Posted October 03, 2018 |

UNIQUE OPAL MINE ADELAIDE’s greatest attraction is the opalised dinosaur from Cooper Pedy on display. 

STORe: UNIQUE OPAL MINE ADELAIDE   Country: Australia Names: Tim Sheridan and Steven Miles Position: Co-Owners
When was the renovated space completed? The jewellery store on the ground level was established 40 years ago and the mine beneath the shop was built 35 years ago. The old owner showed us photos of the renovation and from our understanding, the mine space was mainly dug out with wheelbarrows, which nowadays you would never get away with. We took over the business about five and a half years ago. Who is the target market and how did they influence the store design? We have a lot of tourists and mining enthusiasts – “rockhounds” we call them – who visit. In the school holidays we have a lot of families and children coming to see the space. The mine has possibly the largest retail opal collection in the world. We do cutting and polishing demonstrations in the mine space so it’s very interactive for both our visitors and ultimately, our customers. With the relationship between store ambience and consumer purchasing in mind, which features in the store encourage sales? Most of our customers venture downstairs into the mine and that really encourages sales. They can see all the different types of Australian opals we have on offer. The mine space is split into Queensland boulder opal, Adamooka and Cooper Pedy sections so customers can identify different types of opals and discover what they like. What is the store design’s ‘wow factor’? We have an opalised dinosaur from Cooper Pedy on display. The Plesiosaur was originally on display in Adelaide Museum and the miner who found it later had it in a box in his garage. When we found out, we flew right over to check it out. The mine space is also lined with around $150,000 worth of opal, so that’s an attraction.

It’s no secret that the jewellery industry has been doing it ‘tough’ for the past two years, though it is not the only retail sector affected by Australia’s current, weird economic conditions – the economy is strong but people aren’t spending, so it was understandable that neither suppliers nor retailers had high hopes for this year’s Fair.

Expertise Events announced that visitor attendance has increased over last year’s event and while it did appear that the mood and numbers were up, it should be remembered how significantly JAA-created industry division and turmoil affected the 2017 event.

What I found more interesting is the change in the pattern of visitor attendance; traditionally, Sunday has been the busiest day but there was no doubt that Saturday was much busier this year.

Sadly, 2017 was not a stellar year for the Australian jewellery industry and the Fair offered a chance to put that behind us. Certainly there were many more smiling faces this year and it felt once more like the good ol’ days where everyone gathers at the Fair to see old friends and colleagues.

Speaking of the ‘good old days’ I think that too many people attempt to compare the Fair to the boon times of 8–10 years ago. Exhibitors and visitors with whom I spoke all noted the improvement over last year but some still pine for the glory days, which is unrealistic.

One supplier at the Fair was quick to point the finger at many people when I was discussing this topic. When I asked him if his business was just as good as it was in 2010, he replied, “No”.

I asked him if that was his fault and he answered, “Of course not, times are tough”. So he didn’t want to be held accountable for the state of his business, but in the same breath blamed it on others for the wider industry woes!

Back to my point, we have little control over macro-economic issues but we can get back to the good ol’ days of an industry that is unified and cohesive.

I think it’s interesting to note that Leading Edge is considering scheduling its annual members’ conference to take place during next year’s Fair, rather than at a separate location prior to the event.

Unlike Nationwide, which coordinates member activities and education, as well as its annual awards at the Sydney trade show, Leading Edge and Showcase organise their events in the days before.

There has been growing dissatisfaction from suppliers about the inconvenience and expense of attending three separate events – the Leading Edge event, the Showcase event and the Fair – all of which could easily be conducted under one roof at the same time.

This convergence of events used to happen many years ago so there’s no reason why all three buying groups can’t work together with Expertise Events for the benefit of the whole industry, especially after the JAA’s disastrous attempt to divide the trade.

Wouldn’t it be a great thing to see everyone under the one roof in 2019?

While we are discussing common sense matters, perhaps we could look at a more sensible approach to the various jewellery design awards too. There are at least three major competitions – JAA Design Awards, Jewellery Design Awards, Diamond Guild Awards – as well as a few smaller events, all serving a small audience.

There’s so much duplication here, with all three competitions seeking sponsorship from the same companies.

There’s an argument to be had that common sense could prevail here too.

Indeed, let’s nominate 2019 as The Year of Common Sense for the Australian jewellery industry and hopefully achieve a return to the good ol’ days.

