This Month
Lew jnr bolsters retail group with Salt&Pepper deal; plots expansion
Homeware and kitchenware retailer Global Retail Brands has struck a deal to acquire Melbourne-headquartered Salt&Pepper.
US-China trade war could lead to cheaper goods for Australian consumers
Ruslan Kogan, founder of online retailer Kogan.com, says Chinese manufacturers lumped with extra capacity could direct goods to Australia.
March
Jeanswest goes under, putting 600 jobs at risk as stores close
Over 90 stores will be closed as the mid-market retailer, founded in Perth in 1972, goes into administration.
How Solomon Lew will win the tariff war amid ‘worst conditions in 62 years’
Consumers are feeling stressed and conditions are tough, but the retail guru is still looking for growth.
Myer warns sales are falling, outlines $12m logistics breakdown
The department store chain is in the midst of merging with five fashion brands formerly owned by Premier Investments. Sales have fallen in the past few weeks.
Wirth reshapes Myer with sweeping changes to executive team
The department store told investors it had hired four new executives and was replacing its CFO as it takes control of Just Jeans and four other brands.
APRA-style term limits would wipe out up to 30pc of ASX directors
The 10-year limit outlined by the regulator on Thursday would send hundreds of directors out the door if they were introduced across industries.
February
Mystery ATO tangle in Solomon Lew’s web
The billionaire rag trader’s network of associated entities stretches into complexity.
January
Myer plans loyalty card relaunch to capture Just Jeans, Dotti shoppers
The retailer will have 783 outlets and annual sales of $4 billion after shareholders approved plans to buy a portfolio of brands from Premier Investments.
Six decades on, Solomon Lew sets Myer a $5b goal
The retail veteran is banking on big things from a department store icon that has been part of his life for 61 years.
Myer’s future written years ago, not in a Kroll report
Forget about independent expert Kroll’s thoughts on Australia’s retail market. Myer’s hard work is about to begin.
Why Myer’s big deal with Premier is not a get-out-of-jail-free card
Big is one thing, better is another entirely. What is Myer buying in Premier Investments’ apparel brands?
December 2024
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.
November 2024
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.
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.
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.
October 2024
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.
Myer buys Lew’s brands; Trump in damage control; Vanguard eyes super
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
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.
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.