AGP Executive Report

Social Media & Health: Readers debate whether adults are the real victims of social media, as a separate UK report highlights concerns that vaping can be as addictive as smoking. Consumer Reality Check: RMIT research finds 2 out of 3 women wear shoes that don’t match their feet, pointing to sizing systems that ignore width and shape. Payments & Business Tools: Mollie completes its €1.1bn acquisition of GoCardless, aiming to bundle card payments with “pay by bank” for 350,000+ business customers. Retail & Consumer Finance: Affirm returns to Australia via Shopify’s Shop Pay Installments, offering bi-weekly or monthly payments with clear upfront costs. Tech for Everyday Life: John Deere adds an AI assistant to its Operations Center so farmers can ask questions of their existing field and equipment data. Sports Streaming: Cricket Australia launches Cricket TV, a direct-to-consumer streaming service built with Eluvio, expanding live and archive access beyond current broadcast markets. Healthcare Products: Bausch Health/Solta Medical makes Fraxel FTX® available to Australian practitioners from Sept 1. Market Mood: ASX futures point lower as oil spikes and bond yields rise, keeping rate fears front and centre.

Retail Pressure & Tech Fixes: Australian retailers are squeezed by wages, rents and cautious shoppers, but Lightspeed Commerce says winners focus on “protecting time, margins and the customer experience,” using automation to save about 1 hour 24 minutes a day and using data/AI to manage inventory and improve service. Cost-of-Living Backdrop: Markets start September on edge as oil prices rise and the 10-year government bond yield hits a 15-year high (5.16%), lifting pressure on borrowers and sentiment. Qantas Labour Tension: Qantas profit fell to $2.06b underlying before tax, while Air Express workers threaten industrial action over pay and structure, adding uncertainty for the airline’s customer and cost outlook. Food Standards Lag: A review into ultra-processed foods remains stuck while Australia’s food rules still assess nutrition mainly by nutrients, not processing, leaving shoppers without clear UPF guidance. Supermarket Dividend Signals: Woolworths and Coles both lifted fully franked final distributions, pointing to improving cash generation after a tougher period. ASX Consumer Watch: Wesfarmers, JB Hi-Fi and Super Retail Group all remain in focus as investors weigh retail execution against softer trading. Energy & Consumer Costs: A mild winter helped AGL’s earnings, while higher rates and oil volatility keep feeding through to household budgets. Property Shock: NSW developer Bathla Group faces a deadline to raise cash or wind down, threatening jobs and leaving thousands of apartments in limbo.

Modern Slavery Law Push: Australia’s Modern Slavery Bill is back in the spotlight after a select committee recommendation to pass it into law, with reporting obligations for large firms (over $100m) aimed at forcing clearer supply-chain action and penalties for non-compliance. Consumer Payments & Retail Finance: Affirm and Shopify have launched Shop Pay Installments in Australia, letting shoppers pay over time with no late fees via the familiar Shop Pay checkout button. Gift Card Fraud Warning: ABC reports Australians are buying tampered Apple gift cards from major supermarkets, with scammers resealing packs after stealing redemption details—so a successful checkout doesn’t mean the card is safe. Identity & Privacy Controls: Australia is rolling out IDLock, letting people proactively block and unblock their passports and driver licences through myGov to stop unauthorised verification checks. Digital Identity Industry Digest: ID Tech coverage highlights broader identity and privacy moves, including Australia’s IDLock and international updates affecting how age signals and identity checks work. Crypto in Chatbots: X’s Grok now supports crypto buying via MoonPay’s PayBox integration, pushing “conversational” finance further into everyday consumer tools.

Smart Glass Privacy Push: Australia’s eSafety and Attorney-General are pressing for tougher safeguards as camera-equipped “AI glasses” spread, including automatic face blurring and clearer recording indicators, with no imminent federal import ban. Insurance Claims Scrutiny: AFCA found Auto & General properly handled a motor policy change after webchat logs showed a switch from comprehensive to third-party cover, while ASIC flags home-insurance cash settlements that may leave vulnerable customers short-changed. Consumer Law in the Spotlight: The Federal Court backed ACCC action against eHarmony for misleading or deceptive conduct in Australia. Copyright vs Lookalikes: A case over Aldi’s “Like Brands, Only Cheaper” style packaging battle highlights where inspiration ends and copyright infringement begins. Retail & Community: Bunnings’ NZ sausage-sizzle fundraiser marks 25 years, doubling donations per dollar raised. Tech for Everyday Life: ClearVue says it can now apply Low-E coatings to finished energy-generating solar glass units, easing adoption for commercial facades. Market Watch: ASX sentiment heads into GDP and rate outlook focus, with consumer and staples names in play.

