Myer’s chief supply chain officer, Darren Wedding, has stepped down from his role, as the department store’s new national distribution centre (NDC) pushes through the proof-of-concept phase.
A spokesperson for Myer told Ragtrader that Wedding left due to personal reasons, and thanked him for his work on building the centre. Wedding joined Myer in March 2025, lured over from Super Retail Group where he held the same role for six years.
As Wedding steps out from Myer, group CFO Kathy Karabatsas has assumed responsibility for the group’s supply chain network.
“At our half-year results in March, we said the proof of concept would be up and running ahead of this year’s peak with Toll and a 3PL operator providing contingency, as was the case during the peak period in 2025,” the spokesperson said.
“Given the scale and complexity of the project and the challenges under previous management at this site, we're undertaking more extensive design and testing on our proof of concept to ensure the project's full potential can be realised. Remediation of the NDC remains a key focus of the business.”
Wedding’s exit comes amid growing concerns around extra costs and delays of Myer’s NDC launch. The department store has faced ongoing challenges with its local supply chains since revamping its Ravenhall, Victoria, in 2023, including adding 200 autonomous robots to the space. The NDC was initially announced in FY21.
In early March last year, Myer reported further “implementation delays and complexity” that had impacted the ramp-up of the facility, which impacted first-half FY25 sales.
Following a comprehensive review, the board approved a four-phase remediation program in the second half of FY25, in order to deliver a reliable and cost-effective solution for the operational challenges identified in FY24. Implementation was targeted to be completed in FY27.
When fully operating, Myer declared that the NDC will underpin its omnichannel network strategy, targeting approximately $20 million in benefits for the business each year.
These benefits include improved cross-docking capabilities, central replenishment capabilities, the consolidation of Myer’s Apparel Brands – Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Jacqui E, Dotti and Portmans, and targeting capacity to fulfil around 70 per cent of online home deliveries.
Temporary measures, including third-party logistics support, have since been in place to ensure stock availability during the peak FY26 trading periods, which encompass the major year-end shopping events including Black Friday, Christmas and Boxing Day.
Earlier this year, Myer reported that these 3PL measures operated effectively through peak season, with online sales across Myer Retail – excluding Apparel Brands – up 5.8 per cent in the first half of FY26.
Myer added that its proof-of-concept phase for the NDC is aimed at mitigating execution risk for a long-term solution, with 32 per cent of online orders being fulfilled from 3PL, the NDC and other distribution centres – up from 13 per cent in the first half of FY25.
Myer also closed its Asia sourcing office in January 2026 to deliver savings and improved delivery speed with direct-to-factory sourcing.