SCHOOL School shoes, backpacks, stationery and lunchbox purchases will increase in frequency from this week, as Australian parents prepare school aged children for the new school year, according to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

The peak industry body representing Australian retailers says that as Boxing Day markdowns become fewer later in the month, the focus in stores and shopping precincts will switch to school supplies, providing apparel, footwear, department stores, newsagents and a myriad of other specialty retail traders a boost.

“While Christmas and Boxing Day sales are most definitely the busiest times for retail stores across the board, there are certain retailers, such as children’s footwear shops and uniform sellers that derive the bulk of their business from back to school sales,” said ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman.

“Back to school is a milestone each year for students around the country, and the associated purchases that the new school year brings are crucial to many small and large retailers.”

Among the items on parents’ shopping lists are stationery items including pens, notebooks and folders; lunchboxes and cooler bags; school shoes, including sports shoes; uniforms, including socks and sun protection; backpacks and bags; and tablets and laptops.

The ARA has seen more back to school purchases being carried out online in the last few years, and doesn’t expect 2016 to be any different.

“Parents are increasingly turning to e-tail to prepare their children with the equipment they need for the start of school. With many parents now back at full or part time work following the Christmas break, e-commerce provides convenience and flexibility to purchase all the necessities students require.

“With the increased use of technology in our education system, back to school sales in 2016 will also provide a significant windfall for electronics retailers and sellers of laptops, tablets and other electronic learning accessories.

“Electronics retail is an incredibly price competitive space with lean margins, so this boost is very much welcomed by stores in the space. The administration and receivership of Australian retail icon, Dick Smith, last week is a testament to the pricing pressures within the industry,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Of course, back to school spending does not mean the end of the post-Christmas January sales, we’ll see those discounts continuing right throughout the month, with most stores still offering significant savings across the board.

“The next big discounting period after January will be mid-year sales in June, so I would encourage shoppers to make sure they don’t miss out,” said Mr Zimmerman.

The ARA and Roy Morgan Research predicted that Australian shoppers spent $16.8 billion post-Christmas, in the period from December 26, 2015 to January 15, 2016.

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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AUSSIE shoppers are continuing to spend up a storm in the post-Christmas sales, with retailers around the country on track to take $16.8 billion from Boxing Day until January 15, according to figures by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and Roy Morgan Research.

ARA executive director, Russell Zimmerman, said consumers have embraced the annual post-Christmas and January sales this year, taking the opportunity to stock up on bargains not normally seen at other times of the year.

“While the annual Christmas sales period officially kicked on Boxing Day, we’ve seen shoppers continue their spending frenzy right throughout the period and into the New Year,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“While initially on December 26 we saw bigger ticket items walking off the shelves, now the focus has swapped to soft goods such as apparel and footwear, while household items have also been popular.

“Department stores have also had particularly strong foot traffic, with our figures anticipating a 4.7 percent increase for the category compared to last year,” he said.

Around $1 billion is set to be spent in department stores before January 15, second only in growth to the ‘other’ category, with will grow by 6.1 percent to $2.3 billion.

Food spending, which was boosted last week by shoppers stocking up on food and beverages for New Year’s Eve parties and holiday barbeques is on target to meet an expected $6.8 billion in purchases.

Victoria will see the lion’s share of the post-Christmas shopping growth, up 5.6 percent to $4.2 billion across the 21-day period tracked by ARA and Roy Morgan, followed by NSW at 3.8 percent growth and $5.3 billion.

“It’s great to see shoppers out in force at retail stores, in what is typically the busiest spending period of the year,” Mr Zimmerman said.

ARA ROY MORGAN POST-CHRISTMAS 2015/16 SALES PREDICTIONS

December 26, 2015 – January 15, 2016

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by State

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by Category

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information,

Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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INSTITUTE of Public Accountants (IPA) chief executive officer, Andrew Conway has been appointed as chairperson of the Professional Accountancy Organisation Development Committee (PAODC) of the Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA) for the next three year term.

The PAODC, a committee under the auspices of CAPA has a mandate to promote and facilitate the establishment and strengthening of professional accountancy organisations in support of the public interest.

“On behalf of the IPA Board of Directors, I would like to congratulate Andrew for this important appointment,” said IPA president, Wendy Leegel.

