Trust Issues: AI Ads, Supermarket Pricing & the Cost of Cutting Corners

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.