The ATO’s decision to stop accepting credit card payments after 30 November is a hit to plenty of small businesses.
There is no single fix. In our experience, cash flow improves when a shop buys better, uses its space better, brings in more shoppers and lifts its margin.
That is the work newsXpress does with newsagents. Stride Retail now does the same work with independent garden centres, gift shops and homewares stores.
1. Buy better
Most of the cash in a shop is sitting on the shelves. Stock bought too early, or in too great a quantity, ties up money that could pay rent or wages.
We help members plan their buying around their own sales history and the season ahead. They can buy from close to 150preferred suppliers. If a supplier already gives a shop a better deal, we expect that deal to be honoured. Central billing also cuts down the number of accounts to reconcile each month.
2. Make every metre earn
Our whole-of-business review looks closely at floor space. Which categories are growing? Which are in decline? How much does the shop rely on one product line?
For a newsagency, the answer often involves moving space from magazines into gifts and greeting cards. We analyse card performance down to the pocket level, so owners can see what each pocket earns before they change anything. The review ends with a plan for that shop, not a generic checklist.
3. Bring in new shoppers
Tight cost control matters. But a shop also needs new customers.
Our Seasonal Edge campaigns are funded entirely by newsXpress. In 2025 they delivered more than $1,500 per member in value. We also help members set up their Google Business Profile properly, which is often the first thing a local shopper sees. And we will tell members honestly how their social media looks from the outside, then help them improve it.
4. Lift your GP%
A busy shop can still run short of cash if the margin is wrong.
Peer benchmarking shows members how their GP% compares with similar shops. Most owners have never had that comparison before. Members can also access low-cost EFTPOS rates. We pass these on in full and take nothing from them.
5. Get practical cash-flow support
Some retailers need help with the numbers themselves. We work with members to build a budget, then check in regularly to see how they are tracking. We do not lecture. We look at what has changed and agree on the next step. I have seen this support make the difference between a business closing and a business recovering.
Joining
Membership is $295 inc GST a month, with the first three months free. No lock-in. Month to month, 30 days’ notice.
If cash flow is a worry, talk to us at help@strideretail.com.au.
