The Malinauskas Labor Government is continuing its tough approach to combatting the illicit tobacco and vape trade with the first illegal tobacco shops shut down under the government’s new powers. Minister Michaels has ordered the closure of five unlicensed stores located in Hindmarsh, Dernancourt, Salisbury North, Blair Athol and Campbelltown after considering evidence of recent illicit activity at the premises. The Hindmarsh store was the subject of multiple operations with the most recent raid by Consumer and Business Services (CBS) seizing nearly 10,000 illicit cigarettes, 2000 cigarette tubes and half a kilo of tobacco. The Minister’s closure orders apply for 72 hours, with the Minister able to apply to the Magistrates Court for a longer term closure order of up to six months. Any business who violates such an order can be hit with a penalty of up to $1.1 million and an individual up to $700,000. The government’s new…

The plan would redirect money to national defense priorities. “Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s transition team is recommending sweeping changes to cut off support for electric vehicles and charging stations and to strengthen measures blocking cars, components and battery materials from China,” reported Reuters, based on an internal transition team document Reuters has reviewed. The recommendations come as the U.S. electric vehicle transition stalls and China’s heavily subsidized EV industry gains strength, in part because of its “superior battery supply chain,” wrote Reuters. On the campaign trail, “Trump vowed to ease regulations on fossil-fuel cars and roll back what he called President Joe Biden’s EV mandate.” The transition-team’s plan would redirect money now allocated for building charging stations and making EVs more affordable into national-defense priorities, including securing supplies of batteries that aren’t from China as well as the critical minerals to build them, reported Reuters. While batteries, minerals and other…

1. Patties: Four’N Twenty Pies Patties Foods lit up QMS’ new digital large format site at Emporium Melbourne with a 3DOOH full motion ad for Four’N Twenty’s Paris 2024 Olympics “Running on Paris Time” campaign. The show-stopping ad saw a giant 3D hand reach from within the billboard, grab a Four’N Twenty pie and take a bite – an iconic ad for an iconic brand, produced by the QMS QUBE team. 2. Omega Omega is a great example of a brand using premium assets and powerful creative to tell a compelling brand story. Omega’s use of consecutives across the premium City of Sydney digital street furniture network was a very strong brand statement that made smart and effective use of a media channel. 3. Allianz and Woolworths: Paris 2024 Olympics campaign Allianz, Woolworths and many other leading brands took full advantage of QMS’ Paris 2024 Olympics digital screen network this…

Service stations with the lot have arrived in Sydney as part of Viva Energy’s national rollout of the OTR brand, in a makeover that is 30 years overdue. Jevan Bouzo (left), CEO of Convenience & Mobility at Viva Energy, and Yasser Shahin, executive chairman of Peregrine Corporation, which sold the On the Run business to Viva last year for $1.15 billion. Home-brand energy drinks, $3 Moe’s hot dogs and mini-supermarket aisles are at the centre of an Australian petrol station renovation for the digital age.| The $4 billion ASX-listed Viva Energy took a $1.15 billion punt last year on the acquisition of the On the Run business from Adelaide’s billionaire Shahin family. It is convinced the OTR brand will be as successful as Bunnings and JB Hi-Fi on the national stage. Until now, almost nobody in Sydney has heard of it. But in Adelaide, OTR fills a gap in the market where…

Gift cards are popular at this time of year. To help your business avoid problems with gift cards, we’ve listed the rules if you sell gift cards and some important things for your business to remember. Rules if you sell gift cards Your business must clearly state: Avoid any surprises when the recipient is using the gift card Recipients should not be required to pay any additional fees or charges on gift cards. In most circumstances your business cannot have terms and conditions on gift cards that allow you to charge post-supply fees. Post-supply fees may include things like: Most gift cards must have a minimum 3-year expiry period The law says that most gift cards must have a minimum 3-year expiry period, unless an exception applies. Businesses should check whether any exceptions apply and can refer to the ACCC website. If exceptions don’t apply, the gift card must be…

With the cost of living continuing to rise, carsales is stepping in to help ease the strain for Aussies. hrough a new venture with bp Australia, carsales members can now access a 6 cent per litre discount on fuel*, redeemable via the carsales app at over 900 participating bp sites across the country. Recent research from carsales highlights an increase in Aussies who have had to adjust their budget for a car due to the increasing cost of living and inflation (62%) and this was particularly the case for Gen Zs and Millennials.** By leveraging the nationwide reach of bp, carsales is providing its members with a valuable fuel discount that integrates seamlessly into their everyday lives through the carsales app. “We’re excited to be partnering with bp to bring real savings and value to our members,” said Rafael Constantinou, executive general manager of marketing, content & customer at carsales.…