7 November 2026 · Issue 160
Spend Your DJ Gift Card This Weekend
David Jones is still trading under receivers this Saturday morning, and gift cards are still being accepted. That window remains the story for weekend shoppers. Luxury brands have emptied many concession shelves, the retailer has stopped selling new gift cards, staff have been told new purchases are not eligible for a refund, and nobody has promised how long existing cards will keep working. If you hold a David Jones gift card, store credit or rewards balance, this weekend is the time to use it.
Today’s brief leads on what overnight and Saturday morning reporting means for a weekend store visit, then covers a short Black Friday pricing tip and today’s verified Top 5 deals from a disclosed partial scan. The retailer offers later in this issue are a separate selection from the David Jones story.
Gift cards still work, for now. Shelves look different.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s Colin Kruger reported on Friday that David Jones is still accepting gift cards, but that the receivers would not say for how long. In a circular to suppliers, FTI Consulting said David Jones “continues to trade as normal, with the Receivers continuing to operate the Group on a ‘business as usual basis’, as far as possible, while the Group’s position and available options are assessed.” Kruger also reported that concession brands are stripping shelves, with shoppers seeing empty bays at Kotara and Warringah, and that Gucci, Scanlan Theodore, Yves Saint Laurent, Viktoria and Woods and Oroton were among designers who pulled stock after Thursday’s appointment.
SMH’s Elias Visontay and Nick Bonyhady reported on Friday that purchasing gift cards appears to have been disabled on the David Jones website, that David Jones branded credit cards are no longer being issued (existing cards can still be used), and that store numbers could fall sharply, with suburban sites most at risk while flagship city stores are likelier to survive. Administrators and receivers have not confirmed a closure list. Our Friday brief covered the McGrathNicol and FTI appointments and the first shopper advice.
The Australian Financial Review’s Carrie LaFrenz and Campbell Kwan reported on Friday evening that David Jones will stop selling gift cards as administrators take control, and that staff were told any new purchase will also not be eligible for a refund. That matches the website change already noted by SMH. It does not, on its own, say existing gift cards have been cancelled. Spend what you already hold while stores are still taking them.
ABC News’ Emilia Terzon and Katie Silver reported early Saturday that FTI documents show David Jones is “continuing to trade in the ordinary course under the control of the receivers” while McGrathNicol seeks a recapitalisation or sale. Suppliers have been asked to keep supplying under fresh receiver accounts, with post appointment invoices paid on existing terms, while older debts sit with the administration. Gucci, Valentino and Saint Laurent were among brands still stripping shelves. McGrathNicol told the ABC its initial creditor circular is due Tuesday 10 November, with the first creditors meeting set for Tuesday 17 November.
What to do this weekend if you shop at David Jones
Finder’s Sarah Megginson, quoting shopping expert Angus Kidman, put it plainly: if the business does not find a buyer, a gift card will almost certainly be worthless, so use any card you already hold as soon as you can. Finder also noted gift cards can currently be used in stores and online, that rewards points should be considered for early redemption, that Latitude has stopped new David Jones credit card applications while existing cards keep working, and that returns on Christmas gifts bought now may be harder if a store is gone in January.
ABC News money correspondent Jessica Irvine explained on Friday how administrators and receivers can reshape or wind down a retailer, and that cash strapped shoppers may yet see bargains if excess stock is sold through a smaller store footprint. That is not a reason to buy a new gift card. Our advice for Saturday: spend any David Jones gift card or store credit now on something you would buy anyway, prefer a physical store if the online range looks thin, treat new purchases as non refundable after the Friday staff advice reported by the AFR, keep receipts, and do not buy new David Jones gift cards for Christmas presents.
Black Friday is three weeks away: price your list this weekend
Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday 27 November, with Cyber Monday on 30 November. Finder’s Black Friday 2026 guide notes early deals are already appearing, and that last year’s ACCC action showed how inflated was prices and fine print exclusions can mislead. CHOICE’s Black Friday advice is to monitor prices before the sale week, treat “up to” claims as a range, and check returns rules on sale items. Our tip for a quieter Saturday shop: screenshot prices on your list this weekend, compare delivery fees and returns, and do not treat a countdown timer as a reason to rush.
Today’s shopping note
When a retailer is in administration, the safest money is the money you have not yet handed over. Spend store credit first, pay with your own card, and keep receipts. For everyone else, price your Black Friday list now, compare the delivery fee and returns policy along with the price, and read “up to” as a range claim. Confirm size, stock, delivery cost and exclusions before paying.
Our scan records unsuccessful checks as well as successful ones. A retailer page being retrieved is not enough to establish that every offer, item or delivery condition has been verified.
Primary reporting sources: The Sydney Morning Herald, Colin Kruger, 6 November 2026 (FTI receivers circular quoted); The Sydney Morning Herald, Elias Visontay and Nick Bonyhady, 6 November 2026; The Australian Financial Review, Carrie LaFrenz and Campbell Kwan, 6 November 2026; ABC News, Emilia Terzon and Katie Silver, 7 November 2026; Finder, Sarah Megginson, 5 November 2026 (Angus Kidman quoted); ABC News, Jessica Irvine, 6 November 2026; Finder Black Friday 2026 guide; CHOICE Black Friday and Cyber Monday tips. Shopper advice and synthesis by Neil Fairhead for It’s On Sale. Hero photo: Nick D, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (David Jones store entrances, Brisbane CBD, Queensland).
Top 5 Deals of the Day
Five stores. Five categories. The strongest discounts we verified on in stock items from our 6 November retailer scan, with every price and size rechecked this morning, 7 November, at 6.40am Gold Coast time.
We attempted all 179 retailer sale URLs in our 6 November pool and retrieved usable sale content from 145. The remaining pages could not be verified after fallback checks and are excluded. This is a disclosed partial scan, not a complete audit of every Australian retailer. Retrieval does not mean an offer was fully verified: this ranking includes only eligible stores where we confirmed a ticketed sale price against a was price on an item listed as available when checked. Generic sale descriptions, unresolved price evidence and same category duplicates are excluded. Each percentage is the verified example shown, not a discount on every item in store. Offers and stock can change.
Discount
PeppermayoWomen’s FashionSale. The Kamilla Sequin Cami Top in Pink is $22 from $109.95 (about 80% off), listed as available in AU sizes 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 when checked. A sequin party top for summer nights, at well under a quarter of its listed was price.80%OFF2
DisshWomen’s TopsSale. The Ava Burnt Choc sleeveless modal blend top is $40 from $149.99 (about 73% off), listed as available in XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL when checked. A full size run on a soft summer top, priced well under a third of its listed was price.73%OFF3
UGG AustraliaFootwearSale. The Premium Lux Short boot in Black is $95 from $325 (about 71% off), listed as available in Womens 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11 when checked. A classic short UGG style for cooler evenings, at under a third of its listed was price.71%OFF4
General PantsWomen’s SkirtsSale. The Sigrid Lace Maxi Skirt in Black is $29 from $99.95 (about 71% off), listed as available in XS, S, M, L and XL when checked. A long lace skirt for summer events; XXS was gone overnight, so check the size guide.71%OFF5
Seed HeritageWomen’s ShortsSale. The Spot Short in Strawberry Red is $14.95 from $49.95 (about 70% off), listed as available in sizes 8, 10, 12 and 16 when checked. A cheap summer short for the weekend, if those sizes fit.70%OFF% discounts shown are for the verified example in each card. Individual product savings vary.
One More Category Worth a Look
Scotch and Soda: for a menswear option, the Denim cargo shorts in Washed Indigo are $104.97 from $209.95 (about 50% off), listed as available in sizes 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 36 when checked. A half price summer short with a wide waist size run, useful if the Top 5 fashion picks are not for you.