In the retail sector we can often get caught up in day-to-day operational matters such as turnover, staffing, pricing...
In the retail sector we can often get caught up in day-to-day operational matters such as turnover, staffing, pricing or advertising. During the rush of commercial life, we can sometimes overlook the fact that some people are struggling to simply put a roof over their heads. An important part of...
Today’s official retail trade figures for December have confirmed the NRA’s predictions of steady and “sensible” spending by Australian...
Today’s official retail trade figures for December have confirmed the NRA’s predictions of steady and “sensible” spending by Australian consumers in the lead up to Christmas. The figures showed spending during the pre-Christmas period (the final six weeks of the year) reached $44.63bn – only just above our prediction...
Federal Parliament resumes next week, with the Government and Opposition both looking to finalise their pitches to voters ahead...
Federal Parliament resumes next week, with the Government and Opposition both looking to finalise their pitches to voters ahead of the election due later this year. To coincide with the resumption of Parliament, a delegation from the NRA will be in Canberra for meetings with the Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull,...
We are fast approaching one of the busiest and most rewarding times of the year. This week, we’ve seen a...
We are fast approaching one of the busiest and most rewarding times of the year. This week, we’ve seen a landmark law passed in New South Wales, with the NSW Government allowing regional businesses to open their doors on Boxing Day, just in time for this year’s Christmas season. The NRA...
This week I hosted follow up discussions with the office of the new Treasurer Scott Morrison. We discussed a...
This week I hosted follow up discussions with the office of the new Treasurer Scott Morrison. We discussed a number of topics including the implementation timeline for scrapping the GST Low Value Threshold, the need for further tax reform, and the Financial Systems Inquiry. Regarding the costs of credit card...
On Monday this week the Federal Government released its response to the Financial System Inquiry. Of most interest for...
On Monday this week the Federal Government released its response to the Financial System Inquiry. Of most interest for retailers was a commitment to prohibit merchants from levying credit card surcharges “that are greater than the cost to them of accepting payment by card”. A delegation from the NRA met...
Analysts were saying that the next move in interest rates would be upwards and we saw evidence of that...
Analysts were saying that the next move in interest rates would be upwards and we saw evidence of that this week – not from the Reserve Bank, but from Westpac, which announced a 0.2 per cent increase in its variable rate mortgage. It’s not the first bank to nudge...