Media Statements
Retailers join forces against IR laws
16 February 2012
Australian retailers are renowned for their bitter battles over price, but they’ll lay down their swords when they come together to discuss current and emerging trends at an Industrial Relations Breakfast Series hosted by the National Retail Association (NRA) in March.
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Opportunity for genuine reform in retail award review
14 February 2012
Fair Work Australia must create a retail award which fosters productivity and efficiency growth
and reflects the needs of the industry as it reviews the modern award process, the National Retail
Association said today.
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RBA denies retailers the chance to bounce back
7 February 2012
Retailers will be looking to the Reserve Bank for an interest rate cut next month after it denied
them a much needed opportunity for recovery with its decision not to cut interest rates today,
Australia’s largest and most diverse retail peak body said.
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Turbulent retail sector results underline need for tax reform
6 February 2012
The turbulent results of retail trade data released today highlight the need for urgent reform of
the unfair GST and excise arrangements which favour overseas businesses.
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Retail union appeal threatens young workers
31 January 2012
The National Retail Association (NRA) will staunchly defend shorter minimum work shifts for young employees in the face of a union court challenge this week.
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Retail gets a good report card from Fair Work Ombudsman
10 January 2012
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s report on Australian retail has revealed that despite very challenging trading conditions and declining sales, retailers are treating their staff right.
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ABS figures show retail sector is being transferred off shore
9 January 2012
Today’s ABS figures show large swathes of the retail industry are being transferred off shore, placing local jobs and businesses at risk, the National Retail Association said today.
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National Retail Association’s Christmas Update - Last minute shopping will be the key to a successful year
18 December 2011
With one week until Christmas, retailers are seeing signs of stronger spending, following the consecutive interest rate cuts in November and December.
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Rates decision will boost green shoots of retail recovery
6 December 2011
Today’s cut to official interest rates will boost the green shoots of Australia’s retail recovery, the nation’s largest and most diverse retail peak body said.
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ABS points to a happy Christmas and brighter new year for retail jobs
1 December 2011
Today’s ABS figures pointing to modest but continued growth in retail trade were a good sign for business owners and the millions of Australians who relied on the sector for employment, the National Retail Association said today.
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Retailers blast public holiday ‘double dip’
7 November 2011
The National Retail Association has blasted the Bligh Government’s decision to create extra public holidays next year, saying neither the service sector nor the state budget could afford such largess.
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Retail trade figures show RBA was right to cut rates
3 November 2011
Today’s national retail trade figures show the Reserve Bank was right to cut official interest rates this week with spending still weak in discretionary areas, the National Retail Association said.
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Retailers welcome rates relief ahead of Christmas trading period
1 November 2011
Retailers across Australia will be delighted by the Reserve Bank Board’s decision to cut official interest rates today, the National Retail Association said.
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Retailers Join Arms to Inspire Sustainability
17 October 2011
Retailers normally battle non-stop over price, but it’s a very different matter when it comes to sustainability, with top Australian retailers coming together to educate and inspire other companies to implement environmentally sustainable workplace practices at the National Retail Association’s (NRA) annual Sustainability Forum at South Bank in Brisbane on October 27.
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Cup Day Race Cuts Would be a Good Bet for Retailers, says RBA
5 October 2011
Today’s Reserve Bank decision to keep interest rates on hold is welcome news for Australian retailers in the lead-up to the Christmas trading period.
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Retail Still a Mixed Bag, Underlining Rates Cut Urgency
5 October 2011
The National Retail Association today welcomed modest growth in retail sales in August, which increased by 0.6 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms compared with the July results.
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Australian jobs or multinational tax breaks? The PC must choose
4 August 2011
The Productivity Commission faces a clear choice between securing Australian jobs and giving a taxpayer-subsidised handout to overseas retailers and international shipping companies.
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Draft PC report only tells half the story, retailers say
4 August 2011
The draft Productivity Commission report on the retail sector has outlined a strong case for dismantling the GST and import tax loophole that discriminates against Australian businesses and workers, the National Retail Association said today.
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Retail slump underlines the need for a level playing field
3 August 2011
The Federal Government must move immediately to fix the tax loophole which gives overseas on-line businesses an unfair advantage over Australian retailers, following another disappointing set of monthly trade figures.
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Retailers welcome goods news on interest rates
2 August 2011
Retailers have praised the Reserve Bank’s decision to hold interest rates steady, describing it as the break the sector needed to get back on its feet.
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Young Tamworth retailer awarded as Australia’s best
28 July 2011
Tamworth retail manager Jennifer Skeahan-Heugh has been recognised as Australia’s Young Retailer of the Year, fighting off tough competition from around the nation to claim the prize.
