Inside Retail Australia
Asia-Pacific retail news and insights.
Peak 2026: Where Retail Performance Is Won or Lost
Retailers face a narrow window to prepare for the November‑December peak, where Black November and Boxing Day sales drive a 45% YoY surge in e‑commerce volume. Shiperoo’s new report warns that planning must begin in April‑May, not months before the rush, to secure inventory visibility and carrier coordination. Early adopters achieved 99.7% dispatch accuracy and same‑day volume, while late planners suffered 10‑15% slower dispatch rates. The study outlines five priorities—including partnership quality, network design, real‑time visibility, and multi‑carrier resilience—to turn fulfillment into a competitive advantage.
Temple & Webster Names Susie Sugden CEO, as Founder Changes Role
Temple & Webster has appointed former chief marketing officer Susie Sugden as its new chief executive, effective July 1. Co‑founder and ex‑CEO Mark Coulter will move into an executive chair role, while Stephen Heath shifts to lead independent director and Conrad Yiu...
How Lang’s Pop-Up Taps Into Hong Kong’s Hunger for Fashion with a Story
Kayla Wong, founder of the LA‑based label Lang, opened a month‑long pop‑up in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui, bringing her Asian‑focused fashion concept back to its roots. The Kimpton lobby showcases the Spring‑Summer 2026 collection, exclusive collaborations with local brands,...
Can New Best Buy CEO Jason Bonfig Succeed at a Pivotal Moment?
Best Buy announced on April 22 that chief customer, product and fulfilment officer Jason Bonfig will replace Corie Barry as CEO. Bonfig currently runs merchandising, e‑commerce and the Best Buy Ads network. The retailer has posted sales declines in 14 of...
Is Texas Chicken Ready for the Chinese Market?
Texas Chicken announced a partnership with Chinese operator Deke Shengtang to launch its first outlet in Shanghai this summer, with a rollout plan of more than 600 locations over the next few years, marking its 27th international market. The chain...
Maximalism Isn’t Dead: Why 90s Minimalism Is Just the New Base Layer
Fashion’s decade‑long obsession with maximalist excess is giving way to a 1990s‑inspired minimalism that emphasizes clean lines, neutral tones, and timeless basics. Brands such as Beginning Boutique are rebalancing dopamine‑driven dressing with capsule‑worthy staples that can serve as a versatile...
PE Nation Co-Founder Claire Greaves Returns, CEO Calls Her ‘Unmatched’
PE Nation co‑founder Claire Greaves returns as creative director after a year away, rejoining the brand she helped launch. CEO Hamish Stuart praised her as an unmatched asset with deep brand knowledge. Her comeback aligns with a broader rebranding effort...
Why Cash Has Made an Unexpected Comeback in Australia
A new Reserve Bank survey shows cash payments rebounded to 15% of all Australian transactions in 2025 after a pandemic‑driven decline. The resurgence is driven by older, low‑income and regional consumers, with half of Australians using cash at least once...
Expedia-Owned Last Minute to Close Down
Expedia Group announced that its Australian budget travel site Lastminute.com.au will cease operations on June 2, 2026, with new bookings ending May 15. The closure follows Expedia's broader effort to streamline its online portfolio after acquiring the site in a 2014 deal valued...
Westfield Centres Record More than $30bn in Sales in One Year
Scentre Group’s Westfield centres logged more than $30 bn AUD (≈$20 bn USD) in sales for the year to March 31, a 5% rise on the prior period. Visitor numbers climbed to 160 million, up 4.9 million, while occupancy remained near‑full at 99.8%. The group...
Why an Australian Payments Network Matters in a Globalised Economy
Australian merchants are increasingly turning to domestic payment networks such as eftpos to control costs and improve resilience. The network’s least‑cost routing can reduce debit transaction fees by roughly 20%, giving businesses pricing transparency and the ability to choose the...
After Mecca, Myer’s Beauty Reset Begins
Myer is using the upcoming Mecca exit as a catalyst to rebuild its beauty division, centering the effort on the October 2025 Myer One loyalty relaunch, an exclusive MAC partnership, and a massive product expansion. The loyalty overhaul adds beauty...
