Get the appBenton's Square Shopping Centre has reopened, with Woolworths and Dan Murphy's trading again. A fire gutted Harcourts Family Butchers, formerly Lindens Meat. Neighbouring businesses Top Pho and The Pantry House also suffered significant damage.
Rose Lodge, a not-for-profit aged care facility in Wonthaggi, is recruiting a Retail Supervisor for its Opportunity Shop. The role involves running daily shop operations and helping to generate funds that support the facility's residents. The position is part-time, at 15 hours per week. Interested candidates are asked to send their resume to the People and Culture Manager, Nicole Hrvatin, by the closing date of Sunday, November 1, 2026. Applicants must hold a current police check clearance covering unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups.
Australian fashion label Shona Joy will close after 26 years in business, founder Shona Thatcher has announced. Ms Thatcher told staff of the decision on Monday, saying she wants to spend more time with her family at their Byron Bay home. She started the label in 2000, selling designs at Bondi Beach and Paddington markets. She said the business was not closing due to financial stress. The label will continue operating until January, and staff will receive their entitlements.
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Get the appAustralian fashion label Shona Joy has announced its closure after 26 years. Founder Shona Thatcher told staff on Monday that she wants to focus more time on her family. She said the commute between her Sydney offices and her home in Byron Bay had become too burdensome. Ms Thatcher said the decision was not due to financial stress and that she had considered it for four years. The business's 33 employees will receive pay and entitlements, and customers can keep buying online until the new year.
Torquay business S2 Adventure is encouraging families to shop locally as summer begins. Most stock is discounted by at least 40 per cent until Friday, with some items reduced by up to 60 per cent. The sale also includes samples and main-range Tavi Activewear pieces. Owner Michele Scarce said the team is local and the business supports other local businesses. The 40 per cent-off sale runs from October 26 to 30 at Unit 2/10 Cylinders Drive, Torquay.
A Noosa butcher, Steve Young, will stop serving walk-in customers in the coming weeks and close his retail shopfront because he cannot staff it. The shop has two butchers, where it would normally have four, plus two counter staff. Mr Young says he has spent about $15,000 on advertising in 18 months, yet many applicants do not attend interviews. Other Queensland butchers have closed recently, and some firms are recruiting from overseas. Mr Young says no workers will lose their jobs and that his wholesale business will continue.
The Coalition will introduce a bill to expand protections for people who prefer paying with cash. The opposition says current rules introduced by Labor do not go far enough. Those rules require most retailers to accept cash for in-person purchases up to $500 between 7am and 9pm, but the opposition argues they exclude essential goods such as medicine, clothing and hardware. The proposed Cash is King Bill would require major retailers to accept cash, lift the transaction limit from $2000, remove the 7am to 9pm restriction and apply the same rules to Commonwealth agencies.
Phizz, an electrolyte tablet designed to add to water, is set to launch in Australia for the first time. The product was created by Australian entrepreneur Daniel Cray and co-founders, but first launched in the United Kingdom in 2015. A chance meeting between Mr Cray and a Woolworths merchandising manager at a wedding in 2024 led to a deal with the supermarket. Selected Phizz products will be sold in stores and online from Monday.
Aldi will open at Hooper Centre Shopping Village in Toowoomba on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at 8.30 am. The centre's owners, Hadley Green Investment Group, say the supermarket adds another grocery option for local shoppers. Hooper Centre has served the community for nearly five decades and houses around 20 specialty retailers. Customers will also get two hours of free parking. A refreshed brand identity will launch alongside the supermarket, with further details to follow.
Luxury furniture and homeware brand James Lane Design opens its first Western Australian store in Osborne Park on Thursday, 22 October. The Sydney-founded brand has expanded to more than two dozen showrooms. Two further WA stores are planned, in Joondalup in November and Midland in the summer. To mark the opening, the brand is offering 30 per cent off storewide and complimentary treats during the opening weekend. The Osborne Park store will open from 9am to 5pm on Thursday.
Retailers can improve stock movement by tracking goods from delivery to storage. Unnecessary transfers can be reduced by grouping stock by destination and choosing appropriate handling equipment. Staff should be involved in selecting trolleys that match the store's layout and load requirements. WorkSafe guidelines highlight factors like floor surface and gradient in trolley selection. Trialing new arrangements during busy periods can help identify potential issues before they become routine.
The new owners of activewear brand Stax will give credits worth $1.7m to 13,000 customers whose orders never arrived. The Perth-founded retailer went into receivership in June, owing staff, suppliers and the tax office $6.7m. Customers who paid through third-party platforms such as Afterpay or Zip will not receive refunds from Stax. New chief executive Anna Cheng said the company wants to make things right when it gets something wrong. Credits are expected to appear on customer accounts when the new website launches next month and will expire June 30, 2027.
A $240 million redevelopment of Galleria Shopping Centre in Perth's north east will be unveiled on November 5, when its new Fashion Mall opens. The centre will offer close to 100 outlets across fashion, technology, lifestyle, beauty and sport. New names opening on the day include Country Road, JB Hi-Fi and MECCA, with Victoria's Secret and others following in the weeks after. Myer will also reopen with a revitalised beauty hall and refreshed layout. The centre has added green spaces and upgraded public areas.
Click Frenzy's Main Event 2026 opens at 7pm AEDT on Tuesday, 27 October and closes at 11:59pm AEDT on Friday, 30 October. Shoppers who sign up for a reminder get access from 6pm on the Tuesday. The event brings together deals from retailers across tech, fashion, home, beauty and sport on the Click Frenzy website. Click Frenzy does not sell products itself. It links shoppers to retailers, who handle purchases, delivery and returns. Some offers expire within 24 hours, so shoppers are advised to act quickly.
Online vintage retailer Hawkeye Vintage is returning to Melbourne with a physical pop-up after three years. More than 1000 luxury designer items will be on sale at 362 Little Collins Street until Sunday. The company is also launching Hawkeye Beauty, with Korean skincare products from $10. Founder Danielle Goodwin said shoppers want to handle items before buying. The event will also be livestreamed to buyers overseas.
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Get the appReceivers for the collapsed Cue Clothing and Veronika Maine retail brands will close 26 more stores as they prepare a possible sale. A small shortlist of potential buyers has made non-binding offers, but the closures will go ahead regardless. Stores in New South Wales will be hit hardest, while Perth loses a Cue store in Cannington and a Veronika Maine shop in Claremont Quarter. Receivers said closures start immediately, with timing varying by store. Staff will be moved into remaining stores where possible.
Receivers FTI Consulting say 26 stores across the Cue Clothing and Veronika Maine brands will close across Australia, starting from Thursday. Shoppers can keep buying until stock runs out, and staff will be moved into remaining stores where possible. FTI said the closures followed feedback from buyers on which stores they wanted, with a common group not being sought. Cue Clothing Co entered voluntary administration and receivership on September 15. Debts totalling $55 million were reported, with the Australian Taxation Office and Scentre Group among major creditors.
More than half of the remaining stores of womenswear chain Cue and Veronika Maine will close from Thursday, as receivers look for a buyer. Twenty-six of the 46 stores in Australia and New Zealand will shut. The Sydney-based chain entered voluntary administration in September, citing overhead costs, after nearly 60 years in business. Receivers Kate Warwick and Vaughan Strawbridge of FTI Consulting said potential buyers were not interested in a common group of stores, so those will close. Timing will vary by store and depend largely on stock levels. Team members will be redeployed to continuing stores where possible.