Industry bodies across the country are banding together to inform retailers about the challenging business landscape and how to adapt their operations to stay ahead and survive.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) Retail Institute recently announced it will be launching a series of four free Retail Excellence Workshops in partnership with the Victorian Government throughout February til April 2012.
ARA executive director Russell Zimmerman said the workshops will first be trialled in the Whitehorse, Bayside and Warrnambool areas, and are designed to keep retailers competitive and relevant to the local community in the face of major structural changes in the retail industry.
“This joint initiative is one which acknowledges the vital role retail plays in Victoria’s small business sector and the importance of remaining viable and innovative as the industry evolves and changes occur in response to the global economy and consumer demand,” he said.
“The world of retail is changing and retailers are finding they have to respond to these changes through innovations in products, service and ensuring they have a multi-channel presence as Australians operate and conduct business in both online and physical environments.”
The workshops will cover four key topics – entertain with visual merchandising, engage with superior customer service, maintain with financial control, and connect with strategic marketing – and aim to give retailers practical skills for responding to changes in these areas.
At the same time, the National Retail Association (NRA) has also responded to the challenges being faced by retailers as a result of the difficult trading conditions, and has confirmed it will launch an Industrial Relations Breakfast Series in March.
The series will encourage retailers to come together to discuss current and emerging trends, with key speakers from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry also present to help educate retailers about recent industrial relations reforms which have added substantially to retail labour costs.
NRA executive director Gary Black said the series is the next step in an ongoing battle for the NRA and the retail industry against the Australian Labor Government’s industrial relations reforms, which he believes will negatively affect the struggling retail industry.
“Retailers have come to realise that although they may work in completely different sectors that have very different demands, they have shared interests when it comes to award modernisation which will affect retail across the board,” Black said.
“Despite a promise of cost neutrality, award modernisation will add between five and 10 per cent to retail labour costs, and watered down definitions of equal pay will allow unions to push for higher pay rates in industries where female employment dominates. These breakfasts will also incorporate a discussion on actions the NRA is taking to defend the interests of Australian retailers and ensure the success and long term sustainability of our industry.”
For more information on these events go to:
Australian Retailers Association (ARA) Retail Institute free Retail Excellence Workshops – email training@retail.org.au or visit www.retail.org.au.
National Retail Association (NRA) Industrial Relations Breakfast Series – 1800 RETAIL (738 245) or email events@nra.net.au.