Need A Break From The Real World?

Here are a couple of funny videos that are definitely work related......well, sort of.




....and if you are still stressed try this very useful guide from Google.

Latest Retail News – 24/6/2016

Latest Retail News – 24/6/2016
1. Metcash (IGA, Foodland, Foodworks) returns to profit.
2. Retail spending fell slightly in May.
3. Surfstitch reduces staff in US.
4. ACCC takes Heinz to court over content of kids food.
5. Bega slashes its dairy prices to farmers.
6. H&M to expand into regional cities Wollongong and Toowoomba.
7. 7 Eleven operator receives record fine for under-paying staff.
8. Former MD of Masters appointed to Wesfarmers Board to assist with Bunnings UK push.
9. Factory seconds appliance retailer, 2nds World, to open in Melbourne.
10. Coles says lower food prices may not last.
11. South African retail giant, Steinhoff International, takes a look at Big W and some Masters locations.
12. H&M’s second quarter declines as cold weather and A$ impact.
13. Uniqlo quietly closing some US stores.
14. Britain votes to exit the European Union in shock result.

Breakfast Invitation For City Retailers

The Lord Mayor invites city retail and hospitality businesses to explore the visitor economy at  a July business breakfast.

​The morning will feature keynote presentations from major industry partners in conjunction with the release of City of Melbourne's Tourism Action Plan 2016-19.

The morning will also highlight marketing and events opportunities in the next six months to assist with your business planning and involvement, and the opportunity to network with colleagues.

The City of Melbourne business breakfast series aims to inform, inspire, connect and collaborate with business. 

Priority registrations will be given to businesses located within the City of Melbourne.

Date: Thursday 7^th July 2016.

Time: 7:30am – 9:30am.

Place: Swanston Hall, Melbourne Town Hall.

Cost: Free

Register your attendance​ by Sunday 3 July.

New Target Australia Boss Warns International Rivals

Guy Russo will be known to readers as the executive who inspired the K-Mart recovery and he has recently been placed in charge of Wesfarmers ailing Target brand in Australia.

Russo  has given a stern warning to the likes of H&M and Uniqlo that he intended making life very difficult for them. “They know how to do volume, they know to do fashion; they do it with their own brand which I love,” said Russo at a recent conference. But he indicated their weakness was price and he intended using supply chain changes to sell high quality fashion at lower prices.

Target have recently abandoned their mid-year toysale, scrapped the new store format introduced just 9 months ago, and converted two of their Target stores into K-Marts. Russo said he is confident there is room for the two brands in Australia’s marketplace. 

Britain Set To Leave European Union In Shock Result

Friday 24/6/2016 - 3:00pm.

As late as this morning commentators were predicting that Britain would stay in the European Union but it would seem they have got it all wrong with a clear indication in late counting that they will exit. How will that impact?

In Great Britain, even leaders of the exit case are expressing surprise at the result, claiming it as a victory for “common decent people.”

Just as predictions on the result were wrong, it would be foolish to predict what the impact on economies will be but the £stg has lost nearly 9% in value and the Australian share market is down a monstrous 3.5% at the time of writing (3:00pm Friday 24/6). The retail sector of the ASX was down 2.9% at the same time. Certainly there is significant uncertainty on financial markets. Hopefully those early signs of panic will dissipate. 

Guru Pete Wins

Some of our readers will know that Pete The Cleaner gives his "celebrity" horse racing tip every Saturday on our Facebook page - QVM Traders. 
Last week his tip came in first and paid handsomely but the better news is that Pete has completed his interview with the new cleaning contractor and has a 3 month trial contract. He will be gracing our aisles for at least 3 months, and hopefully proving to his new employer that he is indispensable to market operations. Well done Pete!

Have Your Say - click here.

The Most Important Aspect of Our Future Is Not Renewal

As the renewal process hots up and various market interests attempt to influence outcomes the most important aspect of market trading is in danger of being neglected. We are talking about retail entrepreneurship and progress. Do traders need to seek greater influence over this critical aspect of our future?