Can Lab-Grown Diamonds Win the Long-Game on Ethics?
Consumer indifference to diamond origins persists despite growing demand for ethical products, with less than 0.5% of buyers caring about provenance. The $100 billion global diamond market, including $30 billion flowing through Surat, India, remains plagued by opaque supply chains and labor...
David Jones Unveils Outsourced Food Hall at Sydney Flagship
David Jones has teamed with Create Catering to launch an outsourced food hall called “Eat at DJ’s” on the lower‑ground floor of its Sydney Elizabeth Street flagship. The new venue brings together multiple vendors offering diverse cuisines, reviving a tradition...
Dress for Success Victoria Names Karina Bruce as CEO
Dress for Success Victoria has named Karina Bruce as its new chief executive officer. Bruce arrives with more than 25 years of retail and fashion experience, including senior roles at Country Road Group and founding the Hear Us Roar initiative. She previously served...
Meet Jere Calmes: The Iconic CEO Who Turned Reset Into Momentum
Jere Calmes, CEO of The Iconic since 2023, was named #8 in Inside Retail’s Top 50 People in E‑Commerce. He led a strategic reset that trimmed an unsustainable cost base built during the pandemic and refocused the business on technology, logistics...
Why Cannabis Highs Come Before 4/20 Day
April 20, known as 4/20, generated an estimated $167 million in U.S. cannabis retail sales in 2025, a 133% jump over the monthly average. However, data from Sweed shows that 60% of that revenue was earned on April 18‑19, with a 147% sales...
Sussan’s Quiet Power Play: Inside the Fashion Brand’s Pivot to Lifestyle
Sussan, the 85‑year‑old Australian women’s fashion retailer, is expanding into lifestyle and homewares, building on its historic strength in sleepwear. The brand says lifestyle sales are up more than 45% year‑over‑year as it adds candles, glassware, bath and body items....
Inside Uniqlo’s Savvy Use of Experiential Retail in Singapore
Uniqlo Singapore launched the Airsim Cooling Station pop‑up to let shoppers physically experience the breathability and cooling claims of its Airism line, a product suite tailored for the city’s hot, humid climate. The activation featured fabric‑cruiser fans, water‑drop absorption demos,...
Why Differentiation Is Key to Winning Retail’s AI Arms Race
At Shoptalk 2026, AI was no longer a differentiator but a baseline, with U.S. retailers using it to automate tasks, generate content, and accelerate product decisions. The real competitive edge now lies in superior data, rapid execution, and deeper operational...
RIP QVC: Why Shoppers Switched Off the Channel that Changed Retail
QVC, the pioneering home‑shopping network launched in 1986, announced a Chapter 11 filing after its holding group succumbed to $6.6 billion of debt and more than $2.4 billion in 2025 losses. Viewership plummeted 61% since 2020, and the company’s linear, host‑driven model failed...
Food Delivery for $1 an Order? Bank Research Says AI Will Make It Possible
Barclays research predicts autonomous food‑delivery robots and drones could cut per‑order costs to $1, down from the current $5‑7 range. The cost reduction could unlock a $16 billion annual profitability pool for global delivery platforms. Barclays estimates autonomous‑delivery penetration will rise...
Angus Harris on Growth, Growers and the Future of Harris Farm Markets
Harris Farm Markets, a 55‑year‑old family grocer, is leveraging its new Greystanes distribution centre and automation partner Vanderlande to scale beyond Sydney while safeguarding freshness. The retailer has hit a milestone of 50 million kg of imperfect fruit and veg sold in...
Decjuba Debuts Sleepwear Line in New Market Push
Decjuba, the Australian fashion retailer with over 170 stores, has launched Decjuba Sleep, a new line of 32 exclusive sleepwear styles sold exclusively on its website and bundled with a free gift. The launch targets Australia’s fast‑growing sleepwear market, projected...
