New grants available for Queensland Small Business Week 2019

Media Release Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development The Honourable Shannon Fentiman   Small businesses will...

Media Release Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development The Honourable Shannon Fentiman   Small businesses will be encouraged to host events during this year’s Queensland Small Business Week (QSBW) held from May 27-31. Minister for Employment and Small Business Shannon Fentiman announced the opening of the new...

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Message from the CEO – 12 February 2019

In business, it is critical to keep in touch with your customer base. Regardless of what section of retail...

In business, it is critical to keep in touch with your customer base. Regardless of what section of retail you’re in, from time-to-time you are required to adjust your business practices to keep up with the evolving demands of consumers. Adapting your business to these changes is one thing, but...

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Pre-Fair Work agreement doesn’t avoid Fair Work obligations

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal January was not a good month for Merivale. The hospitality group, helmed by...

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal January was not a good month for Merivale. The hospitality group, helmed by Justin Hemmes, saw its WorkChoices-era collective agreement terminated in a decision of the Fair Work Commission on 21 January 2019. After operating under this agreement since 2007, the business now...

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Getting your retail business back trading after a natural disaster

Written by Kyle Swain, Retail Director, Australia and New Zealand – Lpc Cresa Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by...

Written by Kyle Swain, Retail Director, Australia and New Zealand – Lpc Cresa Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the devastating flooding in Townsville and Far North Queensland this week. Having assisted a number of retailers impacted by the 2017 floods resulting from Cyclone Debbie, we have some idea...

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Message from the CEO – 5 February 2019

Running and operating a small business comes with many challenges - ensuring you have the right balance in staff...

Running and operating a small business comes with many challenges - ensuring you have the right balance in staff numbers, understanding Australia’s complex industrial relations system, and navigating tough economic times to name just a few. That’s why it’s vital that governments (at all levels) enact measures that make running...

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The relationship between online and physical retail

Written by Brian Walker, CEO and Founder: Retail Doctor Group “Consumers have a different path to purchase. They don’t shop...

Written by Brian Walker, CEO and Founder: Retail Doctor Group “Consumers have a different path to purchase. They don’t shop less than they used to; it is just that the footsteps went online. You have to think differently in how you engage with users.” – Margo Georgiadis Is consumer behaviour changing as...

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Is the customer always right? Understanding customer misbehaviour and violence in the workplace

Written by Sooraj Sidhu, Workplace Advisor and Lindsay Carroll, Legal Practice Director, NRA Legal. Customer misbehaviour, aggression and violence continues...

Written by Sooraj Sidhu, Workplace Advisor and Lindsay Carroll, Legal Practice Director, NRA Legal. Customer misbehaviour, aggression and violence continues to be a challenge for employers and employees in the retail and fast food industries. Last year, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) shed light on this burgeoning issue,...

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Message from the CEO – 29 January 2019

For many NRA members, the start of the school year provides a great sales boost coming straight off the...

For many NRA members, the start of the school year provides a great sales boost coming straight off the back of the Christmas and New Year trading period.  Recent estimates, including analysis done here at the NRA, shows back-to-school trade is now worth between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion....

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One simple question to ask your customers IRL

By Christine Moody, Brand Audits With all the discussion around the growth of online stores and the ongoing challenges with...

By Christine Moody, Brand Audits With all the discussion around the growth of online stores and the ongoing challenges with bricks-and-mortar stores, what every retailer ultimately wants is happy customers. Happy customers leads to both word-of-mouth referrals as well as long-term, repeat customers. Most retailers understand the power of the...

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Message from the CEO – 22 January 2019

The first Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail report for 2019 has been released and the news was relatively...

The first Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail report for 2019 has been released and the news was relatively positive. The report, which measured sales for November 2018, revealed a solid performance for the sector and we hope that this was the case for you and your business. According to...

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Domestic violence victim treated fairly despite sacking

Written by Sooraj Sidhu and Lindsay Carroll A supermarket retailer has successfully defended an unfair dismissal application despite the employee’s...

Written by Sooraj Sidhu and Lindsay Carroll A supermarket retailer has successfully defended an unfair dismissal application despite the employee’s explanation that her deteriorating behaviour and performance was due to difficulties she was encountering in her personal life. In commending the employer for taking “extraordinary lengths” to support the employee, the...

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NRA launches National Sustainability Committee

The NRA will launch the National Retail Association Sustainability Committee in February this year to bring together sustainability experts...

The NRA will launch the National Retail Association Sustainability Committee in February this year to bring together sustainability experts from across the retail industry to share, discuss and advance developments impacting our environment and consumer opinion. The NRA has a long history of offering retailers an opportunity to come together...

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Message from the CEO – 15 January 2019

I hope the New Year's dust has settled and you're starting to get back into the swing of things....

I hope the New Year's dust has settled and you're starting to get back into the swing of things. I wanted to let you know about an exciting event called Retail Week, which is less than two months away! It runs from Monday February 25 right through until Friday...

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Queensland Training Awards open for nomination

Media Release Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development The Honorable Shannon Fentiman Queensland’s training...

Media Release Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development The Honorable Shannon Fentiman Queensland’s training industry high achievers are being urged to nominate for the state’s most prestigious training awards. Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman announced nominations for the 2019 Queensland Training Awards...

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The long road to compliance in 2019

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal They say that smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors. Looking ahead to...

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal They say that smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors. Looking ahead to known and predicted changes in the workplace relations space in 2019, HR and People Management professionals can look forward to another eventful year. While the system can be complex, achieving and...

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Top Five Tips to Get Your Lease in Shape this year

For retailers, January is a great time to assess where things are at after the crazy Christmas and New...

For retailers, January is a great time to assess where things are at after the crazy Christmas and New Year sales period and do some planning for the year ahead. Here’s our list of the top five things you need to do to make sure your retail lease is...

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