David Jones chief executive Paul Zahra says the recently reopened store at Highpoint combines the best of the old and the new. From design details to product mix to cutting-edge technology, he said the new store had captured the best of the old while trialling a taste of the new. "What we have here is absolutely where I see David Jones going," Mr Zahra told BusinessDaily. Among the changes he said would transform the business is the replacement of the 20-year-old point of sale system. New tills have cut transactions times by 50 per cent, while improved inventory tracking allows staff to help customers find products in any of their stores or online. Mr Zahra said US department store Nordstrom enjoyed a 1 per cent sales increase after adding the inventory system. "If we got the same result, we would be very happy," he said. The Highpoint store is also trialling new sensor technology which allows the company to track customer journeys through the store and monitor where browsing turns to buying. Combined with free in-store wi-fi that encourages customers to share their email addresses, Mr Zahra said the technology should lead to better customer data and promotions. Analysts are hoping the changes on the shop floor will translate into changes in the financial reports, which have made tough reading over the past two years. Sales have fallen every quarter for the past two years, apart from one slim 0.3 per cent rise in the three months to last October. After rival Myer beat expectations with a 0.7 per cent lift in first-half profit on Thursday, all eyes will be on whether David Jones can follow suit with its results on Wednesday. But Mr Zahra said he was confident the outlay was paving the way for long-term rewards.