The whole purpose of renewal us to end up with a better market that will benefit all participants, but if we kill the patient in the process, then the operation is a failure. And there are three key areas that may kill the patient. Firstly, there are the various interest groups who wish to place bans and stop market progress. They require significant market resources to manage their impact. Then there is the renewal process itself which, because of its immense complexity is likely to divert resources away from the equally demanding process of day to day retail recovery. And then there is lack of data about what our customers are doing or want to do. Too many interest groups, too many distractions, and too little information in an ever-changing environment, may leave traders very sick indeed.

Some time ago the four QVMAC Trader Representatives looking after PE and SL traders in Specialty Merchandise stunned some of the other trader groups by attending a Town Hall council meeting to support council plans for renewal. In fact this group asked for an acceleration of the renewal process so that traders could get on with correcting years of neglect and address the very real issues that the retail revolution had thrust upon us. They were looking for speedy action, and a concentration on retail performance as a way of attacking the retail recession. In other words they wanted retail recovery to be part of the renewal process, not just at the end, but along the way as well.

There are two requirements here. Retail recovery needs to be our prime focus.  Long term renewal needs to go on in the background, but with minimal impact, and there are a number of things we can get on with right now -

-    Improving the quality of traders through selection and trader performance assessment.

-    Actively correcting duplication.

-    Introducing permanent stalls.

-    Creating lifestyle precincts.

-    Trialing new trading hours.

-    Researching customer needs and wants. (Customer driven)

-    Experimenting with new concepts and ideas. (Don't just ask customers what they want - give them what they haven't thought of.)

-    Measuring retail performance - accurate visitor numbers and sales data.

-    Customer interaction through a mobile app.

Instead of worrying about the impact of renewal and devoting all our resources to some kind of protectionism perhaps we need to get back to the entrepreneurial basics and look to exciting our customers in ways previously un-thought of. As one trader said recently - "I'm sick of worrying about what construction might do to us. Renewal is a side issue. We have to concentrate on retail basics and put real resources into exciting our customers right now."

By Greg Smith

HaveYour Say - click here.

25/06/2016 18:08:48 Stall duplication This  could be seen  to some as  a way of removing   selected (sic)  Traders AlbyR   E Shed
Thanks for your input Alby. It could also be seen as a way of correcting the errors of the past. - Ed

A Conflict of Interest For Box Hirer's

Box hire operators have become influential participators in the renewal debate but we shouldn't confuse the aims of a box hire operator with the aims of traders or indeed what is best for our market.

Hanan Mark's STAG group has been at the forefront of the green ban debate. One of the core points demanded by STAG is to "Provide certainty, security, and rights for all existing stallholders and traders." Keeping as many traders as possible under our sheds is an understandable aim for box hire operators. When a trader leaves the market, it has little immediate impact on other traders except perhaps for their competitors who will take up the slack. But if the departing trader hired storage boxes, that is an immediate hit to the box hirer's bottom line. Their concern is understandable. It should be noted that QVM's bottom line also suffers.

Gone are the old days when QVM management was in a mad rush to fill the top end with traders, with little regard for retail integrity. Over supply, and poor selection standards have been identified by most traders as errors that need correction and, as the top end is fine tuned to be more relevant to today's consumers, a smaller trader population is a likely outcome.

Box hire operators make a valuable contribution to our market and nobody can blame them for looking to protect their business. But the retail revolution has made it clear that the old ways need to be severely challenged and our retail business model requires change. That is likely to mean fewer traders in the top end and, like every other trader, box hire operators may need to find additional ways to sustain their businesses. 

Ultimately it is not QVM, box hirer's, or traders who decide how many traders will prosper in the top end. Customers will decide that, and getting the mix right for them must remain our priority.

By Greg Smith

Have Your Say - click here.

COMMENTS:
25/06/2016 11:04:06 Box Hire article "Dear Greg Smith. 

