Media Release

Today’s Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showing a 4.3% rise in retail spending over the past year reflects a solid foundation for retailers as they enter the vital pre-Christmas trading season the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) said today. The Monthly Household Spending Indicator for September 2025 shows total...

Retailers have applauded plans to introduce a new bill into South Australian Parliament to establish Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs), giving police and courts stronger powers to keep repeat offenders out of retail stores. Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO Chris Rodwell said the SA Government is setting the standard in leading...

Abolishing junior wage rates would significantly reduce retail employment opportunities for young Australians, and many small businesses say it would force them to select more experienced workers, according to new research. The results come at a time when youth unemployment is rising and sits at more than double the...

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) have cautioned that the Federal Government’s proposed supermarket pricing legislation risks tangling business in unnecessary red tape, running counter to the Federal Government’s commitment to improve productivity. ARA CEO Chris Rodwell said the best way to improve competition and put...

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) have welcomed the Federal Government’s refinements to Australia’s upcoming merger control regime, including an important exemption for routine retail leases and other low-risk transactions. The changes, announced today by Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury Dr Andrew Leigh...

A Federal Court judgment regarding historical entitlements of salaried staff under the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA) will be far-reaching and add further complexity and red tape to salaried employment across all industry sectors, Australia’s leading business groups said today. In a joint statement, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and...

Spending in retail-related categories grew by a modest 3.7% in August compared to the same period in 2024, registering $37.8 billion in sales, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This moderation in recent performance underlines the need for the RBA to stay vigilant in considering...

Retailers say they are concerned the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) decision today to hold the cash rate at 3.6 per cent will suppress spending during the most important retail sales period of the year. The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) said a pre-Christmas rate cut...

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) have today welcomed the Victorian Opposition’s support for stronger retail crime initiatives, including the adoption of the knife protection measure Jack’s Law, which successfully works in Queensland. “Retail Crime is at a crisis point in Victoria. Unless we take active...

The passing of the Federal Government’s penalty rates bill undermines the independence of the Fair Work Commission and is a missed opportunity to create greater choice and flexibility that would lift salaries and improve job security, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) said today. ARA CEO...

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) confirmed today that retailers across Australia are making major investments in creating safer workplaces in the face of significant industry challenges, especially in response to the surge in retail crime. Australian Retailers Association CEO, Chris Rodwell, reinforced that workplace wellbeing...

An alliance of nearly 30 groups representing Australia’s small, medium and large businesses, universities, farmers, retailers, pharmacies and the investment community is calling for red-tape reduction, planning and major project approvals reform, an innovation agenda, and a process for productive tax reform that doesn’t raise costs for consumers or...

Retailers welcome the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) announcement today of a 25-basis-point cut to take the cash rate to 3.6 percent as a vital confidence boost for their sector’s recovery. The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) said lower interest rates will encourage much-needed discretionary spending. “While...