Debenhams and Morrisons expose their rivals’ bad dress sense

Outlook

Debenhams in Oxford Street (Getty)

What was all that about the mild winter weather making it an unhappy Christmas for clothes retailers? Clothing was a strong point for Morrisons. I’m told that one of its best-selling lines was an artificial fur coat for kids (at £12.50).

On the same day, Debenhams revealed that it too had enjoyed the festive season. Apparently it is selling more gifts.

Gifts doing well at Christmas? Well, who would have believed that?

Like Morrisons, Debenhams is comparing itself against a very weak 2014. Things didn’t go swimmingly in 2013 either. So Debs didn’t have to do much to look good.

But it has done well, all the same. And like Morrisons’ clothing business, it did so by keeping things simple. It filled its shelves with things shoppers wanted to buy and kept tight control of stock, which helped it to maintain its margins.

The chain also honed in on the trend for layering, with people preferring to wear a couple of thin jumpers rather than one thick one. So there was no whingeing from Debenhams along the lines of what we’ve heard from Next, M&S and Sports Direct – all which tried to use “unseasonably mild conditions” to explain away their poor performances.

Regular readers may have noted that I took a rather sceptical view of their excuses. Next had problems with stock at its online and catalogue business. Sports Direct is in the midst of a PR horror show and has a rival (JD) with a more attractive range sold in more attractive shops. M&S is, well, M&S.

Debs and Morrisons got it right with clothing, those three got it wrong. Their excuses won’t wash and their executives shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.