Greater Sydney restrictions to ease on Friday

Restrictions will be eased across the Greater Sydney region (including Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains) from 12:01am Friday,...

Restrictions will be eased across the Greater Sydney region (including Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains) from 12:01am Friday, 29 January. Venues including hospitality venues, places of worship and corporate event venues (fully seated with no singing or dancing) will be subject to the 1 person per 4sqm rule. ...

Read More

Lunar New Year marketing campaigns that flourished … or flopped

This year, the Lunar New Year, one of the most significant holidays in the Asian calendar, falls on Friday,...

This year, the Lunar New Year, one of the most significant holidays in the Asian calendar, falls on Friday, 12 February 2021. Also known as the Spring Festival, this date marks the beginning of a calendar year that follows the cycles of the moon and is the most important...

Read More

Message from the CEO | 27 January 2021

Federal Parliament will resume for the year in two weeks’ time, and the NRA will be renewing our lobbying...

Federal Parliament will resume for the year in two weeks’ time, and the NRA will be renewing our lobbying efforts on a number of fronts to ensure the concerns of retailers are front of mind for the government, and indeed all MPs.  No doubt the hottest topic of discussion...

Read More

New guides to keep workplaces mentally healthy

2020 has been challenging for all Australians. Across this great southern land, bushfires, floods and in particular, the global COVID-19...

2020 has been challenging for all Australians. Across this great southern land, bushfires, floods and in particular, the global COVID-19 pandemic has had an undoubtable impact on each and every one of us. One area in particular is the retail sector. COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on...

Read More

Strong growth for retail in December confirms bumper Christmas season

Strong year-on-year growth for Australian retail in December has confirmed reports from businesses on the ground that sales before...

Strong year-on-year growth for Australian retail in December has confirmed reports from businesses on the ground that sales before and after Christmas defied COVID close downs in some states. In its preliminary data for December, released today, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported growth of 9.4 per cent for the...

Read More

5 tips for retailers to make the most of Lunar New Year

Friday, 12 February 2021 will mark another new year - the Lunar New Year. Also known as the Spring...

Friday, 12 February 2021 will mark another new year - the Lunar New Year. Also known as the Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a calendar year that follows the cycles of the moon and is the most important of traditional Chinese holidays. While the absence...

Read More

Message from the CEO | 19 January 2021

Late last year the Federal Government released a couple of seemingly contradictory decisions that affect thousands of small Australian...

Late last year the Federal Government released a couple of seemingly contradictory decisions that affect thousands of small Australian retailers.  The first was to allow the sale of e-cigarettes and smoke free tobacco products for the first time, but to restrict sales to pharmacies and only with a prescription...

Read More

New report: Packaging consumption and recycling in Australia

APCO has published the next iteration of the ‘Australian packaging consumption and recycling data 2018–19’ report today, tracking progress...

APCO has published the next iteration of the ‘Australian packaging consumption and recycling data 2018–19’ report today, tracking progress towards the 2025 National Packaging Targets. This is the second in a series of annual publications, originally launched last year, mapping the state and fate of packaging in Australia.  The current...

Read More

Message from the CEO | 12 January 2021

It’s traditional in our first newsletter each January to wish members and all retailers a happy new year.  I...

It’s traditional in our first newsletter each January to wish members and all retailers a happy new year.  I think though, those words carry a special significance in 2021. After the most challenging calendar year in memory, I think we are all looking forward to a “new” year –...

Read More

Sourcing face masks for your team

New face mask rules have come into effect over the past several days, as Queensland, Victoria and New South...

New face mask rules have come into effect over the past several days, as Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales grapple with growing outbreaks of COVID-19.   Face mask rules in Queensland Effective from 11 January to 22 January across Greater Brisbane...

Read More

November miracle for Australian retailers points to positive Christmas trade

Australian retailers enjoyed a pre-Christmas miracle in November, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting a 13.3 per cent...

Australian retailers enjoyed a pre-Christmas miracle in November, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting a 13.3 per cent increase in turnover compared with 12 months earlier. The ABS today released its final figures for November, announcing an increase from October of 7.1 per cent, seasonally adjusted. The strongest growth areas...

Read More

Greater Brisbane lockdown: What you need to know

From 6pm tonight, people living in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands will be required to stay home until Monday 6:00pm in a bid to stop...

From 6pm tonight, people living in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands will be required to stay home until Monday 6:00pm in a bid to stop the spread of the highly-infectious United Kingdom strain of the virus. All residents in those areas need to stay at home unless it is for essential work, providing healthcare for a...

Read More

Next phase of JobKeeper commences today

In accordance with previous announcements, the next phase in the winding-back of the JobKeeper Payment Scheme takes effect from...

In accordance with previous announcements, the next phase in the winding-back of the JobKeeper Payment Scheme takes effect from today, 4 January 2021. The amount of JobKeeper payments will be reduced as follows:     Businesses who have been receiving the payment also need to undertake the following tasks:   Re-assess business eligibility Businesses will only...

Read More

New state regulations for QR code contract tracing – what retailers need to know

Over the past few weeks, many State Governments have made contact tracing mandatory and introduced enhanced QR Code contact tracing measures to make the process more efficient...

Over the past few weeks, many State Governments have made contact tracing mandatory and introduced enhanced QR Code contact tracing measures to make the process more efficient and help stop the spread of COVID 19.    QR codes operate like barcodes and are read using smartphone cameras. If a patron does not have a smartphone, or chooses not to use a QR code to check-in, businesses must maintain a manual contact register,...

Read More