David Jones’ private equity owner mulls taking back failed retailer

Anchorage Capital Partners, the private equity firm that has owned the department store David Jones for more than three years, is already weighing whether to make a bid to take the retailer back after it fell into administration, according to the Australian Financial Review (AFR).

David Jones was placed into administration on a Thursday following the breakdown of negotiations with its landlords. Scentre Group, which runs the Westfield shopping centre network, was among the landlords involved in discussions over rent reprieves and the closure of several stores. The failure of those talks precipitated the administration filing.

The AFR reports that the collapse was communicated to staff, with executives addressing employees directly. The primary source does not disclose a bid value, the terms under consideration, or the administrators' next steps, so the scope of any potential re-acquisition remains unconfirmed.