Thursday morning read for Australian shoppers. Victoria heads into the Grand Final Friday public holiday tomorrow ahead of Saturday’s AFL Grand Final at the MCG, so Victorian store and centre hours will shift but shops are not forced to close. ALDI has posted two drops at once: a garden and outdoor range for Saturday with a $39.99 dropover greenhouse, and a 69 line grocery, baby and travel range for next Wednesday. The Coles and Woolworths Week 39 catalogues keep running to Tuesday, and today at 11.30am AEST the ABS releases the last jobs figures before the Reserve Bank meets.
Grand Final Friday: Check Victorian Store Hours Before You Head Out
Business Victoria’s 2026 public holiday list includes the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, which lands tomorrow, Friday 25 September. The Grand Final itself is on Saturday 26 September at the MCG. Business Victoria keeps restricted trading for Good Friday, Christmas Day and the morning of ANZAC Day only, and Grand Final Friday is not on that list. Retailers can open, but many will run shorter public holiday hours.
The City of Melbourne’s long weekend guide says hours vary by venue, so check the individual store or shopping centre page before you go. The Grand Final Parade runs through the city on Friday and there is a public big screen on Saturday, so expect CBD traffic and busier central stores. If you are shopping for a Saturday barbecue, do it today or first thing Friday rather than leaving it to Saturday morning.
Shoppers outside Victoria get a normal Friday, although NSW families should note that tomorrow is also the last day of the school term.
ALDI Posts Two Drops: Saturday Garden Range and Next Wednesday’s Pantry Run
ALDI’s Saturday 26 September Special Buys page lists 32 gardening and outdoor lines. The headline items are a Gardenline large dropover greenhouse at $39.99, a Belavi large garden bed at $49.99 and a Gardenline 30m knitted hose at $34.99. Cheaper lines include pruning shears at $5.99 and a Casalux solar LED fountain at $19.99. Spring planting starts now, so the greenhouse and garden bed are the pieces worth being at the door for.
ALDI has also posted the Wednesday 30 September range early, with 69 items across baby essentials, pantry, kids’ bedroom, travel and a limited-time meat range. Early highlights include Nutella 900g at $11.99, Moccona instant coffee 400g at $25.99, Huggies fragrance-free wipes 400 pack at $13.49 and a Ready, Set Cook Smokey American Beef Brisket at $17.99. Special Buys are while stocks last and vary by store.
Week 39 Catalogues and Gift Card Offers Still Running
The Coles catalogue runs to Tuesday 29 September, and the highlight is still Coles Family Faves Crunchy Chicken Tenders 1kg at half price for $6. Selected 375mL soft drink 18 packs are also $17.50 nationally, according to the Week 39 half price listings on OzBargain. With a long weekend ahead in Victoria, the chicken tenders and soft drink packs make an easy Grand Final spread.
Gift card offers also run until Tuesday. Brandon Loo at Point Hacks reports that Coles is offering 1,500 bonus Flybuys points on $100 and $250 Visa For You gift cards, and Woolworths is offering 20x Everyday Rewards points on Supercheap Auto, Rebel, BCF, Adventure, Uber and TCN Good Food cards. If you already plan to spend at Rebel or BCF this month, the Woolworths offer is worth using.
Jobs Figures Land at 11.30am, Reserve Bank Next Tuesday
The ABS release calendar has Labour Force, Australia due at 11.30am AEST today, covering employment, unemployment, underemployment, participation and hours worked. These are the last labour market figures before the Reserve Bank’s decision on Tuesday 29 September at 2.30pm AEST, and the ABS Monthly CPI follows on Wednesday 30 September at 11.30am AEST.
For shoppers, the takeaway is simple: household budgets are likely to stay tight into October. Buy what you actually need while the discounts are deep, and hold off on bigger discretionary spending until after next week’s rate and inflation news.
A consumer safety note: Product Safety Australia warns that scammers have been using ACCC phone numbers. If someone calls claiming to be the ACCC, hang up and contact the regulator directly.
Top 5 Deals of the Day
Six categories, six winners. The deepest headline discounts surfaced from a Thursday morning sweep of every retailer live on It’s On Sale.
SportsgirlToday’s Top DiscountWomenswear90%OFF2
Rebel SportSports85%OFF3
Kick PushSurf & Skate85%OFF4
MyHouseHomewares76%OFF5
BooktopiaBooks60%OFF% discounts shown are indicative across each store’s sale range. Individual product savings vary.
Other Deals Worth a Look
- Nine West: up to 60% off in the sale section, a good match for the Sportsgirl womenswear pick in today’s Top 5.
- Myer Toy Sale: runs to Sunday 4 October, covering the rest of the VIC and QLD school holidays.
- ALDI Saturday Garden Drop: $39.99 dropover greenhouse, $49.99 garden bed and $34.99 30m hose, in store Saturday while stocks last.
- Coles Week 39: Crunchy Chicken Tenders 1kg for $6 until Tuesday 29 September.
What to Watch This Week
Today, Thursday 24 September, the ABS Labour Force release lands at 11.30am AEST. Tomorrow, Friday 25 September, is the Victorian Grand Final Friday public holiday and the last day of the NSW school term. On Saturday 26 September, ALDI’s garden drop hits stores and the AFL Grand Final is played at the MCG. Sunday 28 September is the last day of the Myer Mid Season Sale. Tuesday 29 September brings the end of Coles and Woolworths Week 39 and the Reserve Bank decision at 2.30pm AEST. On Wednesday 30 September, the ABS Monthly CPI comes out at 11.30am AEST and ALDI’s pantry and baby range lands.