Weekly CEO Update

The NRA is leading retail through a new wave of ESG, with the appointment of our new specialist policy consultant, Dr Geoffrey Annison. The expansion of our policy and advocacy to focus on the broader pillars of sustainability, health and corporate social governance is an indicator of how much the...

This week I have witnessed the great work being done by our Workplace Relations and Policy teams. They are leading the way on key industry issues, including continuing to consult with the federal government on workplace reforms and educating members on the requirements of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment...

As my first message to members, I would like to say thank you for welcoming me to this wonderful Association, it is an honour to be able to lead the NRA through a very powerful time for retail. In the week since my commencement in the role, I have been...

It’s been three months since I was given the privilege of becoming chair of your Association, and even though I had been a Board member for seven years there’s still been a lot to learn about the day-to-day workings of the NRA. The thing that has impressed me most...

The Board of the National Retail Association has unanimously elected Tim Schaafsma as the organisation’s new Chair, following the retirement of our long-standing leader Mark Brodie.  Tim is a co-founder of a Sydney-based food retailing business, as well as being the Chair of the Australian Bedding Stewardship Council. Previously,...

Last Wednesday the Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down its Annual Wage Review. Due to the unprecedented economic pressure imposed on the business community, along with the fact that retail was struggling pre-COVID, the NRA argued strongly that a sensible increase of 3.1 per cent would help workers manage...

Last week the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) increased the cash rate by 25 basis points from 0.1 per cent to 0.35 per cent. This rate rise is the first since November 2010 – and, in my opinion, a hasty and heavy-handed approach to the inflationary pressures on the...

Australia’s retail sector is helping lead the country out of the economic impacts of the pandemic. We saw how resilient we are when it comes to consumer spending and adopting new technologies. We also saw a paradigm shift in how Australians engage with the retail sector, and how retail is...

We extend our congratulations to Anthony Albanese and the ALP on their victory on Saturday. The NRA is dedicated to working with the new government to ensure that the retail industry thrives over the next three years and beyond. The NRA has a proven track record of connecting governments across...

Anxiety tends to heighten for retailers during elections as people traditionally stop spending in the leadup to the ballot. But waiting for customers to get over the fear of the unknown will not pay rents or wages. It’s times like these retailers need to build connections to weather downturns...

In the coming weeks, we will see the Fair Work Commission hand down its decision on increasing award pay rates. The National Retail Association understands that pay rates are one of the key factors in attracting and retaining good staff. But we also understand that while some sectors of the...

At the NRA we pride ourselves on being the voice of modern retail, which is why it was a delight for our leadership team to come together on Friday to discuss the state of the retail industry and the NRA’s strategy for the coming year. At the present time, all...