In response to your misconstrued statement, ""A Conflict of Interest For Box Hirers"", STAG is not run by one person (Hanan Mark). STAG is run by a number of dedicated, hardworking stall holders, service providers and members of the greater community. It has over 80% of stall holders and businesses in the market signed up, with support  growing everyday. Along with the backing of Australia's biggest trade unions, as well as a dedicated legal team, STAG has the full support of all box hire operators. 

You have now just confirmed what we have long suspected - that you are in support of making the top end of the market smaller. Which in turn kicks out hundreds of families and their businesses, in which some have traded for generations. As an elected advisory committee member and with an attitude like that, you have clearly failed to represent the stall holders' best interests as you were elected to do so. 

Box hire operates do realise some change is needed in the market. However, we find some of your comments offensive and incorrect. 
You state that ""a smaller trader population is the likely outcome"" and ""that is likely to mean fewer traders in the top end"". Where are you getting this information from? These statements clearly contradict the assurances given from the QVM CEO at a meeting with STAG representatives on Friday 17 June.  In that meeting, QVM CEO guaranteed every stall holder and business security of tenure during and after redevelopment.   

General discussions in the market amongst traders suggest views of certain QVMAC members are in total conflict with the majority of views of traders. We are glad elections are coming up so that traders have a chance to have someone elected to represent their views, instead of a personal view. 

We are very doubtful that our response will be published on your website. However, we don't really care, as we and many other traders in the QVM are looking in the correct and moral direction. 


Concerned QVM BOX HIRE OPERATORS "

25/6/2016 2052Hrs

"Thank you for such a comprehensive response to the article on conflict of interest. The issue of trader fortunes in the top end is a very important one and certainly worthy of intense scrutiny and debate.

Let me respond on a number of points –

1.      I have no doubt that there are a number of persons involved with STAG but so far the only document freely available is a leaflet headed “QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET STALLHOLDERS & TRADERS ACTION GROUP (STAG)” that was handed to me a few weeks back by Hanan. The only contact name on that document is Hanan’s. I am not aware of any information about STAG beyond that document.

2.      I am not in support of making the top end smaller. My preference is for a fully populated top end with every trader making a healthy living from their trading business. Unfortunately there are clear indications (trader’s leaving) that the current population of traders may not be supportable. I see my responsibility as a QVMAC Trader Representative to seek that whatever level of trader involvement exists in the top end is sustainable for the long term. There is a clear understanding amongst the trader group that this may involve fewer traders than operated at the peak of the markets operation – pre-GFC.

3.      There is a global retail reality that many businesses are struggling with the retail recession and significant adjustments are being forced on the whole industry. Some retailers are adjusting to the new retail reality, some are not (Dick Smith’s etc.). The assurances given by QVM’s CEO are indeed welcome and hopefully every trader will be given the chance to assess their trading options, make considered decisions on their future including the option of changing their product range, and if all else fails, be given the opportunity to exit under the most favourable conditions possible.

4.      A trader election in September is indeed welcome for many reasons. In a trader group of 600 or 700 people it is inevitable that many views exist. That is a healthy democracy at work. I can’t speak for other QVMAC Trader Representatives but my efforts to provide the best possible trading environment for my PE Trader constituents will continue unabated until that election.

5.      Your response has been published (thank you again) and any follow up will also be published. This is a very important matter."

Regards – Greg Smith

26/06/2016 23:26:40   Box Hire    "As I am currently enjoying a break I wasn't going to weigh in on QVM matters till my return, but as we head into Renewal and an election, an aspect of the reply to Greg's post was too important to let pass by without comment.

I don't intend at this point to weigh in on the numerous issues raised by both the post and the reply but will limit myself to making note of that one aspect.

In the last sentence of the reply the following was stated: ""we... are looking in the correct and moral direction.""

