Inflation stories
Unemployment held above the Reserve Bank of Australia's forecast in May, keeping interest rate markets guessing despite a 40,300 jobs rebound.
Strained household budgets and rising use of AI search are forcing brands to offer clearer value if they want Australians to stay loyal.
Procurement teams are under pressure to cut costs as Amazon Business reports strong first-year growth and launches AI buying tools in Australia.
Higher housing and wage pressures are keeping Australian inflation too hot for the Reserve Bank to rule out another rate rise as soon as November.
Weaker demand and rising wage costs are leaving most SMEs in a holding pattern, with few planning to add staff over the next year.
Australian buyers can now find nearby, compliant suppliers faster as Avetta adds AI search and richer benchmarking to its platform.
Households under cost-of-living strain may benefit as Occom's new broadband plans lock in monthly charges for up to 24 months.
Australian businesses face tighter cash flow as overdue invoices jump to a six-year high, reinforcing expectations the RBA will hold rates at 4.35%.
Cost pressures are pushing more Australians to hold onto broken devices until end-of-financial-year discounts arrive, Optus research shows.
Severe financial stress is changing household payment hierarchies, with mortgages now as likely as credit cards to fall behind first in some cases.
Thousands of pub prices were gathered by automated calls, showing how voice AI can do large-scale field research beyond chatbots.
Last-minute purchases are set to lift UK Father's Day spending to GBP £1.32 billion, with retailers bracing for a surge in courier demand.
A skills shortage and tight budgets are slowing gains as Australian builders boost weekly use of construction tech to 48 per cent.
Despite inflation and interest-rate pressure, most small firms are boosting marketing and AI use to win customers and protect revenue.
A prolonged Gulf energy crisis could wipe USD $93.7 billion from expected ad market growth as higher costs hit spending worldwide.
Restaurants can tap millions more diners as EatClub's offers move into CommBank's app, targeting quieter service periods.
Rising fares and disruption are pushing more travellers to dispute payments through banks, putting travel merchants under heavier refund pressure.
Canadians will soon be able to trade event contracts on inflation, rates and climate through a new standalone app from Wealthsimple.
New data show Kiwi small firms generating less per hour than peers in Australia and the UK, as rising costs squeeze margins.
The UK fulfilment group is seeing steady order flow despite weak consumer confidence, with volumes running 15% above its forecast.