Australian women’s fashion retailer Sass & Bide launched its Spring 2014 campaign with the world’s first interactive, shoppable ‘3D’ advert, FREETOWN. But as digital and luxury continue to merge, will it dilute or magnify exclusivity?

Are Australians still beach mad? How is the face of the average Aussie changing? In our 2014 / 2015 cultural snapshot of Australia, we demystify cultural myths, shed light on the country’s economic outlook, and explore the emerging and established trends across eleven sectors.

In just five years, Shoes of Prey customers have personalised over 10 million pairs of shoes, from ballet flats to gladiator heels, and annual revenue is nearing $10 million AUD. But what makes designing your own pair of snakeskin peep-toe wedges so appealing to Australian women?

Fuelled by the rise of internet shopping, credit card fraud in Australia has doubled since 2010 – now amounting to AUS $200 million. According to data from the Australian Payments Clearing Association, most fraud is occurring online rather than with lost or stolen cards.

eBay is one Australia’s largest online shopping sites, with over 7.3 million unique users. Looking to capitalise on the shrinking attention span of its customers, the company has announced ‘5 Minute Sales’ - an hour of timely, big discounts every Sunday night.

‘Buy anything, anywhere, cheaper’ is ShopandBox’s mantra. This Australian start-up lets shoppers buy items that are either unavailable or far more expensive in their country. They do this with the help of 'Boxers' - personal shoppers local to the country.

Buying clothes online is great. Until you find out they don’t fit and the nearest post office is miles away. Not the case with Jeansonline.com though, who’ll leave a courier waiting outside while you decide if you want to keep your new purchase, or return it on the spot.

Seoul has embraced peer-to-peer businesses and become the sharing economy’s model city. Now, the Sharing City initiative is turning it into a blueprint for city governance. But what makes Seoul ideal for this experiment? And what’s really driving Koreans to embrace sharing?