al, necessary and urgent. The ARA and NRA, the two retail peak bodies, have announced that they are now negotiating a merger proposal expected to be finalised within 12 to 18 months. Part of that timeline will include formal voting on the merger proposal by members of both organisations. Great news but, again, we have been here before as recently as 2019 when the NRA walked away from amalgamation plans claiming it was not in the interests of small retailers. A united voice for the sector worth around $420 billion over the past five years would have been useful given the issues that have besieged retailers. Inside Retail argued in September 2022 that a merger to create a more formidable and effective industry lobby should be revisited. Inside Retail noted that the chairperson and CEO changes at the NRA at that time and the election of the Albanese Labor Government in the previous May provided an opportunity and arguably an imperative to return to merger talks. In the five years since the 2019 amalgamation proposal was scuttled retailers have encountered the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic, a substantial shift in the industrial relations landscape and dramatic increases in the costs of doing business. An alarming increase in crime and particularly more vicious crime incidents as well as efficient market entry for internet-enabled global brand competitors and rapid technology developments have also been crucial challenges. That is not to mention the tsunami that has culled so many small and independent retailers or the heightened political attention on the major retailers from union and Federal Government inquiries. There can be no escaping the fact that Australia’s largest private sector employer with close to 10 per cent of the national workforce has had limited impact on national policies and debates. Indeed in many of the public debates, the retail sector has been cast as the villain, especially in cost of living increases. A fragmented approach to government has left the retail sector with a whisper where a more united stronger industry lobby would have had more clout and a much louder and more credible voice. Advocacy and a proactive government agenda for the sector are one thing but fragmentation has also impacted services for retailers. In announcing they had signed a heads of agreement for a merger. both the ARA and NRA have acknowledged that the retail industry would be stronger and will “elevate the impact of sector”. ARA President, Nicole Sheffield, has acknowledged the headwinds facing the retail sector have never been more challenging. While not specifically pointing to a much more volatile political and industrial environment or the ever rising costs of doing business, Sheffield listed retail crime, sustainability outcomes and the rise of artificial intelligence as some of those headwinds. Sheffield and NRA Chair Tim Schaafsma both did comment on the value of the retail sector having one strong unified voice. The announcement by the two organisations indicated discussions on amalgamation have been running for some time with Sheffield saying the ARA has “been on a mission to unify the industry in recent years”. Schaafsma says a merged entity will “truly represent the whole Australian retail sector, irrespective of size, segment or geographic location”. So it seems the benefits of the two peak bodies merging together have finally been seen to outweigh personalities, disagreements over assets and service parameters. Now the devil is in the detail with the two bodies travelling down a somewhat familiar path in terms of the ultimate framework and details of the merger. While the formal amalgamation may take up to 18 months involving key steps such as the members’ vote and Fair Work Commission registration, the two organisations are planning to combine their advocacy efforts almost immediately. Their priority areas have been listed as retail crime, retail trading hours and the industry application to vary the General Retail Industry Awards. What might be more pressing is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigation of supermarkets that has been ordered by the Federal Government. The ACCC investigation is a potential opportunity to walk back some of the rhetoric and hyperbole of reports currently before the Government from a Senate Inquiry, an inquiry by former Federal MP Craig Emerson and a submission from the trade union movement. The trade union submission was written by former ACCC chairman, Professor Alan Fels. Working together, the two organisations might also have some constructive and useful coalface input on the ongoing impact of high interest rates and could begin to tackle regulations that are actually shutting retail doors or eliminating jobs. As Inside Retail noted in September 2022, the retail industry needs a loud voice in debates, inquiries and regulatory forums and, hopefully, this time around an ARA and NRA merger will reach fruition – and quickly.