This week, Mal flies solo while Alex recovers from a big weekend, but the headlines are anything but quiet.

From a 38% surge in business-related personal insolvencies to the strategic voluntary administration of Barbecues Galore, retail stress is no longer theoretical — it’s structural.

Plus:

• US daily online shopping drops 12%

• Social commerce declines sharply

• Valentine’s Day spending underperforms

• Hermès defies the luxury slowdown with 12% growth

This episode breaks down what’s noise, what’s signal, and what retailers should actually be doing right now.