Greg Roberts May 30, 2013 AAP AUSTRALIANS continue to spend more money buying online at the expense of traditional retailers. National Australia Bank’s (NAB) latest online retail sales index showed Australians spent $13.5 billion in the year to April, up 21 per cent, or $2.3 billion, from $11.2 billion in the previous corresponding 12 months. “Online retail sales have continued to grow at a vastly stronger rate than the traditional bricks and mortar retail sector,” NAB chief economist Alan Oster said. Online spending in April alone was up 23 per cent from the same month a year ago, compared to only 12 per cent in March – highlighting how poor retail sales were in March as the month usually outperformed April. Online sales growth was in what Mr Oster called the small sectors: fashion, daily deals, media, and games and toys. The dominant larger sectors, such as department stores and…

John Dagge June 03, 2013 Herald Sun FAST fashion chain Zara has bucked the retail gloom in Australia, clocking up more than $100 million in sales and almost doubling its profit in a year. Revenue at the Australian arm of the Spanish retail giant surged to $106.8 million in the year to January as its store rollout continued. Net profit jumped from $9.3 million to $18 million. The youth-oriented fashion chain opened three new stores last year to take its network to six, hiring 160 new employees in the process. Zara’s workforce now stands at 482. Its accounts reveal the Australian branch paid $7.7 million in income tax – close to double that paid by the international internet giant, Google, which generated revenue of about $2 billion in Australia last year. Zara’s results stand in stark contrast to more established bricks-and-mortar retailers in Australia that have suffered sharp profit slides…

Troy Bramston June 03, 2013 The Australian THE temperance movement reached its apogee in Australia during World War I when it was successful in pressuring several state governments to introduce early closing times for pubs. While these groups helped to educate the public about the dangers of alcohol abuse and preached teetotalism, they failed to win support for the prohibition of alcohol. A century later, there are signs the ideological fervour of the temperance movement is being revived. But not by well-meaning Christian or women’s groups. Government-funded political activists are mounting a moral war on alcohol, targeting the most minimal levels of alcohol consumption. It is appropriate that government, community organisations and the alcohol industry support research, advertising and treatment to reduce alcohol abuse. While research shows alcohol consumption and related violence is declining, there are still far too many incidents of alcohol-fuelled assault, drink-driving, abuse in indigenous communities and…

Grant Jones and Kylie Fleming May 29, 2013 The Advertiser THEY’RE not restaurant meals but quality cook-at-home dinners when you actually don’t feel like cooking, are tired of takeaway or shy away from mass-produced packaged meals. The “ready to cook” category is on the rise and its not all diet food and frozen TV dinners either, as new offerings include expertly cut and chopped stir-fry vegetables with sauce, marinated roasts in foil trays, oven-ready spiced spuds and pumpkin or whole dinners just like you would have prepared, had you the time. Woolworths reports 30 per cent growth in ready-to-cook products for time-poor people over the last year. Its “Ready to” range offers Asian and Italian salads with dressings to suit, pre-cut ready-to-roast raw vegetables to accompany marinated beef or pork ribs or butterflied and de-boned marinated lamb. There is also free “fish, bag and bake” with a choice of fresh…

Peter Cai May 31, 2013 The Age Optus chief Kevin Russell has finally come clean on what most of us already knew: The poor service standard of the Australian telecommunications industry. Local telco providers often fell well behind technology companies and even Australian banks when it came to looking after customers, Mr Russell said. Proof of the poor service found in complaints against telcos to the industry ombudsman reached ”stratospheric” levels in recent years, he said. ”The standard of service in Australia relative to the standard of service in the UK just seems have gone backwards,” Mr Russell told an Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce lunch in Melbourne. It was important for the industry to lift its game on customer service to head off competitors like Google and Apple and recoup billions of dollars invested in super-fast 4G network and spectrum licences, he said. ”It makes me nervous that two…

Staff Writers May 31, 2013 news.com.au A 10-YEAR-OLD and still edible Chupa Chup found in the cupboard of a news.com.au staffer got us all thinking – if we woke up from a multi-year slumber, what foods would still be safe to eat? According to the Australian Food Standards board, packaged food with a shelf life of less than two years must have a date mark – but if there’s no date mark, you are free to consume at your own risk. So, here are our top ten products that never go off – share yours below and tweet us a pic of the oldest thing on your shelf! Liquor We know wine gets better with age, but hard liquors like rum will keep in a cool dark place for as long as you need them to. Vegemite It’s mocked for looking like tar, but we bet if you were stuck…