Sussan
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1939 in Melbourne, Australia |
| Founder | Sam Gandel, Fay Gandel |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Naomi Milgrom (leader since 2003), Keith Forster (managing director from 1980) |
| Products | Women's fashion |
| Parent | Sussan Group (ARJ Holdings) |
Sussan is a prominent Australian retailer specializing in women's fashion, operating under the Sussan Group (ARJ Holdings), which also manages brands such as Sportsgirl and Suzanne Grae.
History
The inaugural Sussan outlet commenced operations in 1939 on Little Collins Street in Melbourne, initially focusing on lingerie sales. Founded by Sam and Fay Gandel, the brand expanded to three locations within Melbourne by 1951. The company extended its presence to Adelaide in 1953 and later to Perth in 1956. Throughout the 1960s, Sussan diversified its product offerings beyond lingerie and blouses.
In 1968, Sussan acquired Chic Salon—a lingerie chain with 94 stores across Queensland and New South Wales—from Woolworths. This acquisition, combined with the existing 60 outlets in southern states and Western Australia, established Sussan as a nationwide retail chain.
Keith Forster, previously serving as company secretary, was appointed managing director in 1980.
By 1985, the company operated approximately 200 stores and generated an annual revenue near $100 million. Ownership was evenly divided between John Gandel and Marc Besen, both descendants of the original founders. That same year, Gandel divested his stake to Abraham Goldberg and Leon Lipkies to concentrate on real estate interests. Goldberg and Lipkies held a major share in Entrad Corporation—Australia's largest publicly listed textile firm—alongside Besen.
In 2003, Naomi Milgrom, daughter of majority stakeholder Marc Besen, assumed leadership of the group after acquiring her family's shares.