What: Sidney Baillieu (Bails) Myer who followed in his father’s footsteps into the retail trade, passes away at 96 years old.

Why is it important: Myer is Australia’s leading department store operator. After several years of closing unproductive locations, its network currently has 59 department stores.

Bails took the reins in 1956 when father and then brother died, and quickly became a key player in Australian retail. After opening the Myer Emporium in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre in 1960, he led an aggressive expansion of Myer department stores across Australia.

Australian Retailer Sidney Baillieu Myer Dies, Aged 96