The Grinch that sold Christmas: David Jones scraps beloved tradition
The beloved Sydney Christmas tradition drawing thousands of families to the CBD has been axed by David Jones, potentially devastating city retailers. See the photos of Christmas past and present.
David Jones has been accused of scrooging out on the Christmas spirit after the department store bailed on dressing its windows with their usual festive fanfare this year.
The retail giant, long famous for its Sydney CBD store’s colourful Christmas window displays, has ditched decking the streetside windows for a display promoting its reward program.
The twinkling lights and animatronic characters which drew masses of Sydneysiders to the windows year after year have been replaced with the brand’s loyalty program mascot, Domino the Dalmatian, and Christmas advertisements for luxury labels like Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
The new pared-down displays failed to attract a crowd on Wednesday.
Shoppers who passed by the store’s windows along Elizabeth, Market and Pitt Sts found them filled with designer handbags, with those who travelled to the city to see the displays left disappointed.
“People have been coming here for a long time. I remember coming when I was young,” Lynn Morley said.
“The buzz is not there now because families used to just bring their kids down and have a lot and it’s not the same now.”
“Children aren’t interested in Chanel and things like that, they want to see Christmas.”
Linda Connell travelled up from Wollongong to see the windows, and called the display “complete drab”, with the festive decorations a way to draw in crowds to the city throughout December.
“We walked past it this afternoon and it’s a drab looking window,” Ms Connell said.
“Here you’ve got handbags, and down the road at Westfield – it’s glorious.”
David Jones, which opened in Sydney in 1838 and previously touted itself as “the home of Christmas” in 2020, has put on Christmas displays for decades, decking out its windows throughout World War II and more recently, the pandemic lockdowns.
Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou said the move had taken Sydney “backwards”, calling on David Jones to “do better” and reinstate the displays.
“It’s disappointing that a flagship retailer such as David Jones has dropped its traditional Christmas themed window displays that for generations kept Sydneysiders and visitors spellbound,” Mr Nicolaou said.
“Its Christmas displays were part of the fabric and the spirit of our city.
“It is borderline tragic that they have chosen to abandon a tradition they helped to establish.
“In previous years, you could expect to see families five-deep outside the store bringing thousands of people into the CBD.
“And it’s exactly that kind of people surge we need in the heart of the city to keep the retail magic alive at Christmas.”
“A city that turns on the best fireworks display on the planet has to do better at Christmas …
Mr Nicolaou said the move could have a flow-on impact on other CBD retailers at a key point in the retail calendar.
“The Black Friday plus Christmas shopping splurge was expected to drive $11bn in economic activity in NSW with much of that in Sydney alone,” he said.
“We have to generate a sense of excitement to reach such ambitious goals and major retailers such as David Jones must be part of driving that momentum.”
In a statement, a David Jones spokesman said the retailer had decided to celebrate “A Very Rewarding Christmas – a season all about the joy of giving, cherishing moments with loved ones, and enjoying the benefits of our new loyalty program”.
“We understand how deeply sentimental the Christmas windows are for many families and truly appreciate the feedback,” the spokesman said.
“While the windows look different, the Christmas magic continues in-store.
“We greatly value our customers’ feedback and will carefully consider it as we plan future Christmas experiences.”
Pictures from Christmas past
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Originally published as The Grinch that sold Christmas: David Jones scraps beloved tradition
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