Harris Scarfe another retail casualty of tighter times

Adelaide-founded retail chain Harris Scarfe, which was placed into voluntary administration yesterday, is the latest victim of Australia’s increasingly hostile retail environment – and Christmas trading is unlikely to offer much relief to rivals.

Department store decline mirrors shrinking middle class

Department stores are in decline, but the rise of internet shopping isn’t the only factor. While discount and luxury retailers expand, department stores shrink to reflect the contraction of the middle class which created them, argue Jason Pallant and Sean Sands.