Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie follows how retail decisions, consumer trends and pop culture moments play out in everyday life, combining consumer-focused lifestyle reporting with entertainment stories. He is lifestyle editor at Yahoo Australia, working across the Yahoo Lifestyle vertical on supermarket, big-box retail, fast-food and celebrity coverage. His recent work centres on clear, practical explainers that spell out what a policy change, product launch or viral moment means for shoppers and viewers, often anchored in expert commentary and company statements.

Supermarkets and Big-Box Retailers

Perrie devotes a significant share of his coverage to the supermarket and big-box retail sector, tracking how store policies and product decisions affect customers at chains such as Kmart, Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, IGA and Bunnings. He has reported on a little-known Kmart in-store policy introduced in 2020 that sparked “overwhelming joy” among shoppers, explaining when it applies and how it changes the shopping experience during specific afternoon hours. His stories on Kmart’s wearable heated blanket and other seasonal products focus on price points, usability and hidden catches, such as the need for an external power bank to make a device practical, reflecting a consistent attention to how items work in real-world use.

Changes to store layouts and services are another recurring thread, with pieces detailing Bunnings’ first major checkout redesign in three decades and what that means for customer flow at the front of the store. He covers free events and kids’ workshops at Bunnings in granular terms, listing dates, times and the nature of activities on offer, from craft sessions to gardening hubs, so families can understand exactly what is available during school holidays. Across these stories, he foregrounds the shopper’s perspective, combining quotes from retailer spokespeople with clear descriptions of what customers will see in-store.

Consumer Products, Privacy and Everyday Health

Perrie’s consumer beat extends into product safety, privacy and health, where he highlights risks and practical considerations around items being pushed by major retailers. His coverage of smart glasses sold by Kmart, for example, centres on privacy concerns raised by security experts who warn that front-facing cameras present a “substantial” risk because they are relatively new and not yet front-of-mind for many people. In that piece, he sets out what the product can do and contrasts it with expert warnings, making the tension between novelty and risk explicit for readers.

He takes a similar explanatory approach to the proliferation of protein-heavy foods on supermarket shelves, interviewing a fitness coach and sports nutritionist about why a focus on protein alone can be misleading. The article walks through how higher protein content can coincide with elevated sugar or carbohydrate levels, and lists everyday protein sources such as yoghurt, meat and kangaroo that may better align with health goals. Product comparison stories, such as the ranking of reusable drink bottles from Kmart, Coles, Woolworths, Stanley and YETI, balance brand recognition with independent research outcomes, noting price ranges and design strengths when a premium brand tops a consumer survey.

This strand of his work consistently combines brand-led news with expert guidance to frame what is genuinely useful or concerning for shoppers.

Fast Food, Packaged Snacks and Brand Rivalries

Fast food and packaged snacks form another distinct lane in Perrie’s lifestyle coverage, where he charts menu changes, product revivals and competitive moves between major brands. He has reported on McDonald’s introduction of a Nashville chicken menu designed to take on KFC, highlighting the arrival of an item not previously available in Australia and the broader competitive strategy behind the launch. His pieces on snack brands cover nostalgia and trend-driven decisions, such as the return of Ritz In A Biskit Crispy Potato after a decade, noting price, participating supermarkets and the consumer demand that prompted its comeback.

These stories sit alongside his broader focus on budget-conscious shopping and value, including coverage of The Reject Shop’s takeover and its bid to rival Kmart, where he writes about price positioning and cheaper options for customers in the discount retail space. He has also written about Ecovacs cleaning robots appearing in middle aisles, treating robotics and home tech as part of the everyday retail environment rather than niche gadgets. Across these brand and menu pieces, Perrie’s reporting treats corporate manoeuvres primarily as consumer stories, emphasising what shoppers will find in-store and how new offerings might change habits or choices.

Entertainment, Fashion and Viral Moments

Alongside his retail and consumer work, Perrie covers entertainment and culture, with stories that often turn on a human moment or unexpected twist. His reporting includes celebrity-focused pieces, such as an article where Margot Robbie addresses a rumour about her personal life that persisted for more than a decade, framing the story around the actor’s decision to set the record straight.

In fashion and events coverage, he has written about an attendee who accidentally became the “lead model” at an Australian Fashion Week beach show, tracing how a misstep turned into a widely shared viral incident and noting the subject’s subsequent apology and social media response.

He writes about reality television in similar terms, such as his coverage of Julia Morris speaking out after the axing of I’m A Celebrity…, which centres on her emotional reaction and what the decision means for the show’s future. Across these entertainment pieces, Perrie tends to focus less on industry insiders and more on how public figures and participants respond on camera and online, weaving in social media reactions as part of the narrative. This entertainment strand complements his lifestyle reporting, reinforcing a consistent attention to accessible, everyday angles - whether the story begins in a supermarket aisle, a fast-food menu or a viral moment on a beach runway.