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Daily Telegraph: Young Retailer Finalist
16 July 2011
JESSICA Wiseheart is fast discovering that with her career, a job in retail is only the tip of a much bigger iceberg.
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Carbon tax is a missed opportunity for wider reform - retailers
11 July 2011
The National Retail Association has today expressed its disappointment that the Federal Government missed an opportunity for wider reform that would secure jobs in Australia’s greatest employment sector.
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Rates stability gives retailers much-needed breathing space
5 July 2011
The National Retail Association has commended the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) for keeping interest rates steady for another month, saying the decision will give retailers some much-needed breathing space.
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Glimmer of hope for retail snuffed by May trade data
5 July 2011
The glimmer of hope for Australian retailers provided by April trade data has been snuffed out by the latest results from the Australian Bureau of statistics today, the National Retail Association said.
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Awards wait nearly over for young retailers
5 July 2011
A talented group of 23 nervous young retailers will find out in less than a month who will be the National Retail Association Young Retailer of the Year.
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Retailers join national anti-carbon tax coalition
1 July 2011
The National Retail Association today backed the ACCI’s campaign against the proposed Carbon Tax, saying retailers were deeply concerned by the potential impact of the new tax on their businesses.
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Minimum hours decision will open doors for young people
20 June 2011
The National Retail Association today praised the decision of Fair Work Australia to allow flexible working hours for casual student employees, saying it would open doors into future career paths for young people.
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No rates news is good news for retailers
7 June 2011
The Reserve Bank’s decision to hold rates at 4.75 per cent has been applauded by retailers who continue to struggle with subdued trading conditions and an uneven playing field in relation to GST
and other charges.
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Wage decision and award changes are a “double whammy” for retailers
3 June 2011
Today’s annual wage review will represent a double whammy of more than eight per cent for some small retailers as a result of the award modernisation process, the National Retail Association said.
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Rate stability good news for retailers
5 April 2011
The Reserve Bank has shown it is standing firm behind Australian retailers with the announcement today that rates will remain steady, bringing the industry some much-needed stability.
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Milk War Boosts February Retail Trade Figures
31 March 2011
The milk pricing war between Australia’s two major supermarkets has contributed to a stronger than expected national retail trade result, according to the latest ABS figures released today.
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Industry Experts to Debate Impact of Online Exploitation of GST
28 March 2011
Exploitation of the GST threshold by offshore online retailers and its impact on the Australian retail sector will be discussed by industry experts at the first of the Retail Breakfast Seminar Series to be held in Sydney in April.
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Income Protection Benefits for Retail Employees
25 March 2011
The National Retail Association’s Executive Director, Gary Black, has drawn attention to the benefits of income protection insurance offered by Intrust Super Fund to retailers and their staff, which can be accessed at no cost to the employer with the cost of any premiums deducted through the employee’s super account.
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Anzac Day Trading Not Being Pursued By Retailers
22 March 2011
The National Retail Association today immediately corrected false and misleading claims that an application had been made to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to allow retailers to trade on Anzac Day.
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Retailers Warn Of Job Losses Unless FWA Exercises Wage Restraint
20 March 2011
Australian retailers are urging Fair Work Australia to exercise ‘caution and restraint’ in making its minimum wage decision, due to the stress being experienced across the sector.
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Adelaide Closed For Business Over Easter Break
19 March 2011
The South Australian economy will be significantly and adversely affected by the impact of the states highly restrictive 2011 Easter Break shop trading hours regime, the National Retail Association warned today.
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Opening Of National Retail Institute
18 March 2011
The National Retail Association, Australia’s largest and most representative retail association, announced the opening of its new training facility, the National Retail Institute, on Friday March 18, 2011.
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Panic Grocery Buying Props Up Retail Figures In QLD
1 March 2011
Panic grocery buying during Brisbane’s January floods and higher food prices attributable to shortages caused by the floods have propped up retail sales figures in Queensland, according to the latest ABS figures released today.
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Service Sector Traineeships Crucial To Youth Employment
23 February 2011
The Australian retail sector has warned that any failure on behalf of the federal government to fund traineeships in the service sector would directly contribute to higher youth unemployment.
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Retailers call for an end to the ‘rate rise roundabout’
1 February 2011
The National Retailers Association has welcomed today’s announcement by the Reserve Bank that it will leave official interest rates on hold for another month.
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National Retailers Association and its 3,700 members join the Retail Coalition
9 January 2011
The National Retailers Association today confirmed its support for the campaign to level the retail playing field and close the GST and duty loophole that is currently disadvantaging Australian business and penalising consumers.
