David Jones has recorded a 2.1% sales decline for the 20 weeks ended 17 November 2019. Comparable sales including online were down 0.7%.
The department store blamed the sales slide on disruption from the Elizabeth Street store refurbishment, due for completion in March 2020.
Online sales grew by 68% and now comprise 10.4% of total sales, up from 7.7% at the end of FY19.
In its FY19 results presentation, David Jones said space reduction to improve store productivity is a priority, when profit was down 42%, and last month the department store announced that its two Bourke Street stores would be brought into one single store experience with the menswear store currently up for sale.
Group sales for parent company, Woolworths Holdings, were up 2.2% compared to the previous corresponding period and 2.9% on a constant currency basis.
