Charge Bar provides in store mobile phone charging stations to
retailers with no cost to customers. Charge Bar expects that the average chargee will spend at least $5
while waiting for their phone to charge. With over 70 installations in Sydney
already, the distributors are expecting significant penetration into
Australia’s retail market.
ARA Launches Sales Feedback Program
The Australian Retailers Association has launched a sales feedback
program for all retailers through Roy Morgan Research. Participating retailers
will receive an SMS each Monday morning asking if their sales for the previous
week were Up, Down, or Same. Feedback will then be provided to each participant
on the results.
David Jones Receives Takeover Offer
David Jones has received a takeover offer from a company called EB
Private Equity. The offer is for around $1.6 billion. EB Equity are a European-based
investment company with a specialty in real estate and development. It is
believed that David Jones ownership of its very valuable Melbourne and Sydney
head stores is one of the attractions for EB. The David Jones share price
soared 20% on the announcement. Other
major retailers, Myer and Billabong are seen as potential takeover targets as
their share prices tumble.
Major Retailers Demand New Laws to Combat Online
Harvey Norman, Big W, Bunnings, Coles, and Super Retail Group have
demanded changes to the GST-free threshold, trading hour restrictions, and
labor laws as the only way to be competitive with the seven days a week, 24
hours a day online onslaught. They are claiming that Australian laws are simply
not keeping up with the new worldwide changes in retailing.