Understanding supermarket promotions in Australia: half-price, Down Down and catalogue deals

Not all promotions work the same way

Australian supermarkets run several different types of price promotions simultaneously. Knowing the difference helps you judge whether a special is genuinely worth acting on or whether it is simply a regular price with different signage.

Half-price specials

Half-price promotions are the most straightforward: the item scans at 50% of its regular shelf price for the duration of the promotional period. These are typically weekly and rotate across large numbers of products.

The catch is that the "regular" price being halved is the retailer's own standard price, which may already be higher than what a competitor charges for the same item at full price. Always check whether the half-price figure is genuinely better than what another chain has it at this week before stocking up.

Woolworths "Prices Dropped" and Coles "Down Down"

These programs represent longer-term reductions that the retailer commits to holding for a set period. The item is not on a weekly rotation—it is intended to stay at the lower price indefinitely (though the retailer can change it).

These tend to be less dramatic reductions than half-price specials but more reliable as a baseline. If you are trying to track whether a product's regular price has genuinely come down, this is the category to watch.

Member-only prices

Both Woolworths (Everyday Rewards) and Coles (Flybuys) show lower prices for cardholders. If you always scan your card, the member price is your real price and the one to use when comparing. If you do not use a card at a particular chain, compare using the non-member price.

Our loyalty programs guide explains this in more detail.

Catalogue specials and app-only offers

Weekly catalogues are released on Wednesdays for most chains. Catalogue specials are often the deepest discounts of the week, but stock can sell out quickly on popular lines—particularly at the start of the week. Some chains also run app-exclusive offers that do not appear in the printed catalogue.

"Was / Now" pricing and the reference price question

Shelf tickets showing a strikethrough "was" price are regulated under Australian Consumer Law, which requires the reference price to have been a genuine price charged for a meaningful period. Despite this, the ACCC has periodically reviewed how major retailers apply was-prices. Our shelf labels and was-prices guide covers this in more detail.

Multibuys and "save when you buy X"

"2 for $X" or "buy 3, save $Y" promotions are only good value if you will actually use all of what you buy. Calculate the single-unit equivalent price and compare it against the regular price—sometimes the per-unit saving is small and you are simply buying more.

Using comparison tools alongside promotions

Weekly promotions are one of the best use cases for price comparison. A quick search on TrolleyChecker for your high-spend items can reveal whether the half-price special at your usual chain is actually cheaper than the full price at another retailer—which it sometimes is not.