On 1 October, Australians are asked to stop and shop Australian in a call to arms for shoppers to support Aussie small businesses dealt a string of economic disasters in 2020 following droughts, bushfires, floods and now the financial devastation caused by Covid-19.
As Australia officially went into recession earlier this month and the GDP falling seven per cent, it is expected that retail turnover growth will fall 1.4 per cent in 2020.
National Buy Aussie Day founder, Chris White, is hopeful every Australian will do their bit on the day.
“In the way that Singles Day in China and Black Friday in the US have become landmark shopping days, we hope 1 October will forever be our national shopping day, supporting Aussie owned businesses producing Aussie made goods,” he enthuses.
“As we grow year on year, hopefully other nations that love Aussie made products, such as the US and UK, will also support our national shopping day and therefore open more Aussie businesses to global markets.”
There are 2.2 million small businesses across Australia, with the sector accounting for almost half of Australia’s entire workforce, which is in excess of five million workers, and just under 60 per cent of total employment growth in the private sector.
Small business makes up one fifth of our entire national GDP and contributes to more than a third of all production across the country.
Right now, around 900,000 Australian businesses are surviving on some form of government support.
“I, like hundreds of thousands of Australians, have a small business that has been impacted throughout 2020 and it is the great unknown that is the scary thing for us all, particularly when income support is wound back.
“When small businesses thrive, so does the Australian economy―it is quite logical as we create more jobs at home and money stays here. I think we all want to look for ways to support each other right now and this is a simple way people can make a difference,” White says.
National Buy Aussie Day was launched by Sydney 2000 gold medal beach volleyballers Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook, while fellow gold medal Olympian Grant Hackett will be the ‘face’ of the day on 1 October.
White is thrilled to have such iconic Aussies supporting this important day on our road to economic recovery.
“For too long we have been relying on foreign nations when what we produce at home is among the best in the world. If we make conscious decisions in the way we shop then manufacturing can move back,” he says.
“Research continually shows that Australians prefer to buy Australian, so National Buy Aussie Day is a tangible opportunity for every one of us to make a real difference and support the businesses of our families and friends that are the real cornerstone of our national economy, and are struggling like never before.”
