In this powerful episode of Business & a Brew, Dani and Si dive into the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh and ask a hard-hitting question: do big brands really care about factory safety, or only when they’re forced to? They unpack what happened on 24 April 2013, how an unsafe eight‑storey building employing thousands of garment workers was allowed to exist, and why warning signs were ignored until it was too late.

Dani and Si explore the uncomfortable realities behind cheap fashion, from poverty wages and complex subcontracting chains to the “agency problem” that lets brands claim ignorance while pushing for ever lower prices and faster turnaround. They break down what changed after the disaster - including the legally binding Bangladesh Accord and its evolution into a wider international framework - and what hasn’t, especially for workers still outside the spotlight of Western scrutiny.

Whether you’re a business owner sourcing overseas, a consumer rethinking your wardrobe, or someone curious about how ethics, brand reputation, and global supply chains collide, this episode will challenge how you see that simple label: “Made in Bangladesh.”

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

In this episode of Business & a Brew, Dani & Si dive into the emerging world of agentic commerce and what they dub “surveillance shopping” – a future where AI agents don’t just recommend products but actively shop, decide, and buy on our behalf.

They unpack how tools like Perplexity’s Buy with Pro, OpenAI’s agent protocols, and Amazon’s Rufus are quietly reshaping how we purchase everything from groceries to gifts, and why this shift could be as significant as the arrival of the internet.

Along the way, they explore the trade-offs between convenience and creepiness, from fridges that reorder your milk to agents that might one day choose your clothes, and question what happens to brand loyalty, impulse purchases, and the human jobs that currently sit between manufacturers and consumers.

Dani & Si also dig into thorny issues of trust, data, and privacy, asking whose interests these agents really serve and how much of our lives we’re willing to hand over in exchange for frictionless buying. It’s a thought-provoking, slightly unsettling, and often funny conversation about a shopping revolution that’s already underway, whether we’re ready for it or not.

This episode is sponsored by Beyond The Dawn Digital ltd offering AI powered podcasts for clients who want to use this platform as part of their visibility and Brand expression structure - want to work with them click HERE

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

In this episode of Business & a brew, Dani and Si dive into the dark underbelly of the drinks industry and uncover just how widespread counterfeit alcohol really is. Starting with a startling World Health Organisation statistic that one in five bottles of spirits consumed globally are counterfeit, adulterated, or illicitly produced, they explore how fake booze finds its way into bars, pubs, and shops - and what that means for both consumer safety and legitimate businesses. From methanol poisoning cases in Central Europe and bootleg spirits in India to the billions lost to alcohol fraud in the UK, they break down the real-world impact behind the headlines.

Dani walks through the four main types of alcohol fraud - illicit production, duty evasion, counterfeiting, and adulteration - while Si reacts to some of the most shocking examples, including fake vodka, fake Scotch whisky, and even counterfeit craft beer. They also look beyond booze to wider food fraud, such as the highly adulterated Italian olive oil market, and discuss why complex regulation and consumer habits make these scams so hard to stamp out. The conversation closes with a focus on prevention, arguing that education and buying from reputable sources are still the most powerful tools consumers have, even as brands experiment with tech solutions like QR codes, NFC chips, and blockchain tracking.

Tune in to hear Dani and Si mix storytelling, real-world cases, and their signature humour to reveal what might really be in your glass - and how to protect yourself without giving up your favourite tipple!!

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.