economy
February 27, 2026
Has Coles been caught with its pants ‘down down’ over its prices promotion?
If the supermarket is found to have deliberately misled with the jingle that ‘sticks in one’s ears’, there will be sector-wide implications
TL;DR
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking Coles to court over its 'Down Down' pricing campaign.
- The ACCC alleges Coles deliberately misled shoppers by using temporary price increases to create artificial 'was' prices.
- This practice, known as 'was/is' pricing, allegedly made subsequent 'Down Down' prices appear more discounted than they were.
- Examples cited include dog food and baby formula, where prices were allegedly inflated before being advertised as discounted.
- The case's outcome is expected to have significant implications for pricing practices across the entire supermarket sector.
- Coles argues its promotional prices were genuine discounts reflecting rising wholesale costs from suppliers.
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