The man who has overseen David Jones' recent revival says the industry's debate about imposing GST on all overseas goods bought online is distracting retailers from improving sales.

Ian Moir, the chief executive of South Africa's Woolworths Holdings, says the Australian dollar's fall, which makes overseas purchases less competitive compared to domestic offerings, is just one reason why companies should focus on customers rather than fret about the impact of online retail.

Woolworth Holdings CEO Ian Moir is more concerned about customers than GST. Credit:Nic Walker

"The reality is it set businesses and retailers in Australia back because they spent more time arguing about that... than they did thinking 'how can I get ahead of the curve, what do I need to do, how can I make sure I'm giving the customer what they're looking for,'" Mr Moir said.

Several leading retailers, including Myer chairman Paul McClintock and Harvey Norman founder Gerry Harvey, have repeatedly expressed frustration that goods bought online from overseas for less than $1,000 are GST free.

AAP