ACCC Alleges Coles Used Misleading "Down Down" Discount Pricing Claims
Company: Coles Group Limited
Summary
In September 2024, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission commenced Federal Court proceedings against Coles Supermarkets Australia, a subsidiary of Coles Group Limited, over alleged misleading discount-pricing claims. The ACCC alleges Coles temporarily increased prices on products before advertising them through its "Down Down" promotion at prices lower than the temporary spike but higher than, or equal to, the previous regular price. The regulator alleges the conduct involved 245 products at different times between February 2022 and May 2023. The ACCC alleges Coles sold large volumes of affected products and derived significant revenue from those sales. The proceeding remains unresolved and the allegations have not yet resulted in final judicial findings. Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-takes-woolworths-and-coles-to-court-over-alleged-misleading-prices-dropped-and-down-down-claims