David Jones administrators seek a buyer, with expressions of interest due Friday

Matthew Hutton, a restructuring partner at McGrathNicol, said the firm had fielded an "extraordinary" number of unsolicited approaches from retailers and financial investors. He said it was talking to Australian and overseas groups that have turned around and run department stores. Formal advertisements for the sale go out this week, Forbes Australia reported. The administrators said a buyer would be able to run a "streamlined and agile operating model". No bidder or price has been disclosed.

The stores and website still trade under Christopher Hill, David McGrath and Joanne Dunn of FTI Consulting, whom secured lender Hilco appointed as receivers and managers on 5 November. In a Monday update the receivers said sales in store and online had hit record levels since then, and that with Hilco's backing they were buying new stock from suppliers that have agreed to keep trading. A few brands, several luxury labels among them, have taken goods out of some stores. FTI said it had not yet decided which stores stay open.

About 6,000 people work across the 38 stores, one of them in Auckland, though the ABC reported that some are employed by concession brands rather than by David Jones. Last week the receivers told staff they would be paid as normal and that the network was likely to shrink, with staff and unions consulted once decisions were made. Scentre Group, whose Westfield centres house 17 David Jones stores, is owed more than a month's rent, AAP reported.

Debts owed to suppliers from before 5 November now depend on the outcome of the administration, according to FTI documents seen by the ABC, while the receivers pay for goods supplied since then on existing terms. McGrathNicol told the ABC its first circular to creditors would go out on Tuesday 10 November. The first creditors' meeting is at 11am on Tuesday 17 November.