David Jones looks set to shake off its reputation for wardrobe essentials, with the major retailer moving towards the realm of food with a string of luxury supermarkets.

Following a major revamp of its food halls, David Jones has confirmed that it will be introducing a series of stand-alone gourmet food stores around the country. The first of the company’s offerings are already in the works, with the Capitol Grand South Yarra set to open in 2019. The circa-500sqm David Jones Food store will host prime position in the shopping precinct on Chapel Street and will focus purely on food retail.

Catering to a customer short on time but high in standards when it comes to fare, the store will provide premium produce to the masses, from pre-packed meat and seafood to pre-prepared vegetables, salads and fruit. There will also be ready-made meals on offer, which have been promised to be restaurant-quality. The majority of product, including 90% of the store’s fresh offering, will fall under the new premium David Jones Food label which launched earlier this year and includes ice cream, lollies, ready-made sauces, herbs and spices.

“We know that when it comes to food our customers want us to provide provenance, freshness and convenience but also that our offering needs to be accessible to their busy lives,” says David Jones Chief Executive Officer David Thomas of the new launch. “We are excited to bring our new world-class food concept to their doorstep in the heart of South Yarra as a part of this exciting new development. Melbourne’s Capitol Grand will be the perfect home for David Jones Food with a natural brand alignment and a shared vision to provide a world-class experience to our customers.”

“The calibre and location of the Capitol Grand development enables us to deliver our new format in an outstanding position and we are confident the new David Jones Food proposition, will resonate strongly with the local customer delivering a new level of food quality and experience to the area,” he added.

The company has also confirmed that more standalone stores are planned following the launch of the South Yarra offering.