This Month
Myer says Black Friday sales were ‘encouraging’ despite tough trading
The retailer’s executive chairwoman Olivia Wirth used her first annual meeting in the job to sell plans for a merger with Premier Investments’ fashion brands.
- Carrie LaFrenz
November
- Exclusive
- Retail
Premier claims sacked Smiggle boss ‘interfered’ in HR investigation
The disclosure was issued to proxy advisers, and is the first time that Solomon Lew’s retail empire has made a specific allegation against its former executive.
- Kylar Loussikian
Sacked Smiggle executive John Cheston faces loss of $4m in shares
The board of Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments has unanimously recommended shareholders strip him of stock handed over as part of executive incentives.
- Kylar Loussikian and Carrie LaFrenz
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Chanticleer’s 10 legends of marvellous Melbourne
Melbourne has always been Chanticleer’s spiritual home. As part of the column’s 50-year celebrations, we name 10 big characters from the past five decades.
- James Thomson
October
- Updated
- Mergers & acquisitions
Myer buys big brands from Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments
The department store will end up with control of Just Jeans, Dotti, Jay Jays and Portmans in a deal that gives the billionaire a massive stake in a larger company.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
Myer buys Lew’s brands; Trump in damage control; Vanguard eyes super
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
This is the number that drove Myer to cut a deal with Solomon Lew
For years, the retailer has been slowly fading away under a small-target strategy. Olivia Wirth and Lew want to put growth back on the agenda.
- James Thomson
Myer board meets to ink $1b merger with Lew’s Premier apparel business
The deal – technically an acquisition by the department store giant – should hand the billionaire retailer a 30 per cent stake in Myer.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Legendary One.Tel stockbroker throws donor lunch for Peter Dutton
Broker doyen Brent Potts flung open his office for a pricey fundraiser for the opposition leader.
- Mark Di Stefano
- Updated
- Executive shake-up
Olivia Wirth poaches from Qantas in Myer executive revamp
The department store’s executive chairwoman tells staff the changes will allow it to grow after years of declining revenue and profit.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
Solomon Lew reveals why he is still obsessed with Myer
The 79-year-old retail billionaire has fought a lot of corporate battles over the years, but he remains fixated on the department store chain.
- Patrick Durkin
September
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Lew’s ‘toughest year in 61 years’ a chance to really shake things up
Few chairmen are pulling strategic levers like Australia’s shrewdest retailer. Where is it all headed?
- Updated
- Anthony Macdonald
Myer investors grow impatient over new strategy as growth stalls
The mid-market department store was expected to outline its growth plans next month. That has been delayed as it considers buying up well-known fashion brands.
- Carrie LaFrenz
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Wirth’s rescue plan for Myer is missing one big thing: growth
For much of the last decade, Myer’s strategy has been to accept its diminished place in the market and shrink itself in response. Olivia Wirth’s plan is very different.
- James Thomson
Can Olivia Wirth right the three-decade drift at Myer?
The former Qantas executive has inherited the start of a turnaround at retail’s grand dame. But there is plenty more to do, starting with finding profit growth.
- Jemima Whyte
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Inside the bizarre betrayal of Solomon Lew
An apparent attempt to scuttle a deal between Myer and the billionaire’s Premier Investments has played out in the strangest of circumstances.
- James Thomson
The stoush over Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments gets dirty
For decades, the billionaire has been the king of retailing in Australia. But a carefully leaked document shows not all is well in his sprawling empire.
- Simon Evans
Solomon Lew axes Smiggle boss John Cheston
The executive, who had already quit to defect to retail chain Lovisa, has been accused of “serious misconduct” by his former employer, which he denies.
- Carrie LaFrenz
- Exclusive
- Retail
Billionaire Brett Blundy plots new brand to relive lingerie glory days
The businessman was behind the Bras N Things chain, which was sold to Hanes for $500 million, and Honey Birdette, acquired by Playboy for $443 million.
- Carrie LaFrenz
- Exclusive
- Retail
Sass & Bide stores to close as new Myer chief clears the decks
Olivia Wirth has moved quickly to axe the storied fashion chain’s standalone retail outlets ahead of a proposed merger with Premier Investments brands.
- Carrie LaFrenz