The trading update from Woolworths for the half-year to December 26 makes for grim reading. Even its Food business – where same-store sales are up 0.2% after inflation – can no longer offset the struggles across the rest of the group. Read: Growth in Woolies Food division slows The retailer may never be able to ‘fix’ David Jones in Australia , but there is increasing concern about its ‘core’ fashion, beauty and home business. Fashion, beauty and home Sales are up 4.
It continues to introduce external brands, such as Levis, Guess, Birkenstock, Dyson and Crocs. Again, one gets the sense that the retailer is not yet done, so the placement of these and merchandising in store feels somewhat disjointed, especially since these often occupy prime positions within the store. Identity crisis? It also means these bigger stores are stuck somewhere between the Woolworths of ‘old’ and looking like an Edgars outlet at the peak of its multi-brand department store strategy.