Dimmeys

Dimmeys is an Australian discount department store chain. Founded as a gold-rush era drapery "Dimelow & Gaylard's", in rural Maryborough, the business became colloquially known as 'Dimmeys'. In the early 1900s the business name was changed.

Over the last few decades the chain evolved from larger traditional Department stores to smaller 'bargain stores' in more locations. As at 2014 the business has more than 40 stores spread across eastern and southern Australia.^[1]

History

In 1898 the Maryborough business Dimelow & Gaylard purchased an existing drapery business, established in 1853 by Joseph Britten, at a Swan Street, Richmond premises built in 1878.^[2]

In 1904 the business was acquired in turn by John Jeffery.

The Swan St store was extensively damaged in a fire in 1906, though it continued to trade until it was rebuilt entirely in 1907. As part of a 1910 extension the building was topped with a distinctive clock tower, featuring a globe with red glass panels that were internally illuminated after dark, making it visible for several miles. At this time Jeffery also changed the business name to Dimmeys Model Stores, to reflect its high-fashion status. The tower became a landmark in Richmond, and images of it were incorporated into the company logo and marketing.

Richmond Dimmey's Clock

In 1939 the Second World War blackout restrictions meant that the globe could not be illuminated, and as the glass windows had deteriorated they were replaced with copper panels.

The store sold a variety of merchandise on the ground floor, and on the first floor were workshops and the mail order service for regional customers. During the 1930s Depression the store began to focus on quality goods at reduced prices. In the post-war period it ceased manufacturing and became a 'bargain store'.

The Swan Street premises is listed as having "architectural and historical significance to the state of Victoria" with Heritage Victoria.^[2]

Dimmeys bought out competitor Forges in 1978, and traded as "Dimmeys & Forges". Forge's was a large retail site operating in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray. The Forges location was sold off to developers in 2009,^[3] and the '& Forge's' was dropped from the business name.

The company collapsed in 1996 with A$27million of debts rendering it insolvent and was sold to a consortium, headed by Doug Zapelli.^[4]

In 1997 the Swan Street store's clock-tower and globe was ranked first in The Age newspaper's 'Melbourne Icons' series.^[4]

The business was the subject of a 2007 book "Dimmeys of Richmond: The rise and fall of a family business" by historian Dr Samuel Furphy.^[5]

Advertising

As noted above, the Dimmeys tower became an iconic landmark, and the company logo and other promotional material incorporated an image of the tower.

From the early 1990s, Dimmeys featured former AFL footballer Robert DiPierdomenico in their television and radio advertising, spruiking the slogans: "Be there!" and "$9.99!".

The mural on exterior walls of the Swan St store

In 2004 the local artist Hayden Dewar was commissioned to paint a series of murals representing the history of the store and of Victoria since 1853 along the Green Street facade of the Swan Street store.^[2] The work stretches for some 50 metres.

In 2008 the building was sold to developers, who later announced plans to build a ten storey residential building on the site, preserving the heritage listed clock-tower and frontage, but including the destruction of several metres of the mural.^[6] The original plan was contested by the council on a number of grounds, with the outcome that the mural was preserved.^[7]

Legal troubles and voluntary administration

• 1999 Fined A$60,000 for selling faulty children's bicycles.^[1]
• 2001 Fined A$160,000 for selling children's nightwear that did not meet mandatory fire safety standards.^[8]
• 2011 Fined A$400,000 after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission instigated legal proceedings for selling children's nightwear without correctly attached fire hazard warning labels.^[9]
• 2013 Fined A$3million for breaching product safety laws.^[1][10] The action was brought against Dimmeys and their supplier, Starite Distributors, which is also owned by Zappelli, by the state consumer protection authority, Consumer Affairs Victoria.,^[11] relating to the safety of certain children's toys and garments sold.

In addition to the fine in the last action, Dimmeys was also prohibted from selling items that require warnings or high safety standards for the next six years. Zapelli was banned from managing corporations for six years and was fined $120,000. Shortly thereafter Dimmeys announced that it had entered into voluntary administration appointing SV Partners as the Voluntary Administrators, and was attempting to make arrangements that would allow it to continue trading while paying off the fine, and was also exploring the option of sale of some or all of its assets.^[1]

References