All Debenhams articles
Debenhams has undergone huge changes in its long and storied history. The former department store chain was founded in 1778 as a drapers’ store in London. It went on to become one of the largest department store operators in the UK, selling a range of clothing, household goods and furniture from more than 150 branches at its height. The retailer collapsed into administration and underwent a CVA in 2019 as it grappled to stay afloat. In January 2021, the Debenhams brand and website was acquired by Boohoo for £55m. The retailer’s remaining stores were shuttered in May 2021 but its website remains popular.
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News
Debenhams launches AI-driven personalised beauty service
Debenhams has partnered with AI and AR beauty platform Revieve to offer consumers personalised skincare, haircare and makeup advice on the retailer’s website.
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Video
Watch: Debenhams unveils ‘Wonderland is Waiting’ Christmas advert
Debenhams has launched its Christmas campaign, titled ‘Wonderland is Waiting’ and celebrating the magic of the holiday season.
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Video
Watch: The retail Christmas advert round-up
No sooner had the pumpkins and Halloween costumes been removed from the shelves, than several retailers launched their Christmas campaigns.
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News
Hundreds of redundant Debenhams staff triumph in legal battle
A total of 419 former Debenhams employees who were made redundant following the retailer’s collapse have won a legal battle after a tribunal judge ruled Debenhams had “failed in its duty to consult with its staff”.
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News
Marks & Spencer to open ‘bigger and better’ new stores creating 3,400 jobs
Marks & Spencer is to open 20 “bigger and better” new stores, creating 3,400 jobs
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News
Debenhams and ex-Arcadia brands suffer losses in first year under Boohoo ownership
Debenhams and former Arcadia brands Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis all suffered losses in their first year under Boohoo ownership.
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News
Debenhams administrators rake in more than £7m as fees spike
The administrators of collapsed department store chain Debenhams have raked in almost £2m in fees during the current financial year alone after a hike in fees.
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Analysis
Analysis: ‘It’s tough out there’ – how Boohoo plans to confront the cost-of-living crisis
Despite being one of the standout performers during the pandemic, Boohoo has shown it’s not immune to mounting inflationary pressures. How do its bosses plan to turn the fast-fashion giant around?
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News
Mike Ashley steps up Debenhams legal battle and eyes Gieves & Hawkes swoop
Mike Ashley is stepping up his legal battle over the controversial collapse of department store chain Debenhams.
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News
Nearly 650,000 retail jobs lost over last five years
Over half a million retail jobs have been lost and over 70,000 stores closed across the UK since 2017, according to new figures.
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News
Boohoo sales rise as international business returns to growth
Boohoo has reported an uptick in sales, just days after Sir Brian Leveson made his final report to the board concerning the retailer’s supply chain overhaul.
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News
Ashley slams ‘unfit for purpose’ UK corporate governance after Studio acquisition
Frasers Group boss Mike Ashley has lashed out at both the previous management of Studio and the UK’s corporate governance regime after saving the floundering fashion retailer.
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Gallery
Store gallery: Boohoo opens flagship Debenhams.com beauty fascia in Manchester
Pureplay fashion giant Boohoo has opened its first-ever Debenhams.com beauty store in Manchester’s Arndale shopping centre, having acquired the former department store brand earlier in the year.
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Opinion
Stuart Machin: ‘We believe in stores – they are a true source of competitive advantage’
Building a store estate that is fit for the future is central to our far-reaching transformation programme.
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News
Department store numbers plunge 83% since collapse of BHS
More than 80% of the UK’s department stores have been lost since the demise of BHS and many former branches still lie empty.
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News
Boohoo partners with Alshaya to grow Debenhams in the Middle East
Boohoo has made a move into bricks-and-mortar stores after signing an exclusive deal with Middle Eastern operator Alshaya group.
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News
Debenhams launches first brand campaign since Boohoo takeover
Debenhams is launching its first new campaign since being acquired by Boohoo, adding .com to its name to reintroduce itself to customers as a pureplay department store.
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News
Debenhams targets high street return as owner Boohoo bids to woo beauty brands
Debenhams is plotting a return to the high street under new owner Boohoo as it attempts to strike deals with major beauty brands.
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Analysis
Deep dive: Curation, destination, imagination – the new department store foundations
How can the retail format be revived to resonate with contemporary and future shoppers?
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News
Debenhams’ Magasin du Nord sold to European fashion group
Magasin du Nord, the Danish department store business formerly owned by Debenhams, has been sold for an undisclosed sum.