GALLERY | Debenhams.com Beauty opens first UK store

The 7,552 sq ft flagship shop can be found at the Manchester Arndale.

With two floors, the Debenhams.com store offers customers a selection of high-end beauty and fragrances brands. Large interactive screens decorate the store with real-time social media posts, blending together the online world with the physical one.

The opening marks the return of a Debenhams brand to physical retail. A staple on high streets across the country, the department store’s physical locations were all closed earlier this year after the company went into administration. Those locations are slowly being transformed, with plans submitted to change the Liverpool shop into a leisure space with a go-kart track and plans approved to turn the Manchester store into offices.

Manchester-based online retail company Boohoo bought the Debenhams brand and website in January. This new store is the first of the company’s physical retail offerings for Debenhams.

“It is great news for Manchester Arndale that the Boohoo Group has chosen the centre as its first location for a Debenhams.com beauty store in the UK and we welcome it to the city,” said Scott Linard, portfolio director at Arndale-owner M&G.

“We have worked closely with Debenhams.com to realise this opportunity in just a matter of weeks and are extremely excited about how big a draw the new store is likely to be for our shoppers in the future,” Linard said. “It is also a great boost more generally for bricks and mortar retail and demonstrates that there will continue to be a balance between online and in-person shopping.”

Jeanette Whithear, the beauty and homewear director at Debenhams.com, said that the company was “delighted” to open its first store in Manchester.

“It feels like an organic location for this exciting retail space, within the heart of the city,” Whithear said.

“Since April we have reintroduced multiple brands to Debenhams.com as well as new ones, that have really grown the offering for our customers,” she continued. “With the next step of Debenhams.com Beauty journey, I’m excited to see the cross over from our digital and physical elements come to life within the space as well as our range of brands increase dramatically into 2022.”

Time Retail Partners and Metis Real Estate represented the Manchester Arndale on the deal.

Click any image to launch gallery. All photos provided by Redwood Consulting.

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