Retail
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Retail news and insights for Australia’s small and medium business owners and entrepreneurs. Read the latest retail news, trends and features and entrepreneur interviews about the retail industry. Or search for retail on SmartCompany. |
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News
Grill'd founder apologises for bungled coupon offer as rival Nando's steals the spotlight Patrick Stafford A two-for-one coupon deal offered to university students has become an embarrassment for burger chain Grill'd after the offer went viral. | Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
Federal Court slams online retailer for misleading and deceptive conduct - but sites have shut and director has gone missing James Thomson Federal Court finds online retailer OzDirect guilty of misleading conduct. | Tuesday, 2 March 2010 |
Retail sales grow by 1.2% in January, Tatts buys NSW Lotteries: Economy Roundup Patrick Stafford The Australian sharemarket has opened higher today ahead of the RBA's meeting where economists widely expect the board to increase the official interest rate by 0.25%. | Tuesday, 2 March 2010 |
Kmart’s Anzac Day trading application highlights widespread confusion for retailers Patrick Stafford The controversy over an application from retail giant Kmart to open before 1pm on Anzac Day has highlighted the confusion among the states regarding the day’s trading hours. | Tuesday, 2 March 2010 |
Footwear retailer Figgins Holdings collapses into liquidation James Thomson Figgins Holdings, which used to operate 140 stores around Australia, and owned the Midas, Emporio, Mollini and Scooter brands, has collapsed into liquidation. | Sunday, 28 February 2010 |
Woolworths profit up 11%, announces $400 million share buyback Patrick Stafford Woolworths’ strong profit results releases just days after the supermarket giant announced plans for the locations of 12 of its upcoming hardware stores. | Thursday, 25 February 2010 |
Victorian Government fast-tracks Woolworths/Lowe’s hardware assault James Thomson Woolworths plans to challenge the Wesfarmers-owned Bunnings chain for control of Australia’s lucrative DIY market are off to a flying start. | Tuesday, 23 February 2010 |
Has Domino’s Pizza got Australia’s most successful business iPhone app? James Thomson Domino’s Pizza reveals its pizza ordering app has generated $2 million worth of sales in just 12 weeks. | Thursday, 18 February 2010 |
Kleenmaid appliances back on sale – but can the brand really be resurrected? James Thomson Kleenmaid appliances will be back on sale to the public this weekend, just under 12 months after the Brisbane-based company collapsed with 10,000 creditors. | Thursday, 18 February 2010 |
Woolworths buyer sacked over alleged kickback scheme as supermarket giant prepares to audit suppliers’ ethical standards James Thomson Woolworths confirms it is assisting police with inquires into an alleged kickback scheme that involved suppliers paying a “promotional surcharge” to get their products on the shelves. | Thursday, 18 February 2010 |
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Trends
Demand low for fast speed broadband Patrick Stafford Telstra's high-speed internet service, which offers speeds of up to 100mbps has only been taken up by about 200 customers since its launch last year, throwing the viability of the NBN into question. | Tuesday, 9 March 2010 |
Internet access a right, survey finds Patrick Stafford Over 75% of people across the world believe access to the internet is a right, a BBC poll has revealed. | Tuesday, 9 March 2010 |
Google Buzz hit with lawsuit Patrick Stafford Internet giant Google has been hit with a law suit in the American state of Rhode Island for allegedly violating privacy laws through its new Buzz social networking service. | Tuesday, 9 March 2010 |
TiVo wins patent dispute Patrick Stafford The US Federal Court has ruled in favour of TiVo, saying satellite-provider EchoStar and subsidiary Dish Network infringed on several of the company's patents. | Monday, 8 March 2010 |
Nokia reveals what consumers want in smartphones Patrick Stafford About 20% of mobile users want to see their handsets become totally wireless for everyday use including data transfers and recharges, according to the findings of a Nokia survey. | Sunday, 7 March 2010 |
Features
How I... started an international business with $100 Patrick Stafford Emigrating from Poland to Australia in 1981 with just $100 in his pocket, Andrew Gorecki started Retail Directions, which now services over 70 brands. | Thursday, 18 February 2010 |
The Yanks are coming Patrick Stafford With the US economy still in the doldrums, US-based companies are targetting the Australian market for expansion. | Monday, 15 February 2010 |
Healthy growth Robert Bryant, IBISWorld Rising disposable income levels and increasing awareness about the importance of a good diet will see the fruit and vegetable retailing industry grow healthily. | Tuesday, 9 February 2010 |
The buzz on the beauty industry Robert Bryant, IBISWorld Despite hairdressing and beauty therapy increasingly being seen as a necessity, the industry is sensitive to changes in disposable income. | Tuesday, 19 January 2010 |
10 key economy forecasts for 2010 James Thomson While Australian entrepreneurs are entering 2010 with a renewed sense of confidence, there are still economic hurdles. | Monday, 18 January 2010 |
Sector cools off Robert Bryant The rising Aussie dollar and steel prices, and lower global demand will see subdued growth in the commercial heating and cooling sector. | Tuesday, 17 November 2009 |
The rise of the über metro Robert Bryant The rise of the metro-sexual, and in more recent years the über-sexual male, has seen the spending behaviour of men shift dramatically. | Tuesday, 10 November 2009 |
The power of CRM Nina Hendy The importance of building an emotional attachment with customers should never be underestimated. Using a CRM system could be the answer. | Wednesday, 4 November 2009 |
10 ways to prepare your website for Christmas Patrick Stafford With Christmas fast approaching, smart online retailers should be thinking about their holiday strategies. | Wednesday, 7 October 2009 |
The innovative business model Tom McKaskill Business models are the holy grail of innovation and success. So think of what you can learn from the business models of the world's best companies. | Thursday, 1 October 2009 |
Entrepreneur Zone
Alana Chang Patrick Stafford  Alana and Lauren Chang’s jewellery business Moi Moi is the diamond in the rough. | Friday, 4 December 2009
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Tony Nash Patrick Stafford  Tony Nash, founder of online bookstore Booktopia, has grand plans for Australia's first book vending machines. | Thursday, 12 November 2009
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Emanuel Perdis James Thomson  Emanuel Perdis, managing director of cosmetics brand Napoleon, talks about expanding in the US and encouraging female entrepreneurship. | Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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Paul Marshall Patrick Stafford  Online content aggregator Lasoo has bridged the gap between tech-savvy and old-fashioned customers by digitising paper catalogues. | Friday, 6 November 2009
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Andrew Cooper Amber Plum  Online retail site dStore is set to launch a bricks-and-mortar outlet. | Thursday, 24 September 2009
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A "haul" lotta success Amanda Gome  As an early adopter of Twitter, Scott Kilmartin champions the benefits of getting your business name known via social media. | Tuesday, 8 September 2009
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Zazzle's pizzazz Patrick Stafford  Brothers and co-founders of online retailer Zazzle, Jeff and Bobby Beaver went from running a garage operation to a $U250 million enterprise. | Thursday, 27 August 2009
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A bigger slice of the pie Patrick Stafford  Moving from a company-owned model to a franchise system has allowed Pie Face to change its capital requirements and its expansion strategy. | Thursday, 20 August 2009
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Lasting Momento Patrick Stafford  Geoff Hunt, co-founder of Momento, has cashed in on the digital photo revolution using a traditional medium. | Thursday, 6 August 2009
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The right reputation Patrick Stafford  David Meyer, chief executive of Kordz, says the key to standing out in the commodity market is putting reputation first and foremost. | Thursday, 30 July 2009
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