Industry Updates - All

Shifting the price paradigm

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:55:10 GMT

There is a new game in town and it’s called the “low price limbo”!

Everyone is getting into it.

Bunnings has been playing for ages; Coles and Woolworths are right into it; Big W set the standard in apparel and homewares and now Kmart has joined the party.

Is this a shift in the retail price paradigm? Australian consumers may finally be discovering what the rest of the developed world has known for some time: that we do not have to compromise quality for low prices; we can have both!

Director Penalty Notices

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:51:48 GMT

Director Penalty Notices have long been a favoured weapon of the ATO. Regarded by many as a draconian tool, DPNs are designed to focus directors on the issue of insolvent trading – or face the consequences. But the recently passed Tax Laws Amendment (Transfer of Provisions) Bill 2010 means the rules of the game have now changed. The key message is: directors beware!

Hybrid trucks in first gear?

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:17:50 GMT

Road transport operators need to prepare themselves for the introduction of a new emissions standard in Australia, due in September this year.The step from the current Euro-4 standard to the new Euro-5 standard (adopted in the European Union two years ago) represents a significant step towards cleaner emissions from our trucks.

While the cost of complying with Euro-5 is unlikely to be crippling, it will be a new and additional impost tied to all new truck registrations starting in Financial Year 2011. It led me to wonder what comes next and how concerns about emissions are going to affect road transport operators in this country.

Being Cheap just got Good for you!

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:12:56 GMT

ALDI is one of the world’s great grocery retailers. This German icon (worldwide turnover circa $US 60 billion) opened its first store in Australia in 2001 and now has more than 230 stores - well on its way to its target of 600+. In 2008, ALDI was hailed as the country’s best value retailer by the ACCC after it completed its inquiry into the competitiveness of retail prices for standard grocery items.

ALDI’s business model has always been “keep it simple, keep it cheap.” Now, it is introducing an element of “keep it good for you” too.

Gaming machine entitlements

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:14:11 GMT

In the next few months, the Victorian Government’s scheme for the transfer of gaming machine entitlements is expected to be up and running. This scheme will enable buyers and sellers of gaming machine entitlements to post information via a market-based website and to negotiate price and details for the transfer of entitlements from one venue operator to another. In this article Colin Gill and John Lindholm examine the secondary market for entitlements, what it will achieve and the variables that will influence price and availability.

Gaming Industry Auction

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:59:06 GMT

Many hotels and clubs across Victoria breathed a sigh of relief last night, as the State Government’s auction of gaming entitlements closed with most paying much less than they anticipated.

Turn the page - the e-book revolution

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:25:00 GMT

In the past 10 years, rapid developments in technology have revolutionised the home entertainment retail industry. The change from “selling atoms” (CDs in CD stores) to “selling data” (downloadable MP3 files on iTunes) has brought dramatic change to the music retail business.

Now it is time for the digital evolution of the book publishing business. Prepare yourself for the e-book revolution!

Phoenix Danger Directors Beware

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:46:28 GMT

Last week, 65 year-old Sydney man, James Soong, was sentenced to three years jail after being prosecuted for conducting a phoenix scheme. It was a clear demonstration of the Government’s intention to crack down on phoenix activity, the often brazen asset stripping that sees one company collapse owing huge debts to creditors while another – almost the same except for its name – emerges from the ashes to carry on unencumbered with debt.

Promises Promises

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:13:04 GMT

Many retailers promise great service, but too often the consumer is disappointed. Many retailers offer a "low price guarantee", (think Bunnings; Dan Murphy and Anaconda) and promise to match or beat any published price. Increasingly, the low price promise is no longer a point of difference - it is expected, taken for granted, the minimum requirement to have a seat at the retail table.

Today there is a new retail promise: the "always in stock" guarantee.

Clever advertising gives John Lewis an edge

Wed, 26 May 2010 04:39:28 GMT

The John Lewis Partnership is one of the world's unique business models. Based in the UK, this British retail icon is owned, quite literally, by its 70,000 staff.