Every Thursday, our CEO Dominique Lamb and a panel of retail experts discuss retail’s hottest topics on ABC Radio. Below are some insights from last Thursday’s discussion. Food delivery service Foodora has announced it is pulling out of Australia. Foodora is a food delivery service that launched in Australia in 2015. While food delivery services […]
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 […]
From 1 August 2018, modern awards were varied to include the family and domestic violence leave. This means that employees covered by a modern award are entitled to take five days’ unpaid leave if they are affected by family or domestic violence. The changes do not extend to employees covered by an enterprise agreement (unless […]
By Sooraj Sidhu and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Yesterday, the Fair Work Commission’s (FWC) president Iain Ross responded to reports commissioned last year, which urged the establishment of a ‘Small Business Division’ of the Fair Work Commission and the reduction of red tape associated with unfair dismissal and adverse action claims. The news comes following […]
By Amy Roche – Retail Rockstars There is no doubt that online shopping has changed the face of retail forever. However, customers still want retail experience, and they crave personalisation, education, entertainment and enlightenment. At its core, online shopping offers 24-hour service with competitive and comparative pricing – something our stores cannot always deliver on. However, there is […]
The Federal Government’s Parliamentary Franchising Inquiry is now well underway – the findings of which are due at the end of September. As an attempt to establish the fact among the fiction, the Inquiry has been honing in on areas like how the Code is being operated and its effectiveness, dispute resolution, termination rights, unfair […]
As a member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the National Retail Association has been working on policies that improve the workforce participation of a diverse range of groups that often struggle to secure work. People with disability is one such group. We are helping the Government to be better informed about what […]
By Victoria Hansen and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has ruled that a worker who threw a full glass of beer over the heads of his colleagues at an official company Christmas party was justifiably dismissed. This is a significant decision regarding the dismissal of employees for out-of-hours conduct. Sione Vai […]
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 […]
Searching is one of the most popular activities on the internet, and an integral part of the modern consumer journey. With online advertising becoming increasingly competitive, businesses looking to grow are encouraged to leverage the frequent use of search engines in the consumer’s decision making process. Recent figures show that only 18% of small businesses […]
One thing retailers do exceptionally well is create jobs for hundreds of thousands of Australians – many of whom are in the youth category. Around one quarter of all employed young people are in the retail sector. These jobs help supplement their schooling or tertiary education, gear up for overseas adventures, save up for home […]
The National Retail Association has today warned all businesses large and small of the need to be alert and proactive when dealing with their employees’ pay and entitlements, in the wake of the LUSH Cosmetics Australia issue. NRA Chief Executive Officer Dominique Lamb commended LUSH for the way they had responded after discovering long-standing compliance […]
Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Minister for Science and Minister for the Arts The Honourable Leeanne Enoch A series of community forums will be held across Queensland to encourage community groups to participate in recycling opportunities through Queensland’s Container Refund Scheme, which starts on November 1. Minister for Environment Leeanne Enoch said […]
By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal On 28 June 2018, the Commonwealth introduced the Modern Slavery Bill, which, if passed, will target the supply chains of large businesses in a bid to quash modern slavery in Australia. A week prior, on 21 June 2018, the New South Wales Government passed the Modern Slavery […]
As you would be aware with an imminent election, we are always on the lookout for a friendly face in the corridors of Canberra. This enables us to cut through when we are advocating on your behalf about the challenges facing Australian retailers. But no amount of understanding can ever replace the actual experience of […]
On Friday 6 June 2018 the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission, in a decision published that afternoon, advised that it intended that Domestic Violence Leave would commence through the modern award system on 1 August 2018. Background This decision finalises a process which saw the Fair Work Commission reject the ACTU’s claim for […]
The National Retail Association’s (NRA’s) prestigious 2018 National Retail Awards line-up of finalists is proving to be one of the most innovative and diverse in the event’s long-running history. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said this calibre of entrants this year in particular, highlighted how quickly Australian stores were pivoting in such a rapidly-changing environment, to […]
What are wage subsidies? Wage subsidies are financial incentives available to businesses to help you hire, train and keep eligible job seekers in ongoing and sustainable positions. It was introduced by the government to create more jobs and boost the economy. Wage subsidies also benefit your business as it helps you grow and expand your […]
Politicking over penalty rates again; plastic bag bans attracting the ire of ill-prepared supermarket shoppers across the nation; and Godfrey’s co-founder re-taking the reins at a sprightly 100 years old – it’s certainly been an interesting week in the retail sector! The Opposition Leader Bill Shorten this week made a call that would have sent […]
The retail sector faces certain trading restrictions for trading on Anzac Day 25 April 2018. Trading hours restrictions, in part or whole, apply to particular types of shops and the location of the shops in specified areas of the certain states. In some states exempt stores will be able to trade, however we recommend that […]