End of an era: David Jones closes store after 35 years

Iconic retailer DJs will close another Brisbane store this Friday, but a rising supermarket will take part of its space.

After 36 years serving westside shoppers, David Jones will close the doors at its Toowong Village department store this Friday.

Canny shoppers have been taking advantage of a closing down sale this week ahead of the sad moment when the shutters will come down for the final time, at 5.30pm on June 18.

David Jones has been trading at Toowong Village since the centre opened in 1986.

The store closure is in line with the retailer’s national direction to restructure its Australian business.

The department store icon is moving to a smaller real estate footprint as it tries to compete with the rise in online sales.

But in some exciting news, it can be revealed up-and-coming Asian supermarket Fresco will take up a large amount of the space DJ’s had occupied on level 1.

David Jones store at Toowong Village shopping Centre. Picture: Mark Calleja

Fresco has been expanding rapidly on Brisbane’s southside, with a new supermarket opened at Pinelands Plaza in Sunnybank Hills in February.

Fresco will also open a supermarket in Calamvale and has another at Sunny Park Shopping centre in Sunnybank, plus two specialist IGAs including one at Runcorn.

They offer a mix of Asian and western groceries and fresh produce, fresh butcheries and live, as well as frozen and chilled, seafood.

The live seafood section at Fresco Sunny Park.

The fresh butchery at Fresco Sunny Park.

Toowong Village is near several highrise student accommodation buildings which mainly cater to Asian students attending the University of Queensland.

Although the Asian student market has collapsed due to Covid, it should have started to recover by the time Fresco opens late next year.

Toowong Village’s owners announced in December last year that Woolworths had inked a 10-year lease deal for space on the gallery level.

Retail First managing director Steven Bridges said it was good news for Woolies customers, who had been without a local store since the outlet opposite Toowong Village closed in January, 2017.

Toowong Village. Picture: Robert Rough

Woolworths state manager Chris Peters said the new full line supermarket would employ 100 people.

Further retail leasing deals will be announced soon.

The three-level shopping centre, which had a $50 million refurbishment in 2015, recently reopened its ageing basement travelators.

The new travelators have been well received, but their closure was poorly advertised and caught angry shoppers unawares.

Hoardings will go up at David Jones on the weekend and work on the new tenants’ space will start next week, with Fresco and Woolies to open late next year.

The aisles at Fresco Pinelands.

Exterior of Fresco Pinelands.

“The changes will complement the already strong-performing Coles supermarket and ground floor fresh food precinct, and is a strategic move to enhance the direction of the retailer mix, meeting customers’ needs and expectations,’’ Mr Bridges said.

“The addition of Woolworths and Fresco Supermarket is a positive outcome and demonstrates industry confidence in Toowong Village.

“The changes enable Toowong Village to progress in line with customer expectations, together with the suburb’s growth in high density living, the planned Town Centre mixed-use development opposite Toowong Village, and the Council’s proposed Green Bridge from West End.”

Mr Bridges said that Retail First and YFG Shopping Centres looked forward to making further announcements for Toowong Village as they become finalised.

Mr Bridges said Toowong Village would remain open during the changes and it would work hard to minimise disruption to shoppers and current retailers.

Toowong Village is owned by YFG Shopping Centres and managed by Retail First Pty Ltd.