Now Greg and I have worked side by side in the interest of the market for over 7 years now, and in that time we have regularly had passionate discussions and sometimes heated disagreements over certain issues and directions, and still do, from time to time. But never have I found any reason to doubt Greg's 'morality' or 'correctness'. Its quite disappointing and discouraging to think that for some a divergent opinion automatically makes the other opinion somehow 'immoral' or 'incorrect'. Or that there is a need to introduce such loaded emotive terminology into an exchange of sincerely held opinions.

Lets hope that we can learn to be able to disagree or hold different opinions and yet maintain basic fundamental levels of respect and maturity in our discourse.

Rather than allowing ourselves to be polarized or attempt to polarize others with judgmental terminology it would be nice to think we can listen to different views respectfully and with an open mind. For in most instances, I believe, the truth or the 'correct' position often lies somewhere in between two strongly felt or held opinions."        Ivano         

Have Your Say - click here.

Latest Retail News – 19/6/2016
1. Aldi opens first 4 of a planned 70 stores in WA.
2. Amazon launches fresh food deliveries in UK.
3. Bunnings commences rebrand of its UK Homebase store purchase.
4. Woolworths eyes off UK supermarket trend to ready-to-go meals.
5. Michael Hill plan expansion of Emma Roe brand with 12 new stores.
6. Uniqlo to launch latest designer collaboration, featuring hijabs.
7. Chinese demand pushes A2 Milk shares higher.
8. Record winter crops predicted for Australian producers.
9. Amazon Fresh considers entering Australian market.
10. India now considered second most attractive retail market after China.
11. Woolworths starts meat price war with 28% price drop on roast lamb legs.
12. H&M launches Olympic fashion range.
13. Mulberry reports huge profit boost.
14. Uber launches food deliveries in London.

Convenience, Convenience, Convenience

It has become a growing trend for retailers to position themselves at airports, train stations, and hotels. And the reason is that retailers are having to direct their offer to the growing need for retail convenience for their customers.

Jeans West recently opened its first airport store in WA and that is being repeated around the globe as retailers lock into a variety of local and international clientele, often with a few hours to kill, who are bound to one location. In our busy day to day lives, a forced dwell time becomes convenient shopping time. It is all about fitting as much as we can into hectic lifestyles.

Another handy dwell time for consumers is sitting on the couch at night which is why internet shopping and/or browsing, is so popular. When you are pressed for time it makes sense to do some pre-planning before the actual shopping trip.

And there are many examples of retailers doing things to ease the strain on

consumers. Harvey Norman recently announced a 3 hour delivery service in capital cities around Australia. Amazon Fresh is a home/business delivery service that has changed the face of fresh food purchasing in the US, is about to be launched in the UK, and according to Amazon it could be launched in Australia as early as next year.

Drone deliveries to the customer’s door are being trialled by Amazon and even our own Australia Post.

We recently reported that Woolworths are ramping up their convenience store program with smaller stores located near transport hubs and offering ready-to-go meals and snacks.

A big trend in the UK supermarket scene involves multi-course take away

meals – a main course, a dessert, and a bottle of wine all for under $20.

A separate article on Victraders this week examines the inconvenience of our sprawling market and how we can make it more convenient for shoppers by providing shopping precincts. Expect more to be written about this subject as retailers find new ways of making the humble process of shopping more convenient and enjoyable for time poor consumers.

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10 Ways To Look Like A Successful Market Trader

Times are tough for some market traders but that is not something we want to tell customers. So how do we  impress our customers, and look like we are making a million dollars every day?

1.   Appearance – traders may remember the trader some years back who dressed in a suit and bow tie at his stall. That may not be appropriate for your product range but if you can wear something that relates to your product range that is great, and good advice is to dress up, rather than dress down.

2.   Appearance 2 – of course it is not just personal appearance that counts, but the appearance of your stall and the value you place on your product range that sends a wider value statement.

3.   Attitude – millionaire traders are likely to be happy traders so a big welcoming smile and friendly attitude go a long way.

