No - “less” should only ever be used when dealing with singular nouns. Less is used to describe a smaller amount of one thing, not a smaller number of things.
For example, compare the relative meaning of less space vs fewer spaces, less light vs fewer lights, less time vs fewer times, less cheese vs fewer cheeses etc.
If you are dealing in plurals then fewer is always more correct. The fact that the misuse of the word ‘less’ is so prevalent doesn’t make it right!
(Sorry, I’m not usually a grammar nazi but this is the one thing that really irritates me).
If Amazon can figure out different tax rates across all the different US states, they can figure out 10% on sales to Australia.
The GST rightly should apply to all purchases, and is far better to require large online retailers, particularly those with Australian subsidies, to collect it on their end, than to try and collect it at the border.
Personally I think it should be collected at the transaction level - all banks needing to collect 10% on top of any overseas transaction, with an implementation in online banking for a claim back scheme.
Quoting from Australian Taxpayers Alliance policy director Satya Marar in this news.com.au article:
Last year, the ATA gave evidence to a Senate inquiry that the online shopping tax would not make Australian retailers competitive, would not raise a significant amount of revenue for the government and that the cost of implementing the tax would force major online platforms to exit the market or cease serving Australians entirely.
Now, after persistent denial by the government, we see these consequences in action. With another federal election on the horizon, the online shopping tax is a failure by the government to prioritise the interests of working Australians and their families.
Instead, we see capitulation to intense lobbying by major retailers whose products remain significantly more expensive on average than similar goods available online overseas due to a combination of burdensome local pressures such as zoning laws, electricity costs, strict labour regulations and red tape.
I agree with the last paragraph and both Federal and state governments have to cop some of the blame. If local retailers are to be more competitive against the likes of Amazon, the governments need to relax zoning laws and opening hours restrictions, reduce red tape and force down electricity costs, so retailers can concentrate on selling products, providing good service, and pay their workers properly.
Terrible argument considering most of the US (basically everywhere that isn’t the west coast) has relaxed zoning laws, no opening hours restrictions, less red tape and cheaper electricity - yet retail there is dying faster than anywhere else in the developed world.
In states with minimal restrictions to opening hours (e.g. VIC) , shops have gradually cut opening hours over the years to the point where apart from the weeks proceeding Christmas, most retailers have similar trading hours across the country despite significant variation in law relating to trading hours.
Long road ahead for Myer. I’m not convinced that flying in a UK executive that has no experience in this market will improve things. UK execs running gen merch retail chains have a poor record here. They really needed to get someone from WOW/WES.
Stuart Machin- Target (gone)
Alastair McGeorge- Bigw (gone)
Richard Umbers- myer (gone)
Two weeks from ditching single use plastic bags, Woolworths has revealed it will ban the sale of plastic straws in its supermarkets by the end of this year as well. Coles has pledged to reduce plastic wrapping on fruit and vegetables, and replace meat and poultry product packaging with recycled and renewable materials.
Something I’m surprised hasn’t already been mentioned in this thread:
Vincity Centres has announced that it’s selling off $1 Billion of secondary sub-regional and neighbourhood shopping centres to focus on “transformative developments” on larger centres like The Glen in Melbourne (which seems to be @JohnsonTV’s favourite shopping centre to talk about on these forums) and Bankstown Central in Sydney.
As I’m sure @mvpmadsen would agree, Bankstown Central could do with a serious revitalization because aside from the food court and the section with Woolworths/Big W, most of the centre look like it hasn’t had major changes in 20-30 years. The car parking at Bankstown Central isn’t that great either IMO!
Reading through the article, Vicinity will actually use money from the sale to fund the redevelopment of The Glen, as well as Box Hill Central (which is well overdue), Galleria in Perth, Chatswood Chase and Bankstown Central in Sydney.
In late April, Vicinity sold the nearby Brandon Park shopping centre for $135 million to a consortium led by former AFL player Chris Langford.
It will just be straw packs. Tetra Pak juices with straws will still be available.
I wonder how many packs of straws they actually sell. If Woolworths are serious they will withdraw Sipahh from the shelves, a product they would sell more of than plain drinking straws.
