No new hires at Shopify unless AI can’t do the job
Shopify employees are now required to integrate artificial intelligence into teamwork, according to a new memo from boss Tobi Lutke.
Retail
Retail’s Mr Fix-it gets ready for his next rescue mission
From his family’s deep ties with David Jones to turning around Country Road and General Pants, Sacha Laing reckons he has the right recipe to resurrect Adore Beauty.
Chicken stocks turn trade war roadkill as beef prices romp home
Kitchen appliances maker Breville slumped more than 10 per cent, while the beef tariff could trigger a price war that will advantage burger menus and hurt fried chicken operators like KFC.
Metcash boss fires back at PM’s ‘inflammatory’ supermarket sledge
The boss of Metcash has savaged the Albanese government for its latest attack on supermarkets and says the accusation of profit gouging is inflammatory language designed to win votes.
Where’s my RBA rate cut? Blame Trump’s tariffs
Australia’s central bank is trying to war game how tariffs will impact inflation and global growth. The real answer is it doesn’t know.
Labor price-gouging pledge ‘unlikely to have much effect’
Anthony Albanese has pledged Labor will outlaw supermarket price gouging. Could Australia take inspiration from similar laws in the European Union or the US? It’s complicated.
Supermarket boss sick of price gouging ‘slurs’ after PM’s barb
Fred Harrison has been working in supermarkets for 50 years, and comments from the election trail have left him fuming. Meanwhile, former ACCC chair Allan Fels says profit gouging is hard to prove.
Leaders pledge to crack down on ‘rip-offs’
Anthony Albanese has struggled to define price gouging and claimed it is when supermarkets ‘take the piss’, as supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths decried Labor’s election attacks.
Minority rule would be a disaster, say CEOs
The role of the Greens and teals in the 2025 federal election is striking fear into the hearts of some business leaders. Others just want to get on with governing.
How Bunnings is trying to woo auto, cleaning and pets shoppers
Hardware chain Bunnings’ move into automotive, cleaning and pet care has been a bonus for consumers, but shoppers can still find bargains elsewhere.
‘Get on board or miss out’, Bunnings warns auto suppliers
Some auto brands are refusing to supply Bunnings for fear of upsetting chains like Supercheap Auto and Autobarn, but the hardware chain’s boss has given them a blunt warning.
Canada’s Dollarama swoops on Reject Shop with $259m bid
The Reject Shop is set to fall into Canadian hands after agreeing to a $259m takeover bid from bargain chain Dollarama.
The budget’s botched wine rescue: too many grapes, not enough cash
Winemakers aren’t impressed by the ‘drop in the barrel’ $50k lift to the wine rebate set out in the budget and rue the opportunity to fix Australia’s red grape oversupply.
Retail chain Jeanswest’s collapse to cost 600 jobs
Fashion chain Jeanswest has collapsed for a second time in five years leading to the imminent closure of all 90 stores and the loss of jobs for about 600 of its staff.
Consumer wipeout hits Rip Curl, Kathmandu
Surfers and campers are forgoing new wetsuits or puffer jackets with retailer KMD Brands’ losses more than doubled for the first half.
Major Coles liquor rebrand to take price fight to Dan Murphy’s
Coles is rolling out a major change to its nearly 1000 liquor stores that will spell the end to two big brands in a bid to better compete with Dan Murphy’s.
ACCC missed opportunity to end land banking: Ritchies
Australia’s largest independent grocery chain has only opened two new stores in the past decade, and hoped the ACCC supermarkets report would focus more on the contentious issue.
Woolies, Coles shares ring up strongest rally since 2020
Woolworths and Coles shares on Friday had their strongest one-day gains since March 2020 in the wake of news the ACCC supermarkets report had no ‘profit killing’ recommendation.
Is Solomon Lew breaking up with fast fashion?
The retailing billionaire offers clues over his next big bet. This time, apparel is likely to be left on the rack.
Killing season: the crisis in Australian fashion retail
Big retail names like Katies, Noni B and Millers have collapsed as selling clothes to older, mid range shoppers is tougher than ever. How much worse can it get?
Premier bets on Smiggle, Peter Alexander after rough half
Billionaire Solomon Lew’s slimmed down Premier Investments has posted a profit drop, but is banking on a big future for its treasured brands.
Politically charged supermarket probe ends with a whimper
The ACCC’s supermarkets inquiry was always a political solution to a cost of living crisis that the Albanese government had been woefully slow to recognise.
ACCC bins forced break-up of Woolies and Coles
Woolworths and Coles is an entrenched oligopoly but there’s no ‘silver bullet’ to halt their power, the competition watchdog’s final report says.
No break-up but supermarkets face legislative reforms
Woolworths and Coles have been labelled oligopolies by the ACCC and the Treasurer has vowed shoppers will ‘no longer be treated like mugs’, as the chains dodge their worst crackdown fears.
Wirth pledges to make Myer great again
Myer executive chair Olivia Wirth says work is under way to return the 125-year-old grand old dame of Australian retail back to its title as a ‘retail powerhouse’.
Rough Dymonds: the quiet $765m oil giant built on family values
From mixing oils on a kitchen stove and doing deliveries by wheelbarrow, getting their hands dirty for nearly 100 years has finally paid off for the Dymond family who make their Richest 250 debut.
Bunnings launches media arm to join $1.6bn market
The hardware juggernaut hopes ‘Hammer Media’ will reach tens of millions of shoppers in-store and on social media.
Sweet treats slug leaves a sour taste
Love a little booze in your sweet treat, be it tiramisu, liqueur chocolates or rum and raisin ice-cream? There’s bad news from a recent tariff decision, say angry importers.
ACCC report a trigger for rally on supermarkets, says Macquarie
The release of the ACCC’s report into the supermarkets could present a buying opportunity for the big retailers’ shares, Macquarie believes.
As the NDIS booms, Bunnings spots a $2.1bn opportunity to cash in
Sturdy toilet seats are just the beginning as the hardware behemoth bets on us getting older and sicker.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/retail