Economic Structure

Abstract

The Government has asked the Commission to undertake an inquiry into the implications of globalisation for the retail industry and the appropriateness of current policy settings in this environment. More specifically, the Commission is to examine:  the current structure, performance and efficiency of the retail industry and impediments to its contribution to the Australian economy  the drivers of structural change in the retail industry, including globalisation, increasing household and business access to the digital economy, cost structures of the domestic retail industry, employment structure, the exchange rate and structural change driven by the resources boom  the broader issues which are contributing to an increase in online purchasing by Australian consumers and the role of online purchasing in providing consumers with greater choice, access and convenience