Turning Insight Into Impact: How QBD Books Is Redefining In-Store Performance
QBD Books, one of Australia’s largest book retailers, teamed up with Kepler Analytics to embed real‑time, store‑level customer insights into its operations. The partnership replaced generic foot‑traffic reports with a full path‑to‑purchase view, allowing staff to match staffing levels, merchandising,...
What Happens when Cold and Calculating AI Bots Start Doing the Shopping?
Retailers are confronting a surge in agentic AI, where bots make purchasing decisions on behalf of consumers. In Australia, 39% already rely on AI for shopping choices and 27% are open to buying directly through AI tools. To stay competitive,...
The Hidden Realities Behind Asian Consumer Spending Habits
A Roland Berger study of 3,500 shoppers across 11 Asian markets finds price and quality remain dominant, but their interplay varies between mature and emerging economies. Sustainability gained traction after COVID yet still trails cost concerns, while brand loyalty is strong...
How Meshki Is Winning over Americans with SEO and Storytelling
Australian‑born fashion label Meshki has leveraged SEO, storytelling and a strong social presence to accelerate its U.S. growth. The brand posted FY24/25 revenue of AUD 183 million (≈$131 million), up from AUD 121 million (≈$87 million) a year earlier. Celebrity endorsements and a dedicated "Trending" section...
Myer Teams with News Corp to Launch Glamour in Australia
News Corp Australia is set to launch Glamour Australia, a digital‑first lifestyle platform aimed at Gen Z and Millennial women, later this year. Myer has signed a multi‑year exclusive agreement to serve as the magazine’s beauty partner, integrating e‑commerce and insider...
Why Leo Lin’s Alison Trang Is the Quiet Architect of Digital Luxury
Alison Trang, head of e‑commerce at Australian luxury label Leo Lin, has turned the boutique into a global growth engine by marrying creative storytelling with data‑driven operations. She pre‑emptively re‑architected the US digital platform ahead of tariff changes, deploying a...
Zac Posen Fuels Excitement for Old Navy with Christopher John Rogers Collaboration
Gap Inc. is seeing a resurgence as Old Navy, led by CEO Richard Dickson and designer Zac Posen, posted full‑year net sales of $8.7 bn, a 3% increase year‑over‑year. The boost stems from refreshed inventory, streamlined store layouts and high‑profile designer...
Why Demergers Can Save a Brand – or Go Badly Wrong
Chairman David Kirk of KMD Brands rejected a proposal to demerge Rip Curl and merge it into a new surf‑focused group, arguing it would create no shareholder value and be execution‑heavy. The article contrasts this decision with Australian examples where demergers,...
Books Kinokuniya Opens First New Australian Store in 24 Years
Books Kinokuniya, one of Japan’s largest book retailers, opened its second Australian store in Westfield Chatswood, NSW, marking the first new Australian location in 24 years. The flagship store, originally launched in Neutral Bay in 1996 and later moved to...
Gérard Darel’s CEOs on China: “We’re Here to Build Something Long-Term”
Parisian ready‑to‑wear label Gérard Darel has opened flagship stores in Shanghai and Hangzhou, marking its first physical foothold in mainland China. Co‑CEOs David Maruani and Laurent Gerbi say the brand’s understated Parisian elegance aligns with Chinese shoppers’ appetite for authentic,...
Gen Alphas Grew up in a Social Media World and Will Reshape Retail
Gen Alpha, born from 2010 onward, is the first fully AI‑native, phygital generation and is set to reshape retail. McCrindle Research projects they will command over $5.46 trillion in spending power by 2029, while already acting as household gatekeepers across categories....
Five Smart Questions to Optimise Your Business Payments Setup
Payments are a core business function but often go unchecked after initial setup. The article outlines five questions merchants should ask their banks or payment service providers, covering fee structures, Merchant Choice Routing, system resilience, alignment with Australian consumer habits,...
Online Churn: The Three Leading Reasons Customers Don’t Come Back
Humii’s 2026 Online CX Report shows shopper tolerance for bad experiences has plummeted, with 84% now unlikely to return after a mishap, up from 76% last year. The study, based on thousands of mystery‑shopper journeys, identifies three primary churn drivers:...
