Debenhams invests in on-demand beauty services business Blow Ltd

Debenhams has invested £7.5m in on-demand beauty services business Blow Ltd, taking a minority stake in the business. The move will result in a number of Blow Ltd bars being installed in branches of the department store, starting with Oxford Street, Birmingham Bull Ring and Manchester.

The business was established by venture capitalist Dharmash Mistry and former editor of Elle and Grazia, Fiona McIntosh, in 2013. It offers a range of at-home hair and beauty treatments for customers in London and the surrounding area, Manchester and Birmingham, which can been booked online or via its app. It also has salons in Covent Garden and Canary Wharf.

Debenhams' investment in the business follows its declared business strategy (named "Debenhams Redesigned") to place experience at the heart of its stores. The group's CEO Sergio Bucher, said: "[This] is a strategic move which ties into multiple facets of our Debenhams Redesigned strategy. This will allow us to scale up our Beauty Services offer rapidly and bring brands closer to customers both in store and in their own homes. Blow Ltd’s exclusive presence in Debenhams stores will give customers even more reasons to visit us and the digital app booking service fits with our aim to offer customers a seamless mobile experience."

Mistry added: "This move accelerates our ambition to bring expert beauty services to customers in key regional cities across the UK, either in their homes or in Debenhams stores. We are excited to join forces with Debenhams to reinvent the fragmented, multi-billion-pound beauty services market.”