Boohoo: fast fashion retailer rebranded as Debenhams

The online business, which has a warehouse in Widdow Hill Road in Burnley, has rebranded itself as Debenhams Group.

It was once a leader in the fast fashion market but began to struggle after acquiring the Debenhams name in 2021. It dropped in market value from more than £5bn to around £340m due to the pressures of cheaper competition, supply chain disruption and rising returns.

In a LinkedIn post published today, Boohoo CEO Daniel Finley said: “Debenhams is back. “In 2022, I set out to transform a British high-street icon into Britain’s leading online department store. People told me I was crazy. They said it couldn’t be done. But today, I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished. And the best part? We’re just getting started. “This morning, I updated the market and our colleagues on our new strategic direction. We go forward as Debenhams Group, a move that cements our ambition and strategy for long-term success. Debenhams is growing rapidly. We have a community of c.15k brands. We supercharge our partners’ growth. We are bigger, better, bolder. We are the new Debenhams. “Now, we take that success further. “Debenhams is the blueprint for our turnaround of the wider Group.”

Boohoo made headlines in 2022 when an uncover investigation by The Times claimed that staff at the Burnley warehouse were being forced to work in temperatures of up to 32C over 12-hour shifts and were expected to collect 130 items an hour.

The journalist spent a month working undercover at the site, with the report highlighting what it described as “gruelling targets, inadequate training and ill-fitting safety equipment” for staff who compared themselves to “slaves”.

In his LinkedIn post, Mr Finley said Debenhams Group will be “underpinned” by a new ESG strategy demonstrating the business’ commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. He also announced that the firm is partnering up with Segura, Pennies, The Carbon Trust and Graduate Fashion Foundation.

The CEO added: “This is a defining moment. “These are new beginnings. A new dawn taking flight. The journey continues.”