Retailers

As the main interface with consumers, retailers have the unique opportunity to help people buy safe products and use them safely.  Whether in a shopfront or online, retailers are the first port of call for consumers. This is why consumers often associate a product with the retailer they bought it from rather than with who made it.

For more advice on supplying safe products in Australia, see the Role of suppliers.

On this page:

• Selling safe products
• Ensure you buy compliant products
• Ensure necessary product tests have been done
• Check stock before you put it out
• Be cautious when advertising and marketing
• Work with your customers
• Respond to recalls
• Tips, myths and FAQs

Selling safe products

As a retailer, there are a number of steps you can take to make sure the products you sell are safe.

Ensure you buy compliant products

When ordering products, make sure you specify to suppliers the need for compliance with Australian safety standards and regulations.

Ensure necessary product tests have been done

Many products need testing to check that they are safe. As a retailer you must ensure that the manufacturer or your distributor has done any required tests before supplying the products.

Check the section on mandatory standards to see whether products you intend to sell require testing. If so, ask your supplier for proof of independent testing and certification as well as test reports. You may also need to get copies of relevant standards and other documents to check this.

Check stock before you put it out

You can visually check some safety aspects, such as safety devices and labelling. Check your stock before putting it out on the shop floor or for sale online to ensure all products are safe and comply with mandatory standards.

Be cautious when advertising and marketing

It is illegal to make claims about a product that exaggerate or misrepresent what it is designed to do, so consider all of a product’s key safety aspects before advertising or marketing it.

Advertisements, catalogues and displays

Make sure that any statements about a product and any photos or displays of it show the product exactly as it is when a customer buys it. If a product comes with mandatory safety features or labelling, it may be illegal not to show these.

Marketing and sales

Don’t overstate what a product is capable of, even though it might be tempting to do this when trying to sell it. This can have safety consequences as well as legal ones. Make sure your sales staff members know to avoid this.

Work with your customers

A key difference between retailers and other suppliers is the opportunity to work directly with consumers on product safety.

In the shop

Sales staff can talk to their customers and find out what their product needs are. This way they can help people buy safe products, as well as help them understand how to use the products safely. Many hazards relate to how consumers use products.

You can advise your customers about product safety by having good product knowledge and/or providing printed information at the point of sale.

Online

Retailers selling online have an even easier way to help customers understand the safety of their products. Links to this website and other product safety websites can help make everyone aware of product safety.

Respond to recalls

You can stay aware of product recalls by subscribing to the Product Safety Recalls Australia website.

Remove stock immediately

You must quickly remove any stock affected by a recall. Take the product off sale immediately and store it away securely, so that you or staff do not return it to the floor or website.

Alert your customers

As the interface with consumers, you can help alert customers to any product safety recalls by clearly displaying recall notices in your store and/or on your website.

Tips, myths and FAQs

For all business related tips, view Business focused tips.

For all business related myths, view Business focused myths.

For all business related FAQs, view Business focused FAQs.