Hi Merchies,

We’re introducing something we’ve always had, but are encouraging a lot more strongly: reader submissions.

Instead of just saying “send us sick merch” though, we’ve got a more specific request that might make you think of just the thing in your cupboards that we wanna see.

Have you ever stolen merch? A glass from the pub, a blanket from a flight, a guitar pick from a musician’s bag? Next week Kayla is highlighting stolen merch, and she’ll show you hers if you show her yours if you catch my drift.

Simply reply to this email with a snap 📸

Gaz & Kayla

In early 2025, Coles (Australian supermarket chain) started releasing their Coles-branded frezer bags with “cute designs”. There were several in the collection, but one design took off — the pink stripes with red strawberries.

It was all over social media, impossible to get your hands on, and waaaayyyy better looking than the grim Coles-branded chiller bags that are synonymous with begrudgingly doing groceries in a reusable bag and simultaneously not being someone with your own cool tote that is associated with some sort of trendy shop, culture, or community. This design is also so old whenever you did see someone holding one of these, it’s looking worse for wear.

They followed up the surprising success of the strawberry bag with a Miffy collaboration and expanded it to non-chiller bags as well (pictured at the top, this is just an open top, structured, plastic, reusable tote bag) at the beginning of 2026. This also sold out quickly, and none of these designs have been on a monthly basis, but the strawberry design and the Miffy collab still reign supreme.

Seen something trend in another country, and no one is doing it in yours? Well step up to the plate! Trader Joe’s has been a staple in the grocery-tote space in the USA for years, but Australia never saw someone try to recreate that.

Even though Coles didn’t copy the merch design, it definitely is filling a hole in the local market’s merch category: Supermarket bag people want to be seen with.

I’ve talked in past issues about my love of merch, a love of pubs and the love I feel deep down to my core when the two collide (Mona Castle Pub in Seddon Victoria). So imagine the pure joy I felt when The Corner Hotel - an absolute institution in my hometown of Melbourne Australia - launched a new knitted jumper to celebrate their 30th Birthday.

With a design based on the signature front bar carpet, the crew have knocked this out of the park with a look thats so right, so Melbourne, and so fitting for the occasion, in a collaboration with Carlton Draught (of which a few hundred million have been poured in the venue)

For those that don’t know The Corner, it’s seen just about every band in the world play there at some point it feels. U2 played there once for christs sake.

And thanks to its proximity to the famous MCG stadium, it has this sort of confluence of Australian Rules Football / Cricket culture, mixed with the live music, mixed with the pub culture, plus a perfect meeting spot right near Richmond station with trains passing by, constant energy, music every day of the year and a peak Melbourne energy that’s undefeated.

My compliments to the drip chef 🤌 Check it out HERE

This is much more an acknowledgement of leaning into some subtlety and creating something iconic as a release, rather than churn out the standard t-shirt or whatever. Are there elements that can be highlighted in subtle ways, accents in your brand kit that would work well in unique ways, iconic fonts you could use minimally, or a tagline that would work as a sub-brand to release as merch. Subtle, and restrained, works.

Check out the DRIP DROP Sublime for more merch inspo