A former David Jones employee has revealed how the department store's luxury shopping experience faded, with live harpists, jazz bands and private VIP shopping gradually replaced by a more diminished offering.
Jeremy Franco, now a comedian and presenter, said the retailer had been 'declining in its offering' before entering voluntary administration this week, pushing loyal customers away and into online shopping.
Franco worked for a menswear brand operating concessions across six Sydney stores and said suburban outlets were increasingly 'neglected' as the retailer focused on its flagship locations.
'It was a very luxe vibe; the first year I worked there they would still shut down the store every year for VIPs so they could shop privately,' he said.
'The second year I worked there they changed that; anyone could do it, and I remember the VIPs being upset because they wanted that private experience. You could see how things were being made broader, rather than focused on those higher-spending shoppers.
'When I started there, there were also harpists playing, there would be jazz bands, and throughout the years that stuff withered away a little bit... the suburban stores were being neglected for the more premium experience.'
Franco also suggested the retailer's insistence on maintaining its standards may have hindered negotiations before its collapse.
'David Jones is very particular; they have so many standards and I really respect them for it, but those standards they just stuck to, and that's why I think they're coming undone,' he said.
Former David Jones employee Jeremy Franco, now a comedian and presenter, said the retailer had been 'declining in its offering' before entering voluntary administration this week, pushing loyal customers away and into online shopping
David Jones has entered administration on the cusp of the Christmas season - the busiest time of year for the retail giant
David Jones was once known across Australia for the premium in store experience
David Jones plunged into voluntary administration on Thursday, throwing the future of the 188-year-old retailer and its 6,000 staff into doubt after it failed to pay rent to Westfield.
Dozens of stores across the country are expected to close before Christmas, mostly those in Westfield centres.
Franco said he had fond memories of working at David Jones, but its strict rules could put staff under unnecessary pressure, even during a quick coffee break.
'There were heaps of little rules. For example, staff weren't allowed out the front door,' he said.
'If you wanted to go to the food court there were strict rules that staff couldn't go out the front, even for a ten-minute coffee; I would get written up just for going out the front.
'You would have to go through this secret back entrance and loop around just to pop out for a ten-minute break.
'To use cash registers, even in suburban stores, you had to go into the city and attend a full day of training.
'Fitting rooms would also have to be locked so that workers would have to physically get a key and escort the customer to the change room. It was all part of the experience.'
Brands have been pulling stock out of David Jones stores across the country, leaving huge sections of levels empty
An abandoned section of a David Jones
Once bustling with shoppers, many David Jones stores now resemble ghost towns
Despite its collapse, Franco said he believed Australians still held a special place in their hearts for the white-floored retailer.
'People have such good memories at David Jones. They wouldn't just go to shop; they'd spend a whole day there drinking champagne and watch the band play,' he said.
'The one I worked at had a cafe there that was super busy, some of the city stores had butchers and salons in there.
'There was so much more to it than just going in to buy a pair of socks, but that offering declined throughout the years, which might have contributed to what's happened.'
The collapse has also devastated suppliers, with family-owned bathrobe brand K Juliet saying it felt 'crushed' and feared it would not receive a dollar from David Jones for its stock, forcing them to sell it elsewhere.
'Lots of tears have been shed, a massive dream of ours crushed before it even really began and the reality is we won't see a dollar,' a spokesperson said
'Just remember that behind all the headlines, there are many small businesses and people affected... we're not backed with heaps of capital or massive teams to help, so whilst it seems like just another "business loss", it's a big enough loss that it could make us lose everything.'
Insolvency firm McGrath Nicol has taken over as administrators, while receivers from FTI Consulting have also been appointed.
The collapse has also devastated suppliers, with family-owned bathrobe brand K Juliet saying it felt 'crushed' and feared it would not receive a dollar from David Jones for its stock - and forcing them to sell it elsewhere
Model and David Jones ambassador Miranda Kerr back in 2011
Jesinta Campbell on the runway during the David Jones opening event as part of the 2016 Melbourne Fashion Festival
The Scentre Group, which operates 42 Westfields across Australia, claimed on Wednesday that David Jones had breached its lease agreements by failing to pay October's rent.
David Jones had sought a break from rent payments and permission to close several stores before their leases expired.
It also reportedly asked landlords to release about $70 million held as security against its leases so it could pay staff and suppliers.
The property group reportedly offered to delay rent payments and allow the retailer to close some Westfield stores over the next 12 months.
But David Jones' private equity owner, Anchorage Capital Partners, rejected the deal, paving the way for the retailer to enter administration.
'We have made a generous offer to Anchorage Capital Partners that would have facilitated the continuation of David Jones trading and that offer has disappointingly been rejected by them,' Scentre CEO Elliott Rusanow said.
Customers with David Jones gift cards have been assured they can still be redeemed.
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