Australia’s peak retail body, the Australian Retailers Association, has warmly welcomed a decision by the Federal Government to allow international students to work up to 48 hours per week. The increase to 48 hours is up from the 40-hour limit in place pre-pandemic.
Australian retail sales increased 6.3% in January compared to the same time last year, according to the latest Mastercard SpendingPulse™, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.
Most retail categories maintained reasonable momentum after a record holiday spend. Lodging recorded the biggest increase in trade in January, up 15.9% compared to 12 months prior, closely followed by apparel (up 14.4%).
As Sydney WorldPride 2023 officially begins, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) welcomes retailers support for the LGBTQ+ community – with some of Australia’s leading and largest brands committing to an industry-wide position statement to build more inclusive workplaces.
With the RBA raising interest rates for the ninth consecutive time this week, the signs of an economic slowdown are emerging for retail. Last week some commentators were quick to frame the month-on-month drop in retail spending in December as catastrophic; but it’s important to note that in year-on-year sales – a more relevant measure – growth remains strong
The new year is off to a strong start, with the National Retail Federation (NRF) this week hosting the ‘Big Show’ extravaganza in New York.
We’re only 4 days away from Christmas! It has been a chaotic year, but also one of resounding success. The retail industry has showcased extraordinary resilience in wake of the pandemic, to achieve record sales.
For the past 3 years, our community has been living in crisis mode through the pandemic, natural disasters, war and inflation. The ARA has ensured the retail community has had a strong and united voice.
It’s only a few shopping days until Christmas and – as the busiest season of all for retail – most of us are counting down the days until we take a much-needed rest.
As we enter the final weeks of what has been another enormous year of change for retail, it’s encouraging to see retail spending continue to reach new heights.
The Government’s highly publicised Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill is set to pass the Senate this week, marking the onset of the most significant changes to Australia’s workplace relations system for decades.
