Discussion

Another big name in trouble... David Jones has entered voluntary administration after 188 years.

Stores are still trading for now, but who knows what happens next. If you've got any David Jones gift cards lying around, probably worth checking if you can still use them rather than leaving them until Christmas.

It's been a rough year for Aussie retailers. Barbeques Galore, Cue, Veronika Maine, Betts and Stateside Sports have all gone into administration in 2026, while Lincraft has been shutting its physical stores too.

Pretty sad really. Even if you haven't shopped at David Jones in years, it's one of those stores that's always been around. Especially the Christmas displays!

Hopefully it doesn't disappear completely. Feels like we're losing another familiar retailer every few months.

Anyone still shop at David Jones these days?

We came across this article from CHOICE comparing Everyday Rewards, Flybuys and Aldi, and thought it had some pretty interesting insights.

Their numbers suggest that if you're shopping at Coles or Woolies just for the points, you're probably still spending more overall than shopping at Aldi or chasing the best specials across different supermarkets. The points and discounts help, but they generally don't make up the price difference. Worth a read if you've ever wondered whether staying loyal to one supermarket is actually saving you money.

Personally, I'm all for this. I'm sick of seeing a $5 coffee turn into $5.13 because of a random 2.6% card fee, especially when pretty much everyone pays by card these days.

Realistically, a lot of businesses will probably just build that cost into their prices, but I'd still rather see the full price upfront than have extra fees added at the checkout. Card processing is just another cost of doing business.

The RBA is also cutting interchange fees, so merchants should be paying less to accept cards. Whether those savings actually get passed on... we'll have to wait and see.

Changes are expected to come into effect from 1 October.