WITH THE SCHOOL holidays concluding in a few short weeks, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) anticipate the sale of uniforms, school shoes, stationery, technology and backpacks will significantly increase over the coming weeks, as parents prepare their kids for the upcoming school year. 

The ARA predicts many stores and shopping centres across the nation will re-directing their attention from the festive season to back to school supplies, as this is the peak trading period for back to school sales.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said retailers who specialise in the apparel, footwear and stationery sectors are bound to see a significant increase in trade throughout January. 

“As the arrival of a new school year is about to begin, retailers have been preoccupied with stocking their shelves full of back to school products to ensure each student is equipped with the essentials to thrive throughout the new school year,” Mr Zimmerman said.  

“With many busy parents returning to work, we believe parents will be opting to purchase back to school items from retailers who offer flexibility, convenience and unmissable sales and bargains.” 

As the use of technology begins to spread throughout the education system, sales in portable technology are also expected to see a hike, with most public schools asking parents to purchase either an iPad or Surface Pro for children in year three or year four as a one-off expense. 

“With the use of technology becoming increasingly prevalent across the Government education system, parents will be on the lookout for new technology that will enhance their child’s learning experience and stimulate their imagination and creativity,” Mr Zimmerman said. 

While technology may be a popular learning tool for tech-savvy youngsters, stationery retailers can still expect to see an incline in sales as well, with many parents purchasing writing materials for their children. 

“Retailers who specialise in stationery including newsagents and stationers present the ideal destination for parents who wish to cross-off pens and school books noted on their school lists.”

The ARA forecasted Aussie parents would spend over $840 on back to school supplies for each child. With school shoes accounting for up to $150 of the total cost, Mr Zimmerman said parents should look to purchase from shoe retailers who offer shoes that exude comfort, support and durability. 

“As shoe retailers drive enthusiasm and innovation into the back to school category, we’ve noticed a rise in the purchase of velcro and scuff resistant shoes in the traditional shoe styles,” Mr Zimmerman said.  

“While the private school system prefers a more traditional school shoe, the ARA have recognised a surge in the number of sporting shoe styles purchased by parents, particularly in the Government primary school system, the result of an ongoing eased approach to the black shoe standard policy.”

With the number of back to school essentials growing every year, retailers who provide expert advice on specific products will flourish in sales and notice a considerable increase foot-traffic over this trading period. 

“Parents and retailers recognise that the start of a new school year marks a milestone for each student around the country, therefore both parents and retailers will go above and beyond to ensure each student receives the school supplies required to secure a fantastic school year.”



About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s largest retail association, representing the country’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. As Australia’s leading retail peak industry body, the ARA is a strong pro-active advocate for Australian retail and works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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NEW DATA reaffirms the resource sector’s importance to the Queensland economy with recordliquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the Port of Gladstone totalling 20.58 million tonnes (mt) in 2018, according to the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).
 
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the data released by Gladstone Ports showed a new record which eclipsed the previous record set in 2017 (20.23 mt).
 
“Queensland’s LNG sector is forecast to continue its record export growth that is being driven by an energy hungry Asia.  China was again the largest customer buying nearly 14.25 mt followed by South Korea at 3.22 mt while Japan imported 1.6 mt,” Mr Macfarlane said.
 
“The world wants our commodities and over the 12 months Queensland LNG was exported to seven different countries - China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia (0.88 mt), Singapore (0.47 mt), United Arab Emirates (0.06 mt) and the Philippines (0.06 mt). 
 
“China’s demand for our LNG in 2017 was 57 percent of total exports but last year it was 69 percent. According to the Office of the Chief Economist’s latest report, China plans to increase the share of gas in its energy mix from 7 percent to a range of 8–10 percent by 2020. 
 
“The same report found Australia had become the world’s largest single gas exporter, ahead of Qatar, and is on track for annual exports of 77 million tonnes. 
 
“LNG is likely to play a major role in servicing the rising Chinese gas demand with the country’s LNG imports forecast to reach 53 million tonnes or 73 billion cubic metres in 12 months.
 
“Resource exports help pay for Queenslanders’ everyday needs through royalty taxes, for the teachers that educate our children, the nurses and doctors who look after our health and the police force that keeps us safe.”
 
QRC’s current economic data shows the oil and gas industry delivered a $8.2 billion economic contribution in 2017/18 and supported more than 39,000 full time employees across the State and invested $3 billion with businesses locally and community organisations. 

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Queensland resources industry has helped Queensland post a record $80 billion export milestone with an extra $10 billion earnt through the sale of Queensland coal, minerals and petroleum across the globe.
 
Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane said according to latest Queensland Treasury report, the state’s resource exports had increased to $65.6 billion – or 81 percent of the state’s total merchandise exports – over the 12 months to 30 November last year.
 
