David Jones has spent estimated millions updating the three levels of its Canberra Centre store and Myer maintains it is committed to opening a store at Westfield Woden - just two years later than it expected.
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While the online shopping juggernaut continues, Australia's two iconic department stores are committing to bricks and mortar in Canberra, despite the spectre of public service jobs cuts in the national capital.
And the ACT Government has again confirmed it will upgrade the Woden bus interchange irrespective of plans by Westfield and property group GPT to expand Westfield Woden, including provision for a new bus station.
When Myer closed its store at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome in December, 2011, the company said it would open a new store at Westfield Woden by the end of 2013.
A Myer spokeswoman said this week the Woden store was now scheduled to open in another two years.
"We remain committed to a new store at Woden, it's in our store network plan and the plan is to be open for our customers in late 2015," she said.
The spokeswoman said the opening date was down to the shopping centre owners, Westfield and GPT, and the timeline for their plans to expand the shopping centre.
Economic Development Minister Andrew Barr said Westfield and GPT were awaiting a decision on the first step in the planning process for the expansion of Westfield Woden, an estate development plan development application.
"Once timing of the territory's processes are resolved the government anticipates that Westfield and GPT will invest in more detailed design development," Mr Barr said.
"The government has plans to upgrade the bus interchange with or without Westfield and GPT's involvement. Subject to the DA decision, work such as the demolition of the former police station could begin in 2014."
David Jones, meanwhile, has shown faith in the Canberra market by completly overhauling its flagship store in the Canberra Centre - for the first time since the late 1980s.
David Jones Group executive operations Cate Daniels would not be drawn on how much the refurbishment cost but said it was "considerable".
All parts of the store - from every fixture to the escalators - had been updated in the overhaul which started in April.
Beauty and women's wear were the bigger sellers in the Canberra store and the refit had put beauty including luxury brands such as Chanel front and centre. A free personal shopping service had also started in the Canberra Centre store.
"We're very confident of our investment in the store. We know how well the store trades," she said.
Mrs Daniels said the so-called "omni-channel' customer who shopped online through various options and in-store was more lucrative to David Jones than the customer who shopped only online or only in-store.
"The footprint actually in Canberra is small and we know our omni-channel customer is three to four times more worthwhile, spends more, than the customer who shops in one channel alone. So the bricks and mortar presence is important to us," she said.
There were no plans to open other David Jones outlets in Canberra. Mrs Daniels said Canberra was a "wealthy demographic" and David Jones was confident it would meet its targets irrespective of cuts to the public service.
"Things come and go. There's a change in Canberra every few years with the government but we're here for the long term," she said.
