The Great Retail Reset: Trust, Tech and The New Definition of Cheap

This week on This Week in Ecommerce, Mal and Alex wade into the mayhem of “Black Friday month” — from the ACCC crackdown and a $6.8B spending forecast, to Coles’ AI-powered ecommerce surge and Shein’s controversial Paris store opening. Plus, they unpack the women’s workwear boom and why it’s the next billion-dollar opportunity hiding in plain sight.

It’s a big week for Aussie retailers: consumers are tightening wallets, regulators are circling, and AI is reshaping the back office faster than anyone expected. The big question — how do you grow, stay ethical, and keep your margins intact during the busiest month of the year?

🗞️ Quick Hits

• Jessica Hatzis joins Betts Group — The Frank Body founder takes on a CMO/shareholder role to modernise a 133-year-old footwear brand. Expect a full repositioning, not just new ads.

• ACCC targets dodgy Black Friday discounts — The watchdog’s hunting fake “sitewide” sales and false strikethroughs. New penalties: up to 3× the ill-gotten gain.

• $6.8B in Black Friday spend forecast — ARA and Roy Morgan predict a 4% lift YoY, with 25% of spend now online. The margin war just got hotter.

• City Chic rebounds in ANZ — +10% revenue locally after aggressive restructuring; proof that focus beats expansion in tough markets.

💡 Deep Dives

• Coles Outpaces Woolies with 27.9% Ecommerce Growth

  Coles’ online sales now make up 13.3% of revenue, thanks to bigger fulfilment centres, smarter inventory, and a national rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise. Mal and Alex debate whether AI is creating efficiency — or quietly replacing people.

• The Women’s Workwear Revolution

  GreenHip and She Wear are rewriting the rulebook on fit and function, showing that “women are not small men.” From Good Design Awards to booming demand, this is a category masterclass in spotting underserved markets and building brand moats through empathy and design.

• Shein’s Paris Store Backlash & The Collapse of Cheap

  As Shein opens inside Paris’ luxury BHV and faces protests, Aussie discounters like The Reject Shop lose their “low-cost” crown to Shein and Temu. The duo dig into what “value” means now — and how Australian retailers can win on trust, speed, and sustainability instead of racing to the bottom.