This week, Debenhams held their first ever Partner Conference in Manchester and from the very off it was obvious that retail with Debenhams is done in a way that only Debenhams can!
Drawing up outside in my taxi, I was greeted by no fewer than six bedazzled Debenhams Vans that had been driving around the city… there was absolutely no mistaking that Debenhams were in town, and they are there to stay with a stunning new office “Debenhams House”!
But… and it’s a big but… You won’t find Debenhams on the High Street, the 246 year old business finally closed their doors in 2020, but while you might take Debenhams out of the high street, you can’t take the high street out of Debenhams – Now resurrected as an online marketplace they’ve retained all the flair and excellence we were accustomed to in their stores, and that’s important. Debenhams might look like a marketplace but they still act like a like a British department store… just that they are now a digital department store well on their way (if they’re not already there!) to becoming the very best British digital department store there is.
So, back to the conference, Debenhams were at their very best kicking off with a fashion show of the Debenhams brands we’ve all loved for many years (did you know Debenhams are one of the very few businesses that have 100% brand recognition… and so do their brands from Burtons, Coast, Oasis, Wallis, and many, many more.
The day was peppered with celebrities from the hugely talented comedian Tatty Macleod who was MC for the day, to the inspirational Spencer Matthews and ending the day with the amazing Olympian cyclist couple Jason and Laura Kenny!
Retail with Debenhams
But back to the business of Debenhams as a digital department store…. Debenhams is led by Dan Finley who introduced the more serious part of the day, before we dived into panels on Fashion retailing, marketplaces, the huge breadth of categories sold on the site and what makes Debenhams such a success, and Beauty retailing.
Debenhams really are turbocharging their business and at the conference it was revealed that they’ll be expanding with Ireland and Australia firmly in their sights. Yes, this British institution is going international once again!
But the one thing that really struck me at the Debenhams Partner Conference is just how much they engage with their partners. Most marketplaces have a support help desk, but Debenhams treat their partners in a much more traditional retail manner. They want to talk sales events, retail media, promotions, TV Advertising, and they want to truly partner for a success.
If you are a brand that sells through department stores on the high street, this might not surprise you as it’s the retail model you’re accustomed to and expect. But, if you’re a pure marketplace seller, retail with Debenhams is going to be a very very welcome surprise and open your eyes to more collaborative way of retailing. Debenhams may no longer be on the high street but they’re still operating like a traditional high street department store with the only difference being Debenhams are now a digital department store.
As always, Debenhams are open for new partners to trade on their platform and you can find how to retail with Debenhams here.
