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How Often Do Half-Price Specials Run?
We analysed 1.1 million price records. Here's how often your brands actually go on sale.
Updated July 2026 · Data from CheapAsMate price tracker
Australian supermarkets run rotating specials constantly — but how often does any given brand actually go on sale? We analysed 1.1 million price records across Coles and Woolworths to find out.
Special frequency by brand
"% on special" = percentage of all price observations where is_on_special was true. Higher = more frequently discounted.
Almost always on special somewhere. Never buy at full price.
Biscuits rotate heavily. Wait for the half-price week.
More often on special than not. Stock up when it drops.
Exactly 50/50. Check before buying.
Near-constant rotation. Buy the large pack on special.
Frequent but not constant. Worth tracking.
Less frequent. Check price history before buying.
Specials are real but spaced out. Watch the price history.
The "high-low" pricing strategy
Australian supermarkets use a strategy called high-low pricing: set a high "everyday" price, then discount heavily on rotation. The goal is to train customers to stock up during specials — which increases spend per visit.
Colgate is the textbook example: 62% of price observations are on special. That means at any given time, you can almost certainly find a Colgate product on sale at Coles or Woolworths. The "normal" price is almost never what you should pay.
Are the discounts real?
Not always. Some specials reference a "was" price that was only charged briefly before the "discount" — a practice the ACCC has taken action on. CheapAsMate's AI analyses each product's 90-day price history and flags whether a special is:
- Real sale — genuinely below normal price, often a historical low
- Fake discount — modest markdown from an inflated reference price
- No sale — the "special" price is the regular price
Track specials in real time
CheapAsMate monitors 366,000+ products. Add your regulars to the watchlist and we'll surface them on the specials page when they drop.
Frequently asked questions
How often do Cadbury products go on special?
Based on our analysis of 5,007 Cadbury price records, Cadbury products are on special 40.5% of the time across Coles and Woolworths. That's roughly 2 weeks in every 5.
Is it worth waiting for a special before buying groceries?
For high-frequency special items like Colgate (62% on special) and Arnott's (58%), yes — you'll rarely need to pay full price. For lower-frequency brands, our price history charts show when the next sale is likely.
How do supermarkets decide what goes on special?
Specials are negotiated between the retailer and the brand manufacturer, typically on a rotating weekly schedule. Major brands like Colgate and Cadbury have long-standing promotional agreements with Coles and Woolworths.
Are half-price specials really half price?
Not always. Some "half-price" specials reference an inflated "was" price. CheapAsMate's AI verdict system flags fake discounts by comparing the sale price against the product's 90-day price history.
Data: 1,097,789 price records across Coles and Woolworths. Brand figures based on all price observations tagged is_on_special=true vs total, as of July 2026.