Debenhams Group appoints ex-ASOS director to ‘accelerate youth brand turnaround’

Debenhams Group has hired former ASOS director Nikki Tattersall as Chief Product Officer to further drive the turnaround of its youth fashion brands.

Tattersall spent over 15 years at ASOS up to February 2024, the last nine and a half years of which were as Buying Director. Prior to that, she was a buyer at TK Maxx for four years, having started her fashion industry career as a junior buyer at Etam/Tammy in 2000.

At ASOS, Tattersall led womenswear buying across own brand and third-party, and played a key role in developing next generation brands.

In her new role, she will lead product strategy across Debenhams Group’s youth brands, focusing on sharpening their offer and building on their distinct identities.

Tattersall’s appointment is a key step in building on the progress already made in the group’s turnaround strategy for its youth brands, which is focused on driving continued growth by deepening customer engagement and evolving each brand, alongside the expansion of the group’s marketplace model across those brands. It follows the proven success and continued scaling of that model within the Debenhams brand.

Dan Finley, CEO of Debenhams Group, said: “Inspiring our customers with products we know our customers will love is at the heart of our strategy and Nikki brings exactly the experience we need to do this.

“She has a real instinct for what customers want – and what they don’t even know they want yet - with a strong track record of discovering and building brands that resonate at scale.

“As we continue to build on the strong progress across our youth brands, her leadership will be key to taking our product offer further, strengthening each brand’s identity and deepening our connection with customers. The group has real momentum behind it, and this is an important step in accelerating that further.”

Tattersall added: “I’m excited to be joining Debenhams Group at such an important moment. These are brands that pioneered how we shop for fashion online and have played a big role in shaping how young women discover fashion, express who they are and who they want to be.

“There’s a real opportunity to build on that and continue that momentum with a new generation of customers while maintaining their already strong following.

“The focus now is on continuing to understand the customer, getting even closer to what they want, and building on the strong foundations already in place with ranges that feel fresh, distinctive and right for them. I’m looking forward to working with the teams to take these brands into their next chapter.”

Debenhams Group has built strong momentum over the past year, recently reporting results ahead of expectations, with full-year adjusted EBITDA of £53 million for FY26.

With a global social following of over 46.5 million and a loyal international customer base, the youth brands have a strong foundation for their next phase of growth.

Debenhams Group is an online platform for fashion, home, and beauty, serving millions of customers across its five shopping destinations: Debenhams, Karen Millen, boohoo, boohoo MAN and PrettyLittleThing.