Our supermarket duopoly needs to tell not just the truth but the whole truth

March 4, 2026 — 5:30am

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Irrespective of the legal outcome, the ACCC/Coles “false discounts” case has heavily damaged the reputation of Coles and is set to do the same for Woolworths when its case is heard in April.

The entire Australian population, certainly the 14 million weekly shoppers at Coles, seem to know about it, with the publicity greatly amplified by Coles’ decision to fight the case publicly in court.

Jokes abound: “Coles believes that a recommended fine of $200 million be reduced to $400 million”, or “Coles has introduced new upward specials”. An ABC TV interviewee was even quoted as saying, “the prices go up and down like a dunny seat”.

If Coles, and later Woolies, lose, there will be fines in the hundreds of millions of dollars, a potentially costly class action for damages, and severe credibility and reputation damage.

There may also be ramifications for high-level executives, and even board members, of the business: this case differs from the more usual case where the alleged illegal behaviour is triggered by strategies and decisions made at low levels of the business.

The Coles defence seems to rest on two pillars. First, the price rises were, it claims, justified because of inflation. However, that argument is irrelevant. The case is........

© The Age