Myer facts for kids
Logo used from 1984 to 2016, and again from 2023 to present
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| Public | |
| Traded as | ASX: MYR |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1900 |
| Headquarters | 1000 La Trobe Street Docklands, Victoria, Australia |
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Number of locations
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57 (2023) |
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Key people
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Sidney Myer (Founder) Olivia Wirth (CEO) JoAnne Stephenson (Acting Chair) Elyse Knowles (Ambassador) Kris Smith (Ambassador) |
| Products | Womenswear, Menswear, Beauty, Homewares, Electrical, Toys, and General Merchandise |
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Operating income
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Number of employees
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14,000+ |
Myer is a well-known Australian department store chain. It sells many different products. You can find Myer stores in all Australian states. They are also in one of Australia's self-governing territories.
Myer sells clothing for women, men, and children. They also have shoes, accessories, and beauty products. You can buy homewares, electronics, furniture, and toys there too. Myer's main competitor is another department store called David Jones.
For 12 years, Australian model Jennifer Hawkins was the 'face of Myer'. She was also Miss Universe 2004. She left this role in 2018.
Myer's Journey: A Look at Its History
How Myer Began
The Myer retail group was started by Sidney Myer. He came to Melbourne from Belarus in 1899. He had very little money and did not speak much English. He joined his older brother, Elcon Myer, who had arrived two years earlier.
They opened their first Myer store in Bendigo in 1900. It was very successful. They opened a second store in Bendigo in 1908.
In 1911, Sidney Myer bought a business in Bourke Street, Melbourne. A new building was finished and opened in 1914. From this start, Myer grew to be Australia's largest department store chain. It was the only chain with stores in every Australian state.
The Myer store in Melbourne kept growing. They bought more buildings nearby. Eventually, it became known as the Myer Emporium. The store expanded to Lonsdale Street in the 1920s. The Bourke Street front was rebuilt in 1933.
Growing Across Australia
Myer grew by opening its own stores. It also bought other department stores. These included Marshall's in Adelaide and Boans in Western Australia. They also bought Barry & Roberts and McWhirters in Queensland. In Victoria, they bought Shilliday's. In New South Wales, they acquired Western Stores and Grace Bros in 1983.
In 1968, Myer bought Lindsay's stores in Geelong. They renamed this business Target. It became a popular discount department store chain. Myer also expanded into selling liquor and fast food.
In 1983, Grace Bros bought Myer in New South Wales. Then, Myer bought Grace Bros Holdings Ltd. The Myer store in Sydney became the main Grace Bros store. In 1984, Myer bought Boans Ltd in Western Australia.
Joining Coles Myer
In 1985, the Myer Emporium and Target joined with GJ Coles & Coy. This created Coles Myer. It became Australia's largest retailer. Myer remained a separate part of this new company. It was sold in 2006.
In 2000, Myer tried to attract younger customers. They lowered service levels and added more products. This made Myer too similar to Target. Customers visited less often and bought fewer items. In 2001, Myer worked to bring back its original customers.
In 2003, Myer started to organize its stores differently. Stores were grouped based on the area's wealth and sales potential. This meant that each store would sell products that best suited its customers. For example, a store in downtown Melbourne would have different items than a store in regional Queensland.
On 13 February 2004, all Grace Bros stores were renamed Myer.
In April 2004, Myer reopened its Bondi Junction store. It had new features like shiny white floors and more glass. It also used more mannequins to display clothes.
Myer started to focus more on the Sydney market. They wanted to compete with David Jones in fashion. In 2004, Myer held fashion shows before David Jones. One show was held outdoors in Martin Place, which got a lot of attention.
Myer Becomes Independent Again
On 17 August 2005, Coles Myer announced they might sell Myer. Many companies showed interest in buying Myer.
On 13 March 2006, Coles Myer announced they would sell Myer. It was sold to a group led by Newbridge Capital. The Myer family also owned a small part of the company. The new owners said they would not change the business much at first. This sale was completed for A$1.4 billion on 2 June 2006.
New Ownership, New Plans
After being sold, Myer got new leaders. The head office moved back to Melbourne's CBD.
In July 2006, Myer held a "History Making Clearance" sale. They wanted to sell off old or unpopular items. This helped them reduce their stock. All store warehouses were closed.
Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins became the "face" of Myer in 2006. She signed a big deal to promote the brand. Myer also left the flybuys rewards program in 2007.
In March 2007, Myer announced its profits had greatly increased. All Myer stores were now making money. Myer also bought four Harris Scarfe stores.
A new computer system called Mymerch was put in place in April 2007. It cost $99 million. This system helped Myer understand customer habits better. It could predict sales and plan promotions.
In June 2007, a group bought Myer's Melbourne CBD store. The Bourke Street part of the store was planned to be redeveloped. Myer would lease it for 60 years. The Lonsdale Street part of the store closed in 2009.
