Coles loses credibility with less-than-meets-the-eye discounts

May 14, 2026 — 4:44pm

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The nation’s second-largest supermarket has been found to have misled customers by offering fake discounts at a time when rising living costs are putting Australians under immense financial hardship, making it impossible for many to make ends meet.

In a landmark case, Federal Court Justice Michael O’Bryan upheld allegations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that Coles’ discounts through its “Down Down” program were only a reduction from increased prices that were available for too short a period for customers to believe they were genuine.

The consumer watchdog alleged that Coles misled consumers about the prices of 245 products between February 2022 and May 2023. Of 14 sample “Down........

© The Sydney Morning Herald