Retail group issues budget action plan
Peak retail group targets red tape and offshore competition.
The newly formed Australian Retail Council (ARC) has lodged its first major submission, outlining seven targeted reforms to strengthen retail productivity, support investment and ease cost of living pressures for Australian households and businesses as part of the pre-Budget process.
The ARC said “costly and complex government policies are choking productivity at the worst possible time for retailers and households.
“Red tape continues to pile up, illegal tobacco and escalating retail crime are undermining business viability and worker safety, and ultra-cheap offshore platforms are allowed to sidestep Australian laws altogether,” the Council said.
“These failures are distorting competition, driving up costs and demand urgent action in the Federal Budget,” it added.
ARC is calling for seven priority Budget reforms:
- Deliver productivity growth through national harmonisation
- Modernise tax settings to lift investment and competitiveness
- Reduce regulatory impacts that disproportionately affect small retailers
- Improve worker safety by tackling organised retail crime and illicit tobacco
- Enforce compliance against ultra-low-cost offshore retailers
- Modernise workplace relations and invest in retail skills and training
- Deliver nationally consistent packaging reform through Federal leadership
Date Published:
10 February 2026