This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Bed Threads, The Iconic, and Oroton ranked ahead of other retailers in November for overall returns experience in the Online CX Index, Australias first and only online retailer performance platform powered by real data. The Online CX Index, a partnership between Inside Retail and Humii, covered the returns experience for November, from customer re-packaging and returning a product to receiving their refund.
The Sussan Group, the retail collective behind women’s fashion brands Sportsgirl, Sussan and Suzanne Grae, is incorporating “responsible fibres” into its supply chain and investing in futuristic pilot projects, such as making a compostable T-shirt, as it looks to increase consumer awareness of its sustainability initiatives. This comes after the company recently became a certified B Corp in September.
Bree Masters is a force, Olympic athletics competitor, and LSKD’s public relations (PR) co-ordinator. Not only can Masters’ sprint, she can juggle – being the PR head of a global athleisure wear empire, training, and having a blossoming social media career with 300,000 followers. This year, Masters made her Olympic debut in Paris. She is an advocate of how professional athletes can have a fulfilling career alongside and outside of sport.
Christmas and end-of-year sales are big business for retailers but they also drive enormous returns. The high volumes of unwanted gifts and remorseful sale purchases have implications beyond the bottom line the environmental impact of emissions, repackaging and damaged goods is becoming excessive. The Australia Institute projected an estimated $1 billion worth of unwanted Christmas gift waste in 2024, with 27 per cent of Australians expected to receive gifts they will not use.
Snack food brand Little Bellies parent Every Bite Counts has won a copyright infringement claim against supermarket giant Aldi, a case that was described as unprecedented in Australia. Justice Moshinsky recently found that various Aldi packaging infringed artistic works of Little Bellies’ cornerstone range of children’s snack food products.
Google has recently begun rolling out its new AI overviews to Australian search customers, including product overviews for Google Shopping. These AI-generated product overviews provide customers with a brief summary of items that are the most relevant to their product-related search. For this reason, they’re a feature to watch for small businesses in the e-commerce space.
In 2025, retail is definitely a battleground where the customer experience (CX) can make or break a brand. In an industry where 86 per cent of consumers are willing to pay more for a great experience, yet only 22 per cent feel that retailers truly understand their needs, the gap between expectation and execution is massive. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, there are amazing retailers out there that create immersive, seamless, and personal experiences and win by changing shoppers into
In the early years of online shopping, bricks-and-mortar retailers were terrified about “showrooming” This was the idea that consumers would browse products in stores – touch them, try them on – and then go and buy them cheaply online. But the reality in 2025 is that the reverse is happening in Australia. According to recent Publicis Sapient research while online is growing as a source of sales, the majority of sales (86 per cent) still result from stores.
As a popular economic movement, the single economy has grown in distinctiveness and competitiveness, making an impact on social production and daily life. The term one-person economy, or singles economy, describes the commercial prospects created by single people who value high consumption and a high standard of living. Young people have increasingly chosen the single economy in recent years, which has fuelled the growth of the single economy trend.
When I worked in the luxury sector, it was synonymous with exclusivity and the unattainable, but in recent times, it has been undergoing a clear and fundamental shift. As it becomes harder to navigate uncertain markets and the ever-evolving consumer sentiment, Burberrys recent turnaround offers valuable lessons for those seeking good sustainable success in 2025 and beyond.
Baked By Melissa x Tabasco, Kate Spade x Heinz , ELF Cosmetics x Tinder. What do these unexpected retail collaborations have in common with one another? They have all successfully tapped into the power of pop culture to keep hold of the increasingly fleeting attention of the millennial and Gen Z consumer. However, just because a collaboration is unique, or even a little weird, depending on the consumers perspective, doesnt ensure that it will be popular or profitable.
You’re falling behind if you arent constantly seeking new ways to innovate. That was the message on the first day of Retails Big Show, the National Retail Federations (NRF) annual conference and expo, which is being held in New York City this week. Running from January 12-14, the conference drew 40,000 global retail executives and other industry professionals, including suppliers and media, all clamoring to discover the hot topics in the world of shopping and consumers.
Amazon, the $2 trillion gorilla, arrived on our shores officially in December 2017, just in time for Christmas. And some seven years on, much to the dismay of retailers, it is now starting to shake the tree and become a real force in the market , as Australian shoppers increasingly turn to alternatives to manage the cost-of-living crisis. Amazon announced it posted over $3.1 billion in sales revenue (across cloud, advertising and marketplace sales) in calendar year 2023, up from $2.63 billion in
Most mornings, Meng Zhaoran rises early and heads to a park near his Shanghai home. “My way to relax and get inspiration is to get up at 5 in the morning and walk in the park. I love to enjoy the trees, to picture the trees, to watch the trees – they give me energy and comfort,” he said. They also inspired the latest season – the sixth, dubbed Tree – launched by the rapidly growing Chinese fine-fragrance brand Documents, which Zhaoran founded.
It’s not easy to be a mid-market retailer in Australia right now. There is increased competition from e-commerce players, the local market and major international brands. There is also subdued consumer sentiment and the rising cost of doing business. Growth opportunities are hard to come by. Even so, retailers offering a strong value proposition and attractive shopping experience are gaining steadfast shoppers.