In 2010, Myer's redeveloped Bourke Street mall store opened. It became the company's main store. The head office moved to Docklands. The historic Lonsdale Street store officially closed.
In 2011, Myer bought a large part of the Australian fashion label Sass & Bide. They bought the rest of the business in 2013.
In 2017, Myer bought two fashion brands, Marcs and David Lawrence.
On 27 March 2020, Myer announced it would temporarily close all stores. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 10,000 staff members were stood down. Myer continued to operate its online store. Myer planned to reopen all stores by 30 May 2020.
Proposed Merger with David Jones
In January 2014, Myer tried to buy and merge with its rival, David Jones. The idea was to keep both chains separate but combine their back-office operations. This would save both companies a lot of money. David Jones rejected the offer.
Myer tried again in February 2014. But then, Woolworths South Africa offered to buy David Jones. Myer then withdrew its offer. Myer's CEO, Bernie Brookes, announced he would leave the company in March 2015.
Myer Stores and Services
MYER one Rewards Program
The MYER one program started in August 2004. It is a loyalty program for customers. Myer changed its MYER one program to have four levels. These are Standard, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each level gives different benefits based on how much a customer spends. Platinum membership is only for Myer's highest spending customers.
In September 2010, Myer had 3.7 million members. Sales from members made up 68% of Myer's total sales. As of February 2024, the Myer One program has over 7 million members.
Myer Store Cards and Credit Cards
Myer used to have a store card. Later, they launched a new Myer card in 2006. In November 2007, Myer launched a Visa credit card. This card was linked to the MYER One program. It aimed to increase customer loyalty.
In 2017, Myer changed its credit card partner. They launched the New Myer Credit Card.
Myer Store Locations
As of April 2024, Myer has 56 stores across Australia. These are in both big cities and smaller towns.
The main Myer store is in the Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne. It had a big redevelopment and reopened in April 2011.
In 1988, The Myer Centre opened in Brisbane. It had six floors of stores. The top two floors had an indoor amusement park called Tops. It had a swinging ship and Australia's first indoor roller coaster. The amusement park closed in 2000.
In 1991, The Myer Centre opened in Adelaide. It has the largest Myer store in South Australia. It also has over 80 smaller shops.
Myer has opened and closed several stores over the years. In 2008, Myer opened new stores in Sydney. They also opened a store in Townsville in 2012.
On 22 September 2007, Myer's Liverpool Street building in Hobart was destroyed by a fire. Myer quickly said they would rebuild. A new five-level Myer store reopened in November 2015.
Myer opened a store in Top Ryde City in Sydney in 2010. This store closed in July 2015. Myer also planned to open stores in Queensland and New South Wales.
In 2012, Myer proposed a large store in Casuarina Square in Darwin. This would have been the first of its kind in the city. However, the store was never built. Darwin remains the only state or territory capital without a Myer store.
Myer closed its King's Square store in Fremantle in 2013. They also closed stores in Elizabeth, South Australia and Westfield Hurstville. They opened a new store at Lakeside Joondalup in 2014.
Myer groups its stores into four types. These are Flagship, Premium, Mainstream, and Community. This helps them decide what products and services each store should offer.
In 2017, Myer announced it would reduce its store space. This included closing some stores. They closed stores in Wollongong Central, Brookside Shopping Centre, and Orange. Myer also tried "Clearance Floors" in some stores. These floors sold discounted items. This idea was stopped in 2019.
In September 2017, Myer said it would close three more stores. These were in Colonnades Shopping Centre, Belconnen, and Hornsby. In January 2019, Myer closed its Loganholme store in Queensland.
On 13 January 2020, the Myer store at Hornsby, Sydney, closed. Myer decided to keep and refurbish the Belconnen store instead of closing it. On 4 December 2020, Myer Belconnen reopened with two floors.
In March 2021, Myer announced its store at Westfield Knox in Melbourne would close. It closed in July 2021 after 44 years. In April 2022, the store at Westpoint Blacktown in Sydney closed. In August 2022, Myer announced its Frankston store would close permanently in January 2023.
On 16 March 2023, Myer announced it would leave its Brisbane Queen Street Mall location. This ended 35 years of operation at that site. Myer is looking for a new location in the Brisbane CBD.
Online Shopping
Myer used to have a mail order company called Myer Direct. It operated from 1989 until 2002. In October 2007, Myer launched an online gift store. It sold electronics, perfumes, and gift cards.
In 2011, Myer launched an online shopping site called myfind.com. It was based in Hong Kong for Australian shoppers but has since closed.
In December 2017, Myer launched The Myer Market. This was an online marketplace. It offered more products than what was available in Myer stores.
See also
- List of oldest companies in Australia
