- 34 minutesInside a coconut water empire
When Scott Mendelsohn started selling coconut water out of the boot of his girlfriend's car, hardly anyone knew what it was. But over the past decade interest in coconut water has grown rapidly and his business, Raw C, now turns over $100 million a year.
Mendelsohn joins Alan to talk about the global appeal of coconut water, working with suppliers in Asia, navigating Australia’s supermarket duopoly, and the brand’s new deal to sell in Target stores across the US. And since Scott still owns 100 per cent of the company, Alan asks if going public is on Raw C’s horizon?
So have we reached peak coconut? Or is there still no sign of stopping?
Scott Mendelsohn, CEO of Raw C joins Alan Kohler to unpack it all on That's Business with Alan Kohler.
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31 July 2026, 5:00 am - 18 minutesWill Chinese AI save businesses money?
Artificial intelligence isn’t going away. And the race for dominance isn’t over.
But a new generation of AI models from China is putting fresh pressure on Silicon-Valley AI behemoths and raising questions about access, user experience, and price.
So how could cheaper AI shake up big tech business models?
And how are economics affecting AI rollout in Australian businesses?
Our hosts also weigh in on Open AI’s rogue agents and AI hallucinations in reports from consulting firm PwC.
Daniel Ziffer and ABC Business Reporter Lin Lin break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
30 July 2026, 3:45 am - 23 minutesAre you paying too much interest on your mortgage?
Offset accounts promise savings perks to mortgage borrowers across the country by lowering interest payments. But financial regulator ASIC says that many offset account owners have been paying more interest than they should.
So how have banks responded to the issue? And how does this affect trust in the banking sector?
And with today’s fresh inflation figures showing an easing of inflation, does this mean that the RBA’s rate hikes have been working?
We also follow up on a listener question about interest rate increases and inflation.
Daniel Ziffer and ABC Business Reporter Steph Chalmers break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
29 July 2026, 4:00 am - 21 minutesDoes a new refinery make economic sense?
After more than two decades of plummeting oil production in Australia, is the country about to get a new refinery?
As Treasury warns that petrol prices will climb further if the war in Iran continues, the federal government is backing a pre-feasibility study for what would be the first refinery built on Australian soil since the 1960s.
So will upping sovereign refining capacity shield Australians from energy market shocks? And is it economically wise in the long run?
Meanwhile - as much of the world transitions to electric vehicle use, China has gained manufacturing dominance as the producer of the vast bulk of them.
Where does this position the industrial superpower in its trade war with the US?
Daniel Ziffer and ABC Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
28 July 2026, 3:45 am - 22 minutesFuel price fickleness
After an oil spike on Friday, the price of Brent crude has fallen - again - as this sort of energy volatility continues to shape the global economy.
As we wait for the latest Consumer Price Index data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, what knock-on effects of economic fickleness are already evident in the retail sector?
And as central banks begin to meet around the world this week, how will they calculate the price of this unpredictability as they make the call on monetary policy?
Daniel Ziffer and ABC News Business Editor Michael Janda break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
27 July 2026, 4:15 am - 37 minutesThe ACCC’s war on oligopolies
It’s been a busy year for Australia’s consumer and competition regulator. The ACCC has made headlines, taking supermarket giant Coles to court over misleading discount pricing - and winning. A similar court case involving Woolworths pricing schemes is ongoing.
But beyond the high-profile legal cases - the ACCC stays busy - carefully considering nearly every corner of the Australian economy.
Gina Cass-Gottlieb has been Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission since 2022. She joins Alan to talk about everything from petrol price cycles to digital platform competition. They also cover merger frameworks, mistakes from history, and just why it is that Australia seems to have two of everything.
Cass-Gottlieb gives a window into how the ACCC understands its role in the economy - as challenger of oligopoly and or protector of consumers. And reveals how complaints from Australian consumers, sometimes even a single one, steer the regulator’s investigations.
ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb joins Alan Kohler to unpack it all on That's Business with Alan Kohler.
Got a burning business question?
Send a short voice recording to the ABC Business Daily team at [email protected]
24 July 2026, 5:00 am - 21 minutesTrump tariffs are back
We know Donald Trump loves a tariff. And according to his administration, a slew of new ones are set to hit 60 countries this afternoon.
Australia is on the list - with a 12.5 per cent tariff that will be imposed on Australian exports to the US.
So what exactly are the grounds for these new duties? And what will be the impact?
And how does Australia’s tariff square with those imposed on other countries?
Meanwhile, Brent Crude has hit $100 US dollars a barrel for the first time since May.
What does this mean for petrol prices here at home?
And the news really never does sleep: key tech stocks tanked on the US market overnight.
With such a lot of economic news about this morning, the ABC Business Daily team is here with a special bonus episode.
Daniel Ziffer and ABC News Editor Michael Janda break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
24 July 2026, 2:00 am - 18 minutesDoes the RBA like unemployment?
Fresh employment data just released from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, shows the unemployment rate has held steady in line with economists’ expectations.
What do these numbers mean for the RBA’s interest rate decision next month?
And some Australian small businesses have been surprised to get reimbursements from the US government for money collected from the so-called liberation-day tariffs.
But according to Trump administration officials, the US continues to face a ‘national emergency’ in trade matters, and another round of tariffs is on the way.
So who – and what – could be back on America’s levy-list?
Daniel Ziffer and ABC Business Reporter Emilia Terzon break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
You can read Emilia's reporting on the businesses clawing back cash from US Customs here.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
23 July 2026, 4:30 am - 14 minutesWhat Australians get wrong about interest rates
A brand-new bulletin from the Reserve Bank is out today, capturing how Australians experience and understand the economy.
And while public awareness for the RBA is high, survey results seem to suggest that people don’t have a great handle on how inflation is affected by interest rates.
So what problem does this present for the RBA – whose one blunt tool is to toggle rates?
And a new set of draft recommendations from the ASX’s Advisory Group on Corporate Governance raises the question: can diversity targets influence a company’s economic outcome?
Daniel Ziffer and ABC Business Reporter Steph Chalmers break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
22 July 2026, 4:00 am - 22 minutesWill Moonshot’s AI bring Silicon Valley back to earth?
A new AI model from Chinese startup Moonshot has put pressure on Silicon Valley-backed tech titans. Meanwhile markets have taken notice, with downturns on the South Korean KOSPI.
Could these sorts of tech moves in China, drag the highly valued Space X, Nasdaq and more - back down to earth?
And here in Australia, where the national property conversation carries on, could a lack of housing supply be keeping downsizers from finding new homes? Might stamp duty be part of the problem?
Daniel Ziffer and ABC Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
Daniel Ziffer and GUEST break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
21 July 2026, 4:15 am - 22 minutesAre we heading for a private credit crunch?
Financial regulator ASIC has raised concerns that a private credit crunch could be on the horizon, putting Australians on alert about superannuation and property investment in funds with little or no disclosure obligations.
Meanwhile ASIC has raked in hundreds of millions in fines - more than four times the previous year’s take, with a new stance on enforcement paying dividends.
And consulting firm KPMG has issued fines of its own - to partners and staff involved in its audit scandal.
Lastly, new data from real estate group Ray White suggests people are staying home and skipping out searching for a new one.
What does a drop in open home attendance tell us about the property market?
Daniel Ziffer and ABC News Business Editor Michael Janda break it all down on ABC Business Daily.
You can read David Taylor's piece on ASIC's private credit warning here.
Got a burning business question?
We'd love to hear your questions! If there’s business and economic news that has you stumped or you'd like further insight into, we're here to help. Send a short voice recording to the team at [email protected] and we'll attempt to answer it.
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