Grocery giants ‘specials’ expose sneaky tricks

A Coles supermarket in Crows Nest has been caught advertising snack bars as a “$5 special” despite the actual price being $4.50.

A popular Coles store has been caught advertising snack bars as a “special” despite the actual price being cheaper.

In May, Coles Crows Nest, was advertising Rafferty’s Garden snack bars as a “$5 special” when the actual price was $4.50 – a misleading tactic similar to those at the centre of a major court case accusing Coles and Woolworths of promoting false discounts on hundreds of items. 

The promotion claimed a price of $5.50, offering a 50-cent saving, but footage shows that when the label was peeled back, the original price was actually lower at $4.50.

It highlights yet another example of the deceptive tactics often employed by these grocery giants.

It comes as the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed separate cases in the Federal Court, claiming the retailers breached Australian Consumer Law by making deceptive discount pricing claims.

The price under the ‘special’ ticket is $4.50. Picture: Supplied

Coles Crows Next has been caught out claiming $5 snack bars as a ‘special’. Picture: Supplied

The accusations focus on products sold at regular long-term prices, which remained unchanged for at least six months, and in many instances, over a year, aside from short-term specials.

The products experienced price increases of at least 15 per cent for short durations before being included in Woolworths’ “Prices Dropped” promotion and Coles’ “Down Down” promotion. 

A Coles spokesperson attributed the pricing error to human error, emphasising that it was an isolated incident promptly resolved at the time.

“This product displays a special ticket from back in May. Due to human error, this was an isolated incident at one store where the original ticket underneath the special ticket was inadvertently not updated. It was rectified immediately by our team back at that time,” a Coles spokesperson said.

“At Coles, we take clear and accurate pricing information extremely seriously and always aim to ensure that our specials represent value for our customers.”

Another image of clearance chicken being more expensive than the original price. Picture: Supplied

Coles Crows Nest. Picture: Brendon Thorne

Another image circulating online reveals Inghams Chicken Munchies being sold at a “clearance” price higher than the original at a Woolworths store.

The nuggets, initially priced at $10, were marked up to $11 during the so-called clearance promotion.

These promotions featured prices that were lower than during the price hikes but either the same as or higher than the regular prices prior to the increases.

It follows months of intense scrutiny on the two largest supermarkets in the country due to persistent inflation driving up living costs, which is expected to be a major issue in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election.

Coles has been contacted for comment.

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