Small retailers have joined Gerry Harvey’s call for a GST on online imports, with the National Retailers Association, which represents 3,700 businesses joining the Fair Imports Alliance according to The Age.
The National Retailers Association, in joining the Fair Imports Alliance spearheaded by the Australian Retailers Association and retail moguls Gerry Harvey and Solomon Lew is the kind of industry-wide support the ARA has been hoping for, with the ARA’s retailers involved in the campaign left out to dry by the consumer backlash against the Fair Imports Alliance campaign members Wesfarmers, Myer, Just Group and Harvey Norman.
According to the NRA’s executive director Gary Black smaller shop owners have suffered more than the larger retailers in the shift to online shopping, with imports under $1,000 not attracting GST according to The Age.
The NRA describes itself as the pre-eminent voice of the retail industry, “we are proud to provide individual business solutions to over 3700 retail businesses across Australia.” The NRA’s members range from sole operator enterprises to specialty, chain and franchise stores of all types and sizes.
