The latest research into the retail sector reveals that 118,000 jobs will be lost across the sector in the next three years.
ABC1's 7.30 has obtained the figures from a six-month inquiry led by accounting giant Ernst and Young for the National Retail Association.
The research shows many of the sales will be lost to online retailers and 33,000 of the job losses will come from the Federal Government's refusal to close a GST loophole for imported goods bought online.
Currently there is a tax-free threshold for imported goods bought online up to the value of $1,000.
National Retail Association executive director Gary Black says the job losses will be far greater than those faced by the manufacturing sector.
"There's a jobs crisis unfolding in retail that dwarfs the predicament and dilemmas confronted by the Australian manufacturing sector," he said.
"All we want is to be able to compete on a level playing field.
"We want the Government to move urgently, and if they don't we'll lose 33,000 jobs over the next few years."
Be it wholesalers or retailers great and small, the message is echoing across the sector.
Clothing wholesaler Andrew Dalgliesh says the retail sector employs a huge number of Australians.
"If all of those people we're in one company and it went broke there'd be a national outcry," he said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-15/report-finds-1182c000-retail-jobs-to-go/3892608
