1. Country Road reports a 10.9% drop in comparable store sales.
2. Premier Retail (Just Group) have announced a raft of changes in response to the retail downturn. They include closure of some 50 under-performing stores, roll-outs in performing brands, improved online presence.
3. Homewares Chains Merge – Your Habitat and General Trader have announced plans to merge their 26 stores with centralised management and buying in Melbourne.
4. An online website has been launched that allows customers to exchange, buy or sell shopping vouchers. As retailers look to attract online customers and measure the response, vouchers have become very popular marketing tools.
5. Premier Retail – Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Portmans, Peter Alexander, Jacqui E, Dotti – report extreme difficulty moving winter fashion before the traditional end of August cut off when winter won’t sell no matter what the discount.
6. The Federal Government claims the carbon tax will be good for retailers as consumers find more money in their pockets from government subsidy measures.
7. An American Express survey release this week revealed that Australian consumers complain about customer service more than any other country except France.
8. David Jones have added 60 new brands to their lineup as they battle with consumer’s non-spending.
9. For the ninth straight month Coles have beaten Woolworths in the supermarket wars.
10. Adventurewear retailer, Kathmandu, has bucked the trend and reported a 23.6% lift in sales for the year to 31st July.
11. Myer will introduce free shipping to its online offering from this week.
12. The Reserve Bank decided to leave interest rates unchanged in its decision this week.
13. Brown Sugar appoints administrators after falling victim to poor retail trading conditions.