Retail industry groups have heightened calls for the reintroduction of JobKeeper and the National Leasing Code of Conduct to support retailers through lockdown.
The National Retail Association (NRA) and the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) have both doubled down on calls for elevated government support, especially given the extension to the NSW lockdown for four weeks.
Both bodies have outlined clear plans and the required support measures that would help retailers combat the significant loss of trade from the lockdowns.
"This has been an unprecedented time with lockdowns occurring across multiple states without an adequate business safety net, leaving many businesses and their employees with mounting debts and costs while having their income cut off," ARA CEO Paul Zahra said.
"With Delta we are potentially facing another economic cliff.
"Small businesses around the country face continued hurdles as the Delta variant threatens commercial operations – particularly in NSW, which is our economic capital.
"We have called on the Prime Minister to restore a number of targeted business support measures until vaccination rates improve considerably," he said.
Both the ARA and NRA contend that the introduction of a targeted JobKeeper 3.0 would support business and job survival, preserve employment relationships, and provide urgently needed income support.
Speaking on the calls to reintroduce JobKeeper, Harrolds owner Mary Poulakis told Ragtrader that the support would help businesses survive and then thrive after the pandemic.
"It is essential to reforming businesses and their ability to survive through next three to five years," she said.
Both the NRA and ARA have also stated that the reintroduction of the National Leasing Code of Conduct would help to alleviate rent pressure retailers are facing.
"Currently, retail businesses in the same trading predicament as they were in March 2020, without the cash reserves they may have been able to call on last year," the NRA said in a statement.
"These businesses have the same or worse drop in turnover right now, and are being asked to pay 100% of their commercial rent with no support.
"We are calling for a short-term reinstatement of the National Leasing Code of Conduct, which concluded in March this year with JobKeeper," the NRA said.
In addition to these support measures, the NRA is calling for emergency cash payments for debt-laden businesses, the ATO to defer lodgements and outstanding payments for debt-trapped businesses and banking payment deferrals.
Meanwhile, the ARA is proposing that industrial relations flexibility, a national set of protocols for COVID restrictions, flexible trading hours and vaccination priority for retail workers are key measures to support the retail industry at this time.