Last week, Brian Walker, CEO & Founder of Retail Doctor Group, met with Luke Parish, this year’s runner up for the National Retail Association’s Young Retailer of the Year. Luke is the Area Manager for Boating Camping Fishing Ltd (BCF) in NSW West, and his submission in the 2016 Young Retailer of the Year competition impressed the […]
Google in partnership with the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry have created a free training platform offering practical training modules on all things digital called The Digital Garage. Each lesson is broken up into two parts, Watch the Lesson and Put it into Practice. Lessons are short 3 or 4 minute videos with transcripts […]
It’s shaping up as possibly the most significant week for retail industry data, as we look for indications of the upcoming pre-Christmas period. Firstly, the Reserve Bank Board will meet tomorrow for its regular discussion of monetary policy. And while general financial industry talk is playing down the chances of a Cup Day rates cut, […]
With the festive season rapidly approaching, businesses are gearing up for Christmas work functions, but as we all know alcohol and employment don’t necessary pair well. When things get ‘out of hand’ at a Christmas party the ‘hangover’ for employers can last well beyond the morning after. We all know that employers are responsible (or […]
Low levels of literacy and numeracy does not mean that an individual is not capable of reading or completing workplace tasks. Rather it means the reading and numeracy tasks of their job role may, on occasion, be beyond their existing skill level and they may need some additional time and assistance. At various points in […]
The New South Wales Parliament is currently considering a Bill to prohibit retailers from supplying certain types of plastic bags to their customers. If passed, the new law will prevent retailers from supplying plastic bags to customers to carry goods bought, or to be bought, from the retailer that are not biodegradable. The Bill does […]
As 2016 comes to a close, we all begin looking for ways to inspire our teams ahead of the new year. It’s the perfect time to come together as a business, reflect on your achievements from the past 12 months, be inspired by industry thought leaders and set collective goals to transform your business into […]
Retailers have reason to be hopeful of a very Merry Christmas in 2016, following the release of the Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Index (BSI) for September. The BSI – released late last week – was jam-packed with good news for retailers on the consumer spending front and this should act as a real shot in […]
The Fair Work Ombudsman has warned employers and those in management positions to be careful of their actions when it comes to workplace liability. Accessorial liability provisions contained in the Fair Work Act now make it possible that with body corporate employers, proceedings may be brought not only against the principal corporate offender, but also […]
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail trade figures released today show a slight increase on the July 2016 figures, but still demonstrate that the sector is experiencing a flat period. In seasonally adjusted terms, retail turnover rose by 0.4 per cent in August, which follows the stagnant figures recorded for July 2016. Seasonally adjusted, […]
Amendments to the Queensland Retail Shop Lease Act 1994 (Qld) made earlier this year in May are due to come into effect from the 25th November 2016. The Queensland legislation sets mandatory minimum standards for retail shop leases in the state. Among other things, amendments to the Act will alter the definition of when a […]
by Matt Forman, Traffika One of the biggest strengths of digital marketing is the ability to speak directly to your target audience. In a world where we see literally hundreds of ads every day the ability to tailor our messaging to speak to the right audience at the right time is marketing gold. A well-crafted customer […]
In a recent ruling, a Magistrate allowed an employee to pursue unpaid overtime and lunch break claims totalling $29,000 as the employment contract failed to properly specify provisions it purported to oust in her annualised salary. Next Residential Pty Ltd, a Perth building company, denied an employee had been directed to work through lunch breaks […]
As you know, the NRA speaks up on a range of issues that affect not only members and other retailers, but also their employees and the entire retail sector. And while we’ve had a lot of success in recent years bringing major issues to the attention of government, sometimes you do question whether anyone is […]
The thoughts of the NRA team are with all those members affected by recent severe weather that has impacted South Australia and parts of Victoria this week, and has forced many shops to shut down temporarily. Unfortunately, this type of weather is not uncommon in Australia leading up to summer. As such it is important […]
IMAGE The National Retail Association has succeeded in its application for a one-off exemption for major stores in regional Queensland to trade on the Boxing Day public holiday this year. In a judgement released today, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission ordered that stores may trade between 8am and 5pm on the official boxing day holiday. […]
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 […]
The NRA is the accredited training partner and advisor to many of our members who do not have an in house registered training organisation. In this capacity, we work closely with members to enhance and complement their existing in house Learning and Development programs and induction programs, and provide ongoing advice on new government funding […]
This week the Federal Minister for Education and Training announced a new VET loan system to replace the flawed VET FEE-HELP scheme. The VET Student Loans scheme includes: Limiting courses eligible for VET Student Loans to those that align with industry needs and are selected based on analysis of employer, state and territory and Commonwealth […]
jobactive is a an Australian Government program to assist more Australians into work. It connects job seekers with employers and is delivered by a network of jobactive providers in over 1700 locations across Australia. A jobactive provider can help you access wage subsidies of up to $6,500 (GST inclusive) for employing eligible job seekers. Up […]