The merger between the two not-for-profit organisations was announced in May. The new representative body will be known as the Australian Retail Council (ARC).
The amalgamation is expected to be completed by the end of the next financial year; however, Fair Work Commission ratification is still pending.
ARA President Nicole Sheffield said the new organisation would signify a unification of the retail industry.
“With the combined strength of both retail bodies, the Australian Retail Council will offer a one-stop shop for Australian retailers, delivering a stronger unified voice for the industry, greater advocacy for retailers of all sizes, and the combined services of the ARA and the NRA,” Sheffield said.
“It makes absolute sense to create one retail voice and to combine our strengths to support the growth of this vital sector, which employs one in ten Australians and generates $430 billion annually.”
NRA chair Tim Schaafsma said a robust retail sector is in the best interests of all Australians.
“Our two organisations are aligned in focus, and we come together in the spirit of doing what’s in the best interests of our retail community,” Schaafsma said.
“There’s great strength in numbers and we are confident our members and the sector as a whole will appreciate and embrace this progression towards a unified voice for retail.”
The ARA and NRA are recruiting a CEO to lead the combined organisation, with an announcement expected before the end of this year.
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