“The IPA is very committed to the objectives of CAPA and to supporting the development of the profession in our region. 

“The IPA is very proud of Andrew’s achievements and his contribution to global leadership and governance within the profession,” said Ms Leegel.

About the Institute of Public Accountants

The IPA, formed in 1923, is one of Australia’s three legally recognised professional accounting bodies.  In late 2014, the IPA acquired the Institute of Financial Accountants in the UK and formed the IPA Group, with more than with more than 35,000 members and students in over 65 countries.  The IPA is a member of the International Federation of Accountants, the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board and the Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants.  The IPA was recognised in 2012 as Australia’s most innovative accounting organisation and listed in the top 20 in the 2012 BRW Most Innovative Companies List. 

www.publicaccountants.org.au

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NATIONAL resource industry employer group, AMMA (Australian Mines and Metals Association) Executive Director for Policy & Public Affairs, Scott Barklamb made a statement in early December criticising Labor's handling of union corruption.

Mr Barklamb said the December 7 announcement by Bill Shorten and Brendan O’Connor on trade union corruption "is an overdue and inadequate response to governance failures and criminality that are increasingly tarnishing Australia’s trade union movement and harming hard working union members".

"Mr Shorten claims that Labor has zero tolerance for criminality and corruption in the union movement, but actions speak louder than words," Mr Barklamb said.

"For more than two years the Opposition and their fellow addicts to union funding, the Greens, have held up essential reforms to how unions are governed and overseen by regulators.

"These reforms would have made a real difference. As Labor has dissembled, prevaricated and blocked reform, they have unfortunately in effect run protection for the sociopathic fringe of the union movement that is robbing hard working union members and displaying wanton disregard for the law.

"By repeatedly blocking the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014), Labor has enabled parts of the trade union movement to perpetuate financial and administrative practices that would be completely unacceptable in corporate Australia.

"The need to urgently beef up oversight and enforcement is clear. Recent days have seen the arrests of senior CFMEU officials in Victoria for alleged blackmail."

Mr Barklamb said this came on top of evidence of:

• Officials and employees of the National Union of Workers (NUW) ripping off hundreds of thousands of dollars of member money to spend on jewellery, tattoos, dating websites and concert tickets;
• The destruction of union financial and other records that may have been sought by the Heydon Royal Commission; and
• Substantial misappropriation of funds not only in the HSUA, but also in other unions.

"Following today’s overdue and underwhelming acceptance that there are bad apples within the union movement that must be dealt with, AMMA calls on Bill Shorten and Brendan O’Connor to demonstrate they are genuine and not concocting a further stunt to delay reform," Mr Barklamb said.

"If it is serious about reform and stamping out the ‘bad apples’, the Opposition should commit to urgently passing the new rules for the governance of registered unions and employer associations currently before Parliament when it resumes in the new year."

www.amma.org.au

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FARMERS and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to have their say on regulation affecting Australia’s agriculture sector, with the release of an issues paper today as part of a Productivity Commission inquiry that will look at ways to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden across agriculture.

Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, said the Coalition Government was delivering on its commitment under the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper to make doing business easier and to cut red tape for farmers.

“Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of regulation is important for all sectors of our economy — but particularly for our $58 billion a year agriculture sector, where our competitiveness in international markets is crucial to profitability,” Minister Joyce said.

“Sensible regulation has important roles to play, such as protecting consumers from unsafe food and supporting our agricultural exports. But poorly administered or implemented regulation can have significant impacts on the profitability and productivity of our farm businesses, and can undermine the sector’s global competitiveness.

“This inquiry will identify priority areas for removing or reducing unnecessary red tape to improve the sector’s productivity and competitiveness, and will also take into account regulation in key supply chains.

“I encourage farmers and anyone else with an interest in our agriculture sector to get involved and have their say.

“In undertaking its inquiry, the Productivity Commission will also be considering submissions received during the development of the Ag White Paper and White Paper on Developing Northern Australia, as well as other relevant material in the public domain.

“This is just one way the Ag White Paper is creating a better business environment for farmers—we have already delivered fairer taxation arrangements, established an ACCC Agriculture Enforcement and Engagement Unit, and have commenced work to streamline regulation of agricultural and veterinary chemicals.”

