Retail’s Biggest Reporting Week Starts Tuesday | It’s On Sale Daily Brief (24 August 2026)

Neil Fairhead

CEO, It’s On Sale

Monday morning briefing for Australian shoppers. This is Australian retail s biggest reporting week of the year, with Coles delivering FY26 results on Tuesday, Woolworths on Wednesday, and Wesfarmers (Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, Priceline) on Thursday. JB Hi-Fi already set the tone last week with a shock 12 per cent share slide despite record sales, after the CFO flagged wholesale PC price rises above 50 per cent from AI-driven memory shortages. Coles website crashed on Saturday after a viral Reddit post exposed 80 per cent off pricing errors on Jack Daniel s and Smirnoff Crush. Amazon is still in the Federal Court over Prime Video ads. And today s Top 5 opens with Cotton On Clothing at up to 50 per cent off, right in the sweet spot as spring stock starts to land.

The Week That Sets Christmas Pricing: Coles Tuesday, Woolies Wednesday, Bunnings Thursday

Three back-to-back FY26 result days set the tone for grocery, department store and hardware pricing through to Christmas. Coles Group files first on Tuesday 25 August, with IG Australia s Coles preview flagging consensus for group sales of about 45.63 billion dollars, EBIT of 2.30 billion and NPAT of 1.22 billion. Woolworths Group follows on Wednesday 26 August (results delivered before market open Wednesday morning). Wesfarmers closes the week on Thursday 27 August with the full Bunnings, Kmart, Target, Officeworks and Priceline picture.

Setting the tone last week: JB Hi-Fi reported a record FY26 result on 17 August with sales up to 11.06 billion dollars and NPAT up 6 per cent to 489.9 million, plus a fully franked final dividend of 337 cents (up 22.5 per cent). But shares still fell 12.3 per cent on the day, the second-largest single-day slide on record, after the trading update showed July Australian comparable sales down 1.4 per cent, The Good Guys down 1.7 per cent, and e&s down 4 per cent. CFO David Giansalvo told analysts some PC brands are seeing wholesale cost rises above 50 per cent from AI-driven memory shortages, per Tim Biggs at The Sydney Morning Herald. Super Retail Group (Rebel, Supercheap Auto, BCF, Macpac) delivered its own result on 20 August with sales up 3.2 per cent to 4.2 billion dollars but normalised profit before tax down 7 per cent as it invested in supply chain and new systems, per the Super Retail Group full year release. For an Australian household the practical read is simple: if you are deferring a laptop or a new fridge, wait until the three big calls are done. Retailers under pressure to defend market share usually drop their sharpest mid week specials Tuesday to Thursday to move stock ahead of month end, and loyalty program members typically get first access.

Coles Website Crashes After Viral Reddit Alcohol Bargain

Coles Group s website and app went dark for hours on Saturday 22 August after a viral Reddit post highlighted Jack Daniel s and Cola 24 packs marked down from about 130 dollars to 27 dollars via Liquorland, an 80 per cent discount, per Cait Kelly at The Guardian. Retail data firm CW Scanner identified 20 beer cartons and 46 premixed drink cases pricing at up to 80 per cent off before the site was taken down. The single largest mispricing was Smirnoff Crush 24 packs, marked from 202 dollars to 29 dollars, a 173 dollar saving. Coles called it a technical error, cancelled affected orders, and promised refunds for anyone charged.

The consumer angle is a useful reminder about Australian pricing rules. The ACCC guidance on bait advertising is clear: retailers are entitled to correct genuine pricing errors, but must not deliberately use bait pricing to drive traffic and then withdraw stock. If you spot a bargain price so aggressive it feels like an error, screenshot the price and the URL before you order and keep a copy of the order confirmation email. If the retailer cancels and refunds, that usually falls within the mistake exemption. If a retailer regularly advertises then withdraws similar deals, that is bait advertising territory and can be reported through the ACCC reporting form. Coles processed the refunds within 24 hours; check your Liquorland or Coles order history if you were on the site between 4pm and 8pm on Saturday.

