David Jones' boss David Thomas quits for 'personal reasons'
Department store David Jones said its boss David Thomas has resigned from his position, citing "personal reasons".
A replacement for Mr Thomas would be announced in "due course," the company said in an emailed statement on Thursday.
Ian Moir, CEO of the South African group Woolworths which owns David Jones, will help run the business until a new chief executive is found, according to the statement.
Mr Thomas had been in the top job at David Jones since September 2017, and had been reporting directly to Mr Moir since May last year when Woolworths dispensed with its Australian boss John Dixon.
Mr Thomas was making press appearances around December’s Boxing Day sales, but did not attend David Jones’ launch of its autumn/winter fashion range in Tasmania this week.
Faced with falling sales at department stores brought on by the rise of speciality retailers and international fast-fashion giants, Mr Thomas was spearheading a strategy to focus on luxury brands and high-end customers.
He maintained department stores could still be relevant to consumers, and looked to providing a high-end customer experience akin to shopping at Harrods in London or Galeries Lafayette in Paris.
Last month Woolworths revealed that David Jones' sales slowed in the weeks leading up to Christmas, posting comparable sales growth of 0.9 per cent.
Woolworths also owns the Australian fashion brands Country Road, Mimco, Politix, Trenery and Witchery.
More to come