The sweep runs every year and follows the same pattern. Here is what it looks for, and when.
