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Debenhams

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Debenhams Plc <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:16px 0 16px 0;">
Company logo
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Type Public limited company
Founded London (1813)
Headquarters London

<tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Key people</th><td>John Lovering, Chairman
Rob Templeman, CEO</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Industry</th><td>Retailing</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Products</th><td>Clothing, cosmetics, housewares</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Revenue</th><td>Image:Green Arrow Up.svg £2,090 million GBP (2005)</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Employees</th><td>19,000</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Website</th><td>www.debenhams.com</td></tr>

Debenhams plc (LSE: DEB) is a retailer with a chain of department stores based in the United Kingdom. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Contents

[edit] History

The modern Debenhams group grew from the acquisition of department stores in towns and cities throughout the UK. The first of such purchases, Marshall & Snelgrove in Oxford Street, London was acquired in 1919. Later purchases included stores such as Browns of Chester. Most stores retained their former identities until a unified corporate image was rolled out across the stores.

Debenhams was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1928 and continued to expand. In 1985 the company was acquired by the Burton Group. At this point the company owned 65 stores. Debenhams demerged in 1998 and was once again listed as a separate company.

The company expanded rapidly throughout the 1990s and now has a total of 120 stores in the UK and Ireland with new stores recently opened at the MetroCentre in Gateshead and Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

In 2002 the Nectar loyalty card was introduced with Debenhams as a major sponsor. This card now allows customers to collect loyalty points from a range of retailers such as Sainsbury's, BP, Beefeater and Ford amongst others. Despite some criticism, the Debenhams Account Card is still a major source of revenue for the company ensuring customer loyalty and targeted mailings.

Debenhams also offers Debenhams Wedding Gift Service, where couples can create their wedding gift lists with Debenhams for which guests can buy from. In addition to the Debenhams Consumer website where customers can purchase online goods, Debenhams now offer a Debenhams To You service, where goods can searched for and located over the telephone, or through a special in-store telephon so that items can be sent to the customer's home address.

Another service that selected Debenhams stores offer, is the personal shopper service. This is an exclusive service that requires pre-booking, either over the telephone, or in store. Customers will benefit from a personal shopper, trained to look at the requirements of the individual and with the knowledge of current trends. The personal shopper has a strong knowledge of what Debenhams offers and what items would suit the individual's requirements/look.

The company was taken over in late 2003 by a private consortium comprising CVC Capital Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity and management. The company returned to the stock exchange on 4th May 2006.

Recently voted 8th most favourably viewed brand by Marketing Magazine 2006

The store has been trialling a compact version called Desire by Debenhams which is mainly aimed at the female market with designerwear and cosmetics.

Not only is Debenhams a retailer, its other divisions include Debenhams Finance which covers home, car and travel insurance, as well as the travel money scheme and Debenhams Mobile.

On 8 August 2006 it was confirmed that Debenhams is to buy out 9 of 11 the Roches Stores chain of department stores in Ireland and operate them as Debenhams.

Underlying sales performance has been poorer than expected during the recent return to the stockmarket by Rob Templemen. The existing final salary pension scheme is also to be axed following 'financial strain' on the company.

[edit] Store format

Debenhams stores are currently departmentalized as follows:

  • Health and Beauty (Cosmetics, Fragrances & Toiletries)
  • Womenswear (Designer Women's Clothing, Bridalwear & Lingerie)
  • Menswear (Men's Casual Clothing, Sportswear, Formalwear, Men's Accessories, Footwear)
  • Fashion Accessories (Handbags, Jewellery, Men's & Women's watches, Women's Footwear)
  • Young Fashion (Red Herring, Oasis, Jane Norman, Topshop etc)
  • Home (Bedding, Electrical, Furniture, Soft Furnishings, China, Lighting, Luggage & Kitchenware)
  • Children's (Children's Clothes, Accessories, Footwear & Toys)
  • Food Services (The Restaurant & Cafe Venue in most stores)
  • Wedding Services (also known as Celebration)
  • Photography - Olan Mills/Portrait Place - some stores only

Debenhams stores vary greatly in size from the flagship store in Oxford Street, London to the smaller stores in locations such as Bangor. Some such stores do not have a full range of departments.

Part of Debenhams's source of business is concessions. These are 'shop-in-shops' which can be found in most Debenhams stores such as Young Fashion companies 'Oasis' and Ladieswear outlet 'Evans'.

The company's innovation has proved successful by introducing branding into its menswear and ladieswear lines. The 'Designers at Debenhams' include Jasper Conran, John Richmond, John Rocha, The Duffer of St. George and Betty Jackson.

[edit] United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland locations

All of the company's UK department stores currently trade as 'Debenhams', except 'Browns' in Chester. Debenhams also operates an expanding number of 'Desire by Debenhams' concept stores, the first of which opened in Truro in 2004.

[edit] London

[edit] South East England

[edit] South West England

[edit] Central England

[edit] Yorkshire

[edit] North East England

[edit] North West England

[edit] Scotland

[edit] Wales

[edit] Northern Ireland

[edit] Ireland (Republic)

  • Blackrock (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)
  • Blanchardstown (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)
  • Cork, Mahon Point
  • Cork (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)
  • Dublin
  • Dublin, Henry Street (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)
  • Galway (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)
  • Limerick (traded as Roches until November 2006)
  • Newbridge
  • Tallaght (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)
  • Tralee (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)
  • Waterford (trading as Roches to be rebranded as Debenhams in 2007)

[edit] International locations

All department stores in international locations trade under the 'Debenhams' name except 'Ermes' in Cyprus and 'SOGO' in Indonesia which are franchise stores operated independently of Debenhams Limited.

[edit] Bahrain

[edit] Cyprus

[edit] Czech Republic

[edit] Denmark

[edit] Hungary

[edit] Iceland

[edit] Indonesia

[edit] Kuwait

[edit] Malaysia

[edit] Philippines

[edit] Qatar

[edit] Russia

[edit] Saudi Arabia

[edit] Sweden

A Debenhams was opened in central Stockholm in 2002, but it has now been decided that the store will be closed down after Christmas 2006, due to the difficulties of competing with the local department stores PUB and Åhléns.[1]

[edit] United Arab Emirates

[edit] External links

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