Jan 26 (Reuters) - Wickes Group on Friday said it expects annual profit to be at the upper end of market expectations, as the home improvement retailer kept a tight lid on costs and saw strong demand in categories like flooring and decorating.

Analysts expect adjusted pretax profit in the range of 44.9 million-48.3 million pounds ($57-$61.3 million) for the full year, according to the company. ($1 = 0.7880 pounds) (Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru)