Message from our CEO – 28 February 2023

Last week the federal government announced a $62 million grant package to give retailers some relief from the rising...

Last week the federal government announced a $62 million grant package to give retailers some relief from the rising cost of energy. I encourage members to apply for a grant between $10,000 to $25,000 to go towards energy-saving measures for your business, such as high-efficiency air conditioners or the installation...

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Stay up to date with the latest sustainability movements

The National Retail Association (NRA) Policy team actively work across multiple sustainability and environmental regulations impacting retailers and their...

The National Retail Association (NRA) Policy team actively work across multiple sustainability and environmental regulations impacting retailers and their supply chains. 1. Single-Use Plastics Summary table: See the latest update to our summary table of all single-use plastic regulations in Australia and New Zealand: https://www.nationalretail.org.au/policy-advocacy/action-on-single use-plastics/    2. Plastic bans across AU/NZ: Need...

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July 1 Student visa changes loom as a challenge for retail

Retail and hospitality businesses that employ student visa holders need to be aware of looming changes to limits of...

Retail and hospitality businesses that employ student visa holders need to be aware of looming changes to limits of work hours, which will take force from July 1. Student visa holders will be limited to 48 hours work per fortnight, which the Federal Government says will enable them to...

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WA passes more plastic bans

On Friday 24 February, the WA Government passed regulations to phase-out more single-use plastic items, including coffee cups and...

On Friday 24 February, the WA Government passed regulations to phase-out more single-use plastic items, including coffee cups and containers, over the next 3 years. The National Retail Association delivered a comprehensive engagement program in WA in 2022 to assist with the Stage 1 ban, visiting over 4300 retailers, providing...

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SMEs urged to take advantage of energy efficiency grants

The National Retail Association has urged small and medium businesses to take advantage of the Federal Government’s $62 million...

The National Retail Association has urged small and medium businesses to take advantage of the Federal Government’s $62 million grant program to help lower the cost of energy bills. The Government announced this week that grants of between $10,000 and $25,000 will be available to SMEs to fund energy-saving measures...

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Message from our CEO – 21 February 2023

The NRA is leading retail through a new wave of ESG, with the appointment of our new specialist policy...

The NRA is leading retail through a new wave of ESG, with the appointment of our new specialist policy consultant, Dr Geoffrey Annison. The expansion of our policy and advocacy to focus on the broader pillars of sustainability, health and corporate social governance is an indicator of how much the...

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NRA leads ESG focus with new Consultant

The National Retail Association has today reaffirmed its commitment to expand its strategic policy work in Environmental Social Governance (ESG)...

The National Retail Association has today reaffirmed its commitment to expand its strategic policy work in Environmental Social Governance (ESG) with the appointment of Dr Geoffrey Annison as ESG Policy Consultant. NRA members, through the work of the Modern Slavery Committee, have expanded industry focus beyond modern slavery into broader policy pillars of...

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Engaging Junior Employees – What You Need To Know

The retail and fast food sectors are some of the largest employers of junior employees in Australia. However, additional...

The retail and fast food sectors are some of the largest employers of junior employees in Australia. However, additional obligations are imposed on businesses engaging employees under the age of 18. While the regulations on child employment vary in each State and Territory, the applicable pieces of legislation underpinning the...

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UK greenwashing guidance and learnings for Australian retailers

Consumers are placing greater importance on the social and environmental credentials of their purchases. The ACCC has heard growing...

Consumers are placing greater importance on the social and environmental credentials of their purchases. The ACCC has heard growing concerns that some businesses are falsely promoting environmental or green credentials to capitalise on these consumer preferences – termed ‘greenwashing.’ Consumers are often unable to determine the accuracy of a product’s...

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Top 3 marketing trends to watch out for 2023

It’s hard to believe that we are one month down in 2023. This year is going to look vastly different,...

It’s hard to believe that we are one month down in 2023. This year is going to look vastly different, thanks to economic instability, budget cuts, layoffs, forever-changing consumer behaviours and most importantly, the demise of third-party data. However, with every challenge comes opportunity. With the changing landscape and fresh...

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Message from our CEO – 14 February 2023

This week I have witnessed the great work being done by our Workplace Relations and Policy teams. They are...

This week I have witnessed the great work being done by our Workplace Relations and Policy teams. They are leading the way on key industry issues, including continuing to consult with the federal government on workplace reforms and educating members on the requirements of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment...

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A new way of packaging that connects businesses together

The National Retail Association, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, Australian Institute of Packaging, and the Australian food and Grocery Council...

The National Retail Association, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, Australian Institute of Packaging, and the Australian food and Grocery Council are working in collaboration on the Federal Government's Australasian Recycling Label (ARL). In May 2023, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) will be launching a new packaging platform on the ARL Marketplace:...

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Message from our CEO – 7 February 2023

As my first message to members, I would like to say thank you for welcoming me to this wonderful...

As my first message to members, I would like to say thank you for welcoming me to this wonderful Association, it is an honour to be able to lead the NRA through a very powerful time for retail. In the week since my commencement in the role, I have been...

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RBA breaks hearts with its latest rate hike

The National Retail Association (NRA) says the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) ninth consecutive interest rate hike is heartbreaking...

The National Retail Association (NRA) says the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) ninth consecutive interest rate hike is heartbreaking for Australian consumers and retailers who are already struggling to navigate economic uncertainty. CEO Greg Griffith said the RBA’s official rate increase has risen to 3.35 percent, the highest in a...

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Woolworths takes supplier onboarding to the next level

Woolworths supplier onboarding and getting their products onto shelves at the right time is paramount. Woolworths has a set of...

Woolworths supplier onboarding and getting their products onto shelves at the right time is paramount. Woolworths has a set of message implementation guidelines (MIGs) that define how suppliers should trade electronically with them via EDI (electronic data interchange). These guidelines outline the document or message types to use, for example,...

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Digital Trends for Small Businesses in 2023

With technologies, algorithms, platforms, and tools evolving daily, keeping up with the latest digital trends can be overwhelming. So, we’ve...

With technologies, algorithms, platforms, and tools evolving daily, keeping up with the latest digital trends can be overwhelming. So, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you! Here are digital trends in marketing you need to follow in 2023. The Death of Organic Posts Recent algorithm updates have shifted the focus from organic...

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