EP 08 | Klarna Bought the Groceries, Saks Lost the Plot, TikTok Called a Recession

This week’s economy? Klarna-fried. Retail? Collapsing in real time. Streaming? Somehow deep. Let’s go.

(00:57) Buy Now, Cry Later The Klarna-core economy is here. Jason and Kevin unpack how buy-now-pay-later went from sneakers to cereal—and what that says about consumer debt, regulators, and late-stage capitalism. (07:56) Debt Securitization & Swedish Financial Trust How Klarna’s securitized burrito model mirrors the U.S. Treasury and why nobody’s ready for what happens when the music stops. (13:06) Saks Is in Trouble Octus Senior Distressed Debt Analyst Krishan Sutharshana joins to explain Saks' collapsing bond prices, vendor pullouts, and whether 3G’s debt-fueled luxury empire is headed for restructuring. (28:18) Streaming Therapy: Netflix’s Sirens Is it patriarchy in linen? Trauma-core prestige TV? Or just weirdly good? Jason and Kevin dig into gender, power, and why Kevin Bacon still has it. (38:51) TikTok Recession Indicators Frozen pizza, self-checkout scams, tipping fatigue, Klarna memes, and churches locking their doors. Honestly? The vibes are right.----more----

Hosts: Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt
Guest: Krishan Sutharshana (Octus Credit Research)
Produced and Edited by: Tanya Hubbard
A Production of The Octus Podcast Network