Consumer Finance & Claims: ASIC says many home insurance payouts after Cyclone Jasper are settled in cash using a single builder quote, leaving vulnerable homeowners to manage repairs and cover shortfalls. Online Safety: Australia’s eSafety regulator urges smart-glasses makers to auto-blur faces and clearly signal when recording, warning “asking users to behave” isn’t enough. Retail & Pricing Glitches: Coles’ online liquor pricing error saw $130 alcohol cases listed for $27 before the site went offline, with refunds promised. Food & Labelling: India’s FSSAI is pushing front-of-pack warning labels for high sugar/salt/fat foods, with consumer groups backing prominent red warnings. Wearables & Health: A market study forecasts smart ring hormone trackers could reach $3.31b by 2030, driven by fertility and non-invasive health tracking. Business & Consumer Goods: SPC Global reports FY26 revenue down 11.8% but EBITDA margin up, citing a shift to higher-margin products and improved ranging. Tech & Travel: Qantas unveils lie-flat Business Suites for its A321XLR fleet, with first aircraft due in 2028. Government & Small Business: DTA is calling for SMEs to exhibit at the AI Government Showcase 2026 in Canberra.

Superannuation Fees Warning: The Barefoot Investor urges Australians to scrutinise super fund fees and fine print, warning many miss better returns. Food Safety Labels (India): India’s Supreme Court pressures FSSAI to introduce front-of-pack warning labels for high sugar, salt and saturated fat foods, after concerns regulators were stalling. Social Media & Teen Safety (Australia): Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says the government is considering options like letting users opt in/out of algorithms, and is looking “very seriously” at a UK-style ban on strangulation porn after a teen death. Telecoms for Regional Australia: The national ombudsman calls out telco repair delays and recommends pausing charges while customers wait, plus better emergency communications support. Groceries Go Viral (Sardines): TikTok’s “sardinemaxxing” is emptying shelves and raising questions about supply and whether the trend could spread to other seafood. Brand Expansion (Yo-Chi): Yo-Chi’s frozen yoghurt queues in London show how Aussie food brands are scaling overseas. Consumer Health (Viagra Reports): UK regulators received 1,130 suspected Viagra/sildenafil side-effect reports over five years, with MHRA stressing reports don’t prove causation. Trade & Agriculture: Australia’s agriculture minister meets the US USDA to push market access, tariffs and biosecurity. Airline Partnership: Saudia and Garuda Indonesia sign a framework deal for deeper cooperation ahead of a 2027 joint business.

Teen Safety Shake-Up: Meta agreed to pay about US$18bn and will roll out tighter safeguards for under-18s on Facebook and Instagram in parts of the US, including default daily limits, school-hour notification controls, stronger parental tools, and limits on certain filters. Cyber & Consumer Risk: Australia’s major breaches are being used to “stitch together” identities faster, with Origin, Partnered Health Group, Updoc and Quest named among targets since June. Online Shopping Safety: Testing found almost 3 in 4 cheap electrical lights bought online fail Australian standards, with major gaps in labelling and traceability. Food & Retail: Scientists investigating mass sardine deaths off South Africa have detected pilchard herpesvirus, while Australia’s chicken industry faces bird flu-driven egg and poultry price pressure. Tech Leadership: OpenAI appoints Meta exec Sandhya Devanathan to lead Southeast Asia and Australia, signalling more consumer and enterprise push in the region. Health & Supplements: Creatine is surging mainstream as new research and social media fuel claims beyond workouts.

Energy Bills & Solar Policy: Solar Citizens says Australia could save up to $370 a year with “plug-in solar” like the UK has just legalised, arguing renters and apartment dwellers are being left out by outdated rules. Tech & Consumer Data: Meta VP Sandhya Devanathan exits after a decade to join OpenAI as VP for South East Asia and Australia, as ChatGPT expands locally. Food & Retail Supply Chains: A report on vegetable markets warns supermarkets can capture more value by shifting quality risk to growers, leaving consumers unable to tell good from bad produce. Aged Care Assessments: A researcher breaks down how Australia’s aged-care assessment process works and why confusion between the questionnaire and the algorithm is driving anxiety. Insurance Costs: One WA homeowner secured a $41,838 refund after “junk” mortgage protection insurance was found to add premiums without real benefit. Home Security Products: EZVIZ launches a bigger, subscription-free smart security range in Australia, including solar cameras and a package-detecting doorbell. Health & Safety: Regulators abroad warn about squishy toy hazards after reports of unsafe chemicals like benzene. Poultry Prices: Ingham’s CEO flags rising costs from the H5 bird flu risk, warning retail pricing will follow. Cybersecurity: ServiceNow patches critical flaws that could let unauthenticated attackers execute code and access data. Consumer Lifestyle: A spate of live venue closures fuels debate about landlords’ power over Australia’s nightlife.

