The Circular Economy, SDGs and Sparking Joy find common ground

Written by Worlds Biggest Garage Sale Currently there is a groundswell of enthusiasm for the Circular Economy in Australia, particularly...

Written by Worlds Biggest Garage Sale Currently there is a groundswell of enthusiasm for the Circular Economy in Australia, particularly in Queensland and this week, as part of International Women’s Day, I’ll be talking about the building of circular economies for advancing Australia's SDG   2030 Agenda at the University of...

Read More

Making a list and checking it twice: Labor IR policy a mixed bag for employers

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal The Australian Labor Party’s 48th Annual Conference was held in mid-December 2018,...

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal The Australian Labor Party’s 48th Annual Conference was held in mid-December 2018, a significant event which determined the key elements of Labor policy heading towards this year’s Federal election. A 225-page national platform was put to, and adopted by, the Labor caucus, although...

Read More

Message from the CEO – 26 February 2018

Australia has one of the most complex, confusing and challenging industrial relations systems in the world. Navigating it can...

Australia has one of the most complex, confusing and challenging industrial relations systems in the world. Navigating it can be difficult for an expert, never mind a hard-working retailer who doesn’t have a background in employment law. However, as we have seen with a few recent cases via the media,...

Read More

Making your trade mark, trademarkable!

By Christine Moody, Brand Audits What’s in a brand name? Brand identity is fast becoming one of the most valuable assets for...

By Christine Moody, Brand Audits What’s in a brand name? Brand identity is fast becoming one of the most valuable assets for a business. Contemporary asset value (for intangible assets such as brands) is now nearly 85% of the market value of S&P 500 companies, according to an annual survey by Ocean...

Read More

“Wage theft” continues to dominate news headlines and government agendas

Wage compliance continues to dominate news headlines in 2019. Retail executives and leadership teams rightly ought to be turning...

Wage compliance continues to dominate news headlines in 2019. Retail executives and leadership teams rightly ought to be turning their mind to the systems that support payroll compliance in their businesses. In this challenging time where wage compliance is not just ‘a nice thing to have’ but an essential...

Read More

Queensland Government invests in more retail training for Queenslanders

The Queensland Government is committed to growing the number of apprentices and trainees across the state to ensure Queensland...

The Queensland Government is committed to growing the number of apprentices and trainees across the state to ensure Queensland has the skilled workers it needs for the future. Acting Minister for Training and Skills Development, Mark Ryan said four organisations will share in $495,000 to promote the exciting opportunities an...

Read More

Lending a Helping Hand

The recent Townsville floods have hit local retailers hard and many are only just now figuring out what the...

The recent Townsville floods have hit local retailers hard and many are only just now figuring out what the next steps for their business will be. The Queensland Government has established a Small Business Recovery Centre and Community Recovery Hub in Townsville to provide financial assistance and support services...

Read More

Message from the CEO – 19 February 2019

You will recall late last year that the NRA was quite vocal regarding the issue of double-dipping, whereby casual...

You will recall late last year that the NRA was quite vocal regarding the issue of double-dipping, whereby casual employees can be entitled to back pay for entitlements such as annual leave and redundancy payments. The issue burst onto the scene late last year following a Federal Court ruling...

Read More

New grants available for Queensland Small Business Week 2019

Media Release Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development The Honourable Shannon Fentiman   Small businesses will...

Media Release Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development The Honourable Shannon Fentiman   Small businesses will be encouraged to host events during this year’s Queensland Small Business Week (QSBW) held from May 27-31. Minister for Employment and Small Business Shannon Fentiman announced the opening of the new...

Read More

Message from the CEO – 12 February 2019

In business, it is critical to keep in touch with your customer base. Regardless of what section of retail...

In business, it is critical to keep in touch with your customer base. Regardless of what section of retail you’re in, from time-to-time you are required to adjust your business practices to keep up with the evolving demands of consumers. Adapting your business to these changes is one thing, but...

Read More

Pre-Fair Work agreement doesn’t avoid Fair Work obligations

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal January was not a good month for Merivale. The hospitality group, helmed by...

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal January was not a good month for Merivale. The hospitality group, helmed by Justin Hemmes, saw its WorkChoices-era collective agreement terminated in a decision of the Fair Work Commission on 21 January 2019. After operating under this agreement since 2007, the business now...

Read More

Getting your retail business back trading after a natural disaster

Written by Kyle Swain, Retail Director, Australia and New Zealand – Lpc Cresa Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by...

Written by Kyle Swain, Retail Director, Australia and New Zealand – Lpc Cresa Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the devastating flooding in Townsville and Far North Queensland this week. Having assisted a number of retailers impacted by the 2017 floods resulting from Cyclone Debbie, we have some idea...

Read More

Message from the CEO – 5 February 2019

Running and operating a small business comes with many challenges - ensuring you have the right balance in staff...

Running and operating a small business comes with many challenges - ensuring you have the right balance in staff numbers, understanding Australia’s complex industrial relations system, and navigating tough economic times to name just a few. That’s why it’s vital that governments (at all levels) enact measures that make running...

Read More

The relationship between online and physical retail

Written by Brian Walker, CEO and Founder: Retail Doctor Group “Consumers have a different path to purchase. They don’t shop...

Written by Brian Walker, CEO and Founder: Retail Doctor Group “Consumers have a different path to purchase. They don’t shop less than they used to; it is just that the footsteps went online. You have to think differently in how you engage with users.” – Margo Georgiadis Is consumer behaviour changing as...

Read More

Is the customer always right? Understanding customer misbehaviour and violence in the workplace

Written by Sooraj Sidhu, Workplace Advisor and Lindsay Carroll, Legal Practice Director, NRA Legal. Customer misbehaviour, aggression and violence continues...

Written by Sooraj Sidhu, Workplace Advisor and Lindsay Carroll, Legal Practice Director, NRA Legal. Customer misbehaviour, aggression and violence continues to be a challenge for employers and employees in the retail and fast food industries. Last year, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) shed light on this burgeoning issue,...

Read More

Message from the CEO – 29 January 2019

For many NRA members, the start of the school year provides a great sales boost coming straight off the...

For many NRA members, the start of the school year provides a great sales boost coming straight off the back of the Christmas and New Year trading period.  Recent estimates, including analysis done here at the NRA, shows back-to-school trade is now worth between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion....

Read More