2017 Retail RiskFactor Report

How Retailers Contend with Today’s Prominent Challenges By BDO’s Consumer Business Practice Leaders Alarmist headlines suggest the death of retail, but do retailers themselves share this perception? BDO analysed the 10-K filings of the 100 largest U.S. retailers for their 2017 Retail RiskFactor Report, which found that retailers recognise both narrow and broad obstacles ahead. Among […]

Message from the CEO: 11 July 2017

We’ve been pleased to see further industry commitment this week, to helping young people get a leg up into retail jobs (and giving retailers benefits along the way, through the Federal Government’s Youth Jobs PaTH (prepare-trial-hire) program. As a leading Registered Training Organisation (RTO), we’ve been delighted to be able to add such a strong […]

Brick and mortar stores are not dead, just different

By Joanna Arhontis, The New Retail Revolution There is all this talk on the street that traditional brick and mortar retail stores are dying with many sadly closing their doors in recent months. It is true that retailers are being hit hard throughout the nation, and indeed across the globe, as online sales increase and the […]

Casual employees to request permanent position after 12 months

The Fair Work Commission has recently handed down a decision with respect to the status of casual employees in the retail, fast food, and hair and beauty industries. Casual employees in these industries approaching 12 months service (with an employer) may request to be converted to a permanent employee, and the employer must provide the employee with […]

Message from the CEO: 13 June 2017

We’re never really not shopping, we’re just doing it differently. Take the mid-season sales for example, which have been in full swing around the country. Consumer outcomes are maximised during retail events like the seasonal sales, which play an integral role in retailers’ overall marketing strategies. Usually, consumers will shop around their lifestyles, but when it comes […]

Recognising Australia’s diverse retail leaders

The National Retail Association (NRA) has launched its new-look annual awards program, with a strong focus on inclusion and celebrating diversity, recognising not only retail businesses, but the people behind them. The 2017 awards will recognise people and businesses at all levels of the industry – from fast food franchisees to fashion chains; from young […]

Tackling rental overheads – negotiating mid-term

Rental overheads are the biggest challenge keeping retailers awake at night, according to Inside Retail’s 2017 Australian Retail Outlook. Leasing expert, Kyle Swain, explores the current issues and trends in leasing and the best ways for retailers to negotiate better terms. By Kyle Swain, The Leasing Department Over the past three weeks, we have examined the […]

Year 12 students taught to RenoV8

by Hardware Australia This year Brisbane High Schools are piloting the first RenoV8 program which sees Hardware Australia’s tailored hardware training program becoming part of the Year 12 studies for students.  The program, facilitated in conjunction with the Queensland Department of Education and Training, is focused on introducing new entrants into the retail hardware industry […]

Tackling rental overheads – maximise lease events

Rental overheads are the biggest challenge keeping retailers awake at night, according to Inside Retail’s 2017 Australian Retail Outlook. Leasing expert, Kyle Swain, explores the current issues and trends in leasing and the best ways for retailers to negotiate better terms. By Kyle Swain, The Leasing Department Over the past two weeks, we have examined the […]

Tackling rental overheads – never pay RRP

Rental overheads are the biggest challenge keeping retailers awake at night, according to Inside Retail’s 2017 Australian Retail Outlook. Leasing expert, Kyle Swain, explores the current issues and trends in leasing and the best ways for retailers to negotiate better terms. By Kyle Swain, The Leasing Department Last week, we examined the issues and trends making […]

Message from the CEO: 2 May 2017

The media’s certainly been abuzz over the past week after retail giant Amazon finally (after months of speculation) confirmed it would be expanding onto Australian shores, with a distribution centre tipped to be in Melbourne or Sydney. While many are already heralding the end of the retail world as we know it, or tipping that […]

Handling disasters from a retail leasing perspective

by Kyle Swain, The Leasing Department  The catastrophic damage caused by Cyclone Debbie across Queensland and northern NSW in the last week has been devastating for so many families and business owners. Unfortunately, many retail businesses never recover from these natural disasters. Those who do, often struggle under the weight of massive financial losses resulting […]

Former VP of Fair Work Commission shares insight with retailers

Graeme Watson Dominique Lamb Troy Wild

This week saw the successful launch of the National Retail Association’s State of the Retail Nation forums, proudly sponsored by REST Industry Super. Retailers from across multiple sectors met to hear from industry professionals and to share insight at breakfast briefings in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, plus an online webinar. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb led the […]

NRA and Salvos ‘lead’ new training

nra and salvos stores

The National Retail Association and Salvos Stores have partnered together to offer an exciting new training program designed to empower Salvos Stores people leaders and create customer value. Salvos Stores CEO Matt Davis said that ‘LEAD‘ is a three phase program designed to develop and support people working in Salvos Stores and ensure the ongoing […]

Retailers call for respect for independent umpire, as Labor moves to overrule FWC penalty rates decision

MEDIA RELEASE The National Retail Association (NRA) has warned that Labor’s private members bill, introduced to parliament today to block the Fair Work Commission’s reduction in Sunday penalty rates, sets a dangerous precedent for all independent ruling bodies across the nation. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said that leveraging political interests to undermine the independence of […]

Message from the CEO: 20 March 2017

Dominique Lamb CEO National Retail Association

This week, the Federal Opposition has indicated it will move a private members bill to retrospectively legislate against any cuts to penalty rates, after the independent Fair Work Commission’s ruling of a reduction in five out of the 122 modern awards. While it was an entirely independent decision, made by a Commission who thoroughly examined […]

Message from the CEO: 27 February 2017

Dominique Lamb CEO National Retail Association

As you are all aware, last week Fair Work Commission President Justice Iain Ross handed down the Commission’s verdict on Sunday penalty rates across a range of industries, including retail and fast food. The NRA is supportive of this decision on behalf of our members. However we are concerned by the additional level of red tape […]

Supermarket accused of underpaying

IGA owner accused of underpaying

by Angela Szczepanski and Troy Wild, NRA Legal Fair Work Ombudsman commences legal action against IGA for underpaying employees The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has commenced legal proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court against a Melbourne IGA supermarket operator who allegedly underpaid six employees and submitted false records to the FWO. The FWO have filed […]

Message from the CEO: 20 February 2017

Dominique Lamb CEO National Retail Association

This week the issue of trading hours has been in the spotlight once again. The Productivity Commission has been arguing since 2011 that trading hours be deregulated in all states, including public holidays, as a long-term objective, and that it should be up to retailers to decide when they want to open their doors. After […]

Essential Professional Development Workshops

essential professional development workshops

NRA’s National Retail Training + Development Centre offers a range of high quality, customised programs for retailers, designed to increase productivity, revenue, staff retention, customer service and leadership. All of our programs are specifically designed to suit retailers’ needs, but also draw on over 80 years’ combined experience across multiple fields of our in-house training team. We […]