Sydney, Nov 11: The ACCC will run a Black Friday sales sweep targeting potentially misleading retail ads, focusing on tactics such as false “limited time” urgency, broad “site-wide/store-wide” claims, and “up to X% off” where only a few items hit the maximum discount.
Repeat offenders flagged in last year’s sweep will get extra scrutiny, and enforcement action may follow.
“We are putting retailers on notice to review their sales advertising practices to ensure that any sales or discount claims they make are accurate, clear, and not likely to mislead or deceive consumers,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“Misleading advertising may influence a consumer’s behaviour and impact their ability to make an informed purchasing decision during the sales,” Lowe said.
Consumers are urged to price-check before sales begin, watch for disclaimers, and report suspect ads—ideally with images—via the ACCC website.
“We will pay special attention to retailers who were identified as having problematic sales practices in the sweep we conducted during last year’s Black Friday and Boxing Day sales and expect to see improved compliance across the retail sector.”
“If consumers are waiting for the Black Friday sales to make a big purchase, we encourage them to consider checking the prices now before sales start, so they can compare the price and determine if they are making a legitimate saving,” Lowe said.”
“The ACCC encourages consumers to be wary of broad claims about discounts or savings during Black Friday and to check for any disclaimers or conditions in sales advertisements.”
“Consumers shopping during the Black Friday sales are encouraged to report promotions or ads that raise concerns to the ACCC, including images of the potential misconduct,” Lowe said.
“The best way for consumers to report any potentially misleading or deceiving advertising representations is by the ACCC website, where images and specific detail can be provided.”
“The ACCC has guidance that retailers should review on advertising and promotions.”
Consumer and fair-trading issues around misleading pricing in supermarkets and retail are a 2025–26 ACCC priority.
Media & PR: editor@dailystraits.com. Copyright 2021–Present DailyStraits.com. All rights reserved.