Gap's Back, Cadbury's at It Again & Big Tech's Worst Week

Mal's recording from a stairwell in Osaka — because Japan doesn't open cafes before 10am and that's the quietest spot in the building.

Easter crept up on everyone this year — except Cadbury, who had their shrinkflation strategy ready to go for the second year running. We also dig into the ACCC finally fining a retailer for undisclosed influencer reviews (and why the penalty might actually be too small to matter), the AusPost fuel surcharge hike hitting 30,000 contract customers from April 23, and KMD Brands — Kathmandu, Rip Curl, Oboz — entering a voluntary trading suspension as a recapitalisation hangs in the balance.

Topics:

• Easter egg shrinkflation — Cadbury's hollow egg packs are smaller and more expensive for the second consecutive year, down from 408g to 340g since 2024 while the price jumped from $12.50 to $18. Cocoa wholesale prices have actually fallen. CHOICE is doing the forensic work so consumers don't have to.
• ACCC fines PhotobookShop — $39,600 in penalties for 107 undisclosed influencer reviews and selectively editing negative comments out of a published review. Mal makes the case the fine is too small to be a real deterrent.
• AusPost fuel surcharge hike — contract customers face a jump from 4.8% to 12% from April 23. Time to revisit your free shipping threshold and unit economics before it hits the P&L.
• KMD Brands trading suspension — the owner of Kathmandu, Rip Curl and Oboz enters voluntary ASX suspension while a Goldman Sachs-led recapitalisation is finalised. Half-year results delayed indefinitely.
• GAP returns to Australia via Myer — the third attempt, this time through local operator Fashionata across 27 Myer stores. Six consecutive quarters of global growth, cultural traction with a new generation, and Myer continuing its aggressive brand refresh strategy. Mal raises the anti-Americanism wildcard.
• Big Tech's very bad week — Meta hit with a $375M verdict in New Mexico, YouTube and Meta liable in California, and Australia's eSafety commissioner investigating five platforms for non-compliance with the under-16 social media ban. What this means for your channel mix, why diversification isn't optional anymore, and ChatGPT ads landing in Australia.