4.   Attention to customers – Sam Walton once said, “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

5.   Be busy – standing at the back of your stall and reading, or even worse, playing with a mobile phone, shows an idle mind. Idleness and success don’t go together.

6.   Change – retailing is essentially about moving stock. Make it look like your stock is moving. Change displays, add new products, and show old products in a new way.

7.   Invest in yourself – show the customer that you are in for the long haul. Business cards, websites, mail-outs, all add to the positive impression you create.

8.   Detail – we know that attention to detail is a hallmark for many successful entrepreneurs – Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey etc. Your customers will never get tired of you doing that little bit extra to get the sale.

9.   Be bold – successful entrepreneurs take (considered) chances, try new ideas, and think outside the square.

10. Get a good night’s sleep – ok we pulled this one off the internet, but according to a leading image consultant, a good night’s sleep gives you the healthy glowing skin that many millionaires show.  

This list could be longer. Feedback and ideas are most welcome.

HaveYour Say – click here.

QVM's Website Sucks For Shopping

QVM's website sucks for shopping. As the digital age matures into a useful aid for consumers it is important to offer facilities that make you competitive, and one of the world's great markets just doesn't achieve that. But maybe a website isn't the answer anyway.

A couple of years ago we published an article about the inadequacies of the QVM website's search facility. When you typed "socks" into the search box it came up with an article on horseradish that "knocks your socks off". Conspiracy theories about QVM's neglect of anything non-food were given a real boost. Things have improved a little and when you type in "socks" now you get the following entries -

1.   An article on the 25 days of Christmas which presumably contains reference to socks.

2.   An article on the Traders Giveaway of December 2014 which also presumably includes a mention of socks.

3.   Bruce Goose - a sock seller.

4.   Father's Day 2014

5.   A photo of a horseradish - yep, that is still there.

If you were looking for socks at QVM you would not be impressed. But it is not just that the search facility isn't fine tuned enough to be shopper relevant, it is the sluggishness of the whole operation that will deter the most patient shopper. All entries are graphically intensive and individually they look quite magnificent but you can make a cup of coffee while you wait for them to download (this might be due to my local internet service) and impatient shoppers just want the information not the pretty pictures. Dare we say that this is a website designed by designers with little regard for their intended audience – the shoppers.

Let's try another category - "shoes". Here is what the search will bring up -

1.   Binder Enterprises - sheepskin footwear.

2.   A Plus Market - presumably mentions shoes in the article.

3.   Radical Yes - a footwear trader although it wasn't clear where they operate from - presumably on Therry St?

4.   A Plus Market - yep, another entry for this market.

5.   A Plus Market - again.

6.   Ausfireopals - presumably selling opal footwear.

You can see our point. This is not a shopper friendly website. In fairness to the designers, it does a good job of informing on events and giving a general overview of market operations.

But back to our opening paragraph and the suggestion that "maybe a website isn't the answer anyway". Contemporary business discussion does question whether a website should be the number one gateway to a retail business. A professional shoppers website can be very valuable, but increasingly apps are providing the functionality that shoppers and retailers are looking for. A professionally written app can provide enhanced interaction, with a website being just a source of general information.

So the choices would appear to be a slick, professional website that meets all the customer’s needs or a slick, professional app with a website as an adjunct. QVM has neither, and it is time that inadequacy was corrected.

By Greg Smith

Have Your Say - click here.

Why We Need Precincts At QVM

Creating precincts of like products, or similar lifestyle products, in the general merchandise area of our market is a hot issue for traders. Almost two years ago a pro-grouping article was published on these pages and the reaction was clearly against the proposal. Times have changed - well actually they haven't because we are still battling a retail recession, but our customers have become even more empowered, and the search for ways to appease the wishes of our customers has caused some traders to re-think their approach.