“Over those 12 months, the Queensland resources sector exports earnt our State the equivalent of $125,000 every minute,” Mr Macfarlane said.
 
“The growth in our exports has been strong.  Our export earnings increased by $10 billion with double-digit growth in coal and mineral sales overseas.  A strong resource sector means a strong Queensland.
 
“Since the Palaszczuk Government took office in February 2015, resource sector exports have increased by 114 percent.  The growth of other exports was less than 7 percent over the same period.”
 
Mr Macfarlane said it was critical for Queensland, including the 316,000 Queenslanders who work directly and indirectly in the resources sector, that the Government maintained stable policy and royalty tax rates, continued to encourage exploration through land releases for new discoveries, and worked with the industry on its skills development, investment attraction and export promotion initiatives.
 
“The recent State Budget update showed the resources sector is contributing a record $5 billion in royalty taxes this financial year,” he said.
 
Mr Macfarlane said the resources sector was determined, in 2019, to accept Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's offer to work together with the sector.
 
In her address at the QRC annual lunch in November last year, Premier Palaszczuk committed her government to work with the QRC to promote existing initiatives and explore new opportunities to: 

• expand the availability of land for mineral and energy resource exploration and development; 
• strengthen our export partnerships, create new resource export markets and increase development of advanced manufacturing and renewable energy in Queensland; 
• work together to identify and develop the skills and training needed for our resources industry and towards opportunities for diversity of employment by increasing the number of women and Indigenous Queenslanders in the industry.
 
Specifically, the Premier committed “to continue with timely consultation with the Queensland Resources Council on legislative and policy changes”.

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has again drawn attention to "the Morrison Government’s stubborn refusal to act on fuel security after years of warnings" with new figures showing Australia now has just 22 days of petrol and 17 days of diesel at its disposal.

MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said Australia had been non-compliant with the International Energy Agency’s 90-day fuel stockholding obligation since March 2012 and "the Morrison Government has since ignored several key reports".

"For example, a National Energy Security Assessment was announced last April," Mr Crumlin said. "It was sparked by concerns over declining domestic production, diminishing refining capacity and concerns over potential flashpoints in the Middle East, South China Sea and Korean Peninsula.

"However, nothing has been done since then and a report in today’s Australian newspaper said the new figures have again sparked warnings from Coalition MPs and security experts that the nation is dangerously exposed if a major geopolitical upheaval disrupts existing supply routes."

The newspaper reported experts had also criticised a government move to spend more than $20 million buying supplies held offshore to bolster the national reserve, saying the move will do little to boost the resilience of the domestic fuel stockpile.

Mr Crumlin said a number of inquiries and reports in recent years had focused on the important issue of fuel security, including the MUA’s report titled Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty in December last year, written by shipping expert John Francis.

“The Senate has held inquiries into both fuel security and tax avoiding flag-of-convenience shipping, while the Energy White Paper and Defence White Paper also investigated our increasing reliance on foreign fuel,” Mr Crumlin said.

“It’s doubling up on the government's initial policy negligence in allowing Australia to lose its refinery capacity of oil we own and is sourced in our country, and then allow tax avoidance and dodgy shipping governance to replace our domestic shipping capacity. No one has been at the wheel of energy security in Canberra for a very long time. It’s a joke with very few laughs for Australian jobs, economic independence and long term planning.

“In addition, the Running on Empty report found that Australia now relies on the equivalent of almost 60 full-time fuel import tankers to keep us supplied with petrol, diesel and jet fuel, which is now all carried on the international spot market, mainly from Korea, Singapore and Japan. 

“The report found Australia’s reliance on foreign flagged tankers removes any opportunity for the Commonwealth to be able to requisition national flag tankers if necessary to secure minimum import or coastal distribution requirements following major economic or geopolitical disruptions.

“The cost of addressing this risk is comparatively low: even carrying Australia’s entire import volume on a fleet of Australian tankers would cost less than one extra cent per litre.

“The Australian Government needs support as a matter of urgency a number of Australian tankers as part of a national strategic fleet to ensure that some level of supplies can be maintained in the event of a crisis.”

Mr Crumlin said there are now no Australian-crewed tankers supplying fuel to our nation, down from 12 in the year 2000. At the same time, the number of refineries has halved to four. This means Australia now imports more than 90 percent of its fuel and that number is rising.

“Australians would expect our government to have a better plan and this would involve more refining here and Australian-crewed ships to carry it around the coast,” Mr Crumlin said.

“This isn’t only a matter of fuel security but also national security. Unlike Australian seafarers, foreign crews have no background checks yet they are carrying petroleum products, ammonium nitrate and LNG around the Australian coast.”

www.mua.org.au

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