AUSTRALIA | The ACCC will conduct a Black Friday sales sweep to identify misleading or deceptive sales advertising used by retailers.
The sweep will focus on a range of sales advertising tactics used by retailers. This includes misleading limited-time representations that create a false sense of urgency for consumers, misleading ‘site-wide’ or ‘store-wide’ claims about sales, and claims of ‘up to X percent off’, where few products are on sale at X percent off.
“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,” said ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe.
“Misleading advertising may influence a consumer’s behaviour and impact their ability to make an informed purchasing decision during the sales. 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.”
Retailers that use misleading or deceptive tactics during the Black Friday sales period may face enforcement action by the ACCC. Lowe added that if consumers have been waiting for Black Friday sales to make a big purchase, they should check prices now before the sales start, so they can compare prices and determine whether they are making a legitimate saving.
The ACCC encouraged 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 are also encouraged to report promotions or ads that raise concerns to the ACCC, including images of the potential misconduct.
The best way for consumers to report potentially misleading or deceptive advertising representations is to use the ACCC website, where images and specific details can be provided.
The ACCC has guidance that retailers should review on advertising and promotions. Consumer and fair-trading concerns in the supermarket and retail sectors, with a focus on misleading pricing practices, are a 2025-26 Compliance and Enforcement Priority for the ACCC.
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