What you said about Coles, Woolies offering ‘fake’ discounts on groceries, according to ACCC

Woolworths and Coles tricked customers into buying everyday groceries by using fake discounts – but it seems everyday Aussies are the real fools. HAVE YOUR SAY

Grocery prices continue to go up thanks to the supermarket giants.

• Full list: Every ‘fake’ discount

Woolworths and Coles tricked customers into buying everyday groceries by using fake discounts – but it seems everyday Aussies are the real fools.

The supermarket giants used items in almost every aisle of the supermarket, from tampons and fly spray to pet food and even infant milk formula, to lure shoppers with misleading discounts as high as 39 per cent, court documents reveal. 

Items such as pet food, a popular range of Coca-Cola, Oreo biscuits and fly spray were offered by the supermarkets on discount when in fact they were still more than 29 per cent more expensive than the “regular price” that had featured on the supermarket shelf for as much as two years before.

The true breadth of the alleged conspiracy has been laid bare in fresh court documents obtained by The Australian that were lodged with the Federal Court by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which paint a picture of fake or illusory discounts across dozens of food and grocery categories at both supermarket giants.

Both supermarkets, the regulator has alleged, inflated shelf prices and then later offered discounts which were in fact still more expensive than the average selling price in the year or years before – advertising them as real savings when in fact they were not.

Are we paying too much for groceries?

In meticulous detail, the ACCC has provided to the court the unfolding alleged conspiracy perpetrated by both Woolworths and Coles that roped in more than 250 standard food and grocery items that most Australians would put in their baskets.

The shopping list of fake discounts covers dozens of categories, such as dairy, pet food, personal care, medicine, coffee, confectionery, snacks, breakfast cereal, pasta, household cleaning and soft drinks.

The ACCC has not accused the ASX-listed companies of colluding to falsely pump up and then discount prices together. The regulator does not allege anti-competitive conduct.

ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in September when the court case was unveiled that Coles and Woolworths discounts “were, in fact, illusory”.

Shoppers were quick to jump into the debate, many claiming that everyday Aussies continue to bare the brunt of such tactics.

Others claimed that the ACCC needed to take action or risk becoming toothless.

While some insisted shoppers must be extra vigilant to avoid scams.

See what you had to say below and join the conversation >>>

WHAT YOU SAID

I blame ACCC

Bluedog

Just what will the ACCC actually DO.!. instead of just talking about the rip off?????

wally

ACCC all bark no bite, what have they ever done? can some one tell me?

Kevin

And as usual its all talk and so action by the so called government watch dogs – it seems they are just scare mongering paper tigers

Roy

I saw thaty happening 18 months ago. I saw ticketed “specials” offering 30% – that were actually higher than the full price was just a few months before. I rejoiced when I heard the Government was having an inquiry into grocery prices – sadly nothing happened. Sadly, we have no protection.

Coles and Woolies are in the crosshairs of shoppers.

It’s a joke

Catherine

That is ridiculous when the are making millions in profits and we constantly struggle to afford basic needs

Crow

Happy to avoid Woolies, Coles and Qantas whenever possible

Pauline

Been doing it for years and extends to all the alcohol departments as well

Gary … Pending … Rejected

If this is going to be fair dinkum then the whole supply chain needs to be considered.

Jayson

Did the big and small producers benefit from this? I think not. It is not only consumers being ripped off but also the producers of the products.

Look out for rip-offs

The General

And those two for one deals, where one is $6.60 and two is $7. I don’t want two bloody packs of cornflakes or tim tams.

Wayne

is our discounted electricity/gas price still much higher than the original normal price two years ago? why ACCC don’t investigate the government?

Trevor

I take Maltofer Iron tablets, They just increased in price by $11. My Wife said the same had occurred to a make up product she buys, $11 to $22. They do what they want, prosecute the lot of them.

darren

It happens everywhere what about Jewellery shops they have sales on every single day of the year and they never have things at the so called before price, and what about Harris Scarfe and their fake discounts its bloody everywhere.

Originally published as What you said about Coles, Woolies offering ‘fake’ discounts on groceries, according to ACCC