Tonight, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will hand down the first Federal Budget since April 2019. And it’s easily the most...
Tonight, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will hand down the first Federal Budget since April 2019. And it’s easily the most important one in living memory. With Australia officially in its first recession since 1991, the entire nation will eagerly anticipate the blueprint for an economic recovery that the government will unveil...
I’d like to begin this week’s column by explaining why it is you’re hearing from me this week rather...
I’d like to begin this week’s column by explaining why it is you’re hearing from me this week rather than Dominique. In exciting news last Thursday, Dominique gave birth to her second child, a beautiful baby boy named Frederick. I can confirm that mother and son are both doing well....
To misquote the American author Mark Twain, reports of the death of retail have been greatly exaggerated. We know...
To misquote the American author Mark Twain, reports of the death of retail have been greatly exaggerated. We know many members are going through their toughest times ever, and sadly we know some retailers will be forced to exit the industry before the impact of COVID has passed. But...
Following months of the most stringent lockdown measures in the country, the Victorian Government has announced an expanded financial...
Following months of the most stringent lockdown measures in the country, the Victorian Government has announced an expanded financial relief package to help stem the job losses in Australia’s second most populous state. Tens of thousands of Victorian businesses will now be eligible for cash grants, payroll relief and cashflow...
After being in lockdown for weeks on end, the Victorian Government has announced a roadmap to steadily reopen the...
After being in lockdown for weeks on end, the Victorian Government has announced a roadmap to steadily reopen the state. Unfortunately, asides from essential retail outlets, the sector will remain closed until at least 26 October. This will bring the total time that retail has been in lockdown to...
Coronavirus has changed life as we had come to know it in many ways. None of us will be...
Coronavirus has changed life as we had come to know it in many ways. None of us will be going on an overseas holiday for some time, crowded events remain off limits and the economic fallout will be substantial. From a retail perspective, it has impacted all of you regardless...
Last Friday saw the ABS release its preliminary report for July 2020, with some surprising news. Turnover rose by...
Last Friday saw the ABS release its preliminary report for July 2020, with some surprising news. Turnover rose by a substantial 3.3 per cent on the June figures, with every state and territory except Victoria experiencing increased sales compared to June. While this is probably not that surprising given...
It’s hard to believe that we have now reached the six-month mark since Australia first began to implement lockdown...
It’s hard to believe that we have now reached the six-month mark since Australia first began to implement lockdown measures. Although some businesses have found ways to succeed during this period, for the vast majority of you this has been a time of unprecedented challenges. New daily case numbers in...
2020 has undoubtedly been the most challenging year for retail in living memory, but I can start this week’s...
2020 has undoubtedly been the most challenging year for retail in living memory, but I can start this week’s column off with some good news. Last week the ACCC granted NRA members the ability to share information and to collectively bargain with landlords on rent relief measures. With the situation...
As we enter the final month of winter the situation in Victoria continues to deteriorate. Due to the number...
As we enter the final month of winter the situation in Victoria continues to deteriorate. Due to the number of COVID-19 cases mounting, the State Government has been forced to escalate Victoria to Stage 4 lockdowns. As of Sunday evening, people in Victoria are now only allowed to shop for...
As the number of COVID-19 infections continue to rise in parts of the country, it is important that all...
As the number of COVID-19 infections continue to rise in parts of the country, it is important that all NRA members, regardless of their location, remain vigilant. Retailers have also had to face an increase in anti-social, aggressive and sometimes violent behaviour from customers. Indeed, since the outbreak of COVID-19,...
The National Retail Association (NRA) has welcomed the today's announcement by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, extending the JobKeeper...
The National Retail Association (NRA) has welcomed the today's announcement by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, extending the JobKeeper subsidy from September 2020 to March 2021. By our calculations, $3.4 billion in retail sales were lost in the month of April during the height of the lockdown restrictions. If we...
A week ago today, the Victorian Government announced Stage 3 Lockdown measures would be reimposed on metropolitan Melbourne and...
A week ago today, the Victorian Government announced Stage 3 Lockdown measures would be reimposed on metropolitan Melbourne and the Shire of Mitchell. Over the past two days, there is now a recommendation to wear face masks within these regions in order to contain the spread of the virus....
It’s a somber start to the week, as the rapid escalation of COVID-19 cases in Victoria has caused Queensland,...
It’s a somber start to the week, as the rapid escalation of COVID-19 cases in Victoria has caused Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT to close their borders to travellers from this state. We have seen the public housing estates go into complete lockdown, and the Premier of...
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) is currently considering an application by the SDA to reverse the final reduction to...
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) is currently considering an application by the SDA to reverse the final reduction to Sunday penalty rates in the General Retail Industry Award 2010, due to take effect from 1 July 2020 (tomorrow). In addition to making a formal submission to the FWC opposing any...
Last Friday the Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down its Annual Wage Review. Due to the unprecedented economic pressure...
Last Friday the Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down its Annual Wage Review. Due to the unprecedented economic pressure imposed on the business community, along with the fact that retail was struggling pre-COVID, the NRA argued strongly that the current rate should be maintained. It was disappointing to see that...