Coles misleading price verdict shows divestiture powers needed   :(
2026-05-14
greens.org.au
Coles being found to have deliberately misled customers with fake discounts shows again that Australia needs powers to break up the supermarket duopoly and an economy-wide ban on price-gouging, the Greens say.

The Federal Court today found Coles misled customers with fake discounts, in a case brought by the ACCC.   :( 

“Coles and Woolworths treat customers with contempt because they have an iron grip on this country’s grocery sector,” Greens Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.   :(

“As the Greens-led Senate inquiry found, Australia needs divestiture powers to forcibly break up the supermarket duopoly, as well as other oligopolies.”

“We also need economy-wide price gouging laws, particularly during a cost of living crisis.”   ;)

“The major parties are in thrall to the big corporations because of their political donations. The Greens are not. We need divestiture and price gouging laws now.”

“The Greens have legislation already drafted and ready to go - the only thing we need is for a bit of courage from the Labor and Liberal parties.”   ;)

Stop the rip-offs, and price gouging.   :(

Quote:

Coles being found to have deliberately misled customers with fake discounts shows again that Australia needs powers to break up the supermarket duopoly

What duopoly? In 2023, Woolies had 37% of the market share and coles 28%. And shrinking. The government needs to stop meddling and micromanaging and let competition do it's thing. It's not the government that needs to act, it's shoppers. Unless of course, they actually think coles and woolies are doing a good thing. They are not as stupid as the little dictators think.

whiteknight wrote on May 15^th, 2026 at 7:36am:

Stop the rip-offs, and price gouging.   :(

The retail industry has been doing it since forever.
I remember seeing the same tactics used all of my life.

I sometimes go into shopping centers and record prices.
Jewelers are the worst - fake sales on watches.
The clothing shops do it.
Then you have closing down sales -
up to 70% off everything.
Hardly anything is 70% off and it's the 5th closing down sale
for that shop in 3 years.  ::)
The shop never closes down.   ;D

But... but... but...

... this is all so "un-Australian" and "not the Australian way", isn't it?

Or so the pollies keep telling us.

However, we all know it is the Australian way and has been for a very long time.

I guess most of us who do the shopping regularly can see the usual price rise, then, rise then go on special for a lot of things we buy.   I understand that seasonal things are going to have volatile prices for a number of reasons - but others - well when there has been no real change to most of the inputs that get the product on the shelf, seeing a dollar or two extra on the price is food for thought

Regardless, what ever the fine is for the Supermarkets, the price of goods will just rise to pay for it.  There will be little to no effect on the Business Owners and Controllers.  It will be the Customers and the Shareholders that will pay

If they had any teeth at all, they would force the Entity to break up into individual business’ and then compare apples with apples.    How much money did Woolworth’s Customers pay in the Supermarket to support the failed Master’s Business.  Time to really take some action rather than this pussy footing aound

Well said Bobby, this has been going on for far too long.  Also its not just the supermarkets, as you rightly point out.  I wonder if a BIG fine here and there might work wonders.   :( 

whiteknight wrote on May 15^th, 2026 at 11:07am:

Well said Bobby, this has been going on for far too long.  Also its not just the supermarkets, as you rightly point out.  I wonder if a BIG fine here and there might work wonders.   :(

Hi sir Crook,
you can't really stop them -
it's all part of their stock in trade to trick buyers into thinking they have got a bargain.
You sort of expect it from small shops but not from multi $billion supermarkets.