Funding available for Regional QLD

Back to Work is a new two-year initiative that will be available from the end of July 2016. The Queensland...

Back to Work is a new two-year initiative that will be available from the end of July 2016. The Queensland Government’s two year $100 million Regional Employment Package will provide support to businesses for up to 8,000 job opportunities for regional jobseekers. Eligible businesses will be able to access a $10,000...

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Message from the CEO: 4 July 2016

I’m sure most of us will be well and truly tired of the Federal Election campaign and the wash-up...

I’m sure most of us will be well and truly tired of the Federal Election campaign and the wash-up over the weekend, so I was hoping I would be able to use this column to reflect on the winner, and what it means for the retail sector. Of course,...

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Australia’s work visa corruption allegations

With more than 1 million people working in Australia on temporary work visas, claims are revealing fraudulent visa applications...

With more than 1 million people working in Australia on temporary work visas, claims are revealing fraudulent visa applications on the black market and exploitation of Australia’s visa regime. The immigration department is currently facing more referred allegations of corruption in the past 12 months than the watchdog has...

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Performance meeting ends worker’s comp claim

Lim v Comcare FCA 709 A worker has attempted to appeal an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision to dismiss her...

Lim v Comcare FCA 709 A worker has attempted to appeal an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision to dismiss her worker’s compensation claim. The claim had been refused on the basis that her psychiatric injury was partly caused by a poor performance review. The Tribunal found that worker’s injury was excluded...

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Will this be your strongest financial year?

As we reach the beginning of the new financial year, many leading retailers are facing the challenge of keeping...

As we reach the beginning of the new financial year, many leading retailers are facing the challenge of keeping their teams inspired, aligned and on the right track to sustainable profitability. Brian Walker has worked with leading Australian and international retailers such as Telstra, Kookai, Woolworths and Metcash to overcome...

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MEMBER ONLY ARTICLE – Entry to Gift HQ for NRA members

Gift HQ, a trade only event, will take place 9 – 11 July at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition...

Gift HQ, a trade only event, will take place 9 – 11 July at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in South Bank and promises to enlighten visitors with industry knowledge, the latest business strategies, tips for social media, and employee engagement just to name a few items on...

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H&M taking over regional Australia

Regional Australia will soon be home to the Swedish fashion house H&M, with the company showing no signs of...

Regional Australia will soon be home to the Swedish fashion house H&M, with the company showing no signs of slowing down its’ Aussie takeover. Since entering the market H&M have opened 10 stores in major cities like Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The mega-chain is to open stores in Wollongong and...

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Brexit and Australian consumer confidence

While British shoppers put away their wallets, doom and gloom from the Brexit referendum hasn’t heavily impacted Australia’s retail...

While British shoppers put away their wallets, doom and gloom from the Brexit referendum hasn’t heavily impacted Australia’s retail sector. Despite the recent financial turmoil, ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index fell 1.7 per cent, however it remains above the monthly average. Although, Felicity Emmett, Head of ANZ Australian Economics warns that...

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CEO’s sleepout for a good cause

On any given night 1 in 200 people in Australia are homeless with over 105,000 people without permanent accommodation...

On any given night 1 in 200 people in Australia are homeless with over 105,000 people without permanent accommodation each year. From those, 2 out of 3 people who look for crisis housing are turned away due to a lack of vacancies. The road to homelessness is different for each...

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Take control of online reviews

Online review sites can be a cause for concern for many businesses, especially SMEs. A few scathing reviews can turn...

Online review sites can be a cause for concern for many businesses, especially SMEs. A few scathing reviews can turn away potential customers, and encourage loyal ones to seek out competitors. However if handled correctly, online reviews can be a fantastic customer service tool, build brand awareness, upsell customers, and build...

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1st annual FinTech award winners

The Fintech start-up scene is flourishing, and one Australian company has come out on top. Fintech describes the technology segment...

The Fintech start-up scene is flourishing, and one Australian company has come out on top. Fintech describes the technology segment that is disrupting sectors such as mobile payments, loans, fundraising, money transfers, and more. Offering new solutions for B2B and B2C businesses as well as consumers, you may already be...

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Don’t miss retail’s night of nights

Are you ready for Retail’s biggest night of the year? The countdown is on until the National Retail Association (NRA)...

Are you ready for Retail’s biggest night of the year? The countdown is on until the National Retail Association (NRA) hosts Australia’s most anticipated retail awards evening – The NRA’s Rewards for Excellence Gala Dinner. Tickets are now on sale for the extravagant Rio themed Gala Dinner which is to be...

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MEMBER ONLY ARTICLE – Modern Award Reviews Payment of Wages

On 15 June 2016, the Fair Work Commission released a statement to advise how the Full Bench proposed to...

On 15 June 2016, the Fair Work Commission released a statement to advise how the Full Bench proposed to deal with the payment of wages in relation to five issues; timing of payment of wages, removing a restriction on the days for payment of wages, timing of payment on...

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MEMBER ONLY ARTICLE – High Income Threshold Increase in Unfair Dismissal Claims

On Thursday 23 June 2016, the Fair Work Commission announced it would increase filing fees, high income thresholds and...

On Thursday 23 June 2016, the Fair Work Commission announced it would increase filing fees, high income thresholds and compensation caps for unfair dismissal applications. For unfair dismissal claims occurring on or after the 1 July 2016, the high income threshold will be increased to $138,900 and the compensation limit...

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A guide to trademarking

Anyone in business would know that it is always a good idea to register your trademarks to protect them...

Anyone in business would know that it is always a good idea to register your trademarks to protect them for your business. In fact, there’s a little saying that’s been going around, especially when it comes to the topic of UGG boots: “Don’t be an Ugg. Register your trademark before...

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Message from the CEO: 27 June 2016

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...

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