Capital Economy, Business and Finance
Every Debenhams department store shut down in 2021, scarring UK high streets with large empty units many towns and cities haven’t filled.
Boohoo Group, the fast-fashion retailer, bought the 250-year-old name and soon started using it to sell third-party products through an online marketplace. Four years later Boohoo is planning to rebrand as the Debenhams Group, with that arm of the business becoming the “driving force” for the company moving forward.
No wonder. Fast fashion in 2025 isn’t PR pretty.
Boohoo is tainted by a bad eco-image, sweatshop allegations and boardroom dramas.
Though modern quality varies, the Debenhams brand is trusted by older customers. The poor performances of Boohoo’s youth-focused brands (Boohoo, boohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing etc.) have been blamed for a £300 million drop in annual group revenue.
With the company’s value plummeting since the pandemic, it seems the group sees sense in using an old and well-loved zombie brand to make a fresh start.
