The problem is they have burnt their customer base, shoppers are...

The problem is they have burnt their customer base, shoppers are savvy and don't appreciate being ripped off. One only has to look at like for like comparisons across most of their range to see how (under the current management) they thought by repackaging product, relocating stores into high profile locations, they could rip the consumers off and nobody would notice. Well they did, and sales have suffered!

Here is just one example, the humble CR2032 Battery

In their DJ's stores powered by DS
http://shop.davidjones.com.au/djs/en/davidjones/cr2032-lithium-battery-1pk $7.98 for 1 pack
http://shop.davidjones.com.au/djs/P...051&productId=4628374&langId=-1&storeId=10051 $9.98 for 2 pack

http://search.dicksmith.com.au/search#w=cr2032 $7.98 for 1 pack of DS home brand, $10.98 for 2 pack Energizer, $14.98 for 4 pack Energizer


https://www.jbhifi.com.au/Search/results/?keywords=cr2032 $7.99 for 2 pack Energizer brand

http://www.jaycar.com.au/search?text=cr2032&CSRFToken=de9799aa-69ae-4fe0-9f36-7a3774cf0538 $2.95 for Eclipse Brand or $4.95 for Panasonic - both 1 packs

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/energizer-3v-cr2032-lithium-batteries-4-pack/p/WCC100000000077699/ $12.00 for 4 pack Energizer

You can do the same comparison across most of their bread and butter lines. Big ticket items, particularly brand name lines are low margin and require high volume turnover. This so called mamoth clearance sale may have driven foot traffic and sales in the short term but has done nothing to fix their structural problems.