It was a double dose of good news last week, with a strong rise in retail sales figures for September and retail flinging open the doors at 6pm last Friday.
The ABS Retail Trade figures for September 2021 show that retail turnover increased by 1.3 per cent compared with August figures, and by 1.7 per cent year-on-year, seasonally adjusted.
Most states recorded positive growth for the month, with Queensland the stand-out performer at 5.2 per cent. Even Victoria, despite its long-running lockdown, only contracted 2.1 per cent for the month.
By far the worst performer was the Australian Capital Territory, which went backwards by 12 per cent. This can be directly attributed to the massive over-reach of the ACT Government in not only closing down stores, but also closing down online trade for the biggest retailers, a move the NRA was very vocally against.
It’s now time to turn our thoughts to the Christmas period. The NRA is pleased to be working with the Australian Government on a campaign to get jobseekers into jobs this holiday season and beyond. As the second largest employing industry in Australia, it’s never been more important to build sustainable jobs for the benefit of all. I’d encourage you all to visit our Expression of Interest page here and show your support for this initiative.
And, with retail reopen, now is also the time to ensure your rostering practices are compliant. In FY 2020-21, the Fair Work Ombudsman recovered $148,374,054 in underpayments and backpaid 69,735 workers. To help you avoid additional issues related to rostering non-compliance, NRA Legal will be holding a two-hour masterclass, Rostering for Compliance in Retail, on Thursday, 4 November at 12pm AEST. This event, supported by our workforce management partners at Roubler, is a must-attend for business owners, HR managers, and payroll staff. Tickets are available for purchase here, and NRA members receive a discount. We will also be holding masterclasses on Modern Award Essentials – Clerks Award and Rostering for Compliance in Fast Food through November and early December.
All the best for the week ahead.
Dominique Lamb
Chief Executive Officer