Debenhams
![]() | |
Company type | Public limited company |
---|---|
Industry | Retailing |
Predecessor | Drapery Trust ![]() |
Founded | 1778 |
Successor | Burton ![]() |
Headquarters | London |
Key people | Brandon Jones (Chairman) Rob Templeman, (CEO) |
Products | Clothing, cosmetics, housewares |
Revenue | £1,774.4 million (2007) |
£179.8 million (2007) | |
£79.0 million (2007) | |
Number of employees | 19,000 |
Website | www.debenhams.com |
Debenhams plc (LSE: DEB) is a British-based retailer operating under a Department Store format in the UK and franchise stores in other countries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
The business was formed in 1778 by Messrs Flint and Clark who began trading at 44 Wigmore Street in London as a drapers' store under the name Flint & Clark.[1] In 1813 William Debenham was made a partner so the name was changed to Clark and Debenham.[1] In 1818 the Company opened a second store in Cheltenham[1] and in 1851 Clement Freebody became a partner so the name was changed again, this time to Debenham & Freebody.[1] The business was incorporated as Debenhams Limited in 1905.[2]
The modern Debenhams group grew from the acquisition of department stores in towns and cities throughout the UK, under the leadership of its Chairman, Ernest Debenham. The first of these purchases, Marshall & Snelgrove at Oxford Street in London, was acquired in 1919.[1] Later purchases included Harvey Nichols in London's Knightsbridge in 1920.[1] Most stores acquired retained their former identities until a unified corporate image was rolled out across the stores. The Company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1928.
In 1976 the Company acquired Browns of Chester - the only store that has retained its own identity.[1]
In 1985 the Company was acquired by the Burton group.[1] Debenhams was demerged in 1998 and was once again listed as a separate Company on the London Stock Exchange.[1] It expanded under the leadership of Belinda Earl who was appointed CEO in 2000.[3]
The Company was acquired again in late 2003 this time by a private consortium comprising CVC Capital Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity and management. The company returned to a listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2006.[4]
In 2006 the Company went on to buy 9 of the 11 Roches Stores department stores in Ireland.[5]
Operations
As of July 2008, the company had 147 stores (including 10 'Desire by Debenhams' stores)[6] covering 10.373 million square feet of retail space across the United Kingdom and Ireland.[7] It also has 40 franchise stores operating in other countries.
The Company has introduced external branding into its menswear and ladieswear lines: these 'Designers at Debenhams' include Jasper Conran, John Richmond and John Rocha. It Company also sells goods under a number of brand names that it owns in its own right.[6]
In 2008 the Company was voted best UK department store by GMTV.[8]
Stores
United Kingdom
The Company owns the following stores:
London
- Bromley (formerly Nicholsons)
- Clapham Junction (formerly Allders Clapham Junction / Arding & Hobbs)
- Croydon (formerly Kennards)
- Eltham
- Harrow (formerly Sopers)
- Hounslow
- Ilford (formerly Allders Ilford / Owen Owen Ilford)
- Oxford Street (formerly Marshall & Snelgrove)
- Romford (formerly Stones)
- Sutton (formerly Allders Sutton / Shinners)
- Uxbridge
- White City, Westfield London (opening in 2008)
- Wimbledon
Wales
- Bangor (relocated store opened 2008)
- Cardiff
- Carmarthen (opening in 2010)
- Llandudno
- Merthyr Tydfil, Desire by Debenhams
- Newport (opening in 2009)
- Swansea
- Llanelli
- Wrexham (opening in 2008)
South East England
- Ashford
- Basildon (formerly Allders Basildon)
- Basingstoke (opened 2002)
- Bedford (formerly E P Rose)
- Brighton
- Broadstairs, Westwood Cross
- Canterbury (formerly William Lefevre)
- Chatham (formerly Allders Chatham)
- Chelmsford (formerly Bonds)
- Colchester
- Crawley (formerly Owen Owen Crawley)
- Eastbourne (formerly Bobbys Eastbourne)
- Fareham, Desire by Debenhams (opening late 2008)
- Farnborough
- Folkestone (formerly Bobbys Folkestone)
- Gravesend
- Guildford (formerly Plummer Roddis Guildford)
- Hastings (formerly Plummer Roddis Hastings)
- Hemel Hempstead
- Luton
- Milton Keynes
- Newbury
- Northampton (formerly Adnitt Brothers)
- Orpington, Desire by Debenhams
- Portsmouth (formerly Allders Portsmouth / Landport Drapery Bazaar)
- Reading (formerly Wellsteeds)
- Slough (formerly Allders Slough / Owen Owen Slough / Suters)
- Southampton (formerly Edwin Jones)
- Southend-on-Sea
- Southsea (formerly Handleys)
- Staines (formerly Kennards Staines)
- Walton-on-Thames, Desire by Debenhams
- West Thurrock Lakeside
- Winchester (formerly Sheriff & Ward)
- Woking (formerly Allders Woking)
- Worthing (formerly John K Hubbard)
South West England
- Bath (opening with the completion of the Southgate redevelopment c. 2009)
- Bournemouth (formerly Bobbys Bournemouth)
- Bristol (formerly Jones)
- Exeter (formerly Bobbys Exeter / Green & Son)
- Plymouth (formerly Spooners and John Yeo)
