Retail Voice CEO Message: 04 May 2022

Last week I had the exciting opportunity to celebrate high impact ARA charity partner Good360 Australia’s 7th birthday with a tour of their facilities in Smithfield, NSW. We look forward to continuing our work with Good360 Australia to raise awareness about the challenge of pre-consumer waste while also helping our sector increase its social impact, reduce its environmental footprint and accelerate the transition to the circular economy.

We are pleased to see the Victorian Government announce a new training initiative to allow hair, beauty and hospitality students to take up an apprenticeship while they continue to study in secondary school – all areas which are under acute skills shortages. We are in continued discussions with government about broader skills initiatives and our full response to the broader Victorian budget announcements made on Tuesday can be found here.

Australian retail sales have reached their highest levels on record, with March trade increasing 9.4% compared to the same time last year and increasing 1.6% compared to the previous month, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Here is a full overview of the results.

This is a phenomenal result, however spending challenges loom for the months ahead as cost of living pressures continue for Australians, with the RBA raising interest rates this week and Roy Morgan Consumer confidence index showing the largest fall in consumer confidence since January. Despite these household spending challenges, we remain cautiously optimistic about the retail recovery given the savings levels and the ongoing domestic tourism potential for the remainder of the year helping to keep retail sales buoyant.

As always, our membership team is here to help and can be contacted via email or on 1300 368 041.

Happy trading,

Paul Zahra, CEO, Australian Retailers Association

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

FURTHER READING

Retail Voice CEO Message: 29 March 2023

With the New South Wales state election complete, we now have a Labor government in place in every state except Tasmania and an 18 month window without any elections occurring.  
 
This provides a period where we may see significant reform and potentially for national alignment in key policy areas across Australia.  

The rich tapestry of neurodiversity

There is a slow shift towards incorporating design aspects that create more inclusive shopping experiences for customers of all neurotypes. Retailers willing to explore this hidden customer segment can deliver a more easy, engaging and inclusive experience both in-store and online.

Retail Voice CEO Message: 15 March 2023

Retail crime continues to be a concern with many businesses recording an increase in shoplifting. 
 
In the latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data coming out of New South Wales, retail theft increased 23.7% year-on-year.