2025

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After the Christmas high comes the returns, here’s how to break the cycle

Inside Retail

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.

Gifts 276
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SANAA brings alaïa’s sculptural fashion identity to rue du faubourg saint-honoré flagship

Design Boom

drawing from alaas signature 'second skin' designs, the interior echoes the forms of the brands silhouettes. The post SANAA brings alaas sculptural fashion identity to rue du faubourg saint-honor flagship appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Fashion 270
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What’s in store for retail in 2025?

Retail Focus

Its that time of year again when we can sit down, pour ourselves a little (or indeed large) glass of something, and reminisce about the year that was. It is fair to say that retail has had its ups and down in 2024, with plenty of challenges accompanying the good times. While certain trends that were apparent this year may not be as key in 2025, others will continue into the next year and beyond, playing a major role in shaping customer demand.

Balance 162
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How Mitre 10 personalised its e-commerce site for every store in its network

Inside Retail

As head of digital at Metcash’s Independent Hardware Group (IHG), the $2.1 billion business behind Mitre 10 and Home Hardware, Anna Kismet is a firm believer in using technology to solve unique business problems. One problem she has been working on since joining IHG in 2022 is how to manage the backend systems and processes for a business, Mitre 10, with over 500 stores that are all individually owned and operated. “From a technology point of view, you have multiple point-of-sale sys

Location 264
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The Evolving Retailers Fulfillment Strategy: Meeting Demands with Agility

Speaker: Becky Parisotto and John Vurdelja

Fulfillment is no longer just about getting products from point A to point B – it's about crafting seamless, scalable, customer first experiences. Flexible fulfillment strategies are more important than ever for those aiming to stay ahead and build resilience as retail enters a new era in 2025. Learn how to optimize fulfillment processes, tackle complex, multi-vendor orders, and create seamless customer experiences – from white-glove delivery for high-value items to quick-ship solutions for ever

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Wesfarmers to wind down Catch, Kmart to acquire fulfilment centres

Inside Retail

Five years after acquiring the online marketplace for $230 million, Wesfarmers has decided to wind down Catch , citing a competitive Australian e-commerce landscape. “The recent increase in competitive intensity in the Australian e-commerce sector has affected Catch’s financial performance and growth prospects,” said Rob Scott, Wesfarmers MD. “In this environment, the Groups retail and health businesses, with their leading omnichannel offerings and trusted brands, are bet

Marketing 290
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Dreamfarm’s Alex Gransbury on the price of patents and Kmart’s Anko juicer

Inside Retail

Last week, a new addition to Kmarts product range made Alex Gransbury rethink his approach to patenting. He was on a call with one of his Dreamfarm employees when he first heard that one of his inventions had been copied and pasted. For Gransbury, who has invented products in a MacGyver-like fashion for over 22 years, designing new products that are fit-for-purpose and exceed customer expectations.

Strategy 263

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Day two at NRF: Pattern Beauty, Tommy Hilfiger and the power of storytelling

Inside Retail

If you don’t have your narrative set, someone else will tell your story, said Katie Welch, the chief marketing officer of Rare Beauty. That was one of the key messages delivered on the second day of Retails Big Show, the National Retail Federations (NRF) annual conference and expo, which is being held in New York City this week. Major players in the retail industry like Tracee Ellis Ross, the founder and co-CEO of Pattern Beauty; Tommy Hilfiger, founder of the iconic eponymous apparel bran

Pattern 289
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Why One Mile caters to tall girls and is evolving with founder Sammy Robinson

Inside Retail

Sydney-based fashion brand One Mile was founded by Sammy Robinson in 2020 after a collaboration with another brand sparked the desire to have her own label. The coastal-inspired brand launched with a sell-out knitwear collection, and caters to an often overlooked taller female demographic. Recently One Mile opened its first boutique in Bondi Beach, which has seen the brands cult following frequent the space and sell out stock.

