Debenhams to open its first store in Russia
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
British retailer Debenhams has announced that it is opening its first department store in Russia this week, as it aims to double the scale of its international business over the next five years.The store at Mega Belaya Dacha in Moscow, a
mall owned by Ikea's Russian shopping centres arm, will be Debenhams’ 70th international opening and will span across 35,000 square feet.The
flagship will offer fashion, beauty and homeware products, as well as the retailer’s exclusive designer fashion collections such as Butterfly by Matthew Williamson, H! by Henry Holland, Rocha by John Rocha and J by Jasper Conran. In addition, the store will also stock the retailer's 'Edition' range which features clothing by up-and-coming UK designers.Debenhams International Director Francis McAuley, commented: “Russia is a key market, and we are excited that launch day is finally here. With an annual footfall of 70 million, Mega Belaya Dacha is the perfect spot for our first opening.
“Debenhams will be one of the first retailers to offer a full range of fashion, cosmetics, accessories, lingerie and homeware in one store and the product and prices will appeal to the vast majority of Russian consumers.
“And we have big plans for future growth; this will be the first of many Debenhams stores in the country with a further eight already in the pipeline.”
Nick Hill, CEO of Debruss, Russian partner of Debenhams, added: "We are delighted to be bringing Debenhams, this great British department store brand, to the Russian market and we are very excited to be locating our first store in such a great mall as MEGA Belaya Dacha with its proven record of success.”
The store will open on September 1 and the aim is that the debut store will allow Debenhams to firmly establish itself in the Russian retail market, which is on target to become Europe’s biggest by 2013/2014.
Ahead of the Russian opening, Debenhams is set to debut the latest instalment of its ‘Life Made Fabulous’ TV campaign, featuring designers Julien Macdonald, Henry Holland and Jasper Conran, showcasing their autumn/winter collections.
The campaign, will launch today, August 29, and will feature interactive material such as interviews with each designer, which will outline how they create their collections via social media channels.
This is the fourth ad in the series and previous campaigns have resulted in uplift in sales for the collections showcased; the advert starring Sadie Frost and Jemima French, saw sales of their Floozie swimwear brand increase by 210 percent.
Image/Video: Debenhams
