Message from the CEO: 14 November 2017

That time has arrived once again - we are officially in ‘pre-Christmas trade’! As we all know, that can mean...

That time has arrived once again - we are officially in ‘pre-Christmas trade’! As we all know, that can mean frantic attempts keep clothes on hangers rather than change room floors; clearing tried-on footwear again and again and again; helping indecisive gift-buyers find that special something; and the never-ending carols...

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RETAILERS IN FOR A $48bil, PRE-CHRISTMAS WINDFALL

The National Retail Association (NRA) has today predicted consumers are on track to drop a hefty $48 billion on...

The National Retail Association (NRA) has today predicted consumers are on track to drop a hefty $48 billion on festive cheer, during the busiest time of year for the nation’s retailers. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said despite sluggish retail spending, Aussie retailers will be run off their feet from next...

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Message from the CEO: 7 November 2017

Two weeks ago I wrote to you about the New South Wales Government’s reforms to gift cards, extending the...

Two weeks ago I wrote to you about the New South Wales Government’s reforms to gift cards, extending the minimum validity period to three years. As I said at the time, the NRA was not supportive of the changes, but we understood the government’s motivation in terms of protecting...

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Message from the CEO: 31 October 2017

The SMH this week reported that consultancy firm McKinsey has forecast the volume of freight passing through Australian cities...

The SMH this week reported that consultancy firm McKinsey has forecast the volume of freight passing through Australian cities is projected to increase 40 per cent by 2050, driven in part by ecommerce. With the added weight of Urban Futurist Stephen Yarwood’s predictions online retail could fast-tract autonomous transport, it’s...

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Message from the CEO: 24 October 2017

This week we saw the NSW Government pass its laws extending the minimum lifespan of gift cards from one...

This week we saw the NSW Government pass its laws extending the minimum lifespan of gift cards from one year to three years.  I know from speaking to many members that this will cause headaches in a range of areas – from accounting for unused cards on your balance...

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Mornings with Steve Austin, ABC

Steve Austin and the Retail Panel are back with more insights into the retail industry! In the latest podcasts...

Steve Austin and the Retail Panel are back with more insights into the retail industry! In the latest podcasts we hear from the likes of NRA CEO Dominique Lamb, Christine Moody, Catherine Michael, Gary Mortimer and Jessy Cameron. Major online retailer to launch in Australia before Christmas One of the world's...

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Message from the CEO: 14 February 2017

Last week the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its retail trade figures for the month of December 2016...

Last week the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its retail trade figures for the month of December 2016 and the results demonstrated that the National Retail Association was close to spot-on with its Christmas trade period projection. In November, we forecast that for the Christmas trade period – which encompasses...

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November shows strong online sales

The recently released NAB Online Retail Sales Index for November 2016 has shown that Australian consumers splashed around $21.4...

The recently released NAB Online Retail Sales Index for November 2016 has shown that Australian consumers splashed around $21.4 billion over the 12 months from November 2015 to November 2016. As usual, there was a significant boost in original sales for November 2016, due mainly to seasonal factors such as...

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Message from the CEO: 9 January 2017

Many of you may have been watching the media closely around the Christmas and New Year period especially in...

Many of you may have been watching the media closely around the Christmas and New Year period especially in relation to what we can all expect within retail in 2017. It has been reported that Australian retailers would rather forget 2016, with a “trolley full of famous names including Dick...

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Hanging onto Christmas Casuals: A Guide for Retailers

by Ben Desir, Workplace Advisor, NRA Legal How did you do? Did you manage the mad dash for last minute...

by Ben Desir, Workplace Advisor, NRA Legal How did you do? Did you manage the mad dash for last minute Christmas gifts? Chances are you brought on a number of casual members of staff to help deal with the Christmas rush. It’s also likely that a few of these casuals really...

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Message from the CEO: 28 December 2016

Boxing Day has lived up to being retail’s event of the year with increases seen in each state and...

Boxing Day has lived up to being retail’s event of the year with increases seen in each state and territory across the country. Nationally, consumers have spent around $2.28 billion nationwide in the Boxing Day sales, which is up from $2.19 billion on last year. We have certainly seen economy-wide...

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Record-breaking Boxing Day bonanza on the cards for Aussie retailers

MEDIA RELEASE The National Retail Association (NRA) has today predicted Australian consumers will spend a record-breaking $2.28 billion when the...

MEDIA RELEASE The National Retail Association (NRA) has today predicted Australian consumers will spend a record-breaking $2.28 billion when the roller doors go up this Boxing Day – the highest in Australia’s retail history. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said shoppers this year were on track to spend around $100 million more...

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Message from the CEO: 19 December 2016

I know that you are all operating at a frantic pace in the days leading up to Christmas and...

I know that you are all operating at a frantic pace in the days leading up to Christmas and I have been pleased to see the increase in foot traffic throughout the nation as I travel around. Since my appointment as NRA CEO in July this year, I have greatly...

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Message from the CEO: 12 December 2016

Earlier in the week, GDP figures were released for the September quarter which showed a contraction of 0.5 per...

Earlier in the week, GDP figures were released for the September quarter which showed a contraction of 0.5 per cent for the Australian economy. While it certainly isn’t time to hit the panic buttons just yet, this should serve as a reminder to all of us in the retail industry...

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Free Download: Top tips for Christmas

by Retail Doctor Group So many retailers are counting on a strong Christmas trading period. Months of planning has gone into...

by Retail Doctor Group So many retailers are counting on a strong Christmas trading period. Months of planning has gone into bringing in the right stock and staff and a great deal will be invested in marketing to drive traffic into the store, amongst many other things. So what is happening when...

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Message from the CEO: 5 December 2016

The positive signs for the end-of-year trading period continue to pop up, with two more pieces of data pointing...

The positive signs for the end-of-year trading period continue to pop up, with two more pieces of data pointing to a merry Christmas for Australian retail. Early last week, the ANZ/Roy Morgan consumer confidence rating showed households are feel positive about their finances. Consumer confidence levels were well above the...

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