This Week In Ecommerce

Mal is live from Singapore this week, joining Alex from the eTail Asia conference where AI dominated every session and the conversation is shifting — Asia's big marketplace-first model is starting to make room for DTC. Back home, Australians are dealing with a second consecutive RBA rate rise, a fuel crisis driven by the Strait of Hormuz shutdown, and the kind of cost-of-living pressure that changes how consumers spend and what operators need to do about it.

This episode covers the macro squeeze in full — what rising rates, oil prices and shipping costs actually mean for your business — alongside the latest in agentic commerce (Shopify's big move and Walmart's quiet reality check), Myer's luxury beauty pivot, and the usual retail openings, closings and M&A news from around the country.

H&M exits Tasmania / By Charlotte opens in WA: Global fast fashion retreats from low-density markets while a homegrown premium DTC brand goes big in Western Australia with three stores at launch.

KMD rejects Stokehouse's Rip Curl demerger bid: The surf and outdoor giant turned down a proposal to spin off Rip Curl and merge it with US label Stokehouse, citing no new capital, shareholder dilution and a deal structure that created no value.

Priceline franchise sale narrows to final four: The sale of Priceline Pharmacy's franchisee operations has reached its final stage with four undisclosed bidders, signalling further consolidation in Australian pharmacy retail.

Rates, oil and the operator squeeze: The RBA's second consecutive rate rise to 4.10% — driven by a global energy crisis after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz — is pushing fuel prices, freight costs and mortgage stress higher, with a third rise tipped for May.

Agentic commerce arrives — but is anyone buying: Shopify has opened its infrastructure so millions of merchants can sell inside ChatGPT, but Walmart's months-long trial of in-chat checkout has produced disappointing sales results.

Myer bets big on luxury skincare: After ending its 17-year Mecca partnership, Myer is repositioning beauty as its greatest growth opportunity with La Mer, Guerlain, Swiss Perfection and Helena Rubinstein landing in bespoke shop-in-shop formats.

Mal and Alex are back halfway through March with another Australian-heavy episode — covering everything from a $702K spam fine to a $750 million Amazon warehouse landing in Queensland. The week's stories are a useful reminder that the rules around consumer trust, brand authenticity, and competitive infrastructure are all tightening at once.

This episode spans compliance wake-up calls, a 17-year trademark saga finally resolved in an Australian designer's favour, a bold strategy to reshore premium fashion manufacturing, and two deep dives into what brand longevity actually looks like — one a $100M nostalgia revival, the other a cautionary tale about losing sight of your customer.

• Lululemon's $702K Spam Act Fine — Lululemon was hit with a $702K ACMA fine for emailing unsubscribed customers and embedding promotional content in transactional emails — a reminder that enforcement is ramping up and the maximum penalty is $2.2M per day.
• Dolls Kill False Urgency Class Action — The US brand is facing a class action for running sales that outlasted their advertised end times, raising the broader point that manufactured urgency erodes consumer trust whether or not it ends in litigation.
• Katy Perry vs. Katie Perry — Australian Designer Wins — After a 17-year trademark battle, Sydney-based fashion designer Katie Perry has won the right to her own name in the High Court, underlining the importance of registering trademarks early before someone more famous comes along.
• RM Williams & Australian Fashion Council's 10-Year Manufacturing Strategy — RM Williams and the Australian Fashion Council have tabled a strategy to grow the domestic fashion and textiles industry from $27B to $38B by reshoring premium manufacturing — leaning into what Australia can actually win at globally.
• Amazon's $750M Robotics Fulfilment Centre in Queensland — Amazon is building a four-level, double-Suncorp-Stadium-sized fulfilment centre in Logan, fast-tracked by the Queensland government in just 35 days, which will make next-day delivery even more of a baseline expectation for Queensland shoppers.
• Von Dutch's $100M Comeback — Von Dutch has quietly crossed nine figures in global revenue by licensing its IP rather than manufacturing — proof that the 20-year nostalgia cycle is real, and that brand heritage can be monetised without owning a single factory.
• Witchery x Pip Edwards & Lara Worthington Collab — The campaign attracted criticism for a "hobo chic" aesthetic that felt misaligned with Witchery's core customer and tone-deaf given current cost-of-living pressures — a sharp lesson in knowing your customer before chasing cool.

