The Australian consumer watchdog will conduct another Black Friday sales sweep to identify misleading or deceptive sales advertising used by retailers.
The ACCC’s key targets include 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% off’, where few products are on sale at X% off.
This follows a similar sweep during last year’s Black Friday, which uncovered a number of issues and sparked a few investigations. In June 2025, Michael Hill, My House and Hairhouse online paid penalties for allegedly making false and misleading representations about their Black Friday Sales.
There are still ongoing investigations as a result of the sweep conducted in 2024.
“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,” ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said.
“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 said if consumers are waiting for the Black Friday sales to make a big purchase, she and her team encourage them to consider checking prices now before sales start.
The ACCC also encourages 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 shopping during the Black Friday sales are encouraged to report promotions or ads that raise concerns to the ACCC, including images of the potential misconduct,” Lowe said.