A profit margin isn’t just something that retailers should measure; it’s a metric that retailers should strive to continuously improve. As author Doug Hall wrote, “If your profit margins aren’t rising, chances are your company isn’t thriving.” To help do just that, here are some pointers that can enable retailers to widen their margins. Check them out to see how they can be applied to any business:

Lower the cogs

Take a closer look at all materials and procedures required to create or source your products and establish how these materials can be purchased for less without compromising the quality.

Is it necessary to order larger quantities? Are there any middlemen or administrative expenses that can be cut from the process? Consider these things carefully and then take action accordingly. Let’s say a retailer needs to increase order quantities for a particular item to lower its price.

In this case, the retailer should first look at inventory data and determine if he can afford to order certain items in bulk. If not, would it be possible to consolidate orders with other items or team with other purchasers to increase buying power? This is something that large retailers have been doing for quite some time now. A few years ago, for example, Walmart sought out co-purchasers for raw materials so the chain could consolidate purchases and get more buying clout.

Explore options and run them by suppliers to see if better deals can be negotiated. If suppliers won’t budge, don’t be afraid to check out other suppliers to find out if they can offer more favourable terms. Make sure existing suppliers are aware of this though, as they might end up offering better rates.

Increase prices

Increasing prices enables retailers to make more money on each sale, thus increasing margins and improving the bottom line; however, retailers can baulk at the prospect of increasing their prices out of fear that they’ll lose customers. Pricing decisions depend on each company’s products, margins and customers. The best thing to do is to look into your own business, run the numbers and figure out your pricing sweet spot.

On top of considering basic pricing components like costs and margins, look at external factors such as competitor pricing, the state of the economy and the price sensitivity of target customers. Also take the time to consider what types of customers you want to attract. Do you want to sell to shoppers who would take their business elsewhere just because they could get an item for less or would you rather attract customers who don’t base their purchase decisions solely on price?

It’s surprising to find that the majority of your regular customers may actually belong to the latter group – a study by Defaqto found that 55 per cent of consumers would pay more for a better customer experience.

Taking all these things into consideration, a price increase can be calculated and tested on a few select products. Retailers can then gauge customer reaction and sales from there. Also consider implementing creative or psychological tactics when coming up with prices in order to make them more appealing. Tiered pricing is one effective strategy.

In order to combat cheaper knock-offs one US shoe retailer, Footzyfolds, decided to revamp its prices… but not in the way one might think. Instead of lowering prices across the board, Footzyfolds introduced a high-end category for its products. With the new pricing format, it lowered the price of its everyday products to $20 a pair and introduced a new ‘Lux’ category for $30 a pair.

Owner Sarah Caplan told the New York Times that the move helped increase revenue dramatically. “We actually have had the most interest in our higher-priced shoes,” she said, adding that the business reported a 100 per cent increase in revenue after launching the high-end line in the summer of 2010.

The way to communicate new prices is just as important as the prices themselves so put thought into how these messages are relayed to customers. Give shoppers a heads up prior to any price hike; let them know it’s happening and how it’s going to benefit them.

Also, be sure to communicate differentiating factors as well as value in service. Justify higher prices by telling customers why the store is different or better than the competition. Ensure customers are aware of it however this is demonstrated. The right price increase could improve a store’s bottom line significantly enough to offset any losses from shoppers who decide not to buy from you. Additionally, having fewer customers helps lower operating expenses while freeing up staff to increase service quality at the same time.

Reduce expenses with automation

Automation can do wonders for productivity as well as the bottom line. By putting repetitive activities on autopilot, retailers can reduce the time, manpower and operating expenses required to run a business.

Are there any cumbersome activities that are eating up the time of your staff members? Take note and then look for solutions that can take care of them automatically. For instance, to save time and operating expenses, I know of one menswear store that automated the task of transferring sales data to accounting software. Rather than manually plugging the numbers into the program, the owner integrated his point-of-sale system with accounting software and got the two tools talking to each other so that information was automatically transferred from one program to the next.

The result: he has been able to free up time so he and his staff could devote more energy to helping customers. He also estimates that the automated system in his store saves him 40 to 80 hours a week. This doesn’t just apply to data entry. These days, there’s usually an app for most of the boring administrative tasks.

