RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

Retailers ready to ride Black Friday wave

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Richard Henderson, Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 & 34 : 25-Nov-21

Research by Boston Consulting Group shows that 82 per cent of Australians intend to participate in the Black Friday sales in 2021, compared with 43 per cent in 2020. Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra notes that November has displaced December as the nation’s biggest month for retail sales over the last two years, primarily due to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Roy Morgan’s research shows that the four-day event will generate sales of $5.4bn in 2021. Some retailers have been offering big discounts ahead of the Black Friday sale on 26 November.

CORPORATES
THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Christmas coming early as retailers brace for November splurge

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Matthew Elmas
The New Daily – Page: Online : 10-Nov-21

Australia Post is ramping up its parcel delivery services in expectations of a big increase in online shopping in November. The annual Click Frenzy event has signalled the start of the anticipated surge in online sales in the lead-up to Christmas. The Australian Retailers Association has forecast that the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday events will generate some $5.4bn worth of retail sales in just four days. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the recent ending of COVID-19 lockdowns in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra is likely to see retail spending in November either match or exceed the record levels of 2020.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA POST, CLICK FRENZY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Pre-Christmas retail trade for 2021 predicted to remain steady year-on-year at $58 billion

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Oct-21

The Australian Retailers Association and strategic partner Roy Morgan are predicting that this year’s pre-Christmas spending will broadly match last year’s high and be significantly above 2019 pre-pandemic spending. The ARA-Roy Morgan 2021 pre-Christmas Retail Sales predictions forecast that overall spending will come in at $58.8 billion, virtually unchanged on last year, but up 11.3% on pre-pandemic conditions. National retail trade for pre-Christmas 2021 is predicted to be in-line with 2020, with growth in Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT; NSW and WA largely flat and some contraction in Queensland, SA and NT off the back of strong pre-Christmas sales in 2020. The Roy Morgan data also values (for the first time) the impact of the most recent lockdowns on retail trade at $131 million per day across the economy.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

Myer has the right stuff to lead revival

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 15 : 6-Oct-21

Myer Holdings’ chair JoAnne Stephenson has urged shareholders to vote against any motion to spill the department store group’s board of directors. There has been speculation that major shareholder Premier Investments will push for board renewal at Myer’s annual general meeting on 4 November. Stephenson was officially appointed as chair on 16 September, having been in the role on a temporary basis since predecessor Garry Hounsell stepped down in 2020. Stephenson says Myer’s board has an appropriate mix of skills, experience, diversity and independence.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV

Harvey repays JobKeeper

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 15 : 1-Sep-21

Consumer electronics and furniture retailer Harvey Norman has posted a 2020-21 net profit of $841.41m, which is 75.1 per cent higher than previously. Revenue rose by 14.9 per cent to $9.721bn, while its Australian sales were up 12.8 per cent at $6.95bn. Harvey Norman’s stores in seven overseas markets recorded profit growth of 58.3 per cent, to $240.79m. Meanwhile, chairman Gerry Harvey has advised that the group will repay some $6.02m worth of taxpayer support that it received via the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. Harvey Norman received about $22m worth of JobKeeper payments in total.

CORPORATES
HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

No peace deal: Lew rejects Myer offer of board seat

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jared Lynch
The Australian – Page: 15 : 9-Jul-21

Premier Investments’ chairman Solomon Lew has called for Myer Holdings’ three remaining independent directors to step down. He contends that $760m of shareholder value had been lost since his listed retail investment vehicle become Myer’s biggest shareholder in 2017. Lew adds that Premier has "nothing to gain" by engaging with Myer’s current board, after the department store group’s acting chair JoAnne Stephenson offered to provide his company with "appropriate" board representation. Lew has been advocating board renewal at Myer for several years.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV

Lew increases stake, rips into disastrous Myer

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 16 : 7-Jul-21

Myer Holdings’ shares rose 15 per cent to $0.425 on 6 July, after revelations that businessman Solomon Lew has increased his stake prompted speculation of a takeover bid. Lew’s Premier Investments lifted its stake in Myer to 15.77 per cent on 5 July, and further share purchases on the following day is believed to have increased this to around 18 per cent. Lew says Myer’s performance has been disastrous for shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers. He has also criticised Myer’s board over its lack of progress regarding the appointment of a successor to former chairman Garry Hounsell.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV

Employment surge turns up heat on rates

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom Dusevic
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Jul-21

Further indications that the Australian economy is continuing to strengthen may prompt the Reserve Bank to increase the cash rate earlier than expected. There was three per cent growth in job advertisements during June, according to data from the ANZ Bank, and the number of job ads is now 39.1 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, revised data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that retail spending increased by 0.4 per cent in May and 7.7 per cent over the year to May. The COVID-19 lockdown in Greater Sydney is tipped to hit retail sales for June, although economists expect any impact to be short-lived.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards 2020: Australia’s winning retailers announced

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Jun-21

The annual Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards were awarded in locked down Melbourne in early June. As usual, the awards in the retail category went to a mix of first timers and veterans. Among those enjoying their moment in the customer satisfaction spotlight for the first time were Schnitz as the Quick Service Restaurant of the Year with six monthly customer satisfaction awards and Chemist Warehouse as Chemist/Pharmacy of the Year. There were seven repeat winners led by Myer as Department Store of the Year for a sixth straight year, Bunnings Warehouse as Hardware Store of the Year for a fourth year in a row, Rebel as Sports Store of the Year for the sixth consecutive year and perhaps most impressively of all The Reject Shop confirming its dominance in the field as the Discount Variety Store of the Year for the ninth year running (2012-2020). First Choice Liquor (Liquor Store of the Year), The Athlete’s Foot (Shoe Store of the Year) and Subway (Major Quick Service Restaurant of the Year) all built on their victories in 2019 to complete back-to-back victories in their respective categories for the first time.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Economy gets caffeine hit as spending soars

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 22-Apr-21

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that retail sales increased by 1.4 per cent nationwide in March, after falling by 0.8 per cent in February. Retail sales grew by 5.5 per cent in Western Australia and four per cent in Victoria, with both states having been affected by snap COVID-19 lockdowns in February. Consumer spending totalled $30.7bn overall in March, which is 10.6 per cent above pre-pandemic levels. The growth in retail sales has been driven by service-oriented businesses such as cafes and restaurants.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS