For many years there has been intense debate across the retail and shopping centre industries concerning how retail leases...
For many years there has been intense debate across the retail and shopping centre industries concerning how retail leases are regulated and issues surrounding distortions in market power. There has been numerous reviews by the Productivity Commission resulting in the lodgement of significant numbers of submissions from both sides of...
There are just 12 days left in the Federal Election campaign, and I think all Australians – including the...
There are just 12 days left in the Federal Election campaign, and I think all Australians – including the politicians – are well and truly ready to see the end of it. Regardless of which side you support, we know that these events can have a disproportionate impact on...
In last week’s column I expressed some views concerning the recent decision handed down by Fair Work Australia to award...
In last week’s column I expressed some views concerning the recent decision handed down by Fair Work Australia to award a 2.4 per cent increase to the minimum wage. A lot has been written about the margin that was included in this increase on top of the actual rate of inflation....
Let me apologise in advance if this week’s message is a little dour, but I’m sorry to say it’s...
Let me apologise in advance if this week’s message is a little dour, but I’m sorry to say it’s been that kind of a week in the retail world. On Wednesday we received the news that the Fair Work Commission had decided on a 2.4 per cent increase in...
The media attention surrounding the 7-Eleven chain last year was a wake-up call for the entire retail industry. At...
The media attention surrounding the 7-Eleven chain last year was a wake-up call for the entire retail industry. At the time, the National Retail Association urged all retailers to ensure they understood and were actively complying with their obligations to employees in relation to pay rates and conditions. This week...
Taxation, employment, economic stability – they’re terms that get thrown about a great deal during a federal election campaign....
Taxation, employment, economic stability – they’re terms that get thrown about a great deal during a federal election campaign. But while they aren’t the most exciting concepts for the average voter, their long-term effects for retailers are profound. The GST Low Value Threshold (LVT) on imports under $1000 for example,...
More than a quarter of employed young people aged 15 – 24 work in retail, so the announcement of...
More than a quarter of employed young people aged 15 – 24 work in retail, so the announcement of the youth jobs PaTH program in the budget should provide some encouragement for employees to actively engage young people into work. However, there has been some controversy surrounding the program, and...
Last week, we commended Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison for recognising the important role small to medium businesses play when...
Last week, we commended Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison for recognising the important role small to medium businesses play when it comes to creating jobs for Australians into the future. Given the high proportion of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the retail sector, the proposed business tax cuts outlined in...
Tonight, we will know the details of the 2016 Federal Budget, as Treasurer Scott Morrison hands down his first...
Tonight, we will know the details of the 2016 Federal Budget, as Treasurer Scott Morrison hands down his first budget. Given the current mixed retail environment, we have been urging the Federal Government, in the lead up to the delivery of its third budget, to provide as much certainty and...
As the Chairman mentioned in last week’s message, we have farewelled CEO Trevor Evans, who has been preselected to...
As the Chairman mentioned in last week’s message, we have farewelled CEO Trevor Evans, who has been preselected to contest a seat at the Federal Election on July 2nd. While the National Retail Association is strictly a non-partisan organisation, we do wish Trevor every success. It is important that...
The National Retail Association exists to be a strong voice for the retail sector in the media and with...
The National Retail Association exists to be a strong voice for the retail sector in the media and with government and policy makers. We are not only Australia’s largest peak body for retailers, but also the most representative – with members across all aspects of the retail, fast food...
This week’s Australian Bureau of Statistics results for February showed a continuation of the longer term growth in our...
This week’s Australian Bureau of Statistics results for February showed a continuation of the longer term growth in our sector we have been witnessing for some time now. The headline figures were no doubt disappointing – showing effectively no change from January’s results. However, the annualised growth rates showed a...
You may have seen some media reporting this week about the upcoming Annual Wage Review of minimum wages, and...
You may have seen some media reporting this week about the upcoming Annual Wage Review of minimum wages, and the National Retail Association’s position leading the discussion on behalf of retailers. I’d like to share with you some of the thinking that informs our submission on this issue each year. As...
Much has been made of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures showing the nation’s unemployment rate fell from 6...
Much has been made of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures showing the nation’s unemployment rate fell from 6 to 5.8 per cent in February (released Thursday), but the unemployment rate doesn’t specifically tend to affect retailers, the number of job vacancies is far more significant, because labour demand...
This week, we’ve seen suggestions in the media that recent high-profile collapses like Dick Smith, Masters and Laura Ashley...
This week, we’ve seen suggestions in the media that recent high-profile collapses like Dick Smith, Masters and Laura Ashley signal that the retail industry is entering a period of ‘doom and gloom’. Negative commentary never helps consumer confidence and retail spending. The National Retail Association has been working hard to...
The retail trade figures for January, released today, showed a steady start to the year with an increase in...
The retail trade figures for January, released today, showed a steady start to the year with an increase in turnover 0.3 per cent for the month, seasonally adjusted, and a 4.0 increase compared with January last year. This steady, if not spectacular, growth is welcome as we see consumer sentiment...