The Executive Director of the Australian Retailers Association, Russell Zimmerman, today announced a series of initiatives being undertaken to assist retailers and communities affected by bushfires across Australia.
Mr Zimmerman said the ARA had partnered with charity Good360,* which collected surplus items and distributed them to Australians in need, as one element of a multi-pronged strategy to deliver relief to affected retailers and communities.
“The ARA and Good360 are partnering on a campaign to collect goods from retailers who haven’t been touched by bushfires to redistribute them to those who in some cases have lost everything,” Mr Zimmerman said.
“Any retailer, small or large, who wishes to contribute – regardless of where they are in Australia – should make contact with Good360 to arrange collection of goods and stock they wish to donate,” Mr Zimmerman said.
“Retailers – and other Australians – who prefer to make a cash donation should also get in contact,” he added.
Mr Zimmerman said that in addition to partnering with Good360, the ARA was making its services available to all Australian retail businesses affected by bushfires, irrespective of whether they were ARA members or not.
“The ARA offers employment law advice that may assist bushfire-affected retailers, for example, in cases where the business is unable to trade due to fire and shopkeepers need clarification of their obligations,” he said.
“Similarly, we provide our members with advice on retail leasing, property law and insurance matters, and any retail enterprise affected by bushfires in need of such advice is free to utilise this service,” Mr Zimmerman said.
Mr Zimmerman said the ARA was making contact with government at all levels – from the Prime Minister to Premiers of affected states and their key ministers – and was ready to offer whatever assistance it could at a time of national emergency that has affected hundreds of thousands of people across most states and territories.
Mr Zimmerman said the ARA had spent the past week preparing resources for retailers who need assistance due to the bushfire crisis, and said a central reference page would shortly go live on the ARA’s website (see below). A page specific to the ARA/Good360 partnership will be live on Tuesday afternoon (AEDT) at www.good360.org.au.
“At a time of crisis, it’s critical Australians stick together; to the extent we can help affected Australian retailers and communities at this time, we encourage all who are in trouble to contact us,” Mr Zimmerman concluded.
