By Rhiannon Zanetic and Lorna Brett

While the lawsuit served by Kristy Fraser-Kirk, this week drowned out much of David Jones summer fashion launch, the The Retail Doctor, Brian Walker (pictured), has told www.connectedaustralia.com that he is concerned that the longer David Jones gains media attention over the scandal the more damaging for the brand.

Surprisingly, Walker doesn't believe that consumers will shy away from shopping at DJ's, an insight supported by our quick poll below.

"Probably not. But the longer the matter is in the press, the worse it is for the brand. I'd imagine in the face of this they'd want to settle the matter as soon as possible," Walker said, adding that he doesn't anticipate that the situation will impact significantly on the retailer's share price, at least not in the long-term.

"It's more likely that the level of damages awarded will have a greater impact on the share price, probably only for the short-term though," Walker said.

"David Jones has become better and better at retailing over the past five years under McInnes and his team of executives. It's a very resilient business and it will bounce back," he added.

According to Walker, the scandal sends a very clear message to the larger business community on the responsibility of boards.

"Boards are accountable for risk and David Jones has proven that this needs to be better managed, especially when that risk comes in the form of human risk," Walker told www.connectedaustralia.com ."Any prudent reatiler will see the David Jones case as an example and mak internal changes accordingly," he added.

New learnings are needed

What does Walker believe the way forward is for the retailer? "I'd be dealing with this situation with expedition, with professionalism and as humanely as possible. Going forward I'd embed new learnings, communicate with full transparency and most of all, learn from the mistakes made," he said.

However, one male Gen Y view of the situation is less pragmatic. Ben Sayers, manages the Bureaux cafe in Sydney's York St and works with more than fifty businessmen and women daily. Sayers said it would definitley deter him from shopping at the store, not because of "one slimy CEO", but because of the way the situation was handled.
 

"In a case of sexual harassment, the outcome is heavily influenced by who the victim turns to, and that woman (Kristy Fraser-Kirk) went to her supervisor and was told to be more forceful in saying no. Because of that I will not shop there," Sayers said.
 

If we need something, we will shop

Meanwhile, Toni Chapman, owner of the Toni Chapman Consultancy is unperturbed by the incident and said she wouldn't even think twice about it before walking into a DJs store. "This could have happened to any company. In my mind, the store itself still sells the same quality product it always did," Chapman said.
 

Similarly, Shelley Woods, a consultant for Emerald Recruitment agreed that the incident won't deter her from the store. "No it wouldn't deter me at all. I don't condone sexual harassment and it certainly shouldn't have been ignored, but if I needed something and David Jones was close by, it wouldn't stop me from making a purchase from the store," Woods said.

Stewart Woodhill, publication manager at Alchemedia Publishing said the incident has in no way impacted his opinion of the store itself. "It wouldn't stop me shopping there at all. The David Jones company is much more than one poorly behaving CEO. And while I agree his actions were very bad, I think it's been blown out of proportion," Woodhill said.