To find out more about the Productivity Commission inquiry into the Regulation of Agriculture, including how to make a submission or to read the issues paper, visit pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/agriculture.​

To read the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, visit agwhitepaper.agriculture.gov.au.

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THE Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer, Kelly O'Dwyer, has released draft legislation and regulations for public consultation on resilience and collateral protection, and a policy paper on client monies.

AUSTRALIAN shoppers were out in force at Boxing Day retail sales yesterday, with around $2.3 billion expected to have gone through registers across the country as part of the annual Boxing Day sales event, according to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

Russell Zimmerman, ARA Executive Director, said retailers across the country were inundated with shoppers, with some keen shoppers forming queues in anticipation of the discounts from very early morning.

“This year’s Boxing Day crowds certainly did not disappoint, and if anything, were larger than previous years,” Mr Zimmerman said of consumer participation.

“Judging from the number of people in stores and our prediction of $2.3 billion in purchases nationally, I think we’ll be looking at a record Boxing Day in 2015 in terms of sales.

“We anticipate this sales momentum will continue for the next two weeks or more, with the ARA and Roy Morgan Research expecting that Australian consumers will make retail purchases to the tune of $16.8 billion from December 26 to January 15,” he said.

“Boxing Day is traditionally known as the biggest sale day of the year, and while physical stores are the focus for many, online stores will also have seen an uptick in consumer activity for both Boxing Day and right throughout the post-Christmas sales period.”

Categories tipped to enjoy the biggest increases in year on year sales in the next three weeks according the ARA and Roy Morgan will be ‘other’ at 6.1 percent growth, and ‘department stores’ at 4.3 percent.

On a state basis, Victoria will be the big winner, with year on year growth of 5.6 percent growth for the period encompassing December 26 to January 15.

“South Australia will have experienced relatively lower sales at $115 million on Boxing Day because of the retail trading ban in metropolitan areas which only allows CBD stores to open,” Mr Zimmerman said.

ARA ROY MORGAN POST-CHRISTMAS 2015/16 SALES PREDICTIONS

December 26, 2015 – January 15, 2016

Boxing Day 2015 sales

(Australian Retailers Association)

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by State

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by Category

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

ENDS

THE Victorian Chamber’s submission to the Productivity Commission (PC) has argued that the key outcomes of its review of Australia’s workplace relations framework must be the creation of a simpler, fairer and more efficient framework that spurs economic growth, increased productivity and improved business competitiveness.
                                                                         
Victorian Chamber chief executive Mark Stone said he welcomed a number of the final report’s recommendations including:

• Aligning penalty rates on Sundays in hospitality, entertainment, retail, restaurants and cafes with Saturday rates.
• Reform to curtail the cost impost of state based public holidays in addition to the national public holidays, as recently seen with the introduction of two new public holidays in Victoria.
• An emphasis on substance rather than process for unfair dismissal claims.
• The return of upfront assessments of unfair dismissal claims in some circumstances, which would limit the time and effort spent by employers in defending unmeritorious claims.
• Recognition that the enterprise agreement approval process is overly rigid and requires reform.
• Addressing ‘strike first, talk later’ tactics that subject business to costly disruptions. The PC has recommended prohibitions and restrictions that would limit this avenue.
• The PC’s assessment that the costs involved with expanding existing portable long service schemes would not be justified, given this would effectively introduce an additional employment tax on business with no associated benefit. 

"However, the report falls short in removing costly and lengthy general protections claims, though it does propose reforms to limit the ability of frivolous and vexatious claims to proceed, and for greater powers to award costs against applicants," Mr Stone said.

"We are disappointed that our recommendation to remove the ‘complaints’ element of the expansive general protections regime was not adopted, despite our analysis revealing only one successful case in over six years that would not have attracted protection under prior legislation. The thousands of claims against employers and rise in ‘go away money’ are therefore set to continue.

"The report also misses the opportunity to recommend crucial changes to restrict access to unfair dismissal claims, including for high income earners and genuine redundancy situations.

"Despite urging the PC to remove the burden of unfair dismissal for businesses with under 20 employees, this recommendation was not part of the final report, meaning small business will continue to spend time and money defending claims rather than running their businesses," Mr Stone said.

"We now urge the government to consider the recommendations of the PC and take on the heavy lifting required to legislate much needed reforms for business."

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

victorianchamber.com.au

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