- Salisbury (formerly Style & Gerrish)
- Swindon
- Taunton (formerly W & A Chapman)
- Torquay (formerly Bobbys Torquay)
- Truro, Desire by Debenhams
- Weymouth
Central England
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Asda_and_Debenhams%2C_Telford.jpg/220px-Asda_and_Debenhams%2C_Telford.jpg)
- Banbury
- Birmingham, Bull Ring
- Birmingham, The Fort Shopping Park, Desire by Debenhams
- Cambridge
- Cheltenham
- Coventry
- Derby (formerly Ranbys)
- Dudley, Merry Hill
- Gloucester
- Great Yarmouth (opening as part of Market Gates Shopping Centre expansion in 2008)
- Hanley (formerly Lewis's Hanley)
- Hereford (no Debenhams store exists in the city but the 'Intermissions' restaurant located in the Maylord Shopping Centre is owned and operated by Debenhams)
- Ipswich (formerly Footman Pretty)
- King's Lynn (formerly Jermyns)
- Leicester
- Lincoln
- Mansfield
- Norwich (formerly Curls / Curl Brothers)
- Nottingham (formerly Griffin & Spalding)
- Nuneaton (formerly Smiths)
- Oxford (formerly Elliston & Cavell)
- Redditch (100th UK store to open)
- Stratford-upon-Avon (formerly Smiths Stratford-upon-Avon)
- Telford
- Walsall
- Wolverhampton (opening in 2010)
- Worcester (formerly Simes)
Yorkshire
- Barnsley (opening with completion of Markets complex c.2011)
- Bradford (opening with completion of Broadway shopping centre)
- Doncaster, Frenchgate Centre
- Harrogate (formerly Marshall & Snelgrove Harrogate)
- Hull (formerly Thornton Varley)
- Ilkley (concession within Westgate Department Store)
- Keighley (concession within Westgate Department Store)
- Leeds, Briggate (formerly Matthias Robinson Leeds)
- Leeds, White Rose
- Scarborough (formerly Marshall & Snelgrove Scarborough)
- Sheffield (formerly Pauldens)
- Sheffield, Meadowhall
- Skipton (concession within Westgate Department Store)
- York (formerly Marshall & Snelgrove York)
- York Monks Cross (opens 2009)[9]
North East England
- Gateshead, MetroCentre
- Middlesbrough (formerly Newhouse)
- Newcastle upon Tyne, Eldon Square (opening in 2009)
- South Shields, Desire by Debenhams
- Stockton-on-Tees (formerly Matthias Robinson Stockton-on-Tees)
- Sunderland
North West England
- Altrincham, Desire by Debenhams (opened 2007)
- Barrow-in-Furness
- Blackburn
- Blackpool
- Bolton
- Bury (opening in 2009)
- Carlisle
- Chester, Browns
- Crewe (opening in 2010)
- Liverpool
- Macclesfield (opening in 2010)
- Manchester (formerly Rylands)
- Manchester, Trafford Centre
- Oldham
- Preston
- Southport (formerly Marshall & Snelgrove Southport)
- Stockport
- Warrington
- Wigan (formerly Pendleburys)
- Workington
Scotland
- Aberdeen
- Ayr
- Dundee
- Dunfermline (opened 2008)
- East Kilbride
- Falkirk, Desire by Debenhams
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow (Argyle Street) (Formerly Lewis's Glasgow)
- Glasgow, Silverburn Centre
- Inverness
- Kirkcaldy, Desire by Debenhams
- Leith, Ocean Terminal
- Livingston (opened 2008)
- Perth
- Stirling
Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland
Unlike other international locations, all Ireland stores are directly operated by Debenhams plc under the company name Debenham Retail (Ireland) Ltd. The premises of the former Roches Stores are leased from the Roche family. The first Irish store opened in 1996 in the Jervis Shopping Centre, this closed in January 2008 following the acquisition of the Henry Street store which is a short walk away, the lease on the store being assigned to Arnotts. [10]
Republic of Ireland
- Blackrock (formerly Roches Stores Blackrock)
- Blanchardstown (formerly Roches Stores Blanchardstown)
- Cork, Mahon Point
- Cork, St. Patrick's Street (formerly Roches Stores)
- Dublin, Henry Street (formerly Roches Stores Dublin)
- Galway (formerly Roches Stores Galway)
- Limerick (formerly Roches Stores Limerick)
- Newbridge
- Tallaght, The Square (formerly Roches Stores Tallaght)
- Tralee (formerly Roches Stores Tralee)
- Waterford (formerly Roches Stores Waterford)
Northern Ireland
- Bangor (opening as part of the Queens Parade Complex) - currently on hold
- Belfast, Westfield CastleCourt
- Craigavon, Rushmere Shopping Centre
- Derry, Foyleside Shopping Centre
- Newry, The Quays Shopping Centre
- Ballymena
International franchise stores
All department stores in international locations (except the Republic of Ireland) trade as 'Debenhams' name under franchise agreements. One of the franchisees 'Sogo' in Indonesia also buys Debenhams goods to sell in its own department stores (as well as operating full-line Debenhams franchise stores).
Bahrain Cyprus
Czech Republic Denmark Hungary |
Iceland India Indonesia
Jordan
Kuwait Malaysia Philippines
|
Qatar Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Turkey United Arab Emirates
|
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Debenhams History
- ^ Retail Department Stores
- ^ Belinda Earl interview
- ^ Just what does Debenhams have to offer?
- ^ Debenhams buys nine Roches stores in Ireland
- ^ a b Debenhams: About us
- ^ Debenhams Interim Results page 3
- ^ Catwalk Queen
- ^ The Press - Retailers vie for Best Sites in York
- ^ Roches stores
External links
Official websites: