Throw a bucket of cold water on your customers 😴

Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting for BFCM to set credit cards alight.

Dr Seuss was right. Everyone is just waiting.

When the Reserve Bank held rates steady this week, most predicted a drop. Especially those of us in retail who were really hoping for one. And fair enough too because the Aussie consumer is currently in hibernation mode.

That extra hundred bucks a month for three million Aussies would’ve been handy to help more Oodies, Labooboos and frozen margarita machines fly out the door.

NAB’s numbers have online growth crawling along at around 1% month-on-month. Not terrible, but not exactly a champagne moment either. Even Amazon’s Prime Day - now stretched across four days - landed without the usual fanfare. It’s not that customers aren’t buying, it’s just that nothing’s making them leap out of bed.

But to be fair, there’s not much out there enticing them. Most retailers are waiting too. This awkward in-between season, post-EOFY, pre-BFCM, is tricky. And more four-letter acronyms are not the answer.

I spotted something interesting while lurking in the community pages of a big-name Australian retailer. A customer gave some honest feedback. They felt bombarded by drops, sales, promos. Said it was hard to keep up. The brand responded thoughtfully, explaining they only run four major promos a year and even listed them out. Which is kind of the issue.

Between those set-piece promotions, things get real quiet. And without any outside stimulus like a juicy rate cut or viral trend, customer confidence doesn’t just dip, it snoozes. If retailers don’t step in and stir the pot, we’ll drift through July to September like a boat without a motor, just waiting for BFCM to bring the wind.

But this season can be a chance to create your own momentum. You might have to take a risk, try something unexpected, or just give your customers something they haven’t seen before.

Here’s what that could look like…

• Limited-edition product drops that are actually limited (Pop Mart’s 300-unit Labubu frenzy)

• Weird but oddly desirable gifts with purchase (like Schnitz’s plush “Schnuggles” toy - freaks me out a bit)

• On-site treasure hunts that reward curiosity (THE ICONIC’s $1 hidden deals)

• “Money-can’t-buy” comps with special access or products (RM Williams letting you design your own boots)

• Free same-day shipping day—with a surprise courier twist (Amazon got Mitch Starc to deliver parcels)

• Pop-ups, celeb cameos or community-driven events (Culture Kings pulled off in-store visits from A$AP Rocky and Skepta)

• Secret warehouse sales (ALL FENIX made theirs feel like an exclusive club drop)

• Surprise refund lotteries on all orders (LSKD’s done this in the past)

None of these ideas are free, but none of them offer a discount on prime stock. They all break the rhythm, wake people up and creates moments, not just markdowns.

Or hey, you could just sit back and hope the RBA comes through next time.

Cheers,
Bushy

ECOMMERCE NEWS (from the past week)

❄️ Aldi Enters eCommerce… Kinda. Sorta. In Canberra.
According to Aldi’s press release, you’d think they just invented eCommerce 2.0 with biometric payments, real-time inventory powered by AI, and a drone that delivers straight to your door. But no. Aldi has entered eCommerce in 2025… via DoorDash… in Canberra. Look, I’m happy for them but are we really celebrating this? Good Different.

🤖 AI Models Just Got Legs. And They Know How To Use Them
Topview AI started by letting brands like L'Oréal and Lays create multi-language avatar videos - no model, no photoshoot required. Earlier this year, they added the ability for avatars to hold products. Cute. But this week? They’re now interacting with them. Think avatars sitting in chairs, trying on shoes, pushing lawn mowers. It’s virtual try-ons meets performance modelling… without a single human in sight. Watch the wild demo here

🍿 Disney Adds a Snack Bar Delivery to Streaming
Disney has teamed up with GoPuff in the US to launch a virtual snack bar inside its streaming channels. Viewers can now order snacks mid-binge for immediate delivery. It’s part of Disney’s broader move into content-based eCommerce, where you can also shop the shows such as Project Runway. If this hits Australia, I’m guaranteed to go puff as well.

📈 Does AI Content Impact Google Rankings? The Verdict Is In
Ahrefs analysed 600,000 pages to determine if Google penalises AI-generated content. The findings? Not necessarily. 86.5% of top-ranking pages contained some AI-generated content, while only 13.5% were purely human-written. Interestingly, none of the top-positioned pages were entirely AI-generated, suggesting that a blend of human and AI input might be the sweet spot. The study found no significant correlation between the amount of AI content and search rankings, indicating that Google doesn't inherently penalise AI-assisted content. However, it's clear that human oversight and input remain crucial for achieving top rankings. I know, fence sitters.

🥾 Mountain Dew Just Dropped a Hike-Ready Fashion Line. No, Seriously.
In the words of Matthew McConaughey, they didn’t half-ass it. Mountain Dew has teamed up with cult outdoor label PYRA to release a full-blown fashion hiking range - puffer jackets, cargo pants, nylon shorts, body bags - the works. And it’s not just merch. It’s made with legit insulation and antimicrobial tech, all in PYRA’s high-performance style. I’m so confused. I think I’d actually go hiking in it. I’d also go to a bar in it. In a non-ironic ironic way. See the range here.

ADD TO CART IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

NEW EPISODES

Fast-Tracking Personalisation: Inside the Personalised Favours Growth Strategy with Melissa Wilkinson & Matt Mosse-Robinson | #534

EXCLUSIVE: Free Returns Are Dying. Delivery Is Getting Cheaper.

CHECKOUT: Sean Walsh from Pattern

I'd love to hear from you! Got an opinion on today’s topics? Have a suggestion for future newsletters? I’d love to hear from you. Hit reply and I’ll get back to you.