Retailers are being given the chance to cut business costs and boost energy efficiency thanks to free workshops being held around Australia.
The National Retail Association’s Retail Buys the Future energy efficiency program is currently underway, and gives retailers the chance to learn expert tips on cutting costs through environmentally friendly practices.
The Brisbane workshop, held last week, was the first in a series which will tour around the country to give retailers a rare insight into the energy saving methods of the industry’s leading competitors and learn how to maximise their own business’ energy efficiency. The program has the backing of the Australian Government through the Department of Industry as part of the Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program.
NRA Retail Sustainability Project Manager Daile Kelleher said she was confident retailers who jumped on-board the program would save thousands of dollars by simply reducing their carbon footprint.
“Electricity bills are continuing to rise and have become one of the top expenses for retailers along with wages, product and rent. It can be confusing to know where to start if you want to reduce your monthly energy costs and is often overlooked due to lack of knowledge of what to do in your business,” Ms Kelleher said.
“The NRA’s Retail Buys the Future Brisbane workshop provided the perfect opportunity for local retailers to uncover low-to-no cost solutions that they can easily implement into their business today.”
Breakthrough Business Consulting sustainability expert Lisa Erhart also encouraged local retailers who missed the workshop to use the information available in the Retail Buys the Future web portal to separate themselves from the competition.
“We’re empowering retailers by giving them the knowledge to identify opportunities where they can reduce costs through implementing sustainable practices in their business,” Ms Erhart said.
Retail Buys the Future is designed for the entire retail and personal services sector and will cover information relevant to all sectors with a particular focus on small to medium sized enterprises. The workshops will also be held in Albury, Melbourne, Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide over the coming months.