We were heartened on Sunday to finally hear those magic words from Premier Dan Andrews – on Friday, Victoria will be at 80% double dose vaccinated and retail can reopen.
It’s been a long road to getting the population vaccinated, but we are finally back in business after months of uncertainty, and with just 60 days to Christmas.
From our briefing with the Victorian Government yesterday, we have received advice that while retail workers are required to have had their first dose by now and get their second by 26 November, customers are not required to be vaccinated to shop at general retail. For our members in fitness, hospitality, and beauty, you are still required to check your customers are fully vaccinated. You can get clear guidance on the Phase C reopening and what will be in store in Phase D of the roadmap by clicking the button below.
VIEW THE VIC GOVERNMENT RETAIL TRADE FAQSI am still agitating the Victorian Government to provide more assurance to our members in the Melbourne CBD – we know that office workers are still working from home, and the Monday to Friday office commute is a thing of the past. We’re making sure that there are plans in place to entice customers to the CBD to ensure that the city remains a healthy and thriving hub for retail.
And, with retail pretty much set to reopen, now is also the time to ensure your rostering practices are compliant. We have heard from so many of you that there are staffing issues, either from lack of staff or issues with vaccination. To help you avoid additional issues related to rostering non-compliance, NRA Legal will be holding a two-hour masterclass on Thursday, 4 November at 12pm AEST. This event, supported by our workforce management partners at Roubler, is a must-attend for business owners, HR managers, and payroll staff. Tickets are available for purchase here, and NRA members receive a discount.
We are also pleased to hear the Morrison Government has committed to net zero by 2050. The NRA has worked extremely hard to help retail become more sustainable – we’ve rolled out plastic bag ban and single-use plastic ban education campaigns in most states of Australia. We will continue to work with all levels of government to facilitate this goal in a way that is consistent and sensible for our members. On the sustainability front, we are also pleased to have worked with Manhattan Associates and Shippit on a new research report into the retail supply chain. I recommend all members download Sustainability in the Retail Supply Chain from our Portal, and explore the customer insights from this ground-breaking study.
It’s been a long, hard road to get to where we are now, but there is a building sense of optimism as 2021 draws to a close. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for our predictions for consumer spend for the holiday season, and as always, if you need any assistance phone our team at 1800 RETAIL and have a chat.
All the best for the week ahead.
Dominique Lamb
Chief Executive Officer