Optimise supplier relationships

Earlier in this article, I mentioned negotiating better contracts with suppliers to reduce the costs of goods and widen margins. Consider building stronger relationships with suppliers. Ask if there’s anything that can be done to make things easier or more cost-effective for them so they can fulfil orders in a more efficient way.

Strengthen relationships with suppliers and determine how you can work better together. Doing this can help you identify ways to reduce product costs and operating expenses. At the very least, it should improve workflow and productivity.

Personalise your offers

Another effective way to improve margins is to offer tailored discounts. Remember, not all customers are wired the same way; some people may need a discount incentive to convert while others don’t really require a lot of convincing.

Identify how big of a discount is necessary to convert each customer. Case in point: Online bicycle retailer BikeBerry.com sought the help of a big data company to analyse customer behaviour and gather intel on the past purchases of customers, their browsing histories and more. The store got to know its customers and was able figure out the most cost-effective way to convert each one.

BikeBerry then created a series of email campaigns with five different discount offers tailored to each individual. Customers received one of the following offers in their inbox: free shipping, 5 per cent, 10 per cent, 15 per cent or $30 off new products. The campaigns ran for two months and the business not only increased sales within that period but also widened its profit margins by not offering discounts to customers who would convert at a lower threshold.

Instead of offering blanket discounts, go through the purchase histories of customers and personalise offers based on their behaviour and preferences. Doing so won’t just increase the chances of conversion; it’ll also help you maximise margins.

A retailer doesn’t always have to make drastic changes to a business to significantly improve the bottom line. As this post has shown, sometimes a simple tweak in pricing or a phone call to a supplier can pave the way for wider margins.

A couple of years ago I read a book that shifted my thinking around what constitutes prosperity and running a successful business. The book, Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia, led me to embrace the term ‘conscious’ in the business sense and eventually I coined ‘conscious selling’ as a framework for results.

What I read around business ethics generally was inspiring and intriguing but, at a higher level, I felt something was missing – the lack of discussion around the sales function, specifically the capital part of conscious capitalism and how the sales landscape has turned upside down over the past decade, completely disrupting the sales role.

Firstly, whenever I mention conscious selling to people, there are a couple of assumptions they make as to its meaning: the first is that people are not unconscious and therefore are with us in mind, body and spirit.

As a direct result, these people are able to perform their roles from an energetic perspective.

The second is that people have a consciousness that aligns with their levels of competence.

They are aware and can adapt to the skills and mindset gaps impacting their results.

Both assumptions clearly have their place but there is another meaning to the word ‘conscious’ in the context of business – it is the desire and intention to sell on purpose, to align and adjust to what is important in the cut and thrust of this money-making role. A huge part of this is understanding the importance of earning money.

If you want to make an impact and you want to light up your world or even the wider world, you need to be able to pay the power bill. Let’s go back and apply the concept of ‘selling on purpose’ to the role of the salesperson and respond to the seven key questions of conscious selling.

How many salespeople are conscious when doing a deal? Those who have the energy and foresight to be present to the conversation, who use what I have adapted as the third eye poised for intuition, intention and insights.

How many salespeople are conscious of what their ideas, products or services mean to the end user?

It is those who have the ability to adapt their conversations on the fly, realising business conversations are not about what you sell but the emotional difference you are selling.

How many salespeople are truly aware of the responsibility they hold? It is those employees who understand the problem behind the problem.

These employees know how their ‘deal’ might save a business from going under, might help their client stay afloat or might have a ripple effect on the greater community.

How many salespeople understand that two degrees of separation is not just a cliché but is a truth and that we are all connected?

We are just one mouse click away from being seen for the value we provide others, online and offline – the opposite applies too.

Conscious sellers are those open to adjusting their old beliefs in order to provide that value.

How many salespeople can comfortably lose sight of their commission, detach from their need to close and instead offer a solution is truly right for the client, the company and themselves?

Those who have the emotional intelligence to bring a ‘whole-of-self’ approach to the market are able to align themselves to common values.

Vulnerability, transparency, and engagement are attributes that conscious salespeople have in spades and when authenticity, relevance and intention ooze out of them, it creates huge deposits of goodwill in the minds of buyers.

Finally, it is those employees who are not afraid to test their money beliefs for a fairly-negotiated win-win scenario because their need for respect is stronger than their need to discount.

