This paper includes details of changes to the CPI basket of representative goods and services, the new CPI expenditure weights and an analysis of the main changes in weights. Summary

Executive summary On a daily basis, community-based financial counsellors deal with electricity and gas providers on behalf of customers who are struggling financially, and witness firsthand the efficacy or otherwise of hardship practices across different industries. The 2014 Rank the Energy Retailer survey provided an opportunity for Victorian financial counsellors to rank the policies and...

The costs of doing business in the retail sector are inflated by unnecessary regulations, argues this report. Introduction The retail industry provides a key intermediary service between producers and consumers of final goods. The sector contributes almost 5 per cent to GDP and over 10 per cent to employment. Whether based in Australia or elsewhere...

This paper introduces a study into the cost structures of the retail trade industry, and invites the public to make submissions. Summary Within the broader context of the relative costs of doing business in Australia, the Australian Government has asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a study into the cost structures of the retail trade...

This study of online retail in Australia from 2007-13, part of the World Internet Project (WIP) reveals a consistent pattern of large increases in the number of online purchases made by Australian consumers, reaching an average expenditure of $2616 a year in 2013.