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Fashion Boss Eyes £150M Payout Amid Sales Slump
27 Nov, 2025
Summary
- CEO could gain £148.1m in shares if company value significantly increases.
- Sales plunged 23% to £297m, with youth brands seeing a 41% drop.
- Company narrowed pre-tax losses to £2.5m by cutting £160m in costs.
Debenhams Group CEO Dan Finley stands to gain £148.1 million in shares as part of a new incentive scheme, contingent on boosting the fashion group's value. This comes as the company reported a 23% sales decrease, reaching £297 million in the six months leading up to August 31. The decline was particularly sharp in its "youth brands," including Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing, which saw sales drop by 41%.
The group managed to narrow its pre-tax losses to £2.5 million from £130 million in the prior year, largely due to £160 million in cost reductions. Further savings are anticipated through operational changes and asset sales. This turnaround effort follows a period of struggle after the pandemic boom, facing intense competition from fast-fashion rivals.
This new reward scheme bypasses shareholder approval, a move critics attribute to concerns over disruption from major shareholder Frasers Group. The plan requires the share price to average £3 over a 30-day period in three years, a significant increase from its current valuation, to trigger the full executive payout.
