Boohoo bosses warned ‘hiding behind energy of the Debenhams model is just not a silver bullet’
EXCLUSIVE: Boohoo’s rebrand into Debenhams has been met with wide scepticism among industry experts, and one has told the Daily Star that it won’t be a ‘silver bullet’ for them
Bosses at the newly-rebranded Debenhams – formerly Boohoo – have been issued a warning over the name-change. When Debenhams shuttered four years ago, many had thought they had seen the last of it.
However, the name was bought by fast fashion giants Boohoo and turned into an online marketplace within a year. And while Boohoo has been going through difficulties to do with its own reputation, Debenhams has remained beloved by Brits. And now it’s back properly . . . in place of the Boohoo name.
However, many in the industry have been cautious over the rebrand and have said it might not be being done for quite the reason bosses are making public. The beleaguered fashion brand announced on Wednesday that it would kill off the Boohoo branding in favour of the 247-year-old iconic name it bought for £55million.
Proudly exclaiming that “Debenhams is back,” chief executive Dan Finley said that the overhaul will be the “blueprint for the wider turnaround of the group”.
He said: “Collectively they [other youth brands like ASOS] are a challenge for us, we see significant opportunity there. We’ve realised that potential by pivoting to marketplace.”
But when speaking to the Daily Star about it, Hayley Peters – strategy director for Smoking Gun PR in Manchester, where Boohoo is also based – issued a warning.
She said: “Boohoo’s rebrand is a bold move but it doesn’t deal with the underlying issues. Boohoo has a serious brand perception problem which is compounded by shoppers shunning fast fashion.
“[The bosses] needs to make it clear what it truly stands for and a strategic brand communications strategy will be crucial to this. One thing’s for certain: hiding behind the power of the Debenhams brand is not a silver bullet.”
The rebrand has not stopped the 200 job cuts from its Manchester office as well as the closure of its United States-based warehouse.
The Daily Star did reach out to Boohoo/Debenhams bosses earlier this week to address the criticism being aimed at it, but was met with silence.
One of the harshest critics has been retail analyst Richard Hyman, who told industry magazine Drapers: “Rebranding something is pointless unless you actually make changes. I think we’ll have to wait and see how they propose to change the nature of the business and its culture. Boohoo called Debenhams is still Boohoo.
“Everyone is doing what Debenhams is doing. Everyone has a [marketplace] now. How many platforms can [brands] be on? What are these new marketplaces adding to the market?
“From a partner’s perspective, are your total sales going to go up? Will you be creating new business by selling on another platform?”
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