The country is still reeling from the tragic and horrific events at Bondi Junction on the weekend.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to all of those affected by these events – the victims and their families, witnesses, retail teams and the frontline workers who responded.
Westfield Bondi Junction is set to reopen tomorrow, Thursday 18 April, for a “day of reflection” without retail trade, with stores set to reopen for trade at the discretion of individual retailers on Friday 19 April.
We encourage employers to be considerate of staff wellbeing and offer flexibility where needed.
For those working or shopping at Bondi Junction last Saturday, a dedicated phone line for counselling has been established on 1800 019 123. For information about other services and how best to support your teams, please click here.
Meanwhile, our team is continuing to support members with business-as-usual activities and our policy team have been hard at work making submissions to various inquiries and preparing for the Federal Budget next month.
The next event on the retail calendar, Mother’s Day, is fast approaching – and the ARA in collaboration with Roy Morgan, is predicting a $995 million spend – up $70 million, or 7.5% from 2023. You can read the full data here.