Mal and Alex are back for a jam-packed, very Australian episode — recorded a day late thanks to the uneven chaos of state-based public holidays. From Koala's impending ASX debut to the Iconic finally turning a profit after 15 years, it's a week where the big stories reward anyone paying close attention to what they actually signal about the state of ecommerce and retail in Australia.

This episode covers a lot of ground: geopolitical pressure on shipping costs, the dynamic pricing debate at Coles and Woolies, a snapshot of January's surprisingly solid retail data, and the tactical playbook brands need right now as conditions tighten heading into Q1. Whether you're a brand operator, a marketer, or just a retail nerd, there's something here for you.

• Koala IPO — Koala is targeting an April 1st ASX listing at a $300–305M market cap, backed by 42% revenue growth and a 280% jump in EBITDA, making a compelling case even in a muted IPO market dominated by AI capital flows.
• US-Iran Conflict & Retail Inflation — Ongoing conflict is pushing fuel and shipping costs higher, with New Zealand fashion sales already down 2.3% year-on-year and Australian petrol prices hitting record levels — bad news for discretionary retail.
• Lovisa & Cotton On Go Global — Lovisa has surpassed $500M in revenue across 1,100 stores in 50 countries, while Cotton On's rare push into India signals that international expansion is becoming a serious hedge against a soft Australian market.
• Coles & Woolies Dynamic Pricing — Neither retailer has ruled out demand-based pricing via their new electronic shelf labels, raising serious concerns about brand pricing control and consumer trust — all while both remain under ACCC investigation.
• ABS January Retail Data — Overall retail spending was up 5% year-on-year in January, but the data predates the February rate rise, making your own site's conversion rate a far more current indicator of business health.
• Brand Playbook for a Tough Market — With the in-market buyer pool shrinking, brands should shift budget toward upper-funnel demand generation, scenario plan at 70–80% of prior revenue, and prioritise newness and scarcity to drive urgency.
• The Iconic Finally Profitable — After 15 years, The Iconic has delivered $45.7M in adjusted EBITDA — achieved not through a single dramatic move, but by reducing discounting, going more premium, and growing its higher-margin third-party marketplace business.

In Episode 127 of This Week in Ecommerce, Mal Chia and Alex Ross break down the biggest retail news in Australia, from store closures and collapsing margins to AI-driven job cuts and the escalating beauty wars between major players.

If you’re a retailer, founder, marketer or ecommerce operator, this is what you need to know right now.

🔎 In This Episode:

• Accent Group shuts down Glue Store after an $8.6M loss — is mid-market retail officially dead?

• Maggie Beer Holdings returns to profit by focusing on operational efficiency instead of expansion.

• Ozsale relaunches under its original founder — can flash-sale marketplaces survive in 2026?

• Adore Beauty grows revenue 8.7% but sees profit drop 70% — can physical retail fix a margin problem?

• Sephora racks up $78M in Australian losses under LVMH — why is Australia so tough to crack?

• Block (owner of Square and Afterpay) cuts 40% of its workforce, explicitly citing AI efficiency.

📈 Key Themes:

• Margin pressure in ecommerce

• The collapse of mid-market retail

• Beauty industry competition in Australia

• AI replacing knowledge workers

• Marketplace viability in a discount-heavy world

• Retail strategy in 2026

Subscribe for weekly breakdowns of the biggest ecommerce and retail news affecting Australian brands.

