Heather McIlvaine
Heather McIlvaine Heather McIlvaine is features and premium editor - retail at Inside Retail. In her nearly four years writing for Inside Retail, Heather has traveled to Shenzhen to cover the epic Chinese shopping event Single’s Day, doggedly reported the details of Amazon's launch in Australia, toured the biggest office supplies store in the world to understand the future of physical retail, dissected the 'Instagram aesthetic' with three brands that embody the look and followed the local fashion industry's pivot to making PPE during Covid-19. An LA-native who now lives in Melbourne (via Munich), she could happily survive on a diet of good tacos, coffee and beer and welcomes local recommendations for all three.
From the author
From the shop floor to the C-suite: How Alison Francis worked her way up
Over her 25-year career at Costco Wholesale, the HR executive has gone from working in warehouses to managing them.
Oct 25, 2023
Pleasant State wants to make you love cleaning your home. Here’s how
Pleasant State is a direct-to-consumer home care brand that sells environmentally friendly and non-toxic cleaning produc...
Jul 6, 2023
The Warehouse Group has a plan to keep prices low as recession looms
New Zealand’s The Warehouse Group is banking on a new technology to help it generate more revenue from digital advertisi...
Jul 4, 2022
All about Viviology, Adore Beauty’s long awaited move into private label
After selling other brands’ beauty products for the last 22 years, online retailer Adore Beauty has finally launched its...
Jun 2, 2022
Priceline Pharmacy opens new concept store to test tech, products, services
"This is a big sandbox where we can play; a laboratory where we can experiment,” says GM Andrew Vidler.
May 18, 2022
Why Italian food hall brand Mercato Centrale is expanding to Melbourne
Premium Italian food hall Mercato Centrale is set to open its first location outside of Italy with the launch of a new, ...
May 16, 2022
April Fools’ Day: worth the effort, or a waste of time?
In the age of social media, it can feel like a marketer’s job is never done, and yet, year after year, many brands make ...
Apr 4, 2022
VIDEO: How Betty’s Burgers is catering to a new generation of flexitarians
As more consumers embrace flexitarian diets, burger chains around the world have started adding plant-based patties to t...
Apr 1, 2022
Stores underwater, staff displaced: Floods take major toll on Aussie retail
Many Australian retailers, including some of the country’s biggest brands, have been affected by the devastating and dea...
Mar 9, 2022
What does a ‘freed’ Aboriginal flag mean for retail?
After more than two years of boycotting the flag on its garments, Clothing the Gaps is now free to incorporate the desig...
Feb 2, 2022
Step aside, luxury retail: Walmart is entering the metaverse
The biggest retailer in the world has reportedly filed several trademark applications that suggest it plans to create it...
Jan 20, 2022
‘The next big disruptor’: Why the ARA is urging action on climate change
Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra believes climate change will be the next big disruptor, so he created a ...
Dec 20, 2021
Tim MacKinnon trades top job at eBay Australia for foodie start-up
Tim MacKinnon has left his role as managing director and vice president of eBay Australia to head up celebrity chef Shan...
Nov 8, 2021
Watch out, Amazon: JD.com’s new store is a peek into the future of retail
The five-storey mall in China will be full of cutting-edge technology, including holographic projections, VR equipment, ...
Sep 27, 2021
Melbourne quake raises question for retailers: Are you ready for a crisis?
Major earthquakes are rare in Australia, but Wednesday’s tremor reminded retailers of the importance of being prepared. ...
Sep 23, 2021
How personal shopping app Gimme aims to disrupt online delivery
Gimme's network of personal shoppers will go in-store to make a purchase and bring it to the customer's doorstep within ...
Sep 20, 2021
TikTok for good: Vinomofo co-founder launches app to drive social change
Good Empire aims to harness the positive aspects of social media to solve the big issues facing humanity.
Sep 9, 2021
Former L’Oréal Australia MD goes all in on natural skincare
Mark Tucker ran L’Oréal Australia for years. Now he's tapping into the clean beauty boom with the upcoming launch of hem...
Sep 7, 2021
Here’s why retailers are facing higher transport costs and shipping delays
Covid-19 is continuing to disrupt the global supply chain, and logistics experts warn that retailers need to get stock o...
Sep 3, 2021
From X-rated to celebrated: Why sex toys are going mainstream
Once relegated to shady shops by the train station, sex toys are starting to appear on the shelves of mainstream retaile...
Aug 18, 2021