Meta $18bn settlement: Meta has agreed to pay about $18 billion in a US child-safety case, including commitments like nighttime limits for teens and stronger age checks, with no admission of wrongdoing—another reminder that platform design is now a consumer-safety issue, not just a tech one. ASX healthcare watch: CSL’s FY27 outlook and final dividend are back in focus after a result hit by non-recurring charges and restructuring, leaving investors to judge whether plasma, vaccines and specialty medicines can deliver steadier recovery. Consumer tech expansion: Life360 is pushing deeper into household life by adding pet-care routines, a QR-enabled tag and broader access to its pet GPS offering—testing whether “family safety” can turn into durable subscription value. PaperCut security: PaperCut NG/MF flaws are being actively exploited, with researchers warning of unauthenticated paths to configuration changes and potential code execution, prompting urgent patching. AI ads arrive in Australia/NZ: OpenAI says ads are rolling into ChatGPT on Free/Go tiers (not Plus/Pro/Business/Enterprise/Edu), changing how marketers budget and measure campaigns. Energy demand pressure: Australia’s data centres are forecast to jump from ~3% of grid supply today to ~13% by 2035, intensifying the policy fight around power, planning and costs.

Super & cost-of-living pressure: New ABS data shows wages lagging inflation, with real pay effectively falling as working Australians face deeper cost-of-living strain. Markets & rates: ASX futures point to a modest rebound, but renewed rate-hike worries after hotter inflation keep sentiment jumpy. Childcare shake-up: G8 Education reports a sharp revenue/occupancy drop and losses as closures and administration spread, underlining how hard the childcare crisis is hitting families and investors. Tobacco policy fight: A Senate inquiry urges pausing and cutting tobacco excise to curb illicit trade, while Labor attacks the plan as pro–big tobacco. Data centres & power costs: Queensland and the Northern Territory win carve-outs to power AI hubs with coal and gas, but the federal government says energy pricing must not rise for consumers. Retail & travel: Harvey Norman flags weaker store foot traffic and warns of more bankruptcies amid regulation and higher costs; Jetstar confirms new carry-on bag fees from Feb 2027. Consumer convenience: Hobart Airport partners with Cavu to launch online parking reservations. Workplace/consumer finance: New super switching warnings target SMSF and high-return sales tactics, pushing stronger protections for retirement savings.

Coles & Australian seafood: Walker’s Tuna has launched nationally in Coles, giving shoppers a locally made, MSC-certified option in the tuna aisle. Pet cost squeeze: New Zealand data shows pet owners cutting back as vet care and pet products outpace wages, with many reducing luxuries and even vet visits. Fraud risk shift: New Zealand’s regulator warns AI could make mortgage fraud easier, urging banks to tighten checks on documents and unusual applications. Energy bills controversy: The government’s Solar Sharer “three free hours” plan is drawing criticism for higher supply/peak charges that can make it costly outside the free period. Cybercrime hits supply chains: Australian police have arrested two people in Perth over alleged TeamPCP hacking, including tampering with open-source projects. Meta child-safety settlement: Meta has agreed to a major US $18bn settlement, with new default limits and night-time blocks for teens. Payments & retail tech: Clear Street expands access to prediction and private markets, while payment routing commentary highlights why AI needs better connected systems to work.

Retail & Homewares: Kmart is rolling out more standalone K Home homeware stores in Australia after a Melbourne launch, and is also pushing further into the Philippines under its Anko brand. Consumer Tech & Privacy: The Greens move to introduce a 12-month import ban on camera-enabled “smart glasses” aimed at stopping covert recording, with Privacy Act changes and enforcement powers proposed. Payments & E-commerce: Jarlicious Cupcakes adds Afterpay for eligible customers, expanding flexible installment payments for its Australia-wide jar-delivered cupcakes. Food & Sustainability: Fremantle Seaweed secured a FutureFeed licence to supply Reef4Beef methane-cutting seaweed feed to Australian cattle producers, building toward commercial-scale supply. Energy & Consumer Impact: Qantas brings forward A380 retirement by four years as fuel costs bite, while battery storage coverage highlights how BESS is becoming the missing link for renewables integration. Market Watch: Woolworths lifted its dividend and Chemist Warehouse/Sigma results keep the spotlight on retail and health demand. AI Advertising: OpenAI expands ChatGPT Ads to India for Free/Go users, with ads clearly labelled and minors excluded.

