David Jones unveils stand alone food store

Photograph by Ross Honeysett. Design by Landini Associates
 Photograph by Ross Honeysett. Design by Landini Associates

Photograph by Ross Honeysett. Design by Landini Associates

Department store giant David Jones has announced it will open its first standalone David Jones Food store in Melbourne when it unveils its premium convenience format in the Capitol Grand South Yarra in 2019.

The 500sqm David Jones Food store will focus purely on food retail, fresh food items and a carefully curated grocery and wine offering.

David Jones said that the new store format store is designed to cater to the busy lifestyles of the area’s residents, with an emphasis on fresh premium produce including pre-packed meat and seafood, and a comprehensive convenience selection comprised of pre-prepared vegetables, salads and fruit as well as innovative, restaurant-quality ready meals.

The majority of product, including 90 per cent of the store’s fresh offering, will be under the department store’s new premium David Jones Food label which launched earlier this year.

Also included under the David Jones Food brand are grocery products ranging from ice cream and confectionary to stir fry sauces and herbs and spices. These will be complemented by a curated range of the best brands, many of which are exclusive to David Jones.

“We know that when it comes to food our customers want us to provide provenance, freshness and convenience but also that our offering needs to be accessible to their busy lives,” said David Thomas, David Jones CEO. “We are excited to bring our new world-class food concept to their doorstep in the heart of South Yarra as part of this exciting new development.”

The opening of David Jones Food at Capitol Grand South Yarra will create approximately 30 new roles including specialist food roles across a range of food categories.

The standalone food store at Capitol Grand is the latest concept to be announced as part of David Jones’ roll out of its premium food offering, which started with the opening of a flagship Food Hall at its Bondi Junction store and the launch of its own premium food brand, David Jones Food in August 2017. Last October it unveiled its first smaller David Jones Food concept at Wollongong and announced it will open a similar food retail concept in Malvern in March.

David Jones also  announced it plans to open several standalone food stores in the coming years.

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