Small business owners supplying David Jones are scrambling to get their stock returned after the 188-year-old brand entered voluntary administration.
asserted
brand → supply → administration
Shelley Tzeegankoff, the founder of Porter Jewellery, shared a video on Thursday revealing her team's desperate behind-the-scenes efforts amid fears invoices won't be paid.
The department store made the shock announcement earlier on Thursday after the company could not pay rent owed to Westfield owner Scentre Group, leaving 6,000 jobs in doubt.
uncertain
company → share → doubt
Retail analyst Barry Urquhart said David Jones' underperforming suburban stores are the most vulnerable of disappearing within its 38-store network, but shoppers have been warned to use their vouchers now in case the brand closes for good.
The announcement was even more pressing for small business owners whose stock had already been sent to David Jones locations.
asserted
stock → say → locations
Ms Tzeegankoff's video showed herself and a staff member making calls to retrieve a $50,000 shipment of custom-made jewellery.
asserted
herself → show → jewellery
'We had a bunch of bulk shipments go out today for all David Jones orders.
asserted
bunch → have → orders
I was wondering if it was possible to reverse them and have them shipped back to us?'
asserted
them → wonder → us
her staffer was filmed asking a courier service.
asserted
staffer → film → service
Ms Tzeegankoff described the announcement as a 'very sad day for so many small businesses'.
asserted
Tzeegankoff → describe → businesses
Shelley Tzeegankoff (above), the founder of Porter Jewellery, spent Thursday morning trying to retrieve a $50,000 shipment of product to David Jones
David Jones (above) announced it had entered administration on Thursday morning after it failed to pay rent owed to Westfield
She said she wasn't jumping ship on David Jones but that she needed to make sure she was protecting her brand.
'Sometimes working alongside them in those times can allow both businesses to come out stronger,' she wrote.
asserted
she → spend → times
'We made decisions in good faith based on the information we had at the time.
asserted
we → make → time
But now our priority has to be protecting our business, our team and everything we've worked so hard to build.'
asserted
we → have → business
Comments under the video were sympathetic and noted small businesses were a largely forgotten victim in the ordeal.
asserted
businesses → note → ordeal
'Feeling for all our iconic Aussie brands who are in this position.
asserted
who → feel → position
It's literally devastating,' one wrote.
asserted
one → write → ?
We had internal contacts at David Jones reassuring us for weeks that everything is fine, only for this news to break,' another said.
asserted
another → have → weeks
Sending lots of love and support your way,' another wrote.
asserted
another → send → love
Sydney businesswoman Chloe Barry-Hang also took to social media about the saga, revealing her towel robe brand, K Juliet, had just launched in David Jones.
asserted
brand → take → Jones
Chloe Barry-Hang (centre), founder of K Juliet, revealed her company had too much stock after placing orders to keep up with demand required by David Jones' physical stores
'
asserted
company → reveal → stores
It was a massive dream of ours to launch with a major retailer in Australia.
asserted
It → launch → Australia
David Jones' an iconic brand and it was a really big dream and a really big goal for us,' she told followers in a video on Thursday.
asserted
she → ' → Thursday
'We have been working on this deal for such a long time.
asserted
We → work → time
My family gave up weekend after weekend to help us pack this order because we couldn't afford to pay people, so they came and helped.
asserted
they → give → people
My 80-year-old grandparents came and helped us pack all weekend.
asserted
us → come → ?
We don't have all this capital backing us.
asserted
We → have → us
We're not rolling in money.'
asserted
We → roll → money
Ms Barry-Hang explained that only the first order of her brand's robes were on the floor when David Jones announced it had entered administration.
asserted
it → explain → administration
The orders had been placed in advance to keep up with the high stock levels demanded by physical store presence.
asserted
orders → place → presence
Now, K Juliet was left with an excessive amount of stock and nowhere to sell it but its website.
asserted
Juliet → leave → it
'It's already been paid for, it's on the way here, most of it's actually already arrived,' Ms Barry-Hang said.
Ms Barry-Hang admitted she wasn't sure how K Juliet (above) was 'going to do financially'
'
asserted
Juliet → pay → it
We wanted to make sure that we could get it to everyone in time.
uncertain
we → want → time
'That stock is stock that we're not gonna be able to sell through - there is so much stock there.'
asserted
we → go → that
She joked that anyone in need of Christmas presents could consider purchasing from her online store.
uncertain
anyone → joke → store
Ms Barry-Hang said.
asserted
Hang → say → ?
'I don't know what we're going to do with all of this stock.
asserted
we → know → stock
I don't know what we're going to do financially.'
asserted
we → know → what
David Jones has already begun discounting major brands including Hush Puppies and Effie Kats with many marked as 'reduced to clear'.
asserted
many → begin → clear
However, shoppers hoping for huge clearance discounts may not see the significant sales typically associated with retail collapses.
uncertain
shoppers → hop → collapses
Retail analyst Barry Urquhart argued David Jones could not afford the kind of massive liquidation sales often seen when retailers collapse because it needs to preserve cash.
uncertain
it → argue → cash
David Jones (above) informed its 6,000 workers that it had entered voluntary administration on Thursday
'
asserted
it → inform → Thursday
When you are in business and retail in particular, and you give a discount, 100 per cent of the discount comes out of your profits,' he said.
asserted
he → give → profits
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
