The simplified draft award handed down by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) today will increase cost pressure on employers, according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Australian Retailers Association (ARA). The ACCI, the peak council of Australian businesses, contends that the proposed new rules are not consistent with the Government’s direction that the creation of modern awards “is not intended to… increase costs for... ...Read more »
Older employees are likely to be more loyal and stay in the retail sector long term, new research by UK-based Skillsmart Retail has suggested. A survey by the Sector Skills Council into the attitude of retail workers found that, although one third of the retail workforce is under 25, employees in their 30s, 40s and 50s saw their jobs as much more permanent than other workers. The results have sparked Skillsmart Retail to take on a larger piece of research investigating the importance of older... ...Read more »
Tony Leon, an instrumental figure in building the Dan Murphy’s chain, has been recruited by Wesfarmers to become the head of their liquor division. Mr Leon announced he would step down from the post of General Manager in June, with the owner of the Dan Murphy’s chain, Woolworths, reporting that the split was “amicable”. The move to work for the key rival is reportedly due to his desire for a new challenge and, at Coles - where a five year turnaround has begun under... ...Read more »
Hypermarkets, which essentially combine a department store with a supermarket, have been growing in number overseas since the first store opened by French retailer Carrefour in the 1960’s, but Australia has largely been immune from the trend. Market analysts Business Monitor International have discovered that hypermarket sector growth will be beyond the rest of the grocery market in central and Eastern Europe as consumers embrace larger stores to reduce fuel and time costs. According... ...Read more »
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment rose by 7% in September from 86.2 in August to 92.2 in September in further welcome news for retailers. The bounce was expected in the wake of recent events, according to Westpac’s Chief Economist, Bill Evans. “This type of result comes as no surprise,” he reported. “It is a direct response to the decision by the Reserve Bank to cut their overnight cash rate by 0.25% and the swift response by the banks to reduce their... ...Read more »
American-based WebDiet, Inc. has created a program which provides consumers with customised meal suggestions at the point of purchase based on the needs, wants and location of the customer.It is a new smartphone-based service to help people make smarter eating choices and improve their health, according to the creators. WebDiet is the first and only service to proactively send customers specific and dynamic meal suggestions, directly to their email and mobile devices immediately before time of purchase.... ...Read more »
The prospect of using a mobile phone to make purchases could change the shape of consumer-business interaction in the coming years, as new technology offers the potential for consumers to house credit and other card information on their mobile phones. Europe’s largest trial of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology on mobile phones, conducted by research firm GFK and commissioned by O2 (a leading UK communications company), has revealed strong consumer demand for such services. Nine out... ...Read more »
The Reserve Bank of Australia today reduced the cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 7.00 per cent, providing some welcome relief to retailers. Leading retail industry bodies the Australian National Retailers Association and the Australian Retailers Association have both warned, however, that it will take time for consumer confidence to return. “… nobody should assume that Australians will race out tomorrow and start spending up,” ANRA CEO Margy Osmond said. “This... ...Read more »
The Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australia’s peak food and grocery manufacturing industry group, has welcomed the government’s plan to examine creeping acquisitions laws, labelling it a move in the right direction to help address concerns about retail competition issues. AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said the release of the Federal Government’s discussion paper calling for public comment on the best way forward on creeping acquisition laws is a win for consumers and... ...Read more »
Creeping acquisitions are under the spotlight again as the Government promises reform to honour their election commitment. The Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, Chris Bowen MP, today released a discussion paper calling for public comment on the best way forward for a creeping acquisitions law. Creeping acquisitions refer to the cumulative effect of a number of small, individual transactions which, when considered in isolation, might not be captured by the... ...Read more »