Debenhams Group vs Woolworths Group

WSG Brands Acquires Nasty Gal for $16M

WSG Brands, the owner of Allbirds' IP, has acquired the fashion brand Nasty Gal from Debenhams Group (formerly Boohoo) for $16 million. The deal includes Nasty Gal's gross merchandise value of £12 million and adjusted EBITDA of £400,000 last year. WSG Brands plans to expand Nasty Gal globally through licensing deals and partnerships, adding categories like denim, footwear, bags, jewelry, activewear, swimwear, sleepwear, beauty, travel, and other lifestyle items. The acquisition follows WSG's earlier purchase of Allbirds with American Exchange Group and the acquisition of Von Dutch two years ago. Nasty Gal was founded by Sophia Amoruso in 2006 and was previously acquired by Boohoo in 2017 for $20 million after its bankruptcy. The sale aligns with Debenhams Group's strategy to become a capital-light, marketplace-led business.

• WSG Brands acquired Nasty Gal for $16 million from Debenhams Group (formerly Boohoo).
• Nasty Gal generated £12 million in gross merchandise value and £400,000 in adjusted EBITDA in the last year.
• WSG Brands plans to expand Nasty Gal globally via licensing deals and partnerships, adding new product categories.

QSIC Appoints Mark Mansour as MD APAC

QSIC, the global intelligent in-store audio platform, announced the appointment of Mark Mansour as Managing Director, APAC, effective November 1, 2026. Mansour, a founding team member of Woolworths Group's retail media business Cartology and former managing director of Woolworths MarketPlus, brings deep retailer-side experience. The move follows QSIC's AUD$40 million Series B and aims to advance in-store audio as a measurable retail media channel. Mansour will focus on connecting audio advertising to shopper behavior and business outcomes, moving retail media beyond campaign-level activity. The company also recently launched QSIC Intelligence, a unified measurement dashboard for retail partners providing metrics like attributable sales and new-to-brand shoppers. QSIC works with major retailers including McDonald's and 7-Eleven across various sectors.

• QSIC appoints Mark Mansour as Managing Director APAC, effective November 1, 2026.
• Mansour was a founding team member of Cartology and former MD of Woolworths MarketPlus.
• QSIC raised AUD$40 million in Series B funding.

Woolworths Newsroom: Latest News and Featured Stories

The Woolworths Group newsroom page features several announcements, including the creation of 800 new jobs for a new chilled and fresh food distribution centre in Western Sydney, a partnership with Mad Mex for a Chilli & Lime Hot Chicken, and a home loan broker partnership between Everyday Rewards and Middle. It also highlights Woolworths' 2026 festive campaign, F26 Full Year Results commentary, new digital shopping tools, and sustainability commitments.

• Woolworths is recruiting 800 new roles to operate a new chilled and fresh food distribution centre in Western Sydney, described as the biggest refrigerated distribution centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Woolworths has partnered with Mexican restaurant chain Mad Mex to launch a new Chilli & Lime Hot Chicken variant of its rotisserie chicken.
• Everyday Rewards, with over 10.9 million active members, announced a partnership with Australian home loan technology platform Middle to offer a home loan broker service.

Woolworths Newsroom: Latest News and Media Releases

Woolworths Group's newsroom page now features several new press releases and product launches, including 'Turn your weekly shop into free Fissler food containers', 'Woolworths expands Lower Shelf Price to over 1,000 everyday products', and 'Far North Queensland welcomes first Mini Woolies sites'. Additionally, there is a statement regarding Guardian Australia's Price Freeze story.