Consumer confidence starts year with a bang
Consumer confidence has bounced higher and is expected to keep improving as rising real wages and rate cuts support household incomes.
retail
Retailers buoyed as shoppers swarm Boxing Day sales
Aussies are expected to splurge on homewares and beauty products, with bargain hunters set to spend more than $1.3 billion on Boxing Day sales.
Shoppers to splash the cash in $1.3b Boxing Day spree
Cost of living pressures are not high enough for Australians to miss out on bumper billion-dollar Boxing Day sales after a season of early shopping tactics.
Myer brings in body cameras, radios to keep staff safe
Mid-market department store Myer is beefing up security in its stores to protect workers and reduce the amount of theft.
Woolies rushes to deck the shelves with Christmas stock
Woolworths is counting the cost of a 17-day strike that took millions of dollars from their bottom line and left shelves empty in the lead-up to Christmas.
Woolies nabs union deal to end warehouse strike
Striking has ended at Woolworths' distribution centres after workers who had walked off the job for 17 days accepted a fresh offer from the supermarket giant.
Tide turns for retailers with shop tills tipped to ring
Australians have been saving what they can as living costs soar but experts expect more spending in the next 12 months, especially when interest rates are cut.
Woolies wins battle in warehouse worker stoush
Supermarket giant Woolworths will start restocking shelves after the workplace umpire backed its fight against workers blocking crucial distribution centres.
Thirty licences to open a cafe: state red tape ranked
Australian business must work through a patchwork of regulations wherever they operate, but requirements in some states are more onerous than in others.
The 50 million reasons Woolies wants blockade to end
Woolworths says strike action has cost the company $50 million as it lodges an urgent application to ban workers from blocking access to its warehouses.
Shelves bare but union puts stock in talks with Woolies
Supermarket shelves will continue to remain bare as hundreds of workers picketing a major Woolworths warehouse fight for better pay and conditions.
‘Not robots’: Woolies says no shortages as staff strike
Some 1500 Woolworths warehouse workers are on strike, but the supermarket giant insists their absence is not leading to empty shelves for customers.
Price-conscious Aussies spend up on record Black Friday
The cost-of-living crisis is driving more and more people towards sales, delivering retailers a bonanza on the increasingly popular Black Friday.
Workplace protections from sex offenders needed: report
A report has called for law changes to provide better protection from sex offenders for children working alongside adults across the nation.
Coles denies unhappy suppliers cop ‘holiday’ check outs
Supermarket giant Coles rejects punishing fresh produce suppliers who disagree on pricing, as the company is grilled at an inquiry into the sector.
Billions to be spent on Black Friday, Cyber Monday
Even Santa Claus couldn't stay away from Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, with Australians expected to splurge a record $6.7 billion.
Coles holds 17 sites with no DAs, denies land-banking
Grocery giant Coles has held one site for 16 years without building a supermarket, but the firm has rejected allegations of anti-competitive land-banking.
Coles denies supplier gouge through own-brand products
Supermarket heavyweight Coles has developed a wide range of subtly-branded products it owns, denying there is any transparency issue for customers.
Woolies denies gouging suppliers in skewed relationship
Representatives from supermarket powerhouse Woolworths deny its huge market share is costing suppliers an opportunity to negotiate when selling products.
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Developer malaise means Woolies is behind more malls
Woolworths has cast itself as being in competition with cake shops and newsagents, while also showing the might of its construction arm.
Discount class action fresh headache for grocery giants
Australia's two major supermarket chains say they will defend against class action lawsuits brought over allegations of misleading promotional price practices.
‘Morons’: Multi-faith condemnation over Myer protest
Multi-faith leaders have stood in solidarity against protesters planning to target a Christmas event, as the organiser insisted children were never a target.
Coles calls out ‘politicisation’ of cost of living
Politicians are unfairly attacking supermarket chains to provide answers to difficult questions about inflation, grocery giant Coles says.
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Aldi banks on winning customers over opening new stores
The nearest supermarket rival to Coles and Woolworths says it's focused on trying to woo new customers rather than expanding its chain of Australian stores.
Farmers fear being frozen out by supermarket giants
Produce growers face limited export opportunities, low bargaining power and high costs to supply Australian supermarket giants, an inquiry has heard.
‘Frustrated, sceptical’ consumers lose trust in grocers
Consumers doubt rising costs are totally to blame for higher grocery prices, as profits fall for manufacturers struggling to pass on surging costs.
Wesfarmers defends record profits amid cost crisis
Wesfarmers chair Michael Chaney is reclaiming the word "profit" as the parent company of Kmart and Bunnings reaps a record profit amid a cost-of-living crisis.
Optus regrets ‘unacceptable’ conduct alleged by ACCC
Australia's second-largest telco says it failed to meet expectations after the consumer watchdog alleged "unconscionable conduct" against vulnerable customers.
‘People haven’t splurged’: tax cut spending subdued
Australian retailers are finally starting to see a more upbeat consumer, though spending is unlikely to be strong enough to fan the flames of inflation.
Fish furore: Woolies refuses to phase out farmed salmon
Woolworths shareholders have questioned the company's board over its pricing practices and use of farmed salmon which threatens the existence of a rare fish.
Australia’s inflation down, but not out
There were few surprises in the inflation read-out, with economists broadly of the view underlying price pressures should keep the cash rate on hold until 2025.