There must have been a collective sigh of relief from Victorian retailers after it was announced they can open their stores again from tomorrow.
The news couldn’t have come sooner with less than one month until the Christmas trade period officially commences, says National Retail Association (NRA) CEO, Lindsay Carroll.
“Victorian retailers have been left reeling by the Covid-19 wrecking ball and we’re just glad that our members in the state will be able to reopen their doors to customers,” she says.
“Every day that businesses have remained shut has added to the economic pain inflicted on Victorian retailers. New South Wales has shown how to balance public safety while having limited business restrictions and we hope that this is the route Victoria now takes.
“Businesses can start preparing immediately ahead of the reopen time at midnight Wednesday and we urge them to take advantage of this.
“The lead up to Christmas will be instrumental in determining whether many businesses survive. The Christmas retail trade period is worth more than $13 billion to the Victorian economy, its importance simply can’t be overstated.”
Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO, Paul Zahra, agrees that it’s important for stores to start their Covid safe and Christmas preparations now.
“Whilst we recognise this is tight timing, as every day counts during this critical Christmas trading period, we recognise the value in opening as quickly as practically possible rather than suffering further delays,” he said in a statement.
“It would certainly not have been a true Australian Christmas without our Victorian retailers able to throw open their doors.
“Today’s decision will have flow on benefits for retailers all around the country with Victorian retailers impacting logistics and store operations nationally.”
