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Media releases
For media enquiries and interview opportunities, contact the ARC media team on media@retail.org.au or 0434 381 670
All ARC media releases
Solid July retail spending according to new ABS monthly reporting data
Retail spending grew by 4.6% in July compared to the same period last year, with the latest monthly data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showing $37.7 billion. All
Retailers bear the brunt as theft surges to 21-year high
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) says today’s ABS Recorded Crime – Victims data confirms what retailers see every day: theft is rising to crisis levels, with retail stores a top
Penalty Rates Bill slams the door on higher salaries, choice and flexibility
The passing of the Federal Government’s penalty rates bill undermines the independence of the Fair Work Commission and is a missed opportunity to create greater choice and flexibility that would
Fewer Shoppers, Bigger Splurges: Aussies Spending Up on Father’s Day Gifts
Around 4.7 million Australians are expected to spend a combined $720 million on gifts for dads, grandads, partners and father-figures this year, down $100 million from 2024, as cost-of-living pressures
Australian retailers committed to safer workplaces
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) confirmed today that retailers across Australia are making major investments in creating safer workplaces in the face of significant industry
Communique: Fourth Retail Employee Safety Council meeting prioritises Workplace Protection Orders
The Retail Employee Safety Council (RESC) has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling customer abuse and violence by prioritising the focus on Workplace Protection Orders. At its most recent meeting, the
Statement from the Alliance of Industry Associations on the Economic Reform Roundtable
An alliance of nearly 30 groups representing Australia’s small, medium and large businesses, universities, farmers, retailers, pharmacies and the investment community is calling for red-tape tape reduction, planning and major
Lower interest rates a welcome relief, critical banks pass on full cut
Retailers welcome the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) announcement today of a 25-basis-point cut to take the cash rate to 3.6 percent as a vital confidence boost for their sector’s
Joint Group of Industry Organisations statement in response to Productivity Commission report
The Productivity Commission proposal to tax business cash flow is an experimental change that hasn’t been tried anywhere else in the world. This tax increase risks putting more pressure on
EOFY sales bolster June retail spending, but caution still in the cart
Retail spending in June grew by 4.9% compared to the same period last year, with the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showing a spike in consumer
Retailers and their workers deserve greater choice and flexibility
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) say the Federal Government’s new penalty rates bill strips away an opportunity for choice and flexibility for retailers and their
Retailers call for urgent, national response to retail crime
In response to the alarming rise in retail crime across the country, retailers, government, police, unions and crime experts are coming together to help improve safety and crime outcomes for
ARC submissions
Given the important role that the retail sector plays in driving economic growth, we seek government policies that:
- Support the economic impact generated by the retail sector;
- Restore business confidence, particularly for small and medium businesses;
- Increase consumer confidence and disposable income;
- Apply downward pressure on business costs; and
- Reduce complexity by driving national alignment on state matters