Grocery pressure turns risky: A Finder survey for Australia says cost-of-living stress is pushing some shoppers into dangerous shortcuts, including scanning items at self-checkout to pay less and eating food past its date. Supermarket results: Woolworths beat profit expectations and lifted its dividend after shoppers leaned into discounts and own-brand value. Housing and rates watch: Economists point to housing as the key driver of whether the RBA can pause or must hike again, after July inflation stayed sticky. Food safety and waste: Separate reporting highlights how some consumers are trying to stretch budgets by buying or eating expired food. Online child safety: Meta agreed to a multibillion-dollar US settlement over claims its Facebook and Instagram were designed to be addictive for children, with new limits on teen use. Consumer tech/entertainment: Sony’s move away from physical PS5 discs is sparking backlash from gamers who want ownership. Packaging and materials: Research warns takeaway paper cups with plastic linings can release microplastics when hot drinks are poured in. Local business/retail: Bidcorp posted record earnings despite tough conditions, underscoring resilience in food distribution.

Inflation Watch: Australia’s CPI cooled only slightly in July, rising 3.5% year-on-year (trimmed mean 3.6%), keeping pressure on the RBA and lifting odds of another rate hike. Mortgage Impact: Economists warn the “sticky” underlying inflation could mean a fourth hike later this year, with mortgage holders still facing higher-for-longer risk. Supermarket Price War: Woolworths’ stronger result and Coles’ continued momentum are pushing a sharper grocery battle, with “lower shelf” pricing and promotions front and centre. Retail Turnaround: Kogan.com returned to profitability, with margin improvement and platform services in focus, though investors remain cautious on durability. Rare Earths Supply Push: Lynas says it’s in talks to secure new rare earths mine supply and build US magnet processing capacity as allies race to reduce China dependence. Council Governance Change: Parkes Shire Council moved to more frequent public meetings to comply with new rules limiting councillor-staff agenda discussions. Cyber & Consumer Trust: ANZ appointed a new CISO, while broader reporting highlights ongoing scam and misinformation risks online.

Supermarket Watch: Woolworths will report results as it faces questions over whether its “Ooshie” squishy collectible promo delivered lasting sales lift, after Coles’ liquor and supermarket momentum left Woolies under pressure. Housing & Consumer Risk: Developer Bathla Group has entered voluntary administration after a “perfect storm,” leaving off-the-plan buyers in limbo and raising fears about deposits and timelines. Cost-of-Living & Inflation: A Reserve Bank focus item is in play ahead of the next inflation release, with analysts warning a bigger award-wage rise could push up “market services” inflation. E-commerce Governance: Temu’s parent PDD says it will boost platform governance and compliance as tariffs and import rules tighten. Food Labelling: India’s front-of-pack sugar warning plans are back under scrutiny after industry pushback, with the Supreme Court weighing whether clearer labels should return. Consumer Law: An NSW consumer is being directed toward NCAT after a faulty dishwasher dispute, highlighting how warranty issues can still become consumer-guarantee fights. Gambling Reform: NSW is rolling out a statewide exclusion register with mandatory facial recognition at gaming venues from 2028. Health Tech Market: Red-light therapy panels are forecast to keep growing fast as home and clinic use expands.

Property & Housing Shock: Bathla Group has entered voluntary administration, citing a “perfect storm” of softer sales, confidence hits and rising construction costs, with more than $3billion in liabilities (as of June 2025) leaving buyers and hundreds of homes in limbo. Consumer Law & Subscriptions: Australia’s Federal Court found eHarmony misled users over “subscription traps” including automatic renewals and unclear pricing/cancellation disclosures, with penalties and redress still to be set. Retail & Pricing Credibility: Coles CEO Leah Weckert has had $414,000 withheld after the “Down Down” discounts case where shelf prices were temporarily lifted then cut to imply a deal. Supermarket Behaviour & Community: Woolworths installed a looping jingle at a Darwin store to deter loitering and aggression after repeated incidents. Energy Transition Pivot: Woodside abandoned its $5bn clean energy target and dropped its Scope 3 emissions target, citing no line of sight to making the investments economic, while reporting a 7% first-half profit rise. Health & Food Trends: Matcha orders in Australia have surged, with under-35s driving demand for the $8 green drink. Market Watch (ASX): MoneyMe is back in focus as it grows its lending book and returns to positive normalised profitability; International Graphite outlined potential Collie facility revenue/EBITDA ahead of mid-2027 commissioning.