The Christmas trading figures are in, with total sales for the entire Christmas period – the second half of November and all of December – reaching $47.5 billion. This closely compares with the $48 billion that the NRA forecast for the Christmas trade period and is a record high for the Australian retail sector. It’s […]
Every Thursday, our CEO Dominique Lamb, and a panel of retail experts discuss Australia’s retail industry on ABC Radio. Below are some insights from last Thursday’s discussion. Pizza Hut is offering old-school experiences with a modern twist Over the past couple of decades, Pizza Hut lost a foothold in the Australian market. But the strategists […]
December 2017 retail sales data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed that Australians splurged a record $47.5 billion during the 2017 Christmas period. The figures closely align with the pre-Christmas forecasts made by peak retail industry body the National Retail Association (NRA), who predicted $48 billion in sales over Christmas. […]
As the March 31 implementation date nears for a minimum three-year validity on all gift cards sold to consumers in NSW, the State Government has agreed to give retailers a six-month transition period in which you can further run-down your existing stocks. The NSW Office of Fair Trading will allow retailers over the transition period […]
As you would have seen in Part 1 of our Modern Award Series ‘How to work out which modern awards apply in your business?’, it can be quite confusing working out which award has coverage over a business in the ‘food services’ industry: From the diagram above, you can see there are five different modern […]
The push for a nation-wide ban on single-use plastic bags has been underway for such a long time, it’s exciting to see it finally becoming a reality, with each state pursuing its own legislative amendments, and bans already implemented or pending in all states and territories except NSW. Other environmental legislation underway includes container deposit […]
Why are department stores struggling? A Retail Panel Podcast NRA CEO, Dominique Lamb, joins Steve Austin, Christine Moody, and Gary Mortimer each week on ABC Radio to discuss and share insights into the retail industry, including technology trends and what it takes to survive in a disruptive environment. This week, the panel discussed how department […]
Consumer confidence is up (although not expected to translate into any giant spending sprees anytime soon), and people are feeling more positive about the outlook for the economy and the jobs market, according to the Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index. Whether measured by Westpac or ANZ, consumer sentiment is at its highest level in more […]
Retailers this week may feel a little like drought-stricken farmers following a drenching, after the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its retail trade report for November. The nation enjoyed a rather robust jump of 1.2 per cent in total sales to $26.4 billion – three times the market forecast of 0.4 per cent – […]
Retailers naturally love a bustling store environment, but following 2017’s frenetic pre-Christmas rush and Boxing Day madness, on the back of what seemed like an entire year of uncertainty, it may be time for a little rest and reboot! 2017 certainly threw us a few curveballs – from the absurd politicisation of the penalty rates […]
Hard to believe that we’ve already reached Boxing Day in what has been a bumper Christmas for the Australian retail sector. We’re forecasting this Christmas trade period to be the biggest ever and I’m pleased to say that we’re predicting today’s Boxing Day sales to also be a record-breaker! In total, we’re calculating Aussie’s to […]
As we enter the final week before Christmas, I will keep it nice and brief for this week’s CEO column. The Australian retail sector is again on track to record the highest level of sales for the Christmas trade period. We have forecast $48 billion to be spent nationally in retail sales throughout this period, […]
Australia’s largest trade event applicable to everyone in the business of retail. This year, Inside Retail Live will be held in Melbourne, from Feb 28 to March 2. It’s your chance to get prepared and future proofed for what’s set to be the most disruptive retail years in history. Over the course of 3 days, experts and […]
Brisbane retailers are teaming up with the Brisbane City Council and Crime Stoppers in a high-tech bid to stamp out crime in the CBD and Fortitude Valley. The National Retail Association’s SafeCity Network will be switched on in March next year, thanks to backing from the Federal Government’s Safer Streets program and support from the […]
There has been more in the media this week about retail stores doing it tough and some having to close up shop. While we love to celebrate the retail success stories in this industry, we know that behind every one, there are countless others that don’t turn out so rosy. There’s no denying it’s a […]
After what seems like an eternity, the penalty rates issue flared again this week, after the Senate passed measures to reverse the decision of the independent umpire, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to reduce Sunday and public holiday rates. Labor teamed up with the Greens and some crossbenchers to pass amendments to the Government’s bill, […]
The National Retail Association has demanded the Senate stop moving the goalposts on employment, saying constant threats of disruption to Fair Work arrangements were a massive disincentive to employment. The Senate is scheduled to vote this week on Labor Party amendments which would knobble the independent umpire Labor set up to management workplace relations under […]
With retail loss being on the rise globally – Australian estimates are sitting at 4.5 billion annually, and growing – the problem is snowballing out of control. The issue is much bigger than shoplifting, with internal issues like employee fraud, training gaps and operational inefficiencies estimated to cost retailers up to 7% of their annual […]
Why we won’t be taking money from Amazon to advocate its agenda over yours After months of speculation, Amazon’s soft launch on Friday came and went without much ado, however we would be foolish to underestimate how aggressive the behemoth’s market entry will become over the coming months, and years. Amazon has established its extraordinary […]
In July 2017, the Fair Work Commission determined that the: Fast Food Industry Award 2010; General Retail Industry Award 2010; Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2010; Restaurant Industry Award 2010; would be varied to extend overtime loadings to casual employees, not just permanent employees. On Friday 24 November 2017, the Commission decided that this entitlement […]