Another article on Victraders this week talks about the importance of convenience for customers. It attempts to show that convenience is probably the single most important driver of customer responses. It has been said that opposition to precincts is a manifestation of a trader’s most selfish business survival instinct - "Give me the best chance of getting a sale by keeping my competitors well away." “I'm not interested in giving the customer convenience, I just want the sale." Spreading competitors around our market, so that essentially customers have to walk the whole market to check out all their options, is inconvenient. And the point is that if you make the shopping experience difficult or inconvenient for your customer, they will stop coming, and nobody gets the sale no matter where they are positioned.

In the supermarket game, Aldi and Lidl are on the right track. Keep the offer simple, and convenient for customers. Woolworths and Coles are battling that trend right now as they lose ground and are forced to reduce prices to maintain market share. We know from the department store war that simply reducing prices is not the answer.

And let's address the most common defence of a non-structured market - "Many of our customers like walking the whole market. It is all part of an adventure." That is true, but only for one group (admittedly the most important for the top end), our tourist visitors. As a generalisation, they are in holiday mode, and happy to browse, potter, and stroll. But what about the other shoppers, those that are time poor, and looking for convenience? They may not be the core customer for the top end of QVM but maybe that is because we don't cater to their needs. And will tourists stop coming if we create precincts? That seems highly unlikely. Tourists are going to casually browse no matter how we set up our market. They are less likely to want to "hit and run" whereas locals need that option. And let's not forget that the huge growth of apartments around our market is creating more "locals" than ever before.

We need precincts for a whole lot of reasons and one might be that it will help sort out the un-competitive traders and address the issue of repetition in many categories. Reducing repetition is good, forcing out traders is not good, and there would need to be a comprehensive readjustment program for struggling traders including a dignified exit plan if necessary.

The point of a precinct is that it creates its own energy. It becomes greater than the sum of its parts because the total picture is provided in one place. A precinct becomes a destination and each participant is forced to create a point of difference that enhances the end result for the consumer. Sameness is out, focus, depth and variety are in, and essentially that is what consumers want. It is no accident that the most successful parts of our market, the fresh food areas, are grouped in precincts

This is a complex issue. It is scary, and uncertain, but the first group of traders in the top end that agrees to establish a precinct and create a desirable destination may just reap rewards and find a way out of the retail recession. That has got to be worth a try.

By Greg Smith

Have Your Say - click here.
COMMENTS:
24/06/2016 19:43:54 Precinct "We already have precincts
Dairy Hall
Meat Hall
Fruit Stall and
General Merchandise

Leave it alone "

This Is Not A Reference For Pete

Most traders will know that Pete The Cleaner, or Guru Pete to many, is in danger of losing his job at QVM. Pete is employed by the current cleaning contractor and they will be handing over to a new contractor on 4^th July.

Pete has become a bit of an icon at QVM and it is fair to say that traders don’t want to lose him. Pete would also like to stay at QVM. We asked Pete if traders could write a reference to his potential new employer but he declined saying he didn’t want to cause a fuss and he would prefer to let matters take their course.

So we agreed we wouldn’t interfere in the process or write a formal reference to the new contractor. But if we had, this is how it would look –

To Whom It May Concern

We are writing this reference in relation to Pete The Cleaner, a current employee at the Queen Victoria Market.

Pete is a very important part of the QVM cleaning service and is a well-respected, some would say “much-loved”, character at our market. Pete attends our market from early hours and diligently does his rounds with trolley, broom, and shovel in hand attending to the variety of cleaning jobs that are part of a large public market.

Many of those jobs are tedious, and some unsavoury, but Pete conducts all his duties with a bright friendly demeanour that makes dealing with him an absolute pleasure. He is polite and helpful to our customers and often provides location advice for those struggling to find their way around our complex site. So to us he is more than just a cleaner – he is an engaging character who takes great interest in what is happening around the market and can be counted on when cleaning services are required. 

And it is that final point that we would like to focus on with a potential employer. In many parts of our city, cleaning is done after hours and cleaners simply need to get on with their assigned tasks. When you are performing your tasks in public and at the mercy of 700 independent market traders it requires a whole new skill set. Pete’s ability to provide speedy service to a variety of customers (traders) is very impressive. His rapport, ability to co-operate, and lay-down-the-law with traders when necessary, is a valuable talent.

