Retail

Metcash has reached an agreement with Ritchies for the sale of nine Franklins stores, which will be rebranded under the IGA banner.

Woolworths has announced plans to put its iconic electronics brand up for sale, with the chain’s namesake and founder Dick Smith saying he’ll be angered if the chain’s sold into foreign hands, but can’t see a likely alternative.

Consumers will spend more of their online dollars with UK retailers over the next month, PayPal says, as the local dollar continues to strengthen against the British pound.

Twenty-twelve is shaping up as a year of digital change for the small business and retail industries, and SMBs must be on top of upcoming trends if they want to stay ahead of the competition.

Many Australian online retailers celebrated their busiest online shopping period ever last month, with PayPal reporting some established local retailers are beginning to fight back against international competition.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has found over 750 retail workers across the country were unknowingly underpaid, and the watchdog is asking guilty businesses to reimburse affected staff – at a total cost of $585,000.

Despite a decision by the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates by 0.25 percent, retail turnover fell disappointingly flat in November, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

A leading retail body is calling on the federal and state governments to consider the impacts of new taxes on consumers and businesses, as many begin 2012 budget discussions.

The outlook for 2011 holiday sales appears to be tepid amid consumer concern over the state of the economy, so savvy retailers are taking matters into their own hands by attracting new customers, generating repeat business, and improving campaign analytics with easy-to-execute mobile marketing programs.

Bricks and mortar retailers can simply no longer ignore the growth of online shopping. Rather than fight it, look at the many opportunities it brings.

Small business sales were up in October, suggesting that consumer spending will creep back in the lead up to Christmas, according to the latest figures from ANZ.

Retailers aren’t counting on joy to save the year, with Christmas sales projected to see only a small growth over last year’s figures.

Thorn Group, the parent company of Radio Rentals and Rentlo, increased its profit for the half year to September, despite soft retail conditions.

Google expects shopping-related search traffic to skyrocket in the lead-up to Christmas, as Australians do their online research before heading to stores or placing orders online.

Bunnings Warehouse is leading its competitors Thrifty Link, Mitre 10 and Home Hardware when it comes to customer satisfaction, value and range of products, according to a new Canstar Blue survey.

7-Eleven has been named the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) Visa Australian Retailer of the Year, thanks largely to its skill and success as a franchise.

Christmas is just six weeks away now, making it the ideal time to ensure your business is ready to take advantage of the festive rush in spending. So, Google’s put together this list of five tips for “mobilising” your business in time for 25 December.

As online businesses flourish and more traditional retailers expand their selling floor online, finding an efficient way to deal with the back-end process of online sales has become increasingly important. Dynamic Business talks to eStore Logistics co-founder Leigh Williams about the options available to SMEs.

Google data released today shows 2011 will be the biggest year yet for online retail, with a 29 percent increase in shopping related searches year-on-year – and retailers need to think mobile to meet consumer demands.

IKEA will open a third store in Sydney in 2014/15, in the north-western suburb of Marsden Park.