The Myth of the Mega-Sale
The Myth of the Mega-Sale
Why “Up to 70 % Off!” Usually Isn’t the Bargain You Think
Every June the bright yellow “EOFY” banners appear. In November it’s “Black Friday / Cyber Monday”. December brings Boxing Day blow-outs. Giant retailers promise jaw-dropping discounts if you act NOW—before the clock runs out, the stock “runs out”, or the countdown timer reaches 00:00:00.
But are these mega-sales really saving you money, or are they a carefully choreographed illusion? Let’s pull back the curtain and look at what the data tell us about the Australian retail landscape, the psychology behind the hype, and how Chez Guru keeps prices honest all year round.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
- The Price-Jacking Playbook
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
• Temporary mark-ups, permanent markdowns
In June 2020, the ACCC sued Kogan for advertising “10 % off everything” during EOFY while quietly raising more than 600 prices by 10 % or more the week before the sale.¹
• “Was/Now” labels you can’t trust
Choice tracked 1,100 advertised “discounts” at four big chains in 2022 and found that 26 % were selling for the identical “sale” price at least two weeks earlier.²
• The serial offenders
Between 2018-2023 the ACCC issued 39 infringement notices and won five court cases against national retailers for misleading price claims, with penalties exceeding $14 million.³
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
2. Psychology over Pricing
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Scarcity & Urgency Those ticking timers and “Only 3 left!” pop-ups hijack our fear of missing out (FOMO). A 2023 Finder survey of 1,072 Australians revealed that 44 % bought something during a major sale that they never planned to buy.⁴
Anchoring By first showing an inflated “Was $299” tag, stores anchor your perception of value. Dropping to “Now $169” feels like a steal, even if the product was $169 last month.
Hyperbolic Discounting Humans overvalue immediate savings vs. long-term cost. That’s why 62 % of shoppers polled by Roy Morgan wait for sale periods but admit they “often overspend” once the sale arrives.⁵
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
3. Why Mega-Sales Create a False Economy
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
-
Over-consumption
Average cart size during EOFY increases by 32 % (Australia Post eCommerce Report 2023). More items ≠ more savings if you didn’t need them. -
Opportunity cost
Chasing a bargain can burn hours of scrolling, store-hopping and comparison. Time is money. -
Post-sale price dips
Adobe Digital Insights shows that 38 % of products hit their lowest price 2-6 weeks after the big sale event when hype has faded. -
Debt hangover
NAB reports that Australians add $1.4 billion to credit-card balances every November, and interest wipes out any notional “discount” within months.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
4. Spotting Genuine Value
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
✓ Check price history
Tools like Love the Sales, CamelCamelCamel (for AU Amazon) or the ACCC-run “Price Check” pilot reveal whether a discount is real or recycled.
✓ Ignore the percentage, focus on the final dollar figure
A “50 % off” $400 toaster is still $200. Do you need a $200 toaster?
✓ Compare across seasons
If a winter coat costs $189 in August clearance and $189 “half-price” at Boxing Day, the sale is pure theatre.
✓ Consider retailer reputation
Do they cycle through endless “events”, or do they maintain transparent everyday pricing?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
5. Chez Guru’s Low-Price Promise
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
We built chezguru.com.au on one simple principle: fairness beats fireworks. That means:
• Consistently low mark-ups—not yo-yo pricing.
• No artificial “was” prices or countdown timers.
• If our supplier cost drops, your price drops—immediately.
• Free price-match guarantee: show us a legitimate lower everyday price and we’ll beat it.
By eliminating the circus, we let you shop when you actually need something, not when a marketing calendar tells you to.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
6. The Take-Away
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Big-box retailers know how to turn urgency, scarcity and confusing “was/now” labels into extra margin. The statistics prove it: a quarter of “discounts” aren’t real, almost half of shoppers buy unplanned items, and enforcement actions keep piling up. That’s not savings—that’s sales theatre.
Skip the hype. Shop smart. And remember: the best bargain is the one you don’t have to second-guess.
Ready for transparent pricing every day of the year?
Visit Chez Guru and see how straightforward shopping feels.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SOURCES
- Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v Kogan Australia Pty Ltd [2020]
- Choice Magazine, “Sales or Smoke & Mirrors?”, July 2022
- ACCC Annual Report 2023, Chapter 2
- Finder Consumer Sentiment Tracker, November 2023
- Roy Morgan Single Source Survey, “EOFY Behaviour”, 2022
(Statistics current as of 2025)