Nov 11, 2026
Not linked to AIDavid Jones's receivers, FTI Consulting, are closing 19 of its 38 department stores (18 in Australia and its only New Zealand store, in Auckland), expected to stop trading by the end of 2026, and have begun consulting all staff at those stores, less than a week after the chain went into voluntary administration; no number of jobs was given (it employs more than 6,000 people).
The reason David Jones gave
"As part of this restructure, the receivers have commenced an immediate consultation process for all staff associated with 19 stores that have been identified for closure" ... "Put simply, our store portfolio is no longer the right shape for the business, and this change is about creating a network that is financially sustainable for the future"FTI Consulting, David Jones's receivers, in a statement, and chief executive Erica Berchtold, in correspondence viewed by Guardian Australia (both quoted by the Guardian)
Neither the receivers' statement nor the chief executive's words mention AI, and no report read (the Guardian, ABC News, Nine) tied the closures to AI; the Guardian sets them after years of steep losses in a sector disrupted by online competitors and stand-alone upmarket stores. An SBS podcast of 9 November asked how far AI and economic shifts are driving cuts at Australian employers "from David Jones to Canva", without tying David Jones's closures to AI.
Source: The Guardian: David Jones to close half its stores, triggering mass job losses in 'urgent restructure'. Checked Nov 11, 2026.