CHILDREN across Australia are drafting their Christmas lists ahead of the upcoming festive season. With the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and Roy Morgan predicting Australians to spend more than $51 billion over the Christmas trading period from November 9 to December 24 2018, the ARA believes toy retailers will be busier than Santa’s reindeers this Christmas.

With the ARA and Roy Morgan forecasting Aussies to increase their spending in the ‘Other retailing’ category by 2.7 percent, Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said toy retailers’ stockings are going to be filled with children’s choice this Christmas.   

“Last year we saw a significant amount of stock flying off the shelves during the pre-Christmas period. With a range of new and innovative products on offer, we encourage parents to get in quick and secure the perfect gift for their child this Christmas,” Mr. Zimmerman said.

“Retailers also need to be prepared for the rush of parents trying to wrap up their purchases during the busy festive season.”

Taking out the top spot for the second consecutive year in a row, LOL Surprise! Dolls remain a fan favourite for kids aged 3+ with nine layers of unwrapping excitement. A staple under any tree, the LEGO Duplo Steam Train Sets and are the ideal gift for the curious kids aged 2-5.

Gabby Anderson, executive manager of the Australian Toy Association, said although the toy industry has faced a major loss with the closure of Toys R Us, she believes this will provide an opportunity for local retailers to take the reins. 

“While the toy industry has seen some disruptions recently, the demand for toys always remains high, and parents still prioritise purchasing toys for their children through bricks-and-mortar stores, which should provide some joy for local toy retailers this Christmas,” Ms Anderson said.

New toys have also entered the market including Gravitrax, an innovative marble run system encouraging children aged 8+ to build their own customised race tracks, and Treasure X Sets, designed for kids aged 5+ with adventurous and inquisitive minds.

“This year we are noticing a range of toys that are designed to stimulate imagination and creativity, which is a refreshing change from the technology-driven pattern we have seen in previous years,” Mr Zimmerman said.  

“With new and exciting products on offer, parents have a range of gifts to spoil their kids with this Christmas. As customer experience is at the heart of retail, we know there will be no shortage of surprises when kids unwrap their presents on Christmas day.”

 https://www.retail.org.au/christmas-predictions/

 http://www.roymorgan.com/

ends

THE LATEST round of Small Business Entrepreneur Grants to assist Queensland small businesses are now open for application.

The funding can be used for professional advice and support for business planning, marketing strategy development, as well as social media and digital strategies, research, mentoring and coaching.

Matched funding of up to $5,000 (excluding GST) may be provided to eligible businesses to engage a consultant, advisor or business coach for up to three months to help establish or develop the business. The minimum grant funding amount is $1,000.

Round four applications opened November 15 and close at 5pm on December 13, 2018.

www.business.qld.gov.au/starting-business/advice-support/grants/entrepreneur-grants.

Read Small Business Application Guidelines HERE.

ends

THE CHAIR, Andrew Hastie MP, and the deputy chair, Anthony Byrne MP, of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security make the following joint statement:

“The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security is assessing the timeframe for its report. The Committee continues to operate in a cooperative and bipartisan manner as it considers the Telecommunications and Other Legislation (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018.

"The Committee has met today and confirmed that the scheduled hearing for Friday will proceed.

"The public hearing on Friday will include representatives from industry and community groups. ”

A program for the hearing will be published later today.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.

ends

"NEW HOME building held up well during the September 2018 quarter despite the tougher market conditions,” according to Master Builders Australia’s chief economist Shane Garrett. 

The ABS figures on Construction Work Done released this morning indicate that new residential building work eased back by 1.8 percent during the quarter but was still 4.7 percent  higher than a year earlier, he said.

“Surprisingly, the apartment/unit side of the market put in a strong performance and came close to surpassing its busiest quarter on record. Work on detached houses fell by 3.2 percent compared with the previous quarter,” Mr Garrett said. 

“The performance of residential building has proven more resilient than expected in light of the unfolding credit crunch and less favourable conditions in Australia’s largest housing markets.

“Going forward, we do expect the tougher financial environment to take its toll on the volume of new home building over the next few years. Larger apartment projects will probably see the biggest reduction,” Mr Garrett said. 

Today’s figures also indicated that non-residential building declined by 2.4 percent during the September 2018 quarter and engineering construction fell by 4.5 percent 

“With the Federal Budget set be delivered earlier next year, it is important that it includes measures to support our sector’s capacity to meet the building needs of a steadily growing population,” Mr Garret said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

ends