We have no hesitation in recommending Pete for that type of role.

Yours Faithfully,

Queen Victoria Market Traders.

Have Your Say – click here.

Are You Ready For Renewal?

QVM renewal so far lacks detail but that is expected to change sometime next month with the announcement of the initial stage(s).

Whilst we don’t have detail just yet it may pay to get into a mindset that is ready to evaluate the possibility of change in our retail environment. This week’s retail news contains a number of trends that may be relevant for us.

Convenience – Woolworths are planning to expand their range of Metro convenience stores. The stores are based on a 600 sqm footprint, located near public transport and focus on grab’n’go solutions and ready-made meal offers for today’s consumer. As QVM becomes the centre of the huge growth in apartments at the northern end of the city, how will this trend impact on us?

Retail Growth – A report in Inside Retailing last week suggests that slow retail growth is here to stay. Household incomes have been rising at around half the rate of the preceding 20 years. Hours worked and hourly rates are both looking rather weak and are not expected to pick up until there is strong employment growth somewhere in the economy. Just what will replace the mining sector for job growth is not clear.

Nightime Economy – the City of Melbourne is trumpeting its night time economy and particularly the rise of food (and the fall of alcohol). More activity over longer hours appears to be the mantra here.

Transport Trends – Construction of the new metro rail system and CBD underground stations are going to cause significant disruption around Melbourne streets over the next 10 years but nobody seems too concerned about the relevance of cars and parking. Quite clearly we are heading for a green clean city based on public transport using alternative energy sources.

Big Data - The advertising hype from retailers like David Jones and Myer seems to have gone a little quiet over recent times and apparently that is because they are concentrating on understanding more about their current customers and engaging with then in different ways - social media, email, websites, in-store contact, apps, loyalty cards, etc. etc. Knowing what your customers are doing and how to connect with them is a whole new field of retailing endeavour.

Have Your Say – click here.

Latest Retail News – 12/6/2016
1. Emporium wins international marketing award.
2. Flight Centre issues profit warning.
3. David Jones announces a host of senior management changes.
4. Write-downs and restructuring of Target to severely impact on Wesfarmers profit.
5. Food & Beverage demand in major shopping centres continues to grow.
6. Small Business vote considered important in marginal seats.
7. Harvey Norman launches 3 hour delivery service to all major cities.
8. H&M announce collaboration with French fashion house Kenzo.
9. Penfolds selling $198,000 barrels of exclusive wine to collectors.
10. Patties Foods (Four’n’Twenty etc.) gets $230m takeover offer.
11. Instant coffee sales decline in favour of fresh coffee while Nescafe remains most popular brand.
12. David Jones to open first international store in NZ this July.
13. Kogan expected to make share issue.
14. Burberry looks to social media as key part of turnaround strategy.
15. Eastland launches new Health and Beauty Precinct with flower decorated sanctuary.
16. Patties Foods accepts takeover offer.
17. Dymocks opens Chadstone book store.
18. Economist says get used to slow retail growth.
19. JeansWest opens its first airport store in WA.
20. Johnson & Johnson buys hair-care products maker Vogue International.
21. BP and Caltex rumoured to be interested in Woolworths petrol stations.
22. Woolworths fined $9m for being involved in uncompetitive practices in laundry detergent category.
23. CoM says food is driving Melbourne’s night time economy.
24. Woolworths to replace its “Select” brand.
25. Luxury retailers Furla, Max Mara, Prada and Tiffany & Co. set to open at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre on the Gold Coast.
26. Shaver Shop plans share issue.
27. Ralph Lauren trims stores and staff as sales slump.
28. IKEA plans for online store launch in 2017.
29. Surfstitch heads for loss.
30. Sportscraft fined for trying to water down consumer rights on discounted goods.
31. Amazon launches fresh food deliveries in UK.