Brick-and-Mortar CAC • Aesop’s $2.5B Playbook • DigitalFirst Meets Store Staff • Marketplaces

Customer-acquisition costs exploded online. Smart brands are responding with bricks, data—and a dash of theatre.

⚡️ What we tackle in 20 minutes

1. ​Physical retail as the new CAC – DTC brands discover rent can be cheaper than Meta ads when the store becomes a stage.
2. ​Aesop’s $2.5 billion masterclass – From Melbourne to 400 boutiques, every location is bespoke, scented, and digitally wired for replenishment.
3. ​Digital-first, store-second – Love, Bonito show why in-store staff now behave like consultants, not cashiers.
4. ​Cross-border marketplaces – Shopee, Amazon AU, Trade Me and Afterpay’s “shop day” rewrite payments, language, and trust across ASEAN.
5. ​Post-purchase power moves – Hand-written notes, sticker packs, friction-free returns. Retention is the real growth engine—and AI search will only raise the stakes.

Retailers & platforms in play

Aesop • L’Oréal • Love, Bonito • Temple & Webster • Amazon • eBay • Shopee • Afterpay • Trade Me • Kingfisher/B&Q • JD Sports • HP • Perplexity AI

Hosts

• ​Alex – Founder, The Retail Podcast, decoding global retail shifts.
• ​Ryf Quail – Leads NRF APAC, guiding brands across Asia-Pacific.
• ​Laura Doonin – Tech strategist turning omnichannel ambition into reality.

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00:00 Intro – heatwaves, cold snaps, and one crisp Sydney morning

01:05 Topic 1 – Physical stores as customer-acquisition engines

03:20 Topic 2 – Aesop: $2.5 B valuation built on scent & signature design

06:36 Topic 3 – Digital-heritage brands opening doors (Love, Bonito)

10:39 Topic 4 – Region-level marketplaces: Shopee, Amazon AU, Trade Me, Afterpay

15:07 Topic 5 – Post-purchase, returns, and the loyalty multiplier