Case study

David Jones is a premium Australian department store chain, owned by Woolworths Limited. The brand was founded in 1838 by Welsh merchant and politician David Jones after he migrated to Australia, and is the oldest operating department store in the world still trading under its original name. The brand has 45 store locations in Australia, and is the main competitor to Myer, which is owned by Coles Myer.

Over the last few years, and specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic, David Jones has faced increasing challenges in the retail sector from: specialty stores in each shopping center, entrance of other mass market retailers, and the increase in ecommerce and online shopping. By responding strongly to these challenges, David Jones reached profitability in 2021 (for the first time in several years), posting a net profit of $83.4 million.

To keep the momentum going, and to continue developing its competitive advantage, the management team have decided that the company will invest heavily in emerging digital technologies, with the goal of providing memorable customer experiences. As thought leaders in the field of emerging technologies, they have approached you to gauge whether there are any emerging technologies they can capitalise on to get ahead of the curve.

Your task

• Conduct a brief audit / analysis into David Jones' current digital and in-store experience and look for opportunities to improve.
• Review emerging digital technologies and recommend 2 technologies that David Jones could use to provide more memorable customer experiences.
• The technologies you choose should be a strong fit for David Jones' current situation.
• Explain how David Jones could incorporate these digital technologies into its business, and how they would add value to both its customers and the brand.