Media Release

Today, the Reserve Bank once again held rates, but shoppers’ wallets remain shut to struggling retailers. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that year-on-year sales flatlined in July, despite efforts by retailers to encourage spending. National Retail Association (NRA) Interim CEO Lindsay Carroll said the sector is bracing for a...

Retailers have welcomed the decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to keep interest rates on hold. The move comes off the back off the back of a couple of days of sharemarket volatility, while consumers continue to tighten their belts due to cost-of-living pressures. NRA Interim CEO Lindsay Carroll...

The National Retail Association (NRA) opposes a number of the Health, Aged Care and Sport Standing Committee's recommendations on diabetes in Australia, particularly the proposed sugar-sweetened beverages tax. NRA Health and Nutrition Committee Chair Dr Alan Barclay said that if implemented, the recommendations would hurt both retailers and consumers at the height...

Australian retailers are calling on the Reserve Bank to urgently cut interest rates as retail growth stagnates from low spending and high cost-of-trading. Governor Michele Bullock held interest rates at 4.35 per cent this month, citing that inflation has fallen substantially since its peak in 2022. National Retail Association Director Rob...

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association’s (SDA) latest bid to launch a Fair Work Commission (FWC) case to abolish junior rates for workers aged between 18 and 20 will risk pushing young people out of the retail labour market. The junior rates incentivise young entry-level workers, with little to...

The National Retail Association (NRA) today expressed disappointment at the 3.75 per cent award wage increase handed down by the Fair Work Commission, saying it will intensify pressure on struggling businesses, particularly small businesses. The NRA advocated for the Commission to exercise restraint, given the current growth rate in retail...

ABS April trade figures reveal the Federal Budget missed the opportunity to effectively address unrelenting pressures confronting retail owners. National Retail Association Interim CEO Lindsay Carroll said April retail trade had gone backwards in real terms, given that the 0.1 per cent increase to sales can be tied to inflated...

Retail peak bodies, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and the National Retail Association (NRA) have announced a proposed amalgamation, which will once approved by their respective members create a single unified body representing the $420 billion sector. The two not-for-profit organisations have signed a heads-of-agreement for the amalgamation proposal and...

The National Retail Association has called on the Federal Government to address the cost-of-trading crisis confronting Australian retail in its May Budget, after ABS March trade figures revealed a 0.4 per cent (seasonally adjusted) drop in sales. National Retail Association Deputy CEO Lindsay Carroll said any momentum gained by Taylor Swift’s...

Implementing sustainable practices entail significant upfront costs for businesses, and as retailers struggle through a cost-of-trading crisis, owners are looking for cost saving measures in their transition to a low carbon future. According to a recent Retail Sentiment Report released by the National Retail Association, only 16 per cent of businesses will...

Ballooning wages bills, energy costs and insurance premiums are driving a pessimistic outlook for Australia’s retail businesses, promoting calls for the Government to put the cost-of-trading on the Federal Budget agenda. The National Retail Association today released its 2024 Retail Sentiment Report, which has revealed deep concerns among business owners...

Australian retailers are calling on the Reserve Bank to urgently cut interest rates as inflation slows and businesses struggle with high cost-of-trading. Governor Michele Bullock held interest rates at 4.35 per cent this month, citing slowed economic growth and inflation holding steady at 3.4 per cent over the year to January. National Retail Association...