Boohoo, the online fashion retailer, is rebranding as Debenhams following its acquisition of the brand out of administration four years ago. The decision to rebrand comes after a £40m hit on excess stock in its youth-oriented brands. Debenhams, which was founded in London in 1778, ceased its operation on the high street in 2021, leading to significant job losses. Boohoo then acquired the brand and relaunched it as an online-only retailer. The company’s CEO, Dan Finley, announced that Debenhams is “back” and that the iconic British heritage brand has been successfully transformed into Britain’s leading online department store.

Debenhams now includes labels such as Wallis, Burton, Misspap, Coast, Oasis, Dorothy Perkins, and Warehouse, which have all been turned around. However, Boohoo’s youth brands, including Boohoo itself, PrettyLittleThing, and its menswear collection MAN, have been underperforming, forcing heavy discounting and a £40m writedown on surplus stock. The US warehouse closure and redundancy payments following 200 job cuts at its Manchester head office will also result in one-off costs. Finley acknowledged that the turnaround of these brands “will take time” but expressed confidence in their potential as they evolve into fashion-led marketplaces.

The company reported a 16% drop in revenue of £1.2bn and expects to report adjusted underlying profits of around £40m. Analysts had anticipated a break-up of the retailer, suggesting that Boohoo might sell Karen Millen and Debenhams to focus on younger shoppers. Boohoo

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/11/boohoo-rebrands-as-debenhams-turnaround