Department Stores
The latest news, updates and analysis on the department stores segment of the the UK retail industry. Sign up to the Daily Briefing and let Retail Sector’s business journalists keep you in the picture.
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Oct- 2025 -16 October
John Lewis launches supplier platform to expand premium brands
John Lewis has launched a new supplier platform aimed at speeding up the addition of premium fashion and lifestyle brands to its range, as part of its ongoing strategy to strengthen its position in the higher-end retail market. The platform, developed with technology firm Mirakl, allows suppliers to list and…
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6 October
John Lewis appoints new director of merchandising
John Lewis has appointed Anna Milne as its new director of merchandising, a new role that will be part of John Lewis management board. Most recently, she has been the merchandising director for the luxury lifestyle brands Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter. Milne has nearly 20 years of experience in retail,…
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2 October
John Lewis appoints new chief people officer
The John Lewis Partnership has announced the appointment of Helen Webb OBE as its new chief people officer, joining the partnership on 24 November. Webb was most recently chief people officer at WHSmith, supporting the business through large scale employee changes, and prior to that was chief people and services…
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Sep- 2025 -29 September
Harrods ‘not engaging’ with hackers following customer data leak
Harrods has announced it will not be engaging with hackers after the personal details of an estimated 430,000 customers were exposed following a data breach. The luxury department store revealed the information, which includes basic personal identifiers including name and contact details but does not include account passwords or payment…
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29 September
Debenhams expands into US with department store deal
Debenhams Group has expanded into the US, with its fashion brands now available through the online marketplaces of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom. The move marks a “significant step” in Debenhams Group’s international growth strategy and “reflects the strong overseas appetite” for British labels, including Coast, Warehouse, Oasis, Nasty Gal and…
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25 September
DFS profits rebound to £32.9m
DFS has announced it has returned to profit in the year ended 29 June 2025, posting a profit-before-tax of £32.9m, up from a loss of £1.7m. Alongside this, the company saw its revenues jump 4.4% to £1.03bn, up from £987.1m in the previous year. It also saw its reported order…
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11 September
John Lewis H1 losses widen amid tax and budget costs
The John Lewis Partnership has fallen to a £34m loss in the first half of the year, up from a £5m loss the same period last year, attributing the widened loss to a new packaging tax and the effects of the budget. Excluding exceptional items, losses almost tripled from £33m…
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5 September
John Lewis launches its largest-ever recruitment drive
The John Lewis Partnership revealed it is set for its biggest ever seasonal recruitment campaign, as it invests in its customer service to meet anticipated demand during the ‘golden quarter’. It said some 13,700 seasonal roles are now being recruited for, including 3,000 across 35 John Lewis branches, 8,500 within…
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1 September
Primark opens first standalone UK Home store at Trafford Palazzo
Primark has opened its first standalone Home store in Great Britain at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester. The new store spans two floors and covers nearly 12,000 sq ft. It offers bedding, throws, storage and decorative items, alongside a mezzanine with travel products such as luggage, packing cubes and accessories. The…
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Aug- 2025 -27 August
Debenhams mulls PLT sale as pre-tax losses widen
Debenhams revealed it is planning to offload PrettyLittleThing (PLT) after reporting pre-tax losses of £264m for the year to 28 February 2025, up from £164m a year earlier. The group attributed the loss to a one-off exceptional item linked to strategic decisions, including the closure of its US distribution centre…
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