In an opinion piece published in The Sydney Morning Herald and WA Today, former fashion editor Melissa Singer describes David Jones’ slow collapse amid poor customer service, fashion brands fleeing back to Myer, and shoppers turning to ultra-fast fashion platforms such as Shein and Temu.
Singer, who covered fashion for the masthead from 2016 to 2024, recalls an extravagant 2019 David Jones season launch attended by figures from Australian fashion. She describes the so-called store wars between David Jones and Myer, a roughly decade-long competition for brands and ambassadors that she says was good for retail. At some point, possibly after losing many Australian designer brands to David Jones in 2017-18, Myer lost its passion for fashion; by 2022, Singer described it as a brand that had deserted fashion in favour of 'dressing middle Australia'.
Rather than resurrecting itself as a place where customers could discover new brands through great service, David Jones simply stopped trying. Singer writes that former customers overwhelmingly say there is 'just no one to serve you', and that the neglect is visible in its stores at midday. Many fashion brands have fled back to Myer, presumably on more attractive terms than David Jones' 60-day payments, which few small brands can afford. The 6000 David Jones staff face an anxious wait about their futures.
Singer attributes the broader decline to the rise of ultra-fast fashion and a shift in consumer habits, with shoppers who mourn department stores also buying from Shein and Temu. She notes that both David Jones and Myer are shells of their former selves, and the possibility of a department store monopoly in Australia looms.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The collapse of a 180-year-old retailer leaves 6000 workers in limbo.
- A potential Myer monopoly could reduce competition and choice in Australian fashion retail.
- The decline reflects broader shifts: cost-of-living pressures, the dominance of ultra-fast fashion, and changing consumer expectations.
Background
David Jones was a long-standing Australian department store, founded in 1838, and for much of its history a symbol of premium retail. It competed intensely with Myer for designer brands and ambassadors. The company's recent collapse marks the end of an era, following years of declining foot traffic, the rise of online shopping, and the pressure of fast fashion.
Key Perspectives
What to Watch
- Whether Myer executive chair Olivia Wirth can avoid repeating the same strategic mistakes.
- The fate of the 6000 staff and any potential buyer or restructuring.
- The impact on Australian fashion labels that depended on David Jones as a retail channel.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe headline says Singer points to declining service and fast fashion in David Jones’ collapse.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “And while COVID-19, interest rate rises, the onslaught of ultra-fast fashion, cost-of-living pressures and hybrid working have all tempered Australians’ need for designer clothing”
- SupportedDavid Jones stopped evolving.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “instead of David Jones taking the free kick and resurrecting itself as a place where customers, through great service, can discover new brands, it simply stopped trying.”
- SupportedSinger describes David Jones’ slow collapse alongside poor customer service.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “No question the model is broken, as the slow collapse of David Jones is proof.”
- SupportedSinger was the masthead’s fashion editor from 2016 to 2024.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “As the fashion editor of this masthead from 2016 until 2024”
- SupportedThe store wars were a roughly decade-long contest between David Jones and Myer for brands and ambassadors.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The term was coined to describe the roughly decade-long tussle between the two companies for brands, which were often signed on exclusivity deals, and celebrity ambassadors”
- SupportedSinger says the store wars were good for retail.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “experts I spoke to throughout agreed it was good for retail, and good for Australian fashion.”
- SupportedMyer may have lost its passion for fashion after losing many Australian designer brands to David Jones in 2017–18.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “But at some point, Myer – possibly after losing many of its Australian designer brands to David Jones in the great exodus of 2017-18 – lost its passion for fashion.”
- SupportedBy 2022, Singer described Myer as having deserted fashion in favour of “dressing middle Australia”.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “By 2022, I would describe Myer as a brand that had deserted fashion in favour of “dressing middle Australia” .”
- SupportedSinger says former David Jones customers overwhelmingly say, “there is just no one to serve you”.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Ask any former rusted-on David Jones customer where things went wrong and, overwhelmingly, the response is, “There is just no one to serve you.””
- Partly supportedSinger says the neglect is visible in David Jones stores at midday.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “you just need to walk through one of its ailing stores at midday on a Wednesday and the neglect is palpable.”
- SupportedMany fashion brands have fled back to Myer, presumably on better terms than David Jones’ 60-day payments, which few small brands can afford.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The fashion brands, many of which have fled back across the aisle to Myer (on presumably more attractive terms than David Jones’ 60-day payments, which few small brands can afford) have spoken.”
- SupportedThere are 6,000 David Jones staff facing an anxious wait about their futures.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “As I write this, I am saddest for the 6000 David Jones staff who face an anxious wait about their futures .”