Debenhams, the former high street mainstay-turned online department store owned by Boohoo Group, is gearing up for a significant international expansion with plans to launch new websites in Ireland and Australia before the Christmas shopping season.

The move comes as the digital marketplace reaches a milestone of 10,000 brands on its platform, signalling a robust growth trajectory since its acquisition by Boohoo in 2021.

Dan Finley, chief executive officer of Debenhams, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming launches. "We are excited to bring back Debenhams to Ireland in the coming months. There have been lots of demands with the consumers and with our partner base," Finley told Drapers. He added, "In Australia, we have had Debenhams stores there historically, and we think there is a great opportunity to bring our new Debenhams business back to the Australian market this year."

The international websites will feature "hundreds of local and international brands", catering to the diverse tastes of global consumers. Following these launches, Debenhams plans to introduce a Nasty Gal marketplace in the United States, leveraging the Boohoo Group's family of brands to expand its reach further afield.

In addition to the international expansion, Debenhams is set to introduce a fulfilment service later this year. UK brand partners will have the option to store and dispatch stock from Boohoo Group's automated distribution centre in Sheffield, offering customers the convenience of next-day delivery.

Finley outlined his vision for Debenhams, stating, "For hundreds of years, Debenhams has been the great department store and we want to be the digital department store going forward." He drew an ambitious comparison, adding, "The vision for Debenhams is for it to be to retail what Spotify is to the music industry."

The company's growth strategy also includes enhancing the customer experience through innovative technologies. Finley mentioned the upcoming launch of an AI room builder and highlighted existing features such as virtual advisors and virtual try-on services.

As part of its evolving leadership team, Debenhams recently appointed Sarah Gilchrist to the newly-created role of chief customer officer. Gilchrist joins from JD Sports Fashion, where she most recently served as group digital marketing director.

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