Store closures in Victoria coupled with lower footfall in CBD and airport locations pulled total sales down 11.7% for David Jones in the first 20 weeks of the 2021 financial year. Comparable sales were down 14.6% during the period. The sales drop was partially offset by a shift to online and strong demand in beauty, homewares, and appliances. Online sales increased by 65% and contributed to 19.6% of total sales. Excluding the Victorian store network, which traded 76% down on the prior period on a total sales basis, David Jones sales increased 6.7% during the period.