Australian homewares entrepreneur Alyce Tran has shared her heartfelt reaction to David Jones’ collapse, revealing the strong personal connection she still has with the iconic department store.
On Thursday, the 188-year-old retailer entered voluntary administration after failing to pay rent to Westfield. The move has left about 6,000 employees uncertain about their jobs, while suppliers—including fashion and homewares brands—wait for clarity over the future of their businesses.
The development stunned many business owners, including Alyce, whose brand In The Roundhouse has a permanent concession in the David Jones homewares department. The label is known for its colourful, playful dinner plates, bowls and side dishes.
‘I love David Jones and I am devastated by the news that has come out… they really stopped me in my tracks,’ she said. ‘It’s not great news, but I didn’t think it would end. Hopefully, it’s not ending too soon.’
As concerns about the retailer’s future intensified, Alyce said she was flooded with questions about whether David Jones had ever delayed payments for stock supplied by her company.
‘We’ve never had any issues working with David Jones,’ she said, indicating that she had no reason to suspect problems before the retailer entered administration.
‘Before this whole thing started happening, people would ask me if they paid on time and I’d say, “Yes, they absolutely do”.’
‘We were on small-vendor terms and we always got paid. The buyers helped us with our planning, and it’s always been good. I’ve got nothing to complain about at all—just good times and good memories with David Jones.’
Australian homewares entrepreneur Alyce Tran has spoken about her longstanding connection to David Jones as the department store faces collapse
Alyce’s brand In The Roundhouse has a permanent space in the David Jones homewares department and is known for its playful dinnerware
In The Roundhouse is Alyce’s second successful start-up, following her departure from The Daily Edited (TDE), the brand best known for its monogrammed handbags, wallets, phone cases and travel accessories.
‘David Jones took In The Roundhouse on pretty quickly, and that enabled us to position the brand as premium—the design, the curation and everything we wanted it to be. David Jones helped us achieve that,’ she said.
Alyce has long held a special affection for the retailer. She built TDE into a thriving business after securing her first permanent retail space at the David Jones store on Sydney’s Elizabeth Street in January 2016.
‘Why do I feel so strongly about David Jones, and why do I care? They were the first people to take a chance on the younger version of me,’ she said.
‘When we started The Daily Edited, people would email us asking where they could see the products in person.
‘So, during the first six months, we decided to run a pop-up at Westfield Sydney. It was crazy. It only lasted four days, but there were lines around the corner.’
‘I thought, “OK, there is demand for this product. I need to find a permanent location”.’
She began searching for a long-term retail site and contacted a David Jones buyer.
‘I looked to David Jones because I had always seen it as very premium. I grew up thinking David Jones was a prestigious department store, and that was the kind of environment I wanted to be part of,’ she said.
Alyce expanded The Daily Edited after securing the brand’s first permanent retail space at David Jones
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Protests Spread Across France as Left-Wing Groups Call for Nationwide Mobilization
The Daily Edited became known for its monogrammed handbags, wallets, phone cases and travel essentials
The entrepreneur was offered the chance to launch TDE through a six-week pop-up store on the basement level of David Jones.
‘I thought, “OK, I know where that is—it’s next to the bras and hosiery.” It was still a great opportunity for us,’ Alyce recalled.
‘We moved in, installed a fit-out and it was a huge success.’
The business went on to generate between $50,000 and $70,000 in sales each week.
‘We were a tiny brand, so that represented a lot of volume. There is a lot of opportunity when these things go well,’ she said.
The initial six-week trial eventually became a permanent six-year presence at David Jones.
‘We opened about eight concession stores, along with several seasonal pop-ups for occasions such as Mother’s Day and Christmas. The business went really well,’ she said.
‘It was fantastic. It put the brand on the map and helped us expand overseas. I could approach Saks Fifth Avenue and say, “We’re at David Jones,” and they understood what that meant.
‘So I have to thank David Jones for supporting me as I built my retail career and became the kind of retailer I am today.’
Alyce credits David Jones with supporting her businesses and helping shape her retail career
Join the discussion
What do you think the collapse of David Jones means for the future of Australian retail brands?
As brands rush to retrieve stock from David Jones, as many as 26 locations are expected to close, leaving only 12 stores operating across Australia.
‘As I understand it, a number of stores will remain,’ Alyce said.
‘Overall, I wish them well, and hopefully there will be a sensible, orderly restructure.’
The crisis comes as Shelley Tzeegankoff, founder of Porter Jewellery, described her team’s urgent behind-the-scenes efforts to recover $50,000 worth of stock from David Jones amid concerns that outstanding invoices may not be paid.
‘Sometimes, working through difficult periods together can allow both businesses to emerge stronger,’ she said.
‘We made decisions in good faith based on the information available to us at the time. But now our priority must be protecting our business, our team and everything we’ve worked so hard to build.’