Debenhams is bringing high street names Mothercare and Monsoon to its stores as the retailer vies to woo shoppers without promotions.
The department store, which has already introduced Sports Direct and Costa Coffee concessions into selected stores, has brought Mothercare ranges to its Croydon and Manchester stores and will introduce it into its Leeds store next week.
The floor space given to Mothercare in Manchester is 6,000 sq ft, as big as one of the maternity retailer’s standalone stores, The Guardian reported.
The move comes as Debenhams boss Michael Sharp vies to move away from promotions and wants to make its store space more profitable. He identified earlier this year that 10% of its space is inefficient.
It has already opened Sports Direct concessions in Debenhams stores in Harrow and Southsea and another two are set to open in Guildford and Bristol later this month.
The tie-up with Mothercare comes after Debenhams poached its finance director Matt Smith, who will take up the same post at the department store later this year.
Meanwhile, Mothercare is also facing its own challenges. It launched a £100m rights issue last month to raise funds to close underperforming stores and overhaul its outdated systems. Investors will vote on the fundraising on Thursday with its major shareholders thought to be supportive of the move.
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