In a competitive e-commerce environment, customers are most likely to return to shop where they have had the best experience. Yet many retailers are falling short, explains Mareile Osthus, CEO and co-founder of Humii, a platform that essentially X-rays retailers’ online customer experience. “Experience should always be a focus point,” says Osthus. “Make sure you impress people with what you can deliver.
Shopping is about more than just a transaction, as evidenced by our inaugural global feature on the ‘Most desirable shopping precincts’. With a strong resurgence in bricks-and-mortar retail after the global pandemic, Inside Retail decided to compile a list of the malls, high streets and neighborhoods going above and beyond to optimise the customer experience (CX) with innovative features and services.
Despite the challenging trading environment, Prada Group ‘s retail sales increased across all its brands in the first nine months of the fiscal year. The group’s net revenue rose 17.5 per cent year over year to €3.83 billion (US$4.17 billion), with its retail net sales growing 18.3 per cent to €3.42 billion. Wholesale net sales climbed 8.6 per cent to €313.9 million, while royalties soared 23.7 per cent to €90.5 million.
Amazon’s push to offer more everyday essentials like toothpaste is hurting its average selling prices, but it is also a guard against rivals such as Temu and Shein who offer rock-bottom prices on goods they ship from China. People are shopping more frequently at Amazon, adding more low-priced items with each checkout, Amazon said on Thursday, after it reported third-quarter revenue and profit that beat Wall Street expectations.
Driven by a deep sense of dissatisfaction with the limited and uninspiring choices available in the children’s fashion industry, Preeti Jatia felt compelled to embark on an ambitious journey to transform and revolutionise this market. Seventeen years ago, she gave birth to kidswear clothing line Fayon Kids. Inside Retail spoke to Jatia to learn more about the story behind the brand and the founder’s ambition to reshape the children’s fashion market.
Tupper…where’d you go? Hearing you went bankrupt made me sad. But then I read a headline that made me smile. It said, “Tupperware files for bankruptcy after being unable to find a single f*cking lid for the 10 million plastic containers in their warehouse.” And it got me thinking: We’ve all got stories about you. It may be in your mismatched tops and bottoms, never to be reunited.
In the competitive world of beauty retail, Sephora stands out for its innovative use of technology to create personalised customer experiences. Its not just selling makeup and skincare; its using marketing technology to build relationships and make customers feel special. For Australian retailers looking to boost customer engagement and drive sales, Sephora’s approach offers some valuable lessons.
The digitalisation of media has seen advertising budgets diverted towards social media campaigns and search engine marketing in Australia, 70 per cent of digital advertising spend goes to Meta and Google. For many retailers, these platforms have grown to consume the whole marketing funnel and their templated options have become the default. Metas advertising revenue in 2024 grew year-on-year, with ad impressions up 6 per cent across all platforms, however, price per ad increased by 14 per cent
In recent years, robotics has emerged as a transformative force in global retail, and the Australian market is noexception. As consumer demands evolve and competition intensifies, retailers are increasingly looking to robotic solutions to streamline operations, improve customer experiences, and drive efficiencies across the supply chain. By 2030, robotics will probablyplay an even more significant role in Australian retail, with advancements that reshape the industry and enhance how businesses o
We currently live in an era marked by economic uncertainty, environmental consciousness, and a desire for uniqueness, Australians are increasingly embracing second-hand shopping. Once regarded as a have to for those on tight budgets, purchasing pre-loved items has now evolved into a mainstream retail trend, fuelled by a combination of psychological drivers and shifting consumer values.
After three years of continuous pop-up store activations, Australian athleisure brand Stax last year opened its 12th permanent retail location and flagship store at Sydney CBDs Westfield Sydney mall. The stores opening represents more than a milestone in Staxs physical retail expansion; it is the culmination of years of strategic planning, innovation and adaptability.
Inside Retail : Prior to launching Lush with your fellow co-founders, can you briefly describe your professional background? Rowena Bird: Before co-founding Lush, I worked as a beauty therapist. My passion for cosmetics and ethical beauty began early, and I was fortunate to join forces with like-minded individuals Mark and Mo Constantine, Helen Ambrosen, Liz Weir, Karl Bygrave and Paul Greeves.
Asias creative festival Artbox returned last week with an expanded edition aimed at merging art, community, and commerce. The festival was held at Singapore Expo Hall 4, featuring more than 600 food and retail vendors from across Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Artbox is built on the vision of bringing people together to celebrate creativity and foster collaboration within the creative industry, Kent Teo, founder and CEO of Invade, the company behind Artbox, told Inside Reta
Woolworths and Coles, Australias supermarket goliaths, have gone from Covid-19 heroes to cost-of-living villains in the last two years. Two of the nations major employers, with a combined workforce of 320,000 staff and about a 66 per cent share of the grocery market, Woolworths and Coles endured a 2024 they would no doubt rather forget. There has, of course, been political and media scrutiny of the supermarket sector in the past but in 2024, Australias two largest retailers were caught in a poli
When you think about the types of businesses millennials and Gen Z consumers frequent, apparel or beauty brands may come to mind first, but what about home goods? Research shows that millennials make up an increasingly large part of the consumer base for home goods and furnishings, which includes products ranging from bedspreads to furniture. Data collected by the National Association of Realtors also found that millennials made up 43 per cent of home buyers in 2021, the largest generational gro
The retail industry has been experiencing an intriguing wave of retail revival stories. Gap, Swarovski and J Crew are just a few of the aughts-favourite brands that have been making a comeback in recent years. Through a combination of strategic brand collaborations, such as Gap x Cult Gaia and J Crew x Christopher John Rogers, updated omnichannel operations and innovative new product developments, these brands have been climbing their way back up the retail ladder.
