{{Short description|Australian women's fashion retailer}} {{for|people named ''Sussan''|Sussan (given name)}} {{Infobox company | name = Sussan | logo = SUSSAN LOGO black.jpg | logo_size = 250px | image = Sussan, Westfield Innaloo.jpg | image_caption = Sussan store in Westfield Innaloo | type = Privately owned | foundation = Melbourne, Australia | founder = | location = | locations = | area_served = Australia | key_people = Natalie Aardoom (General Manager) | industry = Fashion | products = Clothing, accessories | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | num_employees = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{website|http://www.sussan.com.au/}} }}
'''Sussan''' is an Australian women's fashion retailer,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ryan |first=John|title=Sussan, Melbourne|url=https://www.retail-week.com/stores/sussan-melbourne/5012880.article |date=2010-05-14 |access-date=2020-08-16|website=Retail Week|language=en}}</ref> owned and operated by the Sussan Group (ARJ Holdings), who also own and operate Sportsgirl and Suzanne Grae.
== History == The first Sussan store opened on Little Collins Street, Melbourne selling lingerie in 1939. The store was owned by Sam and Fay Gandel.<ref name="Portrait">{{cite web |title=Marc Besen AC, b. 1923 |url=https://www.portrait.gov.au/people/marc-besen-1923 |website=National Portrait Gallery|access-date=5 May 2023}}</ref> By the end of 1951 there were three stores in Little Collins Street, Collins Street and Swanston Street. In 1953, the first two stores opened in Adelaide followed by a Perth store in 1956. During the 1960s, the Sussan range grew beyond traditional lingerie and blouses.
By 1968, their expansion continued with the purchase of Chic Salon from Woolworths, a 94-store lingerie chain operating in Queensland and New South Wales. This acquisition, along with the 60 existing stores in the southern states and Western Australia, made Sussan a national operation.
In 1980, Keith Forster was appointed managing director. He had previously worked as the company's secretary.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=1985-07-27|title=For Spring - article about Sussan (1985)|pages=158|work=Sydney Morning Herald|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65379849/for-spring-article-about-sussan-1985/|access-date=2020-12-16}}</ref>
In 1985, the company had 200 stores and an annual turnover of around $100 million. It was owned by John Gandel and Marc Besen, son and son-in-law to the original owners,<ref name="Portrait"></ref> each with a 50% share. That year, John Gandel sold his share in the company to Abraham Goldberg and Leon Lipkies, after Gandel decided to focus on his real estate interests. Goldberg and Lipkies has a pre-existing business relationship with Besen through their "control of Australia's biggest listed textile company" Entrad Corporation. The three men's combined shareholding in Entrad amounted to 76% ownership.<ref name=":0" />
In 2003, Naomi Milgrom, the daughter of majority shareholder Marcus (Marc) Besen took control of the group after buying out her parents and siblings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/10/1068329487031.html |title=Sussan heiress takes control |last=Wood |first=Leonie |date=11 November 2003 |website=The Age |publisher=Fairfax Digital |access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:1939 establishments in Australia Category:Retail companies established in 1939 Category:Clothing companies of Australia Category:Companies based in Melbourne Category:Australian fashion Category:B Lab-certified corporations in Australia