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SA Economy Will Suffer From Restrictive Shop Trading Hours
2 December 2010
The South Australian economy will be significantly and adversely affected by the impact of the state’s highly restrictive post-Christmas shop trading hours regime, the National Retail Association warned today.
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Positive Signs For Christmas Trading Season Follows Subdued Retail Data
2 December 2010
The Australian Bureau of Statistics retail trade data for October showing subdued conditions reflected earlier results and confirmed what retailers had been saying throughout the year.
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Customs Must Move To Combat Cheap Online Import Fraud
24 November 2010
Retailers are urging the Australian Customs Service to take immediate compliance action to stem the surging importation of fraudulently under-valued retail imports.
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Fast Food Measures To Create Massive Compliance Costs
24 November 2010
The Queensland Government’s proposal to introduce labelling laws and restrict ingredients in fast food is heavy?handed and misguided.
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Retailers Back Changes To Make Parental Leave More Sustainable
22 November 2010
Retailers have backed a proposal to cut the compliance costs of the Federal Government’s paid paternity leave scheme, saying it needed to be sustainable for small businesses in the long term.
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Retail Data Shows Fragile Recovery To Be Hit By Interest Rate Rise
4 November 2010
Today’s ABS data on retail trade has confirmed fears the latest interest rate rise will hammer the fragile recovery in the retail sector.
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Fears Rate Rise Will Drive Businesses To The Wall
2 November 2010
The Reserve Bank’s decision to increase interest rates by 0.25 percent today could drive struggling retailers to the wall, the National Retail Association has warned.
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Retailers: Mr Stevens, please don’t be the Grinch who steals Christmas
31 October 2010
Australian retailers have urged Glenn Stevens not to be the Grinch who steals Christmas when the Reserve Bank board meets on Tuesday to decide whether to raise interest rates.
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Retailers Fear Interest Rate Rise Could Kill Off More QLD Businesses
25 October 2010
Queensland retailers fear a Melbourne Cup day interest rate hike could kill off a much needed Christmas sales bounce, following further confirmation of depressed conditions in the sector.
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Minister Should Intervene After FWA Minimum Hours Decision
8 October 2010
Fair Work Australia’s dismissal today of an appeal against its ruling on minimum hours for young workers will kill off after school jobs and hurt struggling retailers.
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RBA Does The Right Thing – Now The Banks Must Fall In Line
5 October 2010
The National Retail Association today applauded the Reserve Bank’s decision to leave interest rates on hold, and called on the major banks to recognise the same fragility in the economy that had prompted the RBA to hold its position.
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Mixed Results For Retail Sector In Today’s ABS Data
31 August 2010
Today’s retail trade data has revealed strong results in the dining and take-away categories, but also shows a mainstream retail trade sector continuing to struggle, the National Retail Association said.
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Future Of After School Jobs In Victoria Being Decided
18 August 2010
The future of after school work opportunities for young Victorians is being argued today in a Fair Work Australia appeal hearing in Melbourne.
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Retail Sector Still Struggling – Rates Must Remain On Hold For 2010
3 August 2010
Today’s ABS data on retail trade confirmed conditions are very tough for Australia’s shopkeepers, the National Retail Association said.
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2010 ‘Young Retailer of the Year’ Winner Awarded
30 July 2010
The National Retail Association ‘Young Retailer of the Year’ for 2010 has been awarded to Kaylee Albronda, a 21 year old Myer Management Trainee based in Melbourne.
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Rate Respite Much Needed For Struggling Retail Sector
28 July 2010
The inflation figures released today were a welcomed reprieve for the nation’s retailers, who had been fearing the Reserve Bank would raise interest rates next week.
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NRA Fights For Youth Jobs In Appeal Against Fair Work Decision
16 July 2010
The National Retail Association has today lodged an appeal against the Fair Work Australia (FWA) minimum hours decision.
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Australia’s Best Young Retailers Sell Themselves In Industry Awards
12 July 2010
The best and brightest young members of Australia’s retail trade sector will vie for the title of Young Retailer of the Year at a major industry event in Sydney later this month.
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Young Employees The Victims Of Fair Work Minimum Hours Decision
9 July 2010
Young and vulnerable employees across the country will be the victims of Fair Work Australia’s decision today to maintain inflexible three hour minimum shifts.
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RBA Recognises Retail Trade Is Still In The Doldrums
6 July 2010
Today’s decision by the Reserve Bank to leave interest rates on hold is recognition of the fact that many businesses, particularly retailers, are still doing it very tough, the National Retail Association said.
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Trading Conditions Still Difficult For Retail Sector
1 July 2010
Today’s ABS data on retail trade showed shopkeepers are still doing it very tough, the National Retail Association said.
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