Retailers Seek Help as Sales Remain Flat in July

Australian retailers are calling on the government to help the industry after sales remained flat in July, albeit increasing from the year-ago period. “As tough times continue, we are seeing the so-called ‘lipstick effect’ play out—where people are having to do more with less. There are trade-offs in this budget-conscious environment and in July we saw people replacing dining out with food from their local supermarket, allowing some spending on personal luxuries,” said Paul Zahra, CEO of the Australian Retailer Association. The National Retail Association (NRA) warned that without proper government measures, the weak consumer sentiment poses a risk to businesses, making it hard for them to continue their operations....