DJs plans for the food market
by Leon Gettler
In news that might concern restaurants and eateries, the new chief executive of upmarket department store David Jones John Dixon says the retailer will be moving into the food and hospitality market.
He described premium food market as “a hugely exciting prospect” and said David Jones would leverage its high profile upmarket brand to attract diners with gourmet dishes.
“When you stand back and think about a high-quality innovative food offer, and how that links to the brand positioning of David Jones and the customer positioning of David Jones, it’s absolutely right that we should be thinking about how we can exploit the high end part of the market,” Mr Dixon told The Australian.
Mr Dixon, a British retail veteran who once ran retailer Marks & Spencer’s food business, said David Jones would soon unveil upgrades and enhanced services for its in-store cafes, which he believed had lacked attention over the past 10 years.
“So, I think there’s more to do to enhance the existing (cafe) offer — reviewing the range, reviewing the supply base, reviewing our standards but we certainly see significant medium to long-term opportunities for food.”
Mr Dixon said DJ’s was set to announce upgrades and enhanced services for its in-store cafes.
A retail veteran who ran Marks & Spencer’s food business in the UK, Mr Jones said David Jones had not given food much attention over the past 10 years
He believed the DJ food offering would be popular with the market.
“From the amount of research we have done and my observation ... is that the Australian customer is actually very discerning when it comes to food,’’ he said.
“You have got very high-quality standards. (Australians) travel extensively and they are looking for, I think, a retailer that can give them that level of quality, freshness and service which typically they would find when they eat out in restaurants.”
31st March 2016
