Tonight, we will know the details of the 2016 Federal Budget, as Treasurer Scott Morrison hands down his first budget. Given the current mixed retail environment, we have been urging the Federal Government, in the lead up to the delivery of its third budget, to provide as much certainty and clarity as possible. The Australian […]
As the Chairman mentioned in last week’s message, we have farewelled CEO Trevor Evans, who has been preselected to contest a seat at the Federal Election on July 2nd. While the National Retail Association is strictly a non-partisan organisation, we do wish Trevor every success. It is important that we have Federal MPs who understand […]
Last Friday night saw Brisbane’s leading CEOs swap the boardroom for the City Hall dance floor to raise funds for Dancing CEO’s, an annual gala event to support Women’s Legal Service and the prevention of domestic violence. The National Retail Association (NRA) was proud to be an event sponsor of Dancing CEOs and support Women’s […]
The National Retail Association exists to be a strong voice for the retail sector in the media and with government and policy makers. We are not only Australia’s largest peak body for retailers, but also the most representative – with members across all aspects of the retail, fast food and personal services sectors. We support […]
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) announced this week that James Pearson would be appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing former CEO Kate Carnell. Mr Pearson will take up his role at the end of the month and brings with him a wealth of knowledge from both private and public […]
You may have seen some media reporting this week about the upcoming Annual Wage Review of minimum wages, and the National Retail Association’s position leading the discussion on behalf of retailers. I’d like to share with you some of the thinking that informs our submission on this issue each year. As a knee-jerk reaction, it […]
Dancing CEOs is shaping up to be the most highly anticipated event on the 2016 Fundraising Calendar. To help raise money for the prevention of domestic violence, 12 brave CEOs will swap their suits for sequins on April 15 in a hotly contested dance-off at Brisbane City Hall. All 640 seats in the main auditorium […]
This week, we’ve seen suggestions in the media that recent high-profile collapses like Dick Smith, Masters and Laura Ashley signal that the retail industry is entering a period of ‘doom and gloom’. Negative commentary never helps consumer confidence and retail spending. The National Retail Association has been working hard to point out that retail is […]
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 representing Australian businesses is supporting […]
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 of $44.5bn. Sales in December grew […]
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, as well as a range […]
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 strongly supported […]
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 facilities, the message from […]
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 with the new Treasurer, Scott […]
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 its rates upwards, but it is […]