Category Archives: Retail trade

Qld retail trade grows strongly in March quarter – good sign economy is re-balancing post-mining boom

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The latest retail turnover data released by the ABS today confirm my view that growing consumption spending will help offset the negative impacts of the end of the mining boom (see my speech on the end of the mining boom). … Continue reading →

Posted in Retail trade | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

RBA will almost certainly cut cash rate, but economy may be stronger than it thinks

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Peter Martin, arguably the top economics journalist in Australia, appears to have been briefed by an RBA insider that the Bank will cut the cash rate next week to 2 per cent, a record low, and I’ve little doubt this … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

December sales provided some relief, but Qld retailers saw very low growth in sales over 2014

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Gene Tunny

In seeking re-election, the Queensland Government was disadvantaged by the lacklustre economy, which was evident in many sectors, including retail. Estimates of retail turnover published yesterday by the ABS confirm that, while there was a December boost to sales (see … Continue reading →

Posted in Retail trade | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Retail turnover has been declining in real terms in Qld, possibly due to lack of fulfilment centres

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Gene Tunny

ABS data released Friday confirmed that Queensland’s retail trade sector remained relatively weak in the lead up to the Christmas period, with nominal retail turnover only increasing slightly by o.1 per cent in November (see chart below). Recent weak results … Continue reading →

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Strong December sales needed after lean year for Queensland retailers

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I’m looking forward to this morning’s Boxing Day sales in Brisbane CBD, which hopefully will live up to expectations of big crowds and high turnover, as historically low interest rates and lower petrol prices free up cash for discretionary spending … Continue reading →

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Struggling retail sector would benefit from longer trading hours – National Retail Association bid deserves to win

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The National Retail Association bid for extended trading hours deserves support because it would be good for consumers and may provide a boost to a struggling retail sector (see my post from earlier this month: Economic weakness hits Queensland retailers). … Continue reading →

Posted in Retail trade | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Economic weakness hits Qld retailers

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Gene Tunny

2014 has been a challenging year for Queensland retailers, with retail turnover not growing, and actually declining by around 1% from levels seen earlier in the year (see chart below). I suspect a large part of this is due to … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Mining, Retail trade, Tax | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lacklustre labour market gives added urgency to regulatory reforms

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Job vacancies data released by the ABS yesterday suggest the Queensland labour market will remain relatively weak over the next few months at least (see chart above). The data are also consistent with Queensland Treasury’s forecast in the Budget that … Continue reading →

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Minimum wage reduces retail jobs available for young people

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Walking around the newly renovated Indooroopilly Shoppingtown in Brisbane’s western suburbs recently, I was struck by how many high-end clothing and jewellery stores there now are in the centre. Partly this would be because high-end shops would be more likely … Continue reading →

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How Seqwater learned to stop worrying and love Ipswich

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Despite initial fears about their relocation to Ipswich, it appears many staff of Seqwater, which runs South-East Queensland’s dams such as Wivenhoe and Somerset, have come to embrace the city. The local paper, the Queensland Times, which of course may … Continue reading →

Posted in Ipswich, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments