Australia’s retail sector isn’t waiting for ceremonial handshakes. With the Albanese Government returning to Canberra, the industry is rolling out its policy wish list—and it reads more like a pressure docket than a polite petition.
At the centre of the push is the formation of a unified voice under the soon-to-be-launched Australian Retail Council (ARC). The message? Retail needs to be treated as a serious policy priority, not just a consumer afterthought. The sector is facing rising operational costs, growing crime, digital pressures, and international volatility. And it wants action.
“The cost of doing business keeps climbing,” one representative said bluntly. “Tariff shocks from the US haven’t just rattled global markets—they’re affecting shelf prices and squeezing margins here.” Retailers want Canberra to engage directly on this issue, not sideline it as a foreign policy footnote.
The ARC will lobby the government for broader relief measures—everything from regulatory simplification and payroll reforms to targeted incentives that help absorb external shocks. And the conversation is turning increasingly towards crime. A string of high-profile retail theft incidents has led to calls for a modern, data-driven strategy to address shoplifting and safety in retail environments.
Beyond security and cost, the sector is eyeing a fast-changing technological horizon. The integration of AI, automation, and e-commerce platforms is outpacing policy. Retailers are calling for skills development programs that match the sector’s digital shift—and for industrial relations frameworks that reflect the new retail economy, not the one written two decades ago.
Beneath the lobbying language sits a simple arithmetic: retail employs one in ten Australians. It supports more than 150,000 shopfronts, large and small. It contributes over $430 billion directly to the economy, and untold billions more through the supply chain. The numbers alone, sector leaders argue, should command attention.
“We’re the backbone of communities,” one spokesperson said. “Whether it’s a corner store in regional NSW or a flagship outlet in Melbourne, we’re part of how Australians live day to day. But if regulation, cost pressures, and crime keep piling up, it becomes harder to do that job.”
Retailers aren’t asking for sweeping new programs or grand policy statements—they’re asking for clarity, coordination, and responsiveness. The sector appears willing to work with the government, but it’s flagging the risks of delay. If the message of the campaign was about delivery, the ask from retail is simple: start now.
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