The Meghan Markle Effect has been in full swing for some time, and if you check in with struggling...
The Meghan Markle Effect has been in full swing for some time, and if you check in with struggling Aussie retailer Oroton, her choice of handbag during a recent outing may have just saved the entire brand from going under. The brand is struggling badly here in Australia and is...
The ACTU’s war against employers continues this week, with an outlandish claim that its push for a whopping 7.2...
The ACTU’s war against employers continues this week, with an outlandish claim that its push for a whopping 7.2 per cent increase to the minimum wage would create 87,000 new jobs over two years. As you know, upping your staff’s wages by $50 per week each is not going to...
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has upped the ante on its anti-business crusade, unveiling an alarming six-point...
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has upped the ante on its anti-business crusade, unveiling an alarming six-point plan it believes will lift wages. It’s a plan that’s more likely, however, to send businesses broke and cost Australians their jobs. Industry groups, including the NRA, have warned the unions’ bid...
Gift cards are back on the agenda this week, with the New South Wales Government’s new legislation to introduce...
Gift cards are back on the agenda this week, with the New South Wales Government’s new legislation to introduce mandatory three-year minimum expiry dates set to kick in this Saturday, March 31. While we were naturally not a great supporter of this move, the NRA’s extensive track record of collaborative...
There are only 100 days to go before retailers across Queensland will be forced to permanently bin the plastic...
There are only 100 days to go before retailers across Queensland will be forced to permanently bin the plastic bag when the state-wide ban kicks into effect on July 1 2018. The ban includes all single-use, lightweight shopping bags with handles and a thickness under 35 microns. NRA Manager of Industry...
When you argue for a 0 per cent rise in the minimum wage, you’re likely to attract a fair...
When you argue for a 0 per cent rise in the minimum wage, you’re likely to attract a fair share of criticism, and over the past seven days, we certainly have. But in making such a controversial submission to the Annual Wage Review last week, we also brought an important...
Brisbane CBD and Fortitude Valley retailers will band together next week, in the Australia-first, National Retail Association (NRA) SafeCity...
Brisbane CBD and Fortitude Valley retailers will band together next week, in the Australia-first, National Retail Association (NRA) SafeCity Network trial to share their experiences of retail crime, on the back of a spate of scammer incidents in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. NRA Policy Manager David Stout said that...
Spanish fashion and accessories retailer Zara has announced it is launching an online shopping option for Australian consumers from...
Spanish fashion and accessories retailer Zara has announced it is launching an online shopping option for Australian consumers from March 14, and is rolling out free delivery (as well as click and collect) and free returns. It’s a move likely to at least rattle the immense market dominance of its...
The National Retail Association (NRA) has today thanked the Queensland government for passing an amendment to allow non-exempt shops...
The National Retail Association (NRA) has today thanked the Queensland government for passing an amendment to allow non-exempt shops in regional Queensland to trade on Easter Saturday. In January the NRA identified that an amendment to the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act would result in many large retailers being forced to...
Chemist Warehouse’s Jack Gance, Catch CEO Nati Harpaz, The Iconic COO Anna Lee… the list of industry heavyweights sharing...
Chemist Warehouse’s Jack Gance, Catch CEO Nati Harpaz, The Iconic COO Anna Lee… the list of industry heavyweights sharing their insights into the modern retail landscape during Inside Retail Live 2018’s three-day Melbourne event was staggering. I was honoured to be invited to panel alongside former Myer CEO Bernie Brookes...
Actress and businesswoman Kate Hudson has spent the past week in Australia with the female support and entrepreneurship membership...
Actress and businesswoman Kate Hudson has spent the past week in Australia with the female support and entrepreneurship membership group, Business Chicks, where she attracted a sold out crowd at each of her three lunch events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The 39-year-old addressed around 5,000 people while she was...
It is with great pleasure I announce that the NRA Legal team has grown by one, with Lindsay Carroll...
It is with great pleasure I announce that the NRA Legal team has grown by one, with Lindsay Carroll joining us as Legal Practice Manager. Lindsay brings to NRA Legal significant legal and practical expertise on managing workplace relations strategy and risk. Lindsay started her working life in retail at one...
The Christmas trading figures are in, with total sales for the entire Christmas period – the second half of...
The Christmas trading figures are in, with total sales for the entire Christmas period – the second half of November and all of December – reaching $47.5 billion. This closely compares with the $48 billion that the NRA forecast for the Christmas trade period and is a record high...
As the March 31 implementation date nears for a minimum three-year validity on all gift cards sold to consumers...
As the March 31 implementation date nears for a minimum three-year validity on all gift cards sold to consumers in NSW, the State Government has agreed to give retailers a six-month transition period in which you can further run-down your existing stocks. The NSW Office of Fair Trading will allow...
The push for a nation-wide ban on single-use plastic bags has been underway for such a long time, it’s...
The push for a nation-wide ban on single-use plastic bags has been underway for such a long time, it’s exciting to see it finally becoming a reality, with each state pursuing its own legislative amendments, and bans already implemented or pending in all states and territories except NSW. Other environmental...
Consumer confidence is up (although not expected to translate into any giant spending sprees anytime soon), and people are...
Consumer confidence is up (although not expected to translate into any giant spending sprees anytime soon), and people are feeling more positive about the outlook for the economy and the jobs market, according to the Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index. Whether measured by Westpac or ANZ, consumer sentiment is at...