История Just Group: от Just Jeans до Premier Investments

Australian multinational clothing retail company
the Australian retail company

The Just Group owns and operates a total of seven retail brands: Just Jeans (Australian clothing chain store), Jay Jays, Jacqui E, Portmans, Dotti, Peter Alexander Sleepwear, and Smiggle. The group has over 1,000 stores throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Just Jeans was founded by the Kimberley family—Craig Kimberley, his wife Connie, brother Roger and sister in law Chrissie. Craig was working for textile and fashion manufacturer Aywon at the time and had discovered specialty jeans stores during a business trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco earlier that year. He pitched opening similar stores—first to Aywon, then Coles Myer—but was rejected by both. The partners raised $4500 and opened their first store on Chapel Street, Prahran in December 1970. The idea of selling jeans stacked on shelves was new to the market, but proved to be popular. In April 1971, Just Jeans opened its second store in Centre Road, Bentleigh, followed by its third in Moonee Ponds several weeks later. In 1976, Just Jeans bought failed Melbourne menswear chain Walsh's, giving the company its first presence in suburban shopping centres. In the following years, the company expanded to other states by acquiring clothing chains and relaunching them as Just Jeans. In 1979, it purchased the 12 store Jeans Junction chain in New South Wales for $1 million. In the early 1980s, it acquired the Queensland chain Denim in Jeans and the South Australian chain Zip Up. In 1988, it purchased the failed women's fashion chain Central Park, which had 15 stores in Western Australia, for $2 million.

In 2001, Just Jeans was taken private in a $108 million management buyout led by British based private investment group Catalyst Investment Managers. In May 2002, Just Jeans acquired women's clothing chain Portmans. In August 2004, the Just Group acquired the Dotti chain for $5 million. In July 2007, the Just Group acquired stationery chain Smiggle for at least $29 million, becoming the first non fashion brand in its portfolio. On 8 August 2008, Premier Investments obtained a controlling interest in the shares of Just Group following an off market takeover offer for all of the group shares that commenced on 31 March 2008. Just Group was delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange on 22 September 2008. In 2013, the group was still using sandblasting. The Baptist World Aid's 2015 Fashion Report named the Just Group one of the worst performers when it comes to protecting international workers. From 2012 to 2015, the group went through its digital retail transformation. In October 2016, the Just Group lost its trial against its former CFO Nicole Peck who had left the company to work for a competing company. In August 2017, the brand director of the group, Colette Garnsey, stepped down for medical reasons. Richard Murray commenced as Premier Retail Chief Executive Officer on 6 September 2021, and was appointed to the Premier Board as executive director on 3 December 2021.