As the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and flooding events continue to unfold across Queensland and NSW, retailers have called for patience, cautioning that the recovery of some store operations will take time.
In a statement published on Saturday (8 March), the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) said with weather remaining unpredictable, safety remains the priority.
The industry bodies provided the following check list for shoppers in affected areas:
- Check opening hours on the store website.
- Prepare for limited availability of some items, particularly fresh produce and essential items in high demand in the short-term while restocked and third-party providers recover from the cyclone. Some product limitations may apply.
- Please take only what you need, so all in the community can access essential items.
- Be considerate of store staff who are working under extremely challenging conditions and may also be personally affected by the cyclone.
- Stay safe when travelling to and from stores and heed the directions from local authorities around road safety.
Retailers reopening when possible
ARA Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown says retailers are doing a remarkable job of reopening as and when they can, under very challenging circumstances.
“The cyclone and heavy rain has left a number of businesses without power and with spoiled or damaged stock. Many also have limited access to team support and transportation due to weather conditions and damage to roads and property,” she says.
“Essential retailers have been working closely with authorities and emergency services throughout the past week to get the planning right. They are working extremely hard to reopen in as many locations as they can as soon as it is safe to do so. Everyone in the supply chain is affected – including workers many of whom are living in affected areas.”
Patience and kindness needed
NRA Interim CEO Lindsay Carroll asks for patience and kindness at this time.
“Retail workers often have their own homes and family, friends who are affected by this recent event,” she says.
“Opening the doors is only part of the challenge. For many businesses there will be weeks and months of recovery in front of them as they repair damage and deal with stock and supply chain recovery and insurance.
“Unfortunately, the events of the past week are yet another set-back for many retailers who have previously been impacted by weather events and were starting to get back on their feet. For many it will represent weeks of lost revenue whilst still needing to maintain overheads including rent and wages. Then there is stock damage and wasted stock which must be deal with.
“This will require a focused effort with governments to support reopening and rebuilding.”
Woolworths update
In a statement published on Sunday (9 Match), Woolworths said its “thoughts are with those impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred”.
According to the statement, the retailer planned to re-open the majority of its stores yesterday wherever it was “safe to do so”.
“We have taken a store-by-store approach to reopening based on safe access to stores, continuing weather conditions, any impact to the stores and their operations, team member availability and the advice of local authorities,” says Woolworths.
“We ask customers to please check the latest operating hours for their local store on the Woolworths website, which will be regularly updated.
“With some stores now reopening, resuming deliveries, restocking stores and getting back to normal will understandably take some time.
“We thank customers for their patience and understanding as stock availability per store will be variable and not all their favourite products will be available immediately.
“We’d also like to thank our team for their support of their local communities and getting essential food and groceries back on shelves.”