Tequila Regrets & Billion-Dollar Bets: Hailey Bieber’s Rhode vs Australia’s Retail Woes

03/06/2025 18 min Episodio 90

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Episode Synopsis

Episode 90 hits hard. While insolvencies shake Australia’s retail scene—with big names like Jeanswest and Mosaic Brands biting the dust—Mal breaks down what’s really causing the collapse: strategic debt, digital irrelevance, and a dangerous addiction to discounting.But it’s not all doom and gloom. Across the Pacific, e.l.f. Cosmetics just dropped a jaw-dropping $1B on Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand. Why? Because cultural capital and community beat catalogue codes and clearance bins.In this episode, Mal unpacks:Why Australia’s retail mid-market is cracking under the pressureThe slow fade of Jeanswest and what it teaches us about brand neglectWhat e.l.f. really bought with $1B—and why Rhode’s audience-first model is the futureTactical moves every founder and operator must make now to survive (and thrive)It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about mattering somewhere.

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