Luxury Brands Leave David Jones | Ryf Quail & Ngai Yuen Low

Luxury brands are pulling out of David Jones as the 100-year-old department store fights for relevance. Ryf Quail and Ngai Yuen Low, co-hosts of Five Things Friday APAC, explain what it means for luxury retail in Australia and Asia.

David Jones sales fell 8.7% to A$2bn in the year to June 2025, with a A$95.5m pre-tax loss, per accounts lodged with ASIC. The chain is down to 38 department stores, and reports now say it may close more than half. Also this week: Asian brands winning attention with mystery names, Hong Kong malls swapping fashion for sportswear and bags, and Rolex sitting alongside online giants among the top brands in the Brand Conviction Index, built on data from 70,000 consumers in 11 Asian markets. A useful read on where luxury goods shoppers are putting their trust, and what that means for every department store still counting on the top luxury brands.

Sources: The Nightly (ASIC-lodged accounts, 28 Apr 2026); Inside Retail, citing AFR (28 Oct 2026); Inside Retail Asia, 2026 Brand Conviction Index methodology (Sep 2026).

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