Boutique 278
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Blue Sky Kids Land fined $5 million for exploiting Chinese workers

Inside Retail

Children’s clothing retailer Blue Sky Kids Land has been fined more than $5.1 million for exploiting Chinese migrants. The company previously operated stores in Sydney, NSWs Central Coast, Newcastle and Canberra, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). The penalties include a $4.3 million penalty against Blue Sky Kids Land, $760,000 against company director Guo Dong Gu, and $43,000 against company director Fei Rong Yang.

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Amazon is set to take off in Australia this year, get ready

Inside Retail

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

Expansion 240
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Modernizing the Frontend Experience on Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Unlock agility, boost performance, and gain control over your Salesforce frontend with the latest masterclass from Composable.com : Modernizing the Frontend Experience on Salesforce Commerce Cloud Featuring experts from Algolia, Ember, Netlify, and Stripe, this masterclass focuses on practical strategies for optimizing your Salesforce Commerce Cloud storefronts using modern composable commerce integrations.

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‘Not just another beauty store’: Adore Beauty CEO on entering a crowded market

Inside Retail

Transitioning one of Australias leading beauty retailers from a pureplay e-commerce operation to a truly entrenched omnichannel business has been a really positive experience, Sacha Laing, Adore Beauty CEO, told Inside Retail. Becoming an integrated omnichannel retailer meant that a lot of the businesss back-end processes had to be re-engineered with its brand partners and internal teams.

Marketing 250
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Black Friday boosts Australia’s November retail sales

Inside Retail

Australian retail sales saw significant year-on-year increase in November, largely attributed to the Black Friday sales. “Black Friday sales events proved once again to be a big hit, with widespread discounting and higher spending across all retail industries,” said Robert Ewing, head of business statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). “The popularity of Black Friday sales continues to grow with promotional activity now stretching across the entire month of Nov

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How Henne is rethinking the in-store experience

Inside Retail

If the Apple store was a womenswear boutique, it would be Henne. The Australian fashion label delivers a unique in-store retail experience. Rather than stocking clothing in multiple sizes on shelves or racks for customers to try on and purchase, Everything that you see on display is just for display, Nadia Bartel, Hennes director, told Inside Retail.

Fashion 250
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Why Clothing the Gaps and Homie are urging retailers to stay open on January 26

Inside Retail

As January 26 approaches, brands are starting to signal their values to their customers. While retailers may wish to be exempt from the national Australia Day debat, a simple open or closed sign or decision to stock Australian flag merchandise says it all. While some retailers have reversed course on their support for changing the date after the failed Voice to Parliament referendum and public backlash, Melbourne-based social enterprise and fashion label Homie is standing in solidarity with Firs

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Secrets of a Successful Sale: Optimizing Your Checkout Process

Speaker: David Nisbet, Everett Zufelt, and Michaela Weber

Once upon a time, in the vast realm of online commerce, there lived a humble checkout button overlooked by many. Yet, within its humble click lay the power to transform a mere visitor into a loyal customer. 🧐 💡 Getting checkout right can mark the difference between a successful sale and an abandoned cart, yet many businesses fail to make payments a part of their commerce strategy even when it has a direct impact on revenue.

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Premier Retail forecasts lower sales in fiscal first half

Inside Retail

Premier Retail expects lower global sales in the fiscal first half, with Australian sales broadly flat compared to the year-ago period. The company forecasts global sales to be between $855 million and $865 million and underlying earnings before interest and taxes to be in the range of $160 million to $165 million. It estimates global sales of its apparel brands business to range from $405 million to $412 million and its underlying EBIT between $31 million and $35 million.

Apparel 264
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Wesfarmers to launch cosmetics retail chain, Atomica

Inside Retail

Wesfarmers Health has opened the pilot of a new beauty and wellness concept store called Atomica, which it plans to roll out in major cities this year. The first store is located at the Castle Towers shopping centre in Sydney, in a space formerly occupied by Priceline shop. Wesfarmers Health partnered with branding and design agency Houston Group to design the inaugural Atomica store.