We know the sales environment is changing just as the world is changing around it and we are relentlessly bombarded with the message that the buyer is changing also.

When taken on board and acted upon, these ideas can create huge forward strides for clients manifesting in deals and renewed relationships.

Consciousness leads to change and change is what we are all really selling.

3D printing technology has advanced at an unfathomable rate in recent years and, as the machinery and technology have become more accessible to manufacturing jewellers, many have opted to pick up the skill.

A reduction in equipment prices and an increase in onshore casting companies have helped Australia and New Zealand to catch up to international 3D printing pioneers. Early concerns raised by artisanal jewellers that 3D printing would result in job losses or poorly assembled products have been cast aside as other industries embrace the once-feared technology.

Some reservations towards 3D printing still remain and invested parties agree that comprehensive education and training are required in order to capitalise on the expanding sector and ensure the quality of products.

Get the resin right

Once priced out of reach, 3D printers are now considered affordable for personal use, having dropped to under US$400 for a small printer that can be installed at home. This opportunity offers endless possibilities for boutique and amateur jewellers, but such unrestricted access raises concerns about quality control, notably that novice CAD designers might create casts that fail to produce quality jewellery.

Palloys is a jewellery division of Pallion and was one of the first local companies to embrace CAD and silicon casting methods. Operations manager Chris Botha acknowledges that attitudes to the technology have changed and cautions newcomers to ensure they are well-educated in the practice before investing heavily in both the machinery and software.

“The biggest change in recent years has been the cost of the equipment involved in printing. Software has remained pretty expensive but the hardware in 3D printing has dropped dramatically,” Botha says, adding that Palloys is committed to training and education in these technologies.

“Anyone can now purchase a printer to produce jewellery designs. Our aim is to address this hole and ensure knowledge in the trade is shared.”

As machine prices have dropped, producers of 3D printers have altered their resin specifications to lock customers into purchasing only corresponding resins for their printers. This means there are many different printers and resins in the market at the moment, each with its own unique features to suit different production needs.

Abraham Tok, of Sydney’s Tok Bros Jewellery, uses Form2 3D printers manufactured by FormLabs, which require blue and purple castable resins. He says jewellers and designers should research thoroughly before purchasing a printer.

“Do your homework and be very patient; getting started in 3D printing can be time consuming for newcomers and there can be a lot of tweaking and adjusting to get the right balance of settings on your printer and resins,” Tok explains.

“We recommend asking manufacturers for samples so you can benchmark them against others – we send resins to customers for them to try on before producing in precious metals.”

Botha echoes these sentiments and warns that many companies are distributing printers only manufactured to respond to a particular resin combination, usually offered exclusively through the company.

“The industry is changing and we will soon see companies that are coming in at a low price point but are fixing their hardware so it will only work with one type of resin. Much in the same way, you can’t move HP printer ink onto another traditional printer,” Botha says.

Anthony Nowlan’s business Evotech Pacific exclusively distributes GemVision Technology along with open-source printing line Asiga. Nowlan says having an open-source model offers manufacturers more diversity in what casting house they choose and which products they can model for commercial production.

“The advantage of the Asiga printers is that you can also use open-sourced resins from other companies,” he says.

“As long as you know what the exposure rate of those resins are – which the companies are usually happy to divulge – then you dial those into the software and use those without issue.”

Nowlan says different products suit different requirements, which provides flexibility to the user. “It’s all about choice,” he explains. “Having the choice to utilise a resin that works with your casting company or, if you do your own casting, having an investment that works better with one resin. It is advantageous to be able to experiment.”

Sydney-based casting house Chemgold offers a wide variety of software and printing services. Director Larry Sher says the company aims to account for the ever-broadening requirements of manufacturing jewellers by operating printers across different casting systems.

“We have a huge range of 3D printers to allow us to accommodate the variety of designs our clients need us to produce for them,” Sher says. “Certain designs may not be suitable for resin so they are produced using Multi Jet printing technology, which is relatively smooth.”

Sharing resources

Navigating the gamut of 3D printing and resin purchases can be daunting and time consuming, as is learning the intricacies of CAD design and its software. To assist, resellers and printing companies are striving to educate clients.

FormLab printers distributor LST Group has launched 3Design training lounge, an online forum where customers can connect with industry specialists to have all their questions answered.

“The 3Design Forum is the largest jewellery-specific CAD community and we offer a large variety of complimentary training resources,” managing director Chris Hill says, adding, “Our local product specialist has 14 years’ experience in providing customised training solutions.”

Palloys recently launched an online platform called JewellersPal and the company offers a space where 3D printing users and CAD designers can share questions, tips and hints to help manufacturing jewellers.

“We’re trying to lift that little mantle of secrecy off the trade; there’s this perception that everyone has been hiding their secrets to turn a profit, which is not actually true,” Botha says.

Evotech Marketplace and Evotech Vendor are two programs currently available to manufacturers and casting experts through Evotech Pacific.

“Because they’re only fairly new, we are concentrating on the design aspect of the Marketplace and Vendor stores,” Nowlan says.

“We will be branching out and inviting service bureaus that concentrate on 3D printing to join the Marketplace. That way, clients will be able to upload files and get a quote directly from any company on the marketplace and then they can send the model to them or the casting house.”

Chemgold’s Custom Design Form provides manufacturers with a checklist of key information and dimensions in order to complete their designs.

“A critical aspect of CAD is communication, which is why it’s best to use the form. This prevents delays in obtaining certain dimensions, along with ensuring our goal of providing exactly what our customers want the first time,” Sher says.

“Once comfortable with the design process, and if the customer is doing more volume, we would recommend they consider purchasing the CAD software themselves.”

All parties agree that social media has also been advantageous for local manufacturers seeking advice from those who have been in the industry for a longer period.

3D printing at the retail level

Reid Jackson manages Townsville’s Regional Manufacturing Jewellers and says the addition of his Asiga printer has increased the turnaround time on production. Furthermore, the technology has improved rapidly since purchase.

“We chose the Pico2 39 and, in the 18 months since purchasing, we’ve had possibly seven upgrades and have noticed the improvement in resolution and print growth lines diminish tenfold,” he says. “Our print time has been drastically reduced.”

Jackson says he has also benefited from the additional support he has received in online forums: “Sure, you may have failures in the beginning but throw up a problem and, in no time flat, you will be presented with many answers from around the world.”

For manufacturing retailers looking to dip a toe in CAD and 3D printing, Palloys offers My Dream Ring, a collection of almost 500 pieces that can be prototyped in store within 90 minutes. The customer can benefit by trying on the prototypes – constructed in hard, black plastic – in order to see how the final product will look.

“That’s the biggest draw right now for non-manufacturing retailers,” Botha says.

“If they own the IP on their files and they have the files locally, it’s very quick for them to prototype something for their customer to try on.” Botha sees this as the future direction of jewellery retail.

“I think that will be the future of these nouveau printers that are coming out,” he adds. “The quality will never reach a $150,000 printer but the quality is good enough for the customer to see what it looks like on the finger.”

Chemgold also has a library of CAD designs in its JewelMount Collection, which covers a range of classic styles suitable for most manufacturing jewellers and retailers.

“All they need to do is advise which aspect of the design they wish to modify,” Sher says. “This can be changes to the stone and shank dimensions, mixing shanks and settings or adding extra stones.”

The technology has advanced to help retailers and jewellers win on-the-spot sales. They can meet their customers’ need for instant gratification without waiting for a product to be manufactured.

Botha recalls a time when his biggest sales “came from me going home and printing a prototype for a customer overnight”.

“Nowadays, you no longer need to know how to operate a CNC; you just need to know how to press a go button and you can have it in an hour and a half,” he says.

Palloys calculates the cost of a black, plastic ring prototype around 45 cents if the low-end printer runs for one year alone. Calculations are made including the cost of a $90 litre of resin, which makes 600 rings.

Hill has found production rates of prototypes to be at a similarly low cost to manufacturers using FormLabs.

“The printers we offer are capable of printing high-resolution jewellery models in a single build at a cost of 40 cents per model. Why outsource your printing when you can do it faster, cheaper and better in-house with a Form2 3D printer?” he says.

The future is metal

UK manufacturers Cooksongold partnered with Electro Optical Systems (EOS) to produce the world’s first direct-metal printer, designed to cater specifically to precious metals used in jewellery manufacturing without the middle process of casting.

The printer uses a sintering method, heating powdered precious metals at a high temperature and using a laser that follows a software design similar to CAD to identify a pattern. The process, known as additive manufacturing (AM), may seem like a far-off future invention; however, companies in Europe and the US are in the early stages of producing quality jewellery using the method.

