New Zealand's only David Jones store to close

Detailed summary

The sole David Jones store in New Zealand is to close. The shop at Newmarket in Auckland is one of 19 stores of the iconic Australian department store that will shut. The…

The shop at Newmarket in Auckland is one of 19 stores of the iconic Australian department store that will shut.

The receivers, FTI Consulting, said the stores would remain open for now as consultation with staff is done, but they were expected to shut by the end of the year.

"The Receivers have made the difficult decision to proceed with an urgent restructure of the business, in line with management's plan for the future of David Jones that was being worked on prior to the appointment," the receivers said in a statement.

"Whilst the impacts are highly regrettable, the receivers believe the steps are unavoidable if David Jones is to continue as a viable business and these measures will help give David Jones the best chance for a sustainable future."

The group was put into receivership and administration a week ago after the company could not negotiate a deal with its major landlord, the Westfield mall owners.

The Newmarket store, in the Westfield mall, made a loss of $4.4 million in 2024/25, which included a significant write down involving its lease. The parent group made a loss of $95.5m in the same year, which followed a $74m loss in the preceding year.

The Wellington store, which took over the premises of local retail heavyweight Kirkcaldie and Staines, closed in 2022.

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