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Myer reveals early shareholder votes in favour of Premier deal

Inside Retail

Myer has revealed the details of early shareholder votes in favour of its proposed acquisition of Premier Retail’s apparel brands Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Portmans, Dotti, and Jacqui E. In a summary of direct and proxy votes received on the resolution before the meeting, Myer said that 95.45 per cent of its shareholders who voted before the meeting approved the proposal, while 3.82 per cent voted against it.

Apparel 263
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Woolworths and Coles drew consumer ire for cost-of-living pressures in 2024

Inside Retail

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

Consumer 246
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Brick & Mortar Retail Relevance: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

Let's set the record straight: in-store retail isn't dead - it's evolving! Faced with the digital age and the demands of omnichannel shopping, some retailers are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. Join Jay Black in this exclusive session as he explores the strategies that set successful stores apart, including: Crafting unique and unforgettable in-store experiences 🛍️ Mastering the art of retail demands 🛒 Navigating inventory challenges in today's climate 📦 an

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A Catch-22: Experts weigh in on the wind-down of the e-commerce disruptor

Inside Retail

Wesfarmers decision to wind down Catch this week has prompted strong reactions from the retail industry, with many former Catch employees, customers and armchair experts sharing their thoughts on why the company that once had a run-rate of $1 billion is about to cease trading. Inside Retail spoke to industry experts Brian Walker, founder and executive chair of Retail Doctor Group, Mal Chia, managing director and co-founder of Ecom Nation, and Dr Jessica Pallant, marketing lecturer at RMIT Univer

Marketing 246
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Kogan reports first-half growth fuelled by strong holiday sales

Inside Retail

Kogan has returned to strong top-line growth in the fiscal first half, which was fuelled by solid holiday sales. The company reported gross sales of $492.5 million during the July-December period, a 10.3 per cent increase year-on-year. Revenue also grew 9.9 per cent to $272.7 million. On the bottom line, gross profit rose 18.3 per cent to $106 million and adjusted EBITDA improved 17.5 per cent to $25.3 million.

Line 254
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Terrace Central Shopping Centre in Hunter Valley listed for sale

Inside Retail

Panthera Group is set to sell the Terrace Central Shopping Centre in the Hunter Valley, hoping to attract bids from private, syndicate and institutional investors. Besides a Woolworths supermarket and BWS liquor store, which account for 51 per cent of turnover and have signed a lease renewal through to 2032 the centre is home to The Reject Shop, Australia Post, a medical centre, pharmacy, and other retailers, with non-discretionary retail.

Shopping 263
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Mosaic Brands receivers to close down Noni B, Millers

Inside Retail

Long-running Australian fashion labels Millers and Noni B are to be closed down after the receivers of parent company Mosaic Brands failed to find a buyer. About 930 staff will lose their jobs. Today’s announcement means all Mosaic brands will be closed, none of them of sufficient interest to attract a white knight investor to ensure their survival.

Fashion 290
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Industry Shake-Up: 2023 Commerce Trends To Rock Your World

Speaker: Ashlee Aldridge - Reach Partners LLC | Bill Mirabito - Chameleon Collective | Ronak Shah - PSA Retail & CPG, Amazon Web Services | Wayne Teigen - Pivotree

What trends can online merchants expect after more than two years of exponential growth? Companies must expand on the trends that exploded during the pandemic if they want to see continued growth in their businesses while facing a recessionary economy. From social commerce to BOPIS, the name of the game is to meet and sell to customers wherever they are, through multiple channels.

