The NRA has this week led a delegation to meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison, Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, and Queensland Senator James McGrath, to discuss the Coalition’s second term agenda, and to further expand on ways to reduce regulatory burdens which reduce business profitability, and in turn, the industry’s ability […]
It is with great pleasure that I welcome Troy Wild to the National Retail Association as Director, Legal Division, and Principal of our in-house law firm, NRA Legal. Troy joins us with an extensive background in industrial relations and employment law, as well as 13 years’ experience gained as a Criminal Investigative Police Officer. Troy […]
It’s been a big week for the NRA with our spectacular Rewards for Excellence Gala on Wednesday night in Sydney, and former CEO, Trevor Evans MP delivering his Maiden Speech to the Australian Parliament. The 2016 NRA Rewards for Excellence Gala was held on Wednesday night at the Sofitel in Sydney, with the 14 award […]
Australia’s retail superstars took home gold amidst a flurry of feathers and maracas at the National Retail Association (NRA) 2016 Rewards for Excellence Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony, held last Wednesday night at the Sydney Sofitel Wentworth. This year’s ceremony took inspiration from Rio with an extravagant night of colour, music and glamour to celebrate […]
This coming Wednesday evening September 14, the National Retail Association is eagerly anticipating one of our hallmark events for the year, with our Rewards for Excellence Gala Dinner occurring at the Sofitel Sydney. It promises to be a spectacular event, with winners to be announced in several award categories. Rewards for excellence aims to acknowledge […]
Last week’s retail trade data may not have been the most high-profile activity performed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in recent months. That honour clearly went to the national Census. But in terms of outcomes, this exercise was almost as disappointing! The ABS reported that retail trade flatlined in July – in official terms, […]
There’s nothing more frustrating and soul-destroying for any business owner than to see the results of your hard work disappear into the pockets of complete strangers. Yet we know that’s the daily reality for many small business owners in the retail space. That’s why your association is working actively with law enforcement agencies and governments […]
Last week we discussed the Australian Bureau of Statistics retail trade figures for June, which continued a year-long pattern for the sector of almost standing still when population growth is factored in. As we’ve been analysing the highlights of the industry over the last year, however, there have generally been two sectors performing ahead of […]
“We are all now connected by the internet, like neurons in a giant brain.”– Stephen Hawking Over the June-July period our consumer insights division talked to some of our leading retail CEOs and CIOs regarding their digital capability investments over the next 12 months and on average an increase to the order of 30 per cent […]
Innovative, resourceful, self-starting, and downright talented. These are the words used to describe the crop of incredible retailers who’ve made it through to be named Finalists in the National Retail Association’s (NRA’s) 2016 Rewards for Excellence. The NRA has today revealed who’s in the running for the most prestigious Awards in the country, which acknowledge […]
The re-elected Turnbull Government has this week shown a dawning awareness of the real challenges confronting the Australian economy, with a number of MPs drawing attention to unemployment and faltering economic conditions, particularly in regional areas. For the retail sector, the difficult trading conditions in some market segments were highlighted by the collapse of two […]
I am very pleased to announce that the National Retail Association has appointed Ms Dominique Lamb as our new Chief Executive Officer. Many of you will already be familiar with Dominique, given her previous role as Principal of the Association’s law firm, NRA Legal. In this position she has worked closely with many members and […]
I’m sure most of us will be well and truly tired of the Federal Election campaign and the wash-up over the weekend, so I was hoping I would be able to use this column to reflect on the winner, and what it means for the retail sector. Of course, there’s not a clear winner and […]
On any given night 1 in 200 people in Australia are homeless with over 105,000 people without permanent accommodation each year. From those, 2 out of 3 people who look for crisis housing are turned away due to a lack of vacancies. The road to homelessness is different for each individual. Women make up 44% […]
There are just 12 days left in the Federal Election campaign, and I think all Australians – including the politicians – are well and truly ready to see the end of it. Regardless of which side you support, we know that these events can have a disproportionate impact on consumer sentiment and business purchasing. I […]
In last week’s column I expressed some views concerning the recent decision handed down by Fair Work Australia to award a 2.4 per cent increase to the minimum wage. A lot has been written about the margin that was included in this increase on top of the actual rate of inflation. The decision seemed to imply that businesses […]
Let me apologise in advance if this week’s message is a little dour, but I’m sorry to say it’s been that kind of a week in the retail world. On Wednesday we received the news that the Fair Work Commission had decided on a 2.4 per cent increase in the minimum wage, which in turn […]
The media attention surrounding the 7-Eleven chain last year was a wake-up call for the entire retail industry. At the time, the National Retail Association urged all retailers to ensure they understood and were actively complying with their obligations to employees in relation to pay rates and conditions. This week the former head of the […]
More than a quarter of employed young people aged 15 – 24 work in retail, so the announcement of the youth jobs PaTH program in the budget should provide some encouragement for employees to actively engage young people into work. However, there has been some controversy surrounding the program, and it is disappointing to see […]
Our partner, Retail Doctor Group, hosts CEO events which are a unique series of exclusive invite-only events for the retail sector’s leading CEO’s and executives to network and participate in thought leadership discussions around the industry’s current and emerging trends. This month, as Retail Doctor Group celebrate the release of Retail Innovations 11, they are […]