It’s no secret we’re addicted to our phones – just think about the panic most of us feel at the thought of losing ours! While it’s also no secret these little devices have revolutionised our industry, the latest research from Salesforce suggests they are going to play an even greater role in the lead up […]
Message from the CEO – 7 August 2018
It’s 10.24pm and I’ve messaged a retail chat bot. I get a response within 20 seconds. After a few exchanges, I had everything I needed organised. None of us would have imagined this even a few years ago, that conversational commerce with all the money and resources needed to implement, would now be a normal […]
What retailers need to know about the Queensland Container Refund Scheme
The Queensland Container Refund Scheme (CRS) launches on 1 November this year. Under the scheme, a 10 cent refund will be provided to consumers for eligible, empty drink containers between 150ml and 3L in size that are returned to a participating Container Refund point. What retailers need to know The CRS will primarily affect manufacturers who produce […]
Retailers and landlords welcome ACCC authorisation of framework for retail innovation, activation
The Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) and the National Retail Association (NRA) have welcomed today’s determination by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to re-authorise the Casual Mall Licensing Code of Practice. The Code, which provides for the balanced and consistent management of casual mall licensing in shopping centres, was first authorised by […]
RETAILERS IN FOR A $48bil, PRE-CHRISTMAS WINDFALL
The National Retail Association (NRA) has today predicted consumers are on track to drop a hefty $48 billion on festive cheer, during the busiest time of year for the nation’s retailers. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said despite sluggish retail spending, Aussie retailers will be run off their feet from next week through to December 31. […]
The real cost of surcharging
Written by Dominique Lamb, CEO, NRA Adding a surcharge to card payments is a contentious business practice. Generally speaking, it needlessly annoys customers and compromises loyalty to your business. That’s why most businesses don’t surcharge. From September 1 this year, the Reserve Bank’s new surcharging rules will apply to small and medium-sized businesses. The rules […]
Supply chains matter for compliance
The Fair Work Ombudsman, Natalie James, is putting all retailers on notice when it comes to neglecting labour supply chains. James says that “a company that cares about its reputation and recognises the growing value of that reputation in a competitive market place must take an interest in what’s going on in its labour supply […]
Omnichannel and the new consumer habits
Omnichannel, multichannel, microsites, geotargeting, C2B and big data. Keeping up with the latest trends and buzzwords is difficult for most small to medium retailers who often don’t have the time or resources to focus heavily on the expectations of consumers when it comes to digital. Omnichannel, to put it simply means ‘all’ or ‘universal’ as […]
Extending public holiday trading hours for Perth
General retail shops in the Perth metropolitan area will now be able to operate from 8am to 6pm on Western Australia Day, 6 June. In a move to gradually ease retail training restrictions, Michael Mischin, commerce minister, said the extra trading hours would mean greater convenience, choice and flexibility for consumers and for retailers, the […]
Think globally, act locally
Late last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Innovation and Investment Summit, part of the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Initiative. Throughout the summit, some of the world’s best visionaries in technology and innovation came together to share their insights and empower delegates to harness innovation. Each of the visionaries I had the pleasure […]
Australia has been named as a global leader in moving towards a cashless future
In a new global report, “The Cashless Journey,” MasterCard Advisors tracked how 33 major economies are progressing from cash-based to cashless societies. The report identifies new technologies, government programs and consumer preferences as key factors that are driving this shift, creating more productive and inclusive economies. Cash still accounts for 85% of global consumer transactions […]
Change to misuse of market power law
As a result of the Harper Review into competition policy, the Federal Government announced that it will legislate to amend Section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act – the misuse of market power provision. The Harper Review found that Australia’s current misuse of market power provision is not reliably enforceable and permits anti-competitive conduct. […]
Introducing Visa Developer
Merchants are increasingly serving connected consumers who want to shop anytime, anywhere and with any device. With Visa Developer, merchants can create innovative retail experiences and offer a more secure and seamless shopping experience. The recent launch of Visa Developer offers access to some of the most popular Visa products and services, including secure and […]