Stressed and out of pocket: David Jones’ great-great-great grandson is owed money, too

November 10, 2026 — 8:30pmBen Nothling, entrepreneur and co-founder of footwear brand Holster, has his own fond memories of David Jones.His are a little closer to home. “Dad would always tell us stories,” Nothling said. “[Jones would] go over to the UK on buying trips, and bring back premium goods.”Ben Nothling, a sixth-generation descendant of the Welsh entrepreneur David Jones, owns a shoe business.Lauren Biggs photographyNothling’s father Martin was describing David Jones, the enterprising Welsh merchant who founded the eponymously named department store in 1838. It makes Ben a sixth-generation descendant, or the great-great-great grandson of Jones. When Nothling senior learned the once-iconic retailer had fallen, he was lost for words.“He actually couldn’t believe it,” said Nothling. “He’s really sad it’s all come to that. How did they collapse?”Nothling’s shoe business is owed $130,000 by David Jones, and among hundreds if not thousands of suppliers caught in the fallout of David Jones’ spectacular collapse.A picture of Welsh entrepreneur David Jones, taken around 1860.Fairfax MediaAfter studying business, Nothling founded the label with his wife Natalie Miller 25 years ago after visiting Bali and returning with a selection of shoes that he resold to enthusiastic demand. After the husband-and-wife duo turned their hand to designing their own (Natalie designs the prototypes), their vegan slides, sandals and sneakers now turn over about $10 million every year and are sold in 30 countries.Around 2010, Holster entered David Jones and never ran into any issues – until a few months ago, after David Jones started pushing out payment terms.Two shipments of shoes delivered to David Jones in June and July weren’t paid for, which was unusual.“David Jones was a big account to us … We dealt with them for 15 years. They’d always paid us on time,” said Nothling. “They came back with a weird email saying, ‘We need to check. We’ll come back to you.’ Soon as they were overdue, we froze their account.”Another shipment prepared for delivery, worth $118,000, was put on ice. David Jones’ finance team sent through some payment dates, but those came and went.“Nothing came in. Suddenly, they collapsed,” said Nothling. “It’s a lot of money to lose. It makes you quite stressed and angry.”“We could’ve lost more than a quarter of a million [dollars] if we kept shipping stock.”Hundreds of suppliers waiting to be paid are on tenterhooks as David Jones’ receivers, managers and administrators scramble to renegotiate terms to keep shelves full ahead of the busy Black Friday and Christmas season, the most significant trading period for department stores and retailers. In an initial report to creditors, McGrathNicol directed gift card holders to fill out an online form.Administrator McGrathNicol has reported fielding “extraordinary” interest in the 188-year-old retailer, while receivers and managers FTI Consulting are mulling which stores from the network of 38 should be axed. Nothling will be eligible to take part in the first creditor’s meeting which has been set for Thursday 17 November at 11am via Zoom link.Nothling can’t help but wonder if years under the ownership of South African retailer Woolworths Holdings (no connection to the Australian supermarket) between 2014 and 2022 had directly contributed to the retailer’s financial troubles.In those eight years, Woolworths Holdings sold key properties that housed flagship stores, including Melbourne’s Bourke Street Men’s store for $121 million in 2020, and then Sydney’s Elizabeth Street for $510 million. Properties were exchanged for long-term leases. Ultimately, missed rental payments to major landlords was the final straw that tipped David Jones into administration. About 6000 jobs are on the line.“You’re just upset about the way the company was run,” said Nothling. “Suppliers all got treated not in a good way. You feel sorry for the staff. It’s just a huge ripple effect.”David Jones’ collapse isn’t the first that Nothling has had to contend with this year. After returning from a holiday in Bali with his family earlier this year, he learned that home shopping network TVSN was shutting down. TVSN, which is having its own war with suppliers, owes him about $30,000.Other than a shelf of goods at Holster’s head office on Noosa Beach in Queensland, Nothling doesn’t operate any retail stores of his own, opting to grow the business through wholesale and online channels.He’s already run the numbers on a scenario where he doesn’t see any of the money back. Holster will survive, though cash flow will take a hit.“We can get through it, but retail’s not great,” said Nothling. “It would give you a bit of a kick.”“You gotta be a smart operator here to make money in business.”The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.From our partners