Cooksongold and EOS displayed the printer this year at International Jewellery London (IJL) and promised manufacturers “the power and freedom to create complex jewellery in a matter of hours”.

David Fletcher, Additive Manufacturing business development manager, says the IJL would provide the wider industry an insight into the forthcoming technological advancements available in 3D printing.

“[The system displays] how the jewellery industry can now adopt the process as part of their supply chain,” he says. “We believe that the more people understand about the technology, the more they will be able to push the boundaries of jewellery making by completing previously unachievable designs.”

Back on home ground, suppliers and casting companies are well aware of AM capabilities and predict the technology will become more of a reality within the next decade. Nowlan agrees it needs fine-tuning before it is embraced locally but believes it’s not far away.

“It’s one thing to print something in titanium or steel but you can have certain issues with the alloy content and the equipment itself when it comes to precious metals,” he says. “It’s not far off and additive manufacturing is definitely going to be the next revolution.”

Tok is hesitant of the current production value offered by AM and says it is still in its early days: “The technology currently exists to print 3D models directly in gold but the results are not good enough for fine jewellery production; the technology needs more time to develop,” he says, adding, “Should the results be up to our production standards then we would definitely consider implementing this technology one day.”

Sher believes that it won’t be long before manufacturers look to join the movement if the cost of the direct-metal printers drop similarly to 3D printers.

“Currently the machines are extremely expensive and require large volumes of precious metal to run and the surface finish is very low compared to our castings from resin,” he says.

Jackson agrees but says jewellers should be keen to embrace new technologies as they become viable: “My advice to any manufacturing jeweller thinking about it is just get on board with this technology. It is so exciting and rewarding and to keep all in-house, if possible, just means more dollars in your pocket – it’s a win-win solution all the way.”

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) congratulates Prime Minister Morrison on taking over the reins of Cabinet, while the association believes the new ministry targeting problem areas in the retail industry looks promising for retailers.

Prime Minister Morrison’s first ministry will be a great opportunity for retailers across the country, with Michaelia Cash appointed as Minister for Small Business, Skills and Vocational Education.

This strong focus on small business, education and will enable retailers to increase employment and training in the sector to ensure prosperity and growth for the retail industry.

The ARA is also heartened by the significance afforded to energy by splitting the portfolio into two, appointing Melissa Price as Minister for the Environment and giving Angus Taylor the energy portfolio to be handled separately.

The ARA drew the attention of the government to the plight of the retailers who are finding it hard to keep their heads above water, given the escalating energy prices and rising tenancy costs. The ARA believes the Prime Minister’s new Cabinet will need to show how the government will help retail businesses before the next election.

The ARA will be looking to Prime Minister Morrison’s new Cabinet to reduce these rising costs and enable retailers to focus on using their profits to hire more staff.

With 1.2 million people across Australia employed in the retail industry, the ARA is keen to boost jobs in this sector and transform retail from a stepping-stone industry into a professional fully-fledged career that is fulfilling.

The ARA is committed to ongoing career support in retail by a twofold process of educating retail staff and assisting them in progressing their careers to ensure the longevity of Australian retail.

Stability the key

The first reaction of the ARA to the leadership baton change in government was the hope expressed for long-term certainty and stability in the retail sector, saying uncertainty was never good for business as retailers were looking forward to a strong and stable future.

The ARA believes that a strong and stable government will support retailers through the current fluctuating trading environment and assist the association’s mission in transforming retail to a long-term fulfilling career.

With retail trade averaging a 2.7 per cent growth this year, the ARA believes, retailers are looking for long-term certainty and stability, which enables them to make long-term decisions to grow their business and hire more staff.

Retail turnaround

The ARA was pleased with how the end of financial year closed with a 2.87 per cent total growth year-on-year and noted that the positive growth was mostly due to the strong trade in clothing, footwear and personal accessories and food retailing in June.

It noted a 5.26 per cent year-on-year growth in June in this category with food retailing also growing 4.31 per cent in the month with supermarkets making a strong comeback by having the strongest growth since June 2017.

June 2018 saw the key retail categories posting healthy results given the rise in business confidence that often falls after the Federal Budget.

The increase shows greater strength in the market, giving retailers much-needed assurance to invest in their businesses and execute their strategies.