“We came, we rebuilt, we succeeded”: Owen Morgan departs Debenhams and praises retail and tech teams
Owen Morgan has left Debenhams where, over the past two years, he held the position of Head of Service Architecture.
Boohoo Group acquired the department store's brand and website for £55 million in January 2021 after it fell into administration.
Debenhams has since been relaunched as a digital only retailer.
In a LinkedIn post, Morgan, whose CV also includes stints at Mission Labs and Claranet, said: “We came, we rebuilt, we succeeded at Debenhams.”
“A privilege to play a part in the history of the iconic, 250 year old brand. Sadly, today I move on. A personal thanks to the most talented retail and technology teams ever assembled.”
Morgan did not reveal details as to his next move.
On the up
Debenhams reported a pre-tax loss of £732,000 in the year to 28th February 2023, compared with a loss of £11.7 million in the previous year.
It posted £87.1 million in total sales during the period, up 53% from the previous year. Gross margin rose to 48.7%, from 44.6% in 2022.
UK sales accounted for £73.5 million while international revenue stood at £13.5 million, compared with £52.4 million and £4.5m million respectively.
Debenhams said it has benefitted from "access to a formidable suite of relationships and resources" as a subsidiary of Boohoo Group, combined with "our insight and understanding of changing consumer demands to build a business platform that delivers value to all our stakeholders".
It added: “The global market for online fashion is forecast to continue to grow, which provides a favourable backdrop for the company. Customers throughout the world are seeking a wide choice of quality fashion forward products at value prices, with the convenience of home delivery.”
"The company’s target market has a high propensity to spend on fashion and the market has proven to be quite resilient to external macroeconomic factors.”
“Previous cost increases in relation to inbound freight have moved back towards pre-pandemic levels, with supply chains speeding up, allowing for the company to look to reinforce its USPs and value credentials for its fashion-conscious customers globally."
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