Coles put commercial interests above its customers – and was caught red-handed

Coles’s Down Down promotion relies on a practice called ‘was/is’ comparative pricing that claims a product is cheaper now than it used to be. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

Coles’s “Down Down” promotion is one of Australia’s best known campaigns. But the supermarket has been caught red-handed after a federal court judge found Coles misled shoppers by promoting fake discounts.

Through its proceedings, Australia’s competition regulator has given consumers an intriguing look-behind-the-curtain moment, exposing how a major supermarket sways shoppers to buy its products.