#Ecommerce #RetailNews #AustralianRetail #BeautyIndustry #AIinBusiness #Afterpay #Sephora #AdoreBeauty #Ozsale #RetailStrategy

From Trump’s tariff whiplash to TikTok’s strategic retreat and Lovisa’s share price tumble, this week’s episode unpacks the volatility shaping retail in 2025.

Mal and Alex break down what’s noise, what’s signal, and what Australian retailers actually need to pay attention to — especially as global trade tensions resurface and consumer confidence remains fragile.

If you’re exporting to the US, relying on TikTok Shop, or still operating on an old-school fast fashion model… this episode is a wake-up call.

📰 In This Episode

• TikTok walks back mandatory Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT)

  TikTok reverses its plan to force sellers onto its fulfilment network, signalling limits to platform power in early-stage social commerce.

• ACCC announces 2026–27 enforcement priorities

  The regulator sharpens focus on misleading pricing, digital platforms and consumer protection — with tougher enforcement expected.

• Bunnings launches on Uber Eats

  30,000 products now available for delivery, marking another step toward “everything commerce” and on-demand retail.

• eBay acquires Depop

  A major move in recommerce consolidation, as eBay doubles down on Gen Z resale and secondhand fashion.

• US Supreme Court overturns Trump’s global tariffs

  The initial tariff framework is struck down — but quickly replaced with a new 15% flat tariff under alternative legislation.

• What the new US tariffs mean for Australian exporters

  Increased volatility, margin pressure and renewed urgency around supply chain diversification.

• Lovisa shares drop ~30% after weak results

  Slower growth and margin compression highlight the pressure on fast-fashion retail models.

• The risks of constant newness in fashion

  Inventory cycles and discount dependency continue to challenge brands reliant on rapid product turnover.

• The counterfeit crisis accelerates

  A new study shows 78% of brands lose at least 5% of annual revenue to counterfeits — with AI and online marketplaces amplifying the issue.

• Platform consolidation and shifting retail power

  From TikTok to eBay, major platforms are redefining the rules — and brands must decide how much control to give up.

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.

This week, Mal and Alex return to unpack a massive week in Australian retail. From job cuts at Peloton and controversy at Nike to Cosette’s dramatic closure and JB Hi-Fi launching a retail media network, Episode 125 breaks down the headlines that matter.

🔹 In this episode:

• Peloton Cuts 11% of Staff

  The pandemic darling continues its post-boom correction with major layoffs. Is AI taking over engineering jobs, or is this just poor pandemic planning coming full circle? 

• Nike Investigated for “Reverse Discrimination”

  The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is probing Nike for alleged discrimination against white employees. A bizarre case that may have ripple effects for diversity hiring everywhere. 

• Topshop Returns to Myer, Rhode Launches at Mecca

  Two brand launches with very different energy. While Topshop leans into nostalgia, Rhode rides a wave of influencer-fueled anticipation. What’s the play for each retailer? 

• Cosette Collapses After 11 Years in Australia

  The luxury reseller shuts down its Australian operations amid mounting legal complaints and trust issues. Mal and Alex break down what went wrong—and what it means for secondhand retail. 

• JB Hi-Fi Joins the Retail Media Boom

  JB Hi-Fi has launched its own omnichannel retail media network in partnership with Retail Media Works. Why this is a smart move—and a worrying sign for indie retail. 

• Facial Recognition at Bunnings Gets the Green Light

  In a landmark decision, a tribunal has ruled that Bunnings can use facial recognition tech in stores—if customers are notified. A slippery slope for retail privacy, or necessary for security? 

It’s chaos out there – but in the best possible way. This week, Mal Chia is recording live from Sydney and joined by Alex Ross for a fast-paced round-up of stories shaking up ecommerce, tech, and retail. From viral toys in China to the TikTok/Meta power struggle, this episode covers the cultural trends, algorithm shifts, and economic forces every ecommerce brand should be watching.

