The department store’s future is in question, but its legacy has many points of pride
David Jones has lived through a lot. It has survived two world wars, the Great Depression, modern recessions and changing tastes. But lately, it feels like death by a thousand cuts for the department store, whose future beyond Christmas is in question. Not that other department stores around the globe are immune – but for Australians, this one feels especially raw.
There have been so many points of pride in its 188-year history. On that point alone, David Jones remains the world’s oldest continuously operating department store still trading under its original name. Not London’s Selfridges, not New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue – but our own DJs (as it is affectionately known).