The Aporia · Boohoo owner Debenhams hails return to profit for first time in five years

Boohoo owner Debenhams hails return to profit for first time in five years

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Wise, A. (2026, October 23). Boohoo owner Debenhams hails return to profit for first time in five years. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/debenhams-primark-pretty-little-thing-sheffield-nasty-gal-b1302031.html

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Debenhams, owned by Boohoo, reported a pre-tax profit of £28.3 million for the six months ending August, reversing from a loss of £17.9 million in the same period last year. This marks the first profitable period since August 2021. Group chief executive Dan Finley highlighted plans to achieve over £100 million in pre-tax profit in the medium term and secure £100 million in cost savings by next year, emphasizing a continued business turnaround. Gross merchandise value increased by 1.8%, driven primarily by a 14.1% growth for the Debenhams brand, while Pretty Little Thing and Boohoo saw slight increases of 1.1%.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-23, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

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Story summary

As of October 23, 2026, Debenhams, the owner of fashion brand Boohoo, reported a return to profit for the first time in five years with pre-tax profits of £28.3 million for the six months ending August. This marked a significant swing from a loss of £17.9 million during the same period last year. Group chief executive Dan Finley stated that this turnaround is part of a larger strategy to achieve more than £100 million in pre-tax profit in the medium term. The company's gross merchandise value increased by 1.8%, driven mainly by a 14.1% growth for the Debenhams brand, while Pretty Little Thing and Boohoo saw only slight increases of 1.1%. Debenhams aims to secure £100 million in cost savings by the following year as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce costs and improve profitability.

Written for “Boohoo Owner Debhmahs Returns To Profit” on 2026-10-23, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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0 of 8 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

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Who wrote this

Anna Wise

59 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

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Also by Anna Wise

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2026-10-22 · Evening Standard

Barclays reveals profit growth of 12% after £200 million cost savings

2026-10-22 · Evening Standard

Interest rate hike ‘firmly on table’ after inflation rises to 11-month high

2026-10-21 · Evening Standard

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 59 articles by Anna Wise →

Claims (8 extracted, 0 hedged)

It also has been taking steps to reduce its cost base by selling off parts of the business. asserted

It → take → business

This helped reduce the company’s debts and return it to a profit. asserted

This → help → profit

Pre-tax profits came in at £28.3 million for the six months to the end of August, swinging from a loss of £17.9 million over the same period last year. Group chief executive Dan Finley said it marked the “first time the group has delivered positive profit before tax since August 2021”. Bosses are also targeting a pre-tax profit of more than a £100 million in the “medium term”. “The turnaround continues at pace,” he said. asserted

he → come → pace

“I see material opportunities ahead and we are fully focused on maximising them.” asserted

we → see → them

Gross merchandise value (GMV), the group’s preferred sales measure, increased by 1.8% for the half-year period, compared to last year. asserted

value → increase → year

This was led by 14.1% growth for the Debenhams brand, while Pretty Little Thing and Boohoo edged up by 1.1%. asserted

Thing → lead → %

Debenhams is hoping to secure £100 million worth of cost savings by next year. asserted

Debenhams → hop → year

The company told investors that “additional material cost reductions” were expected in the next financial year. asserted

reductions → tell → year

Boohoo owner Debenhams hails return to profit for first time in five years

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Claims (8 extracted, 0 hedged)