Amazon Prime Video Case Still Live: What Australian Subscribers Should Know

The ACCC v Amazon Prime Video Federal Court proceeding (VID702 of 2026) continues through case management, with the first Case Management Hearing held on 31 July, per Piper Alderman s case note. The regulator alleges Amazon Commercial Services included multiple unfair contract terms in annual Prime subscriptions between November 2023 and August 2025, then relied on some of those terms to introduce ads to Prime Video from July 2024 with only a 2 dollars 99 a month ad free upcharge as the alternative. ACCC chair Gina Cass Gottlieb said Amazon left subscribers with no choice but to pay more to maintain the service they had originally signed up for.

The regulator is seeking penalties, declarations and refunds on behalf of more than one million Australian annual Prime subscribers. Maximum penalty per contravention is the higher of 50 million dollars, three times the benefit obtained, or 30 per cent of adjusted turnover during the breach period. For an Australian household the direct action is simple: if you had an Amazon Prime annual subscription in place before August 2025 and you paid the ad free upcharge, keep the payment records. Any refund order will depend on being able to identify affected subscribers. It is another reason every store featured in today s Top 5 is Australian owned with local fulfilment.

Retail Insolvencies Softening, But Queensland Retailers Still Under Pressure

ASIC s July 2026 insolvency data shows retail first time insolvency appointments fell to 68, down from 91 in July 2025 and below the 78 recorded in July 2024, per Ragtrader. Across all industries first time appointments dropped 12.5 per cent year on year to 1,211. But the picture is very unevenly distributed. The Herald Sun s Sonja Koremans reported Queensland retail insolvencies jumped 72 per cent in FY26 to 289 collapses, versus a 15 per cent lift nationally. Notable recent falls: activewear brand Stax moved into liquidation on 10 July with 6.7 million dollars owed, footwear chain Betts entered voluntary administration on 24 June with 20 of 35 stores closing, and jewellery group Leading Edge collapsed on 23 July with 28 million dollars in liabilities, per Jeweller Magazine.

For Australian households the practical read is protective, not panicked. If you have gift cards or store credit sitting unused at any struggling mid market retailer, spend them this month. If you paid a deposit on furniture, bedding or a made to order item that has not been delivered, check the retailer s ASIC status through the ABN Lookup tool at abr.business.gov.au. Voluntary administration freezes creditor claims while a rescue is negotiated; deposits are usually returned last and often only cents in the dollar. If you shop at Betts, Stax outlets or a Leading Edge jeweller, check remaining store lists on those brands own websites before you drive out. The upside: with 68 fewer collapses last month than the same month a year ago, and Woolworths, Coles and Wesfarmers all sitting with strong balance sheets, the big listed retailers are competing aggressively for the discretionary dollar that is still moving.

Household Spend Resilient, But It Is a Two Speed Market

July NAB Consumer Spend Trend showed total consumer spending up 1.1 per cent month on month, with discretionary spending up 1.2 per cent and personal goods jumping 2 per cent month on month and 10.5 per cent year on year, per NAB. Roy Morgan is projecting August retail sales to hit 40 billion dollars for the first time, up 6 per cent year on year, per Ragtrader. The headline hides a two speed market: value driven shoppers are trading down to private label groceries and waiting for promotional events, while a wealthier cohort keeps spending on travel, dining and personal goods.

What that means this week: expect the majors to lean hard into loyalty program specials Tuesday to Thursday. Coles Flybuys, Woolworths Everyday Rewards and OnePass typically drop their sharpest mid week deals in the 48 hours around a results release, because that is when the CEO is most sensitive to comparable sales momentum. If any of those apps are sitting idle on your phone, it is worth checking them each morning this week. Cotton On, Lounge Lovers, Portmans, Kathmandu, Sanity and SurfStitch are all running independent clearance right now, so today s Top 5 gives you six spring wardrobe and homewares categories to browse without having to wait for a supermarket special.