A new retail index tracking weekly sales will give business owners the ability to better measure their performance and adapt to changing market conditions.
Concerns about the impact of the rising Australian dollar have been subdued by a new report that shows high visitor expenditure expected in Sydney and Melbourne.
Even before the floods in December and January, business confidence was already on the wane, according to the quarterly business survey released by the National Australia Bank on Tuesday. The survey of 900 businesses found there was a drop in the business confidence index from 9 points in the third quarter to 5 points in the fourth quarter, with a decline in profitability, sales and trading being significant factors.