David Jones boss John Dixon says there is no end in sight to the weak consumer sentiment that has seen shoppers steer clear of his stores.

Comparable sales at David Jones fell 0.7 per cent in the 12 months to June 30, compared to 7 per cent growth in the same period in 2016, its South African parent company Woolworths revealed on Thursday.

"Concern around the housing market, increased mortgage costs, increased utility costs and the lowest wage growth in 20 years: when you put all those things together, customers are having to tighten their belts and that puts pressure on discretionary spend," Mr Dixon said of Australian consumers.

Mr Dixon said he did not expect to see any improvement in the near term, making it more important David Jones found news ways to entice shoppers into its stores, like exclusive brands and its $100 million new food and grocery offer.