ACCC guidance for businesses on conducting a product safety recall

If a product is a risk to safety, or it does not comply with a mandatory standard or product...

If a product is a risk to safety, or it does not comply with a mandatory standard or product ban, your business may need to recall it. The ACCC has today published updated practical guidance and tools for businesses on when and how a product safety recall should occur. The guidance...

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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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New mandatory safety standard for non-refillable helium cylinders – what you need to know

The Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services the Hon. Stephen Jones MP has introduced a new mandatory safety...

The Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services the Hon. Stephen Jones MP has introduced a new mandatory safety standard for non-refillable helium cylinders. The new safety standard seeks to reduce harm from deliberate misuse. The Consumer Goods (Non-refillable Helium Cylinders) Safety Standard comes into effect on 16 April 2023. What the industry needs...

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Victorian retailers prepare with 2 weeks until plastics ban

The Victorian Government is implementing a single-use plastic ban across Victoria on February 1. Single-use plastic drinking straws and stirrers,...

The Victorian Government is implementing a single-use plastic ban across Victoria on February 1. Single-use plastic drinking straws and stirrers, single-use plastic cutlery, single-use plastic plates, single-use plastic cotton buds and food service items and drink containers made from expanded polystyrene will be banned. The National Retail Association were engaged to...

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Are you a packaging or labelling business?

ARE YOU A PACKAGING OR LABELLING BUSINESS? This opportunity might be for you! Calling all packaging and labelling manufacturers, distributors...

ARE YOU A PACKAGING OR LABELLING BUSINESS? This opportunity might be for you! Calling all packaging and labelling manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers. In May 2023, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) will be launching a new packaging platform on the ARL Marketplace. Its purpose is to provide a simple sourcing solution...

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Applications for the 2023 PIDA Awards are now open!

Entries are now open for the 2023 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards which are coordinated by the...

Entries are now open for the 2023 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards which are coordinated by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP). The PIDA Awards are designed to recognise companies and individuals across 15 categories who are making a significant difference in their field in Australia and...

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Thousands of businesses phase-out single-use plastics

The National Retail Association today applauds New South Wales businesses for taking the single-use plastic ban in their stride. From...

The National Retail Association today applauds New South Wales businesses for taking the single-use plastic ban in their stride. From 1 November, the NSW Government is banning single-use items including: Plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, unlidded bowls, and cotton buds Food ware and cups made from expanded polystyrene Rinse-off personal...

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Aussie consumers trim household budgets to pay for Christmas splurge

Australian consumers are cutting back on luxury goods and services, looking for bargains, and switching to cheaper brands as...

Australian consumers are cutting back on luxury goods and services, looking for bargains, and switching to cheaper brands as they battle rising inflation. However, shoppers are still gearing up for a bumper pre-Christmas sales season with almost half feeling confident and one in five planning to outspend last year, according...

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2022 Consumer Sentiment Report – Prepare your business for the retail events season now

Retail is ever-changing and consumers now have different expectations in the retail environment. Whether it is where they shop,...

Retail is ever-changing and consumers now have different expectations in the retail environment. Whether it is where they shop, how they purchase, or what they use to research, it is all now part of the evolving retail ecosystem. The National Retail Association, working in partnership with Retail Doctor Group, have...

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Look out for counterfeit cash this Christmas season

Retailers have reported a recent rise in the frequency and quality of counterfeit banknotes. Overall, counterfeiting is at its lowest...

Retailers have reported a recent rise in the frequency and quality of counterfeit banknotes. Overall, counterfeiting is at its lowest level in a decade. This decline is due to fewer transactions being made with cash, COVID-19 lockdowns, the rollout of a new banknote series with upgraded security features, and ongoing...

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Free support for Victorian retailers phasing out single-use plastics

Regional business owners in Victoria will have access to free, in-person advice about the Victorian Government’s single-use plastics ban,...

Regional business owners in Victoria will have access to free, in-person advice about the Victorian Government’s single-use plastics ban, when experts from the National Retail Association visit over 3000 retailers between October and December. Problematic single-use plastics will be banned from sale or supply in Victoria from 1 February 2023. The ban...

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Tranche 1 of Aotearoa New Zealand Plastic Phase-Outs now in effect

Retailers operating in New Zealand should be aware that certain hard-to-recycle packaging and single-use plastic products are now banned. From...

Retailers operating in New Zealand should be aware that certain hard-to-recycle packaging and single-use plastic products are now banned. From 1 October 2022, it is illegal to provide, sell or manufacture the following plastic products in Aotearoa New Zealand: Single-use plastic drink stirrers (all plastic types) Definition: A single-use plastic drink stirrer is any...

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NRA represents industry in ensuring furniture and television tip-over safety

Sadly, there have been at least 28 deaths in Australia from toppling furniture and televisions since 2000. Most deaths...

Sadly, there have been at least 28 deaths in Australia from toppling furniture and televisions since 2000. Most deaths involved the toppling of storage furniture such as chests of drawers, televisions, and the furniture that televisions are placed on.   Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) This week, the ACCC consultation sought feedback...

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Button battery mandatory standards come into effect 22 June 2022

The National Retail Association has been heavily involved in ensuring all parties across the supply chain from manufacturers through...

The National Retail Association has been heavily involved in ensuring all parties across the supply chain from manufacturers through to retailers and online suppliers are making responsible decisions about button battery safety when procuring, designing, developing, or retailing button-battery powered devices. In 2016, a multi-stakeholder industry working group devised the...

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Major improvements to mandatory standards regulations

In a major win for Australian businesses and consumers alike, Treasury has announced improvements to mandatory standards regulations that...

In a major win for Australian businesses and consumers alike, Treasury has announced improvements to mandatory standards regulations that will mean trusted international standards will be more easily recognised under Australian Consumer Law (ACL). For years, the the National Retail Association (NRA) has championed retail product safety through our Technical...

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Have your say on the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS)

Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Michael Sukkar today released consultation on Improving the effectiveness of the consumer guarantee and supplier...

Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Michael Sukkar today released consultation on Improving the effectiveness of the consumer guarantee and supplier indemnification provisions under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The consultation paper includes options for civil prohibitions and penalties for suppliers that fail to provide a consumer guarantees remedy, and manufacturers that...

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