Message from the CEO: 31 October 2017

The SMH this week reported that consultancy firm McKinsey has forecast the volume of freight passing through Australian cities...

The SMH this week reported that consultancy firm McKinsey has forecast the volume of freight passing through Australian cities is projected to increase 40 per cent by 2050, driven in part by ecommerce. With the added weight of Urban Futurist Stephen Yarwood’s predictions online retail could fast-tract autonomous transport, it’s...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 24 October 2017

This week we saw the NSW Government pass its laws extending the minimum lifespan of gift cards from one...

This week we saw the NSW Government pass its laws extending the minimum lifespan of gift cards from one year to three years.  I know from speaking to many members that this will cause headaches in a range of areas – from accounting for unused cards on your balance...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 17 October 2017

The reporting over the past week on the penalty rates case has been fascinating to say the least. In...

The reporting over the past week on the penalty rates case has been fascinating to say the least. In many ways, it has illustrated how deeply Australian’s misconceptions have been about the issue, but more importantly, how easy it has been for those with a vested interest to heighten...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 10 October 2017

It’s that time of year again – the dust has settled on the annual ‘too soon?’ media narrative after...

It’s that time of year again – the dust has settled on the annual ‘too soon?’ media narrative after the fruit mince pies have hit the grocery store shelves; the warm weather’s sparking daydreams about tropical, end of year holidays; and staff in corporate offices are locking down dates...

Read More

RainCheck: the new on-demand shopping experience

RainCheck is a platform that transcends the digital and physical worlds for retail shopping. It allows people to save items...

RainCheck is a platform that transcends the digital and physical worlds for retail shopping. It allows people to save items they discover online and request availability from store associates nearby, creating an on-demand shopping experience. With 90% of people discovering and researching new products online, 90% of transactions in retail still...

Read More

Fast fashion giants struggling in Australia

Mornings with Steve Austin The Retail Panel is back with more retail insights from Dominique Lamb (CEO NRA), Gary Mortimer...

Mornings with Steve Austin The Retail Panel is back with more retail insights from Dominique Lamb (CEO NRA), Gary Mortimer (QUT School of Business), and Christine Moody (Brand Audits). Consumer demand is shifting away from fast fashion, and focusing more on unique, better quality products. A number of major international retailers are...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 3 October 2017

Two challenges to the penalty rates ruling brought by worker unions have now been heard in the Federal Court,...

Two challenges to the penalty rates ruling brought by worker unions have now been heard in the Federal Court, with both cases heard together last week, in front of a full bench in Melbourne. After joining other employer and business groups including the Australian Industry Group, the Australian Hotels Association...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 26 September 2017

Last week, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) began rolling out the new $10 note into the Australian economy,...

Last week, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) began rolling out the new $10 note into the Australian economy, equipped with a raft of security measures to safeguard against counterfeiting. Just like with new $5 note introduced 12 months ago, the flashy new note features a clear window from top-to-bottom,...

Read More

What effect will Amazon have on your business?

Statistics from Commonwealth Bank show that 51% of Aussie retailers are aware of Amazon’s inevitable arrival, but are unsure...

Statistics from Commonwealth Bank show that 51% of Aussie retailers are aware of Amazon’s inevitable arrival, but are unsure how to prepare a competitive strategy in order to compete. Amazon’s arrival will no doubt trigger retailers to rethink how they do business, but this should not be seen as a...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 19 September 2017

We would like to take this opportunity to notify our membership that we are farewelling Troy Wild, NRA’s Director,...

We would like to take this opportunity to notify our membership that we are farewelling Troy Wild, NRA’s Director, Legal Division, who has been a great support to all of you over the past 12 months.  We thank Troy for his contribution to the NRA and the retail industry...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 12 September 2017

The retail trade figures for July released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week showed that the industry...

The retail trade figures for July released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week showed that the industry enjoyed a solid start to the financial year.  I’m always aware that these figures vary from state to state and sector to sector, but on the whole it was encouraging...

Read More

ABS retail figures show stable period for July 2017

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail trade figures for July 2017 released earlier today show a stable start...

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail trade figures for July 2017 released earlier today show a stable start for the industry in the second-half of the year. For the month of July, the trend estimate for Australian turnover rose by 0.3 per cent, closely in line with 0.4 per...

Read More

Countdown is on for Retail’s Night of Nights!

The 2017 National Retail Awards is only one month away! With just one month until the winners are revealed, preparations...

The 2017 National Retail Awards is only one month away! With just one month until the winners are revealed, preparations for the gala event-of-the-year, the 2017 National Retail Awards, have been ramping up. As the industry's most prestigious award ceremony, the stunning gala dinner will be reminiscent of the Oscars. In...

Read More

2017 Retail RiskFactor Report

How Retailers Contend with Today’s Prominent Challenges By BDO's Consumer Business Practice Leaders Alarmist headlines suggest the death of retail, but do...

How Retailers Contend with Today’s Prominent Challenges By BDO's Consumer Business Practice Leaders Alarmist headlines suggest the death of retail, but do retailers themselves share this perception? BDO analysed the 10-K filings of the 100 largest U.S. retailers for their 2017 Retail RiskFactor Report, which found that retailers recognise both narrow and...

Read More

Message from the CEO: 11 July 2017

We’ve been pleased to see further industry commitment this week, to helping young people get a leg up into...

We’ve been pleased to see further industry commitment this week, to helping young people get a leg up into retail jobs (and giving retailers benefits along the way, through the Federal Government’s Youth Jobs PaTH (prepare-trial-hire) program. As a leading Registered Training Organisation (RTO), we’ve been delighted to be able...

Read More

Brick and mortar stores are not dead, just different

By Joanna Arhontis, The New Retail Revolution There is all this talk on the street that traditional brick and mortar...

By Joanna Arhontis, The New Retail Revolution There is all this talk on the street that traditional brick and mortar retail stores are dying with many sadly closing their doors in recent months. It is true that retailers are being hit hard throughout the nation, and indeed across the globe, as...

Read More