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EDITOR’S LETTER 2 CONVENIENCE WORLD JUL/AUG, 2020 EDITOR’S ILETTER t’s exciting to be back home at Retail Media – and strangely enough, in such uncertain and surreal times – working with familiar faces and plenty of new ones too, after leaving the business two years ago. 2020 has been the year of upheaval, a life-changing and challenging time, understatedly, as we navigate through these unprecedented and austere conditions. And while there’s still a lot of day-to-day uncertainty, we can see some confidence as we rebuild our lives and businesses with a new outlook and sense of hope. Our retail market has had one of the most challenging times in dealing with demand and supply, panic buying and widespread confusion among customers and the general public. We’ve seen the resilience so often displayed by our retailers during difficult situations, banding together with industry and suppliers to support the wider community and ease many of the burdens faced during the pandemic. Testament to the convenience industry’s essentialness, we’ve seen businesses pivot and accelerate to meet consumer demand, delivering innovation to the store’s offer, expanding on essential commodities and ranges, and providing a one-stop shop. This issue is packed with some thought-provoking reads that will keep you on top of trends and hopefully inspire adaptation within your own businesses. To help navigate the current climate and keep abreast of the industry changes, we have introduced Industry Insight columns from the National Retail Association, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Franchise Council of Australia, and Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association. Our Business Through Innovation feature highlights the innovative ways in which retailers – and the wider industry – have quickly adapted their businesses to cater to the local community and satisfy the shopper’s journey and mission. We hope you enjoy this issue of Convenience World magazine, and we look forward to working with you and conveying the news and insights to our readers, community and the broader industry. We love hearing from our readers, whether it be feedback or just an insight on what’s happening in their world, so feel free to write in. Lorna Gloria Lorna Gloria Guest Editor