They unpack a factory error turned viral sensation (the crying horse plushie), why Facebook Marketplace is teaming up with Netflix, and what TikTok’s ownership shake-up could mean for creators and ecommerce sellers alike. They also break down inflation woes, the quiet rise of Threads, and whether Harris Farm is making a risky move by partnering with Amazon.

In this episode:

• The crying horse toy going viral in China – a happy accident with big brand lessons

• Bridgerton x Facebook Marketplace – clever collab or cultural cash-in?

• TikTok’s US split: censorship accusations, user decline, and Meta’s moment to shine

• Inflation bites: what rising rates mean for discretionary spend and discounting

• Why ecommerce brands need to stop relying on breakneck Black Friday sales

• Reporting season reveals some surprising wins for big-name Aussie brands

• Harris Farm partners with Amazon – genius move or future regret?

This ep is packed with cheeky banter, hard truths, and actionable insights for any retailer looking to navigate 2026 with smarts (and sanity) intact.

Trust is taking a beating in Ecommerce — and this week, Mal and Alex unpack exactly why. From AI-powered shopping ads and supermarket pricing games, to brands relaunching without soul and others doubling down on transparency, this episode explores how easily trust is lost… and how hard it is to win back. There’s plenty for retailers to think about as 2026 trends start creeping into today’s decisions.

In this episode, we cover:

• 🛒 AI shopping ads are coming

  Why OpenAI-style shopping ads feel inevitable — and whether “best result” will soon mean “highest bidder”.

• 🇦🇺 The Buy Australian Made push

  A big government budget, but can it really change behaviour without fixing price and quality fundamentals?

• 👖 Jeans West’s AI-led comeback

  When heritage brands relaunch with soulless, uncanny creative — and why it instantly damages trust.

• 🦺 Trademutt’s high-vis swap campaign

  A masterclass in human, sustainable, trust-building retail done right.

• 🫑 The Capsicum Paradox

  How supermarkets pricing produce per item online (instead of per kilo) creates opacity — and why the ACCC may start paying attention.

• 💰 Smarter ways to show value

  From cost-per-serve to cost-per-wear, and why helping customers do the mental maths matters.

• 🧵 Levi’s teaching Gen Z to repair clothes

  Selling less as a confidence play — and why longevity is becoming a status symbol.

• 🧠 The complexity tax

  Why many brands don’t need more channels, tools or hires — they need better fundamentals.

If you’re building, scaling, or fixing an Ecommerce brand in 2026, this episode is a timely reminder: trust isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the business model.

This week, Mal and Alex are back with a scorching episode of This Week in Ecommerce, breaking down the biggest stories shaping retail in Australia and abroad. From Woolworths jumping headfirst into AI to the fading glow of The Oodie, the duo tackle retail shakeups, brand resurrections, and what happens when luxury loses its sparkle.

Here’s what’s in store:

• 🏆 Inside Retail Awards 2026: A refreshing mix of finalists with nods to Ergo Pouch, Nobby, and the ever-dominant Appliances Online. We celebrate the standouts (and hint at the PR machines behind them).

• 👖 Sass and Bide: Fashion Fade or Phoenix Rising? Maya hits pause on the heritage label, but will it rise again—or is it time to retire the skinny jeans?

• 🎮 EB Games Exits NZ: 38 stores shut down in a flash. We unpack the decline of physical media and why collectibles couldn’t save the day.

• 🩲 Bonds & Co. Up for Sale: Hanes might be offloading Aussie staples like Sheridan and Burley. Is it smart restructuring or the start of a fire sale?

• 💸 Saks Files Chapter 11: The US luxury retailer’s fall from grace—and what it means for premium department stores down under.

• 🛋️ The Oodie Gets Too Comfy? Adelaide’s fluffy export is reportedly slipping into the red. But is the press blowing hot air or is the novelty finally wearing off?

• 🧠 Woolworths x Google AI: From interpreting handwritten recipes to filling your cart—Mal and Alex debate if it’s a smart move or a sneaky upsell trap.