The Welsh Connection

[Richard Quartermaine]

David Jones, the worlds first department store is celebrating its 175th anniversary. Established by David Jones in 1838 it has offered the Colony of New South Wales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales and eventually all of the Federation of Australia top class retail service.

Thank you Wales for the cliffs of South Wales that prompted Captain James Cook to name the Colony and now our State. Thank you also for one of your sons for the foresight to come to New South Wales and establish such an icon as his namesake that has provided a superb shopping experience across the Federation.
Richard

The Story of David Jones - David Jones

[happy daze john in oz]

I think thta first Mr. Jones may well be turning in his grave if he saw how things are today. Like most in retail it is struggling to survive, pricing of most goods is well beyond many people now and the Melbourne main store is not over user friendly.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Unfortunately, John there is not the original David Jones around who came out of retirement to stop the rot back in th1800s. Nepotism and jealousy and shareholding percentages have destroyed many a family organisation and I suppose 175 years is a remarkable track record.

Richard

[Keith at Tregenna]

Glad to have helped a little:

K.

[Richard Quartermaine]

And the lady who said to the sales'person'- "Yes, I will have one, two's enough, three will do".

And in the shoe department - "what size do you take, Madam" "Oh! well, I take a six, mmm, I can wear a seven. So bring me an eight.

Richard

[happy daze john in oz]

On the subject of department store here is a story very few know.
It is said that Sydney Myer began the Myer empire, Not true, it was his uncle.
His uncle came from Russia and did open a depot in Bendigo, a large store and wharehouse.
But in the town of Maldon in the Gold region of Victoria he opened his first out of town store. It opened from 1100 hours Tuesday to Saturday closing at 1900 hours. He sold all the items the gold miners required and the openeing hours were designed to fit in with the working day. No mining on Mondays as that was washing day for the ladies, so no fires could be lit. The town had a population of some 40,000 at the height of the gold rush mostly sleeping in tents. the town today has about 2000 people there.
When his nephew Sydney came out he assisted his uncle in extending the number fo stores and from that we got what we now know as the Myer empire.
I found that bit of information in the town way back in the early 80's when doing a tour of what was the main mine there.

[Richard Quartermaine]

The Myers, David Jones, Mark Foys ( Old wireless ad - When we were boys we bought our boys their toys at Foys. Now we are men we go ag'en to buy our boys their toys at Foys), Anthony Hordens and etc, etc.

But they did their specialty retail trade and services in buildings along attractive busy thoroughfares interspersed with small businesses all making a living and providing jobs and training.

Now our once attractive shopping precincts have uninteresting shoddy thoroughfares with atmosphere to suit, with boarded empty shopfronts. Mega 'Shopping Towns' surrounded by what at first sight appears to be gigantic used car lots charge small businesses like wounded buffaloes for the right to trade. Not only that. The mega-wealthy owners also take a rip off from the trader's profit margins. The two largest supermarket chains have special "arrangements' with the owners. Our government department of "Fair Trading" is a farce - these two, Coles and Woolworths, have between them eighty percent of the county's retail produce trade.

It sure ain't fair.

Richard

[happy daze john in oz]

Very true Richard, strip shops here in Melbourne are just about dead. the public want it all under one roof with ease of parking. The small shops in the centres pay up to five times per square meter as the big two.

[Captain Kong]

What ever happened to the Moonbah ,
In the 50s it was big time in Melbourne. Big Parades through town and celebrations.. Not heard of it for years, Do they still have it or just a Chinees Lion parade now you have been taken over by orientals.
Cheers
Brian.