WHL moves David Jones’ Australian headquarters from Sydney to Melbourne
Two years after David Jones confirmed it would relocate its office headquarters from Sydney to Melbourne, the retailer is ready to move in.
The purpose-fitted Australasian base will also accommodate Country Road Group.
Both businesses are owned by South Africa’s Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL).
Within Botanicca Corporate Park, near the Yarra River in Richmond, the campus style headquarters known as Botanicca 2 or 582 Swan Street, spreads 16,000 square metres.
Coincidentally, the office is owned by another South African group, Growthpoint Properties.
Colliers International’s Rob Joyes, who brokered the WHL lease, said the deal gave the landlord the confidence to build a neighbouring property (to be known as Botanicca 3), with c20,000 sqm of area on a speculative basis (Mr Joyes is also marketing that workplace, pictured top).
WHL chief executive officer Ian Noir, with Philip Dalidakis, Victoria’s minister for Trade and Investment, will tomorrow cut the ribbon to officially open the David Jones HQ.
WHL, a top 40 company listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange, has operations across southern hemisphere.
It is set up with three operating divisions: Woolworths South Africa, Country Road Group and David Jones.
The latter, established in 1838 with a mission to sell high-end products, is the oldest continuously operating department store in the world still trading under its original name.
Country Road Group, which controls five brands: Mimco, Trenery, Witchery and Politix, as well as Country Road, has been headquartered in an office park in Church Street, Cremorne, a little closer to the Melbourne CBD than its new base but also part of Richmond.
WHL wholly acquired both the Australian businesses in 2014.
