Mark Foy's is making a return in Australia, more than 40 years after the department store closed its doors on Liverpool Street in Sydney. This time in the e-commerce space.
The digital relaunch of the storied department store is being led by Mark Foy, great-great-grandson of Hugh Victor Foy, who served as managing director of the original business for three decades from 1907. The younger Foy is positioning the venture as a premium e-commerce marketplace, featuring leading maisons such as Celine, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Gucci and Missoni, alongside a broader network of premium international and local suppliers. Products will often be sold at up to 60 per cent below traditional retail price, and reportedly delivered within days.
"From the very beginning, the business was built on a clear vision — to source the best of European fashion and make it attainable for Australian customers at exceptional value," Foy said. "That same philosophy continues to shape our digital revival today."
While the relaunch is anchored in European luxury heritage — Mark Foy's was the department store credited with introducing Dior's new look to Australia — Foy confirmed that Australian labels are also in the pipeline.
"We see strong strategic value in supporting Australian brands that align with our positioning," he said. "Discussions with several Australian brands are already underway and progressing well."
The platform, launching as mark-foys.com, differentiates itself from existing players such as David Jones, Myer and The Iconic by targeting what Foy describes as the modern Australian luxury consumer: digitally native, brand-aware and value-conscious.
Foy has pulled together a small but “exceptional” team to drive the brand, with an aim to selectively partner with experts in luxury retail, technology and digital marketing.
“We also benefit from strong international partnerships that facilitate supplier onboarding and catalogue expansion at scale,” Foy said.
“Our technology team plays a critical role in enabling our marketplace model, while our marketing team brings deep expertise across performance channels combining electronic direct mail, paid media, affiliate marketing and KOLs to optimise customer acquisition and deliver a strong return on ad spend.”
Foy has led a career in real estate and property over the last 30 years. Foy said real estate is fundamentally about relationships, negotiation and trust, with those same principles applying in launching an online retail business.
Despite his background, though, Mark Foy’s will be a digital player for the foreseeable future, with Foy confirming that physical retail is not part of its short- to medium-term strategy.
Authenticity is central to the brand proposition. Foy said the business will partner exclusively with authorised brands, distributors and boutiques — both locally and internationally — to ensure supply chain integrity. The model operates as a marketplace, with a technology team underpinning supplier onboarding and catalogue expansion.
The relaunch arrives as online fashion spending in Australia continues to climb, with the category reaching $11.6 billion in 2025 according to Australia Post's annual e-commerce report — up 11.5 per cent year-on-year.
It also comes as department stores globally rejig their models to fit the future. Myer in Australia has been pursuing private label growth alongside established owned brands such as Just Jeans, Jay Jays and Jacqui E.
Meanwhile, David Jones, which is facing scrutiny amid reported delays in supplier payments, has been ramping up a retail media arm and is going hard into both the loyalty space and the booming beauty market.
On the path to profitability, Foy flagged significant investment through the first two years, with a clear expectation of turning profitable from year three. He pointed to the higher average order values of luxury products as a structural advantage for unit economics.
"Ultimately, the focus is on building trust, driving repeat purchases, and increasing customer lifetime value — the key drivers of long-term profitability," he said.
For Foy, the revival is more than a commercial opportunity — it is a family mission.
"Sydney's most beloved store never really left," he said. "It was simply waiting for the right century to come home."