How to spot a fake supermarket special in 10 seconds
Not every red ticket is a real discount. Three quick checks — unit price, price history, and the cross-store test — that sort genuine bargains from shelf theatre.
Australians love a half-price sticker — and supermarkets know it. Most specials are real. But the ACCC has taken the biggest chains to court over “discounts” that weren't: prices nudged up for a few weeks, then dropped back with a red ticket on top. The good news is you don't need a courtroom to protect yourself. You need about ten seconds and three checks.
Check 1: the unit price never lies
Every shelf ticket in Australia must show a unit price — dollars per 100g, per litre, or per each. That little number is immune to almost every trick on the shelf: shrinkflation, “value” packs that aren't, and specials on the small size while the big size stays cheaper per gram. Before the big red number impresses you, read the small grey one.
Check 2: what did it cost last month?
A “was $8, now $5” ticket is only a $3 saving if the product genuinely sold at $8 for a decent stretch. The pattern the ACCC pursued was the opposite: a brief price rise, then a “special” back near the old price. You can't see that from the shelf — but a price history exposes it instantly. If the line is flat and the “was” price only existed for a fortnight, the ticket is theatre.
Check 3: is it even the cheapest shop today?
The final tell: a special is only special if nobody sells it cheaper. Branded groceries swing hard between Coles, Woolworths, ALDI and IGA — and another store's everyday price sometimes beats this week's ticket. One cross-store search settles it.
Let the app do the ten seconds for you
Mai Pantry runs all three checks in one search: every major supermarket's price side by side, each with its unit price, plus the product's recent price history so a fake anchor gives itself away. Real bargains get stocked up on; theatre stays on the shelf.