Michael Hill Axes 60 per Cent of Its Brands to ‘Move Fast’
Michael Hill International announced a return to growth in its half‑year results, driven largely by a boom in Canada, and continued momentum into Q3. As part of its turnaround, the retailer cut its five‑brand portfolio—TenSeven Seven, Watches Galore, Bevilles, Medley and...
Universal Store Holdings CEO Steps Down, Former Store Worker Named Successor
Long‑time CEO Alice Barbery will step down from Universal Store Holdings on October 31 after 24 years with the company, transitioning to a non‑executive director role. Effective November 1, George Do, who started on the shop floor in 2005 and...
The E-Commerce Founder Who Made Sleep a Serious Business
Olivia Carr, founder of Australian sleepwear brand Shhh Silk, was named #3 in Inside Retail’s Top 50 People in E‑Commerce. She grew the company by linking luxury silk products to the hospitality sector, landing six‑figure contracts with hotel groups such...
Revive Collagen President Shawn Hayes Discusses the Changing State of Beauty
Shawn Haynes, president of the Americas at Revive Collagen, reflected on a three‑decade journey that began with launching Girl Cosmetics in 1997 and later leading roles at e.l.f., Revolution and Palladio. He highlighted the rise of ingestible skincare as Revive’s...
Can Retail Food Group Sustain Its Turnaround?
Retail Food Group (RFG) has emerged from years of franchise disputes, ACCC scrutiny and a heavy debt load through a balance‑sheet recapitalisation and brand‑portfolio reshuffle. Under turnaround chief Peter George, the company cut debt, settled disputes and refocused on six...
MCoBeauty Files Bid to Dismiss Landmark ‘Dupe’ Lawsuit
Australian beauty brand MCoBeauty has moved to dismiss two U.S. copyright lawsuits filed by Sol de Janeiro and Aramara Beauty, the latter behind Glow Recipe. The suits allege MCoBeauty sells "dupe" versions of Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa Perfume Mists and other...
The Quiet Shift Putting Content at the Centre of Retail
Retailers in Australia are confronting a quiet but decisive shift: content has become the central engine of the omnichannel experience. Legacy, siloed systems struggle to keep pace with shoppers who expect real‑time, consistent information across web, mobile, stores and marketplaces....
Harbour Town Adelaide Boasts Sales Surge as New Tenants Join Offer
Harbour Town Adelaide reported a 6% rise in sales on a moving annual total basis and a 4% increase in foot traffic over the past year. The centre welcomed ten new premium‑outlet stores, adding brands such as Michael Kors, Swarovski and...
Disney Store Plans Perth Pop-Up
Disney Store will open a limited‑time pop‑up in Perth’s Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City from April 18 to May 31. The activation aligns with the anniversaries of Winnie the Pooh and Pixar Studios and showcases themed collections including Star Wars, Lucifer, Bambi, and...
The 40-Year Story Behind Stefano Gabbana’s Departure From Dolce & Gabbana
Stefano Gabbana stepped down as chairman of Dolce & Gabbana two months before the February 2026 womenswear show, while retaining his creative duties. The luxury group reported €1.9 billion (≈$2.07 billion) in revenue but a €143 million (≈$156 million) net loss for the year...
Use AI to Level-Up Humans – Not Replace Them
The article argues that AI should amplify human capabilities rather than replace workers, echoing how past technologies like the printing press and spreadsheet extended rather than eliminated human roles. It challenges the dominant narrative that brands must fully automate to...
Is Australia at Risk of a Recession? Here’s What the Data Actually Shows
Australia’s economy is not in recession, but growth is decelerating. Real GDP expanded 2.6% year‑on‑year in the December quarter, the strongest pace in nearly three years, while more recent indicators show weakening consumer confidence, a 0.5% drop in household spending...
Timberland’s Melbourne Walk Store Marks a New Era for the Brand in Australia
Timberland unveiled a 115‑square‑metre concept store on Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall, styled as a New York‑inspired pop‑up called Butters Deli and Grocer. The launch signals a strategic pivot from pure outdoor footwear to a broader premium lifestyle experience, targeting culture‑savvy,...