Thread: Did anyone hear on the radio today about importing goods?

Originally Posted by mikehzz

And you are speaking from experience? Perhaps the shops going out of business in my local shopping centre are all run by incompetents including the Retravision that has been here for yonks.

how about the rent? we have found that a lot of shops go out of business in shopping centres because the rent becomes to high and they get priced out.

Rent is a big killer for many people including the consumer because wages are often not kept in line with the cost of living..which is why people seek out savings else where

...so perhaps the Oz businesses need to take a long hard look at themselves and ask WHY are people going else where.

It's nearly always price for sure and I don't blame anyone for saving 100's of dollars. I have structured my business around service because the writing is on the wall as far as retail is concerned. I simply cannot make a profit selling items at the price I have to put them so they move. As a result, I couldn't care less anymore about the retail side of my business, I wish it would go away and so do a lot of other retailers that I service. They are out as soon as they can possibly make it happen. Everyone in their shop gets paid except the owner. Saying they are gouging really gets up my nose and is an insult to them.

Originally Posted by dullbird

how about the rent? we have found that a lot of shops go out of business in shopping centres because the rent becomes to high and they get priced out.

Rent is a big killer for many people including the consumer because wages are often not kept in line with the cost of living..which is why people seek out savings else where

Rent is supposed to be covered in the profit from your sales. If there isn't enough margin in the sale then you can't pay the rent. The owners of commercial property up here don't care if their shops sit vacant for months. About 3 guys own the whole main street and they are very wealthy. One lives in the UK 6 months of the year. Perhaps they will budge when everyone goes out of business?

Barry O'Farrell is trying to balance his budget by taxing us more, so he is on a mission to get the other States and Commonwealth to agree to lowering the GST free threshold on imported purchases.

He calls if more efficient taxation, which is political code for a tax increase.

The problem is that GST is collected by the Commonwealth and the tax raised sent back to the States. The commonwealth won't be interested if the costs of collecting the GST (which they pay) is more than the revenue raised.

He is politicing the issue to get it on the next COAG meeting agenda.

(sorry this is a repeat of info posted by others, but when I posted there was only DB original post visible.)

Mike, places like retravision are going broke because the cost and price of many electronic goods like flat screen TVs has dropped so much and there is not enough margin left to keep the business open. That and rentals from places like Westfield, charging high rents to start with, then adding a surcharge for the takings (gross not net) and then additional charges for people who enter your store even if they dont buy. One store keeper couldn't understand how they calculated the "patronage" when she hadn't had more than a couple of window shoppers through the door all day. Then she realised that she was being charged every time she went to the toilet or bought a coffee. Any wonder small businesses are abandoning the big centres.



Diana

My Bilsteins cost about $500 from the US. They would have been about $1000 from a local source.

If the GST had been 10%, they would have cost about $550, so I would have saved about $450 instead of $500.

Isn't that right?

So is it really going to make any difference?

I wouldn't buy online to save a few dollars, but saving 50% or even 45% on a $1000 item is worthwhile.

I'm sure this has been covered in the soapbox a few times...

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

... and then additional charges for people who enter your store even if they dont buy. One store keeper couldn't understand how they calculated the "patronage" when she hadn't had more than a couple of window shoppers through the door all day. Then she realised that she was being charged every time she went to the toilet or bought a coffee. Any wonder small businesses are abandoning the big centres.



Diana

That's just ridiculous! How can you justify charging rent, plus all these other BS fees??
I was talking to the owner of one of the Robina TC restaurants. He was saying the rent alone for the premesis is $15000.00 / month! How the heck are you supposed to make a living with rents like that, and a dozen competitors within the same comoplex?

Originally Posted by vnx205

<snip>
So is it really going to make any difference?

I wouldn't buy online to save a few dollars, but saving 50% or even 45% on a $1000 item is worthwhile.

And that is why Barry's mission to raise more GST and stimulate local business is doomed to fail in it's objectives.