For generations of Australians, David Jones was somewhere people would dress up to go shopping: the Christmas windows, the fashion parades, and the excitement of taking home something special in those black and white houndstooth bags.

Now, after 188 years, the department store has entered voluntary administration. Its stores are still trading, but thousands of workers face an uncertain future. And the new owner, if one can be found, will have to decide how much of the business can survive. 

Today, ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer on a retail institution overtaken by changing habits, what it says about the economy, and whether Australians still want what department stores have to offer.

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Guest: ABC business journalist Daniel Ziffer

Photo: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts