Cinte Techtextile

MELBOURNE: The Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Association is seeking expressions of interest from Australian manufacturers and research and development organisations to take part in an Australian stand at CINTE Techtextil in China. The event, which last year attracted more than 6,515 buyers from across the globe, will be staged in Shanghai from September 20 to 21. For more: lorraine@ttna.com.au

:Have a holiday
SYDNEY: New South Wales retailers have been offered an olive branch in the form of an extra public holiday on Tuesday December 27 to allow for Christmas Day falling on a Sunday. Restricted trading will apply on Boxing Day and New Year's Day with traditional Boxing Day sales now likely to start on December 27. No general stores in the state are allowed to trade on Christmas Day.

:Helping hand
BRISBANE: Trainee retail manager Caitlin Lye, 22, is one of more than 130 workers who will be helped by a state government grant aimed at increasing the skill level among small businesses in Queensland. Under the conditions of the two-year, $141,000-plus agreement the costs of traineeships are shared equally between the Queensland Government and the employer.

:G Retail
SYDNEY: G Retail has incurred a loss before tax and individually significant items of $2.847 million for the year ended July 31, 2005. This compares to a figure of $3.317 million in the prior period. The company says the result is a marginal improvement on the forecast made earlier this year due to lower than provisioned levels of shrinkage.

:Sporting chance
NORTH AMERICA: Activewear company Columbia Sportswear has announced net sales of $US409.8 million ($A541.5 million) for the quarter ended September 30, 2005, a decrease of 1.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. Net income for the period was $US66.5 million ($A87.86 million), a 3.1 per cent decrease compared to net income of $US68.6 million ($A90.6 million) for the corresponding period.