The boss of Starbucks Australia is hoping the coffee chain will get renewed attention and investment in dozens of new stores from its billionaire owner Russell Withers now that he has sold his 7-Eleven empire in Australia. Withers, who with his late sister Beverley Barlow built their fortune over decades growing the 7-Eleven chain in Australia, last November agreed to sell the 750-store network for an undisclosed sum to its Japanese parent, 7-Eleven International. Withers also owns Starbucks Australia which expects to expand to more than 100 stores by next year. “The family were very successful in being long-term in their views for building that business around the 7-Eleven brand in Australia for 46 years … They’ve got exactly the same attitude to Starbucks,” said Chris Garlick, the chief executive of Starbucks Australia, which recently turned a profit for the first time in 23 years. “I think our recent performance has…

Customers using Viva Energy’s Shell Card are now able to seamlessly connect their accounts to their Xero and MYOB platforms. The move will benefit business customers, who can now streamline their business administration, automate the flow of invoices, reduce manual data entry, and contribute to error-free reporting. All data passing between suppliers and Xero or MYOB platforms will be encrypted and protected, providing customers with data security and peace of mind. Viva’s Shell Card was last year awarded Canstar Blue’s ‘Most Satisfied Customers Award – Small Business Fuel Cards’ with the card the leader in all eight categories: Overall Satisfaction, Client Service, Petrol Station Facilities, Account Management, Loyalty Program, Fees and Charges, Petrol Station Availability, and Fuel Discounts. Shell Card is like a credit card for all fuel purchases and is accepted at over 1300 location across Australia, including all Shell service stations, Shell Coles Express, Shell Reddy Express, Liberty…

A ban on the sale of knives to minors will be brought forward as the Queensland government tries to gain control over the state’s youth crime problem. Retailers will be required to lock up sharp weapons such as axes, tomahawks and machetes, and to check identification of those buying them. The penalty for having a knife in public will also be increased from 12 to 18 months, Premier Steven Miles announced today. “Ultimately our number one priority is to make sure we keep our community safe,” he said. The opposition mocked the increase as ineffective, saying youth offenders were rarely given the maximum sentence. “Oh, I can see the young violent, serious repeat offenders across Queensland shivering in their boots,” Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie said. Currently there are no restrictions on the sale or advertising of knives, axes, daggers, gel blasters and other controlled weapons in the state.  Under the proposed changes…

A significant spike in meat theft from supermarkets has been linked to organised retail crime groups who are “swarming” shops. Meat theft increased by 85 per cent between 2022 and 2023, according to data from retail crime intelligence platform Auror, which works with companies such as Coles, Bunnings and Woolworths. There were more than 67,000 incidents of meat theft recorded on the platform nationally last year. Pork was the most popular meat to steal, with thefts increasing by 35 per cent, followed by lamb at 31 per cent and beef at 15 per cent. Auror chief customer officer Rhod Thomas said the majority of retail crime was perpetrated by organised, professional individuals – 60 per cent of in-store thefts were conducted by just one cohort. “These people are stealing for a day job – literally putting the uniform on to go steal every day, hitting multiple retailers,” he said. The…