Debenhams Group is moving its fulfilment operations back to Burnley through a new distribution partnership, with the move expected to create more than 1,200 jobs.

The retailer, which owns brands including Debenhams, PrettyLittleThing, boohoo, MAN and Karen Millen, will transfer operations from its Sheffield distribution centre after selling the site to Primark for £90 million in September. https://retail-systems.com/rs/Primark_To_Launch_Home_Delivery_In_Great_Britain.php

Debenhams Group said it will continue operating from Sheffield until early 2027 before completing the move to Burnley.

The announcement comes just one year after plans to close Debenhams’s Burnley facility put 1,200 jobs at risk, according to the local council.

Under the agreement, GXO Logistics will manage the Burnley facility and oversee the retailer's global third-party distribution operations. The companies said the partnership combines Debenhams Group's experience at the site with GXO's fulfilment expertise.

GXO has already started recruiting for roles at the new facility.

Dan Finley, chief executive of Debenhams Group, said: “We're delighted to be returning to Burnley. Burnley has played an important role in the group's history, as the primary distribution location for over a decade.

“We're excited to be combining our years of experience operating in the town with GXO's fulfilment expertise, to support the next phase of the Group's growth.”

Earlier this month Debenhams Group launched a new cashflow solution, intended to help its 30,000 marketplace partners have more rapid access to sales revenue.

The group has adopted Storfund’s Daily Advance service, which allows merchants to be paid as soon as orders are shipped, rather than waiting for delivery confirmation.

The service allows sellers on Debenham’s platform to receive up to 80 per cent of their shipped sales revenue daily. Once Debenhams has paid out, merchants can then access the remaining 20 per cent, minus Storfund’s fees, which it told Retail Systems average between one and two-and-a-half per cent of sales across the year.

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