighters on duty over the festive period don’t have much to celebrate this year...

With Christmas over and 1st January fast approaching, many of you may be thinking about your New Year's resolutions.

Perhaps you would like to cut down on the fast food, or maybe even cut your spending.

Or perhaps you would like to make a resolution that will not only help others but will also give you that ulitmate feel good factor.

Farm Africa, a charity that works with farmers in Africa to help them produce food, has some great resolution suggestions that will benefit those in need.

Your New Year's resolution could be something as simple as hosting a...

ThebestofExeter which specialises in promoting Exeter’s local businesses via its website, digital marketing and business network events has announced that its charity of the year for 2014 will be Dream-A-Way, the Exeter based charity which provides holidays and days out for people with disabilities and their families.

Dream-A-Way has been associated with thebestofExeter for many years and its volunteers enjoy belonging to this excellent organisation which does so much to support local charities as well as businesses.

To be chosen as their Charity of the Year for 2014 really...

Police investigating a spate of robberies in Axminster have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with one of them.

Three robberies have taken place at commercial business premises over the last two weeks.

The CCTV relates to a robbery which occurred at around 6pm on Christmas Eve at the Prospect Garage filling station, Lyme Road, Axminster.

A man described as white, around 6ft, slim build with brown eyes. He was wearing a distinctive horizontally-striped jumper, horizontally-striped woollen hat and light-coloured scarf across his...

A reunion dinner and a Christmas buffet brought to an end a busy year for the South West Group of the National Service (Royal Air Force) Association.

During 2013 members enjoyed a series of talks, trips, social gatherings and ceremonial events. The former covered a variety of topics such as the work of the Devon Air Ambulance, a presentation by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (followed by a visit to its headquarters) and a talk by a former RAF V-bomber pilot,

Members visited Plymouth Naval Base Museum (including a tour of a retired nuclear submarine), the...

A flight by Exeter based Airline, Flybe had a “near-miss” while landing earlier this year according to a report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).

The Flybe plane was carrying more than 60 passengers when it came within 894ft (272.4m) of an obstacle thought to be the Runcorn Bridge while landing at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool.

The co-pilot had disengaged the aircraft’s auto-pilot and was tracking the bridge visually when the near-miss took place.

The report stated that the co-pilot had “allowed the aircraft’s rate of descent to increase” and the...