With the evolution of retail media networks, brands and retailers are seizing the opportunity to shape consumer behaviour in real-time, using in-store touch points to elevate the shopping experience. Nowhere is this more evident than in Australian supermarkets where – following international trends – the deployment of digital screens is driving significant increases in sales of participating brands.
Speed. Efficiency. Instant gratification. These are the buzzwords of our age, even as we sit in traffic jabbing our phones to order oat milk flat whites we barely have time to drink. Everything is about getting things done faster. It’s the reason your local supermarket is now one giant self-checkout dystopia and why even the idea of browsing feels as old-fashioned as sending a telegram.
Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and this is nothing new to all in retail. Robots are increasingly finding their place in the sector, offering substantial improvements in both operational efficiency and customer experience. It’s crucial to understand, however, that these machines are not meant to replace human workers but rather to support them.
Amazon’s net income has surged on the back of higher third-quarter sales, breaking the trend of a modest slowdown with a stronger pace of growth than it delivered the previous quarter. The e-comme rce giant’s net income soared 54.5 per cent year on year to US$15.3 billion ($23.27 billion) as net sales rose 11 per cent to $158.9 billion ($241.6 billion).
Kevin Tulip’s first experience working in retail was attaching price tags to clothing in the stockroom of Topshop during two weeks’ school work experience in Newcastle, Scotland, where he grew up. From a young age, he had enjoyed shopping with his parents and friends, so it seemed a natural fit to see what it would be like working in a store when he had to choose where to fulfil his work experience.
For years, Sam’s Club sat quietly in the shadow of Walmart’s larger operations in China with six oversized stores, modest profits and little fanfare. It wasn’t failing. But it certainly wasn’t leading. Then came a quiet revolution. Under Andrew Miles’ leadership, Sam’s Club China transformed from a marginal business into one of the country’s leading omnichannel membership retailers, with more than 50 warehouse clubs, more than 500 local “cloud” delivery hubs and a reputation for exceptional prod
If you are a Chinese family who’s been looking ruefully at that noisy old fridge in the kitchen, or the washing machine in the laundry, or even that old clunker in the garage, now is still a great time to replace them with something brand spanking new. The government’s US$40 billion 2025 trade-in subsidy program has been a great gift to both families and bulky goods retailers this year, and it is providing a welcome uplift to sales at a time when things otherwise might be looking a bit grim.
Indonesia, where 17,000 islands stretch across three time zones and 300 languages, the idea of national retail dominance can seem like a logistical fantasy. Yet Alfamart, a chain many outsiders might casually categorise as a convenience store, has not only conquered this fragmented landscape, but is now redefining the very notion of what a “store” can be.
When Emica Penklis founded Loco Love in Byron Bay, her mission was focused on creating indulgent, organic chocolates that nourished both body and spirit. A decade on, the brand has evolved from a cult-favourite product sold in boutique wellness stores to a retail force with over 1000 stockists across Australia. As the company prepares for its next phase, supported by a values-led investment by Light Warrior, Penklis is doubling down on what made Loco Love desirable from the start.
More than 80 per cent of Australian consumers use digital aids during their shopping journey, regardless of whether they complete their journey online or in a physical store. The most common aids, according to research commissioned by Shopfully, include promotion hunting, product searching, or price comparison. So, how should retailers respond to the trend, and what are the potential risks of such tech-driven journeys?
Australia is one of the most attractive markets for both emerging and established brands, including LVMH heavy-weight Sephora. The consumers in Australia are very savvy, Jenny Cheah, Sephoras MD of South East Asia, Oceania and India, told Inside Retail. They understand trends and they’re very educated on their beauty needs and their beauty products in a way, it makes our job simpler, she continued.
To call Jaimee Lupton, a New Zealand-based PR executive turned beauty brand founder, ‘entrepreneurial’ would be putting it lightly. Over the past seven years, Lupton has co-founded five beauty brands (in chronological order); Monday Haircare, Chlon Paris, Being Haircare, Laura Polko Los Angeles and Daise Beauty. Several of these brands have become top-sellers with American retailers including Ulta Beauty, Costco and Walmart.
In the age of omnichannel retail and ever-expanding social media channels, retail marketing has never been more complex than it is today. Inside Retail connected with two marketing pros, True Religion chief marketing officer Kristen DArcy, and H&M Americas head of customer activation and marketing Linda Li, to garner insights about how retailers should handle marketing in the year ahead.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 40,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content