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City Chic Collective warns investors to expect lower sales

Inside Retail

City Chic Collective expects to report lower sales revenue in the fiscal first half, despite a positive holiday trading period. The plus-size women’s fashion retailer forecasts to report sales revenue of $69.5 million in the 26 weeks to December 29, down 3.6 per cent from the year-ago period. It estimates a 2.8 per cent increase in Australia-New Zealand revenue as stores and online business performed above the company’s expectations. “We expect this momentum to continue into H2

Line 264
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Shein scales up eco-friendly denim production

Inside Retail

Shein is scaling its adoption of Cool Transfer Denim Printing technology by 90 per cent to boost sustainability in denim production. This method implemented in 2021 in partnership with NTX significantly reduces water and energy consumption while streamlining the manufacturing process. Last year, approximately 380,000 pieces of Shein denim apparel were made using Cool Transfer Denim Printing, saving more than 10,000 metric tonnes of water compared to traditional production methods.

Contrast 278
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Sage & Clare, Supre, Midas offer Australia’s best customer service experience

Inside Retail

Midas, Supre, and Sage & Clare have ranked the highest for Customer Service 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 customer service experience in December on metrics such as the availability of self-service support options, quality of on-site FAQs, live chat, email support, support responsiveness, resolution times, and overall quali

Fashion 277
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Australian retailers eye record spend this Valentine’s Day

Inside Retail

Australians are expected to spend a record $535 million on Valentine’s Day presents for their loved ones this year. According to the Australian Retailers Association, 3.8 million Australians intend to buy gifts for their special people this year, spending $70 million (up to 15 per cent) on last year. This marks the first time that Valentine’s Day spending has exceeded $500 million.

Gifts 272
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Sustainability at Retail

Sustainability impacts every nation, company, and person around the world. So much so that, in 2015, the United Nations (UN) issued a call for action by all countries to work toward sustainable development. In response to this and as part of a global Sustainability at Retail initiative, Shop! worked collaboratively with its global affiliates to address these critical issues in this white paper.

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Myer’s sales decline despite higher online sales

Inside Retail

Myer’s sales declined in the 22 weeks ended December 28 amid challenging trading conditions. The department store chain booked sales of $1.59 billion, down 0.8 per cent, impacted by the temporary closure of the Werribee store from February 14 to November 29. Its online store sales rose 2.8 per cent and accounted for 22 per cent of the group’s sales.

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Mosaic receivers to close down Rivers brand, stores

Inside Retail

Mosaics Rivers brand, along with its stores, will close by mid-April after a sale of the business could not be achieved. The receivers and managers of Mosaic Brands Group announced the closure of the apparel brand on Thursday. The shutdown will impact 136 Rivers stores and approximately 650 employees. Sale events and promotions will be run in all stores, and the timing of individual store closures will depend on stock levels.

Apparel 261
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Toby’s Estate opens flagship cafe in Melbourne 

Inside Retail

Coffee roaster Tobys Estate has launched its Fitzroy flagship cafe in Melbourne, adding to the brands retail portfolio, which includes Sydney, Brisbane, and Singapore. The coffee store features a central bar with wood panelling and rich plum-red tones. It offers an array of coffees, including single-origin, flavour-focused blends (flavour savours) and frozen coffee options.

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Pandora’s ANZ GM stands down as parent reveals strong revenue growth

Inside Retail

Pandora’s ANZ GM Travis Liddle will step down from the role at the end of this month after 4.5 years with the company. Initially sales director within the Pacific Greater Asia cluster, he assumed the GM role in September 2023. Leaving Pandora and this incredible team has not been an easy decision,” he said in a statement. “Im proud of what weve achieved and excited to see the Pandora ANZ cluster thrive under new leadership.

Expansion 255
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Is Your Business AI-Ready? Find Out with Orium’s Maturity Model

Generative AI is poised to redefine B2B, but scaling AI success in this space isn’t without obstacles. From fragmented data sources and complex buyer journeys to operational inefficiencies, the road to AI-powered growth can be challenging. To achieve a competitive edge, understanding your organization’s AI-readiness is essential. Orium's Data & AI Maturity Model provides a quick, actionable way to assess your starting point.