Message from the CEO: 16 January 2017

As the excesses of Christmas and New Year make way for positive resolutions for the year ahead (eating healthily...

As the excesses of Christmas and New Year make way for positive resolutions for the year ahead (eating healthily and exercising more always seem to top those lists!), we’ve continued receiving great feedback from our members on the pre-Christmas spending and Boxing Day sales periods, particularly in areas now...

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Message from the CEO: 9 January 2017

Many of you may have been watching the media closely around the Christmas and New Year period especially in...

Many of you may have been watching the media closely around the Christmas and New Year period especially in relation to what we can all expect within retail in 2017. It has been reported that Australian retailers would rather forget 2016, with a “trolley full of famous names including Dick...

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Message from the CEO: 9 January 2017

Many of you may have been watching the media closely around the Christmas and New Year period especially in...

Many of you may have been watching the media closely around the Christmas and New Year period especially in relation to what we can all expect within retail in 2017. It has been reported that Australian retailers would rather forget 2016, with a “trolley full of famous names including Dick...

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Message from the CEO: 19 December 2016

I know that you are all operating at a frantic pace in the days leading up to Christmas and...

I know that you are all operating at a frantic pace in the days leading up to Christmas and I have been pleased to see the increase in foot traffic throughout the nation as I travel around. Since my appointment as NRA CEO in July this year, I have greatly...

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Message from the CEO: 19 December 2016

I know that you are all operating at a frantic pace in the days leading up to Christmas and...

I know that you are all operating at a frantic pace in the days leading up to Christmas and I have been pleased to see the increase in foot traffic throughout the nation as I travel around. Since my appointment as NRA CEO in July this year, I have greatly...

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Message from the CEO: 12 December 2016

Earlier in the week, GDP figures were released for the September quarter which showed a contraction of 0.5 per...

Earlier in the week, GDP figures were released for the September quarter which showed a contraction of 0.5 per cent for the Australian economy. While it certainly isn’t time to hit the panic buttons just yet, this should serve as a reminder to all of us in the retail industry...

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Message from the CEO: 12 December 2016

Earlier in the week, GDP figures were released for the September quarter which showed a contraction of 0.5 per...

Earlier in the week, GDP figures were released for the September quarter which showed a contraction of 0.5 per cent for the Australian economy. While it certainly isn’t time to hit the panic buttons just yet, this should serve as a reminder to all of us in the retail industry...

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Message from the CEO: 5 December 2016

The positive signs for the end-of-year trading period continue to pop up, with two more pieces of data pointing...

The positive signs for the end-of-year trading period continue to pop up, with two more pieces of data pointing to a merry Christmas for Australian retail. Early last week, the ANZ/Roy Morgan consumer confidence rating showed households are feel positive about their finances. Consumer confidence levels were well above the...

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Message from the CEO: 5 December 2016

The positive signs for the end-of-year trading period continue to pop up, with two more pieces of data pointing...

The positive signs for the end-of-year trading period continue to pop up, with two more pieces of data pointing to a merry Christmas for Australian retail. Early last week, the ANZ/Roy Morgan consumer confidence rating showed households are feel positive about their finances. Consumer confidence levels were well above the...

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Message from the CEO: 28 November 2016

This week will we see the final release of trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the...

This week will we see the final release of trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the Christmas and Boxing Day trading period. It should give us a clearer indication of how consumer sentiment is tracking as we move into the most important month of the year for...

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Message from the CEO: 28 November 2016

This week will we see the final release of trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the...

This week will we see the final release of trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the Christmas and Boxing Day trading period. It should give us a clearer indication of how consumer sentiment is tracking as we move into the most important month of the year for...

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Message from the CEO: 21 November 2016

The Federal Government’s proposed industrial relations changes go before the Senate this week – the culmination of a long-running...

The Federal Government’s proposed industrial relations changes go before the Senate this week – the culmination of a long-running (and distracting) national debate which has included the double dissolution election in July. Unrest on building sites may seem a long way from the issues that affect NRA members and other...

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Message from the CEO: 7 November 2016

You may have seen some media late last week relating to the Christmas and Boxing Day trading period. The...

You may have seen some media late last week relating to the Christmas and Boxing Day trading period. The NRA bases its projections for holiday spending on the final two weeks of November and the whole of December. So on that basis, we are getting very close to the...

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Message from the CEO: 31 October 2016

It’s shaping up as possibly the most significant week for retail industry data, as we look for indications of...

It’s shaping up as possibly the most significant week for retail industry data, as we look for indications of the upcoming pre-Christmas period.  Firstly, the Reserve Bank Board will meet tomorrow for its regular discussion of monetary policy. And while general financial industry talk is playing down the chances...

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Message from the CEO: 24 October 2016

Retailers have reason to be hopeful of a very Merry Christmas in 2016, following the release of the Commonwealth...

Retailers have reason to be hopeful of a very Merry Christmas in 2016, following the release of the Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Index (BSI) for September. The BSI – released late last week – was jam-packed with good news for retailers on the consumer spending front and this should act...

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Message from the CEO: 17 October 2016

Love it or loathe it - it’s no secret that 90s fashion has been seeping into fashion stores all...

Love it or loathe it - it’s no secret that 90s fashion has been seeping into fashion stores all year. I wonder how many teenage girls even realise they’re dressing exactly like their mums did back in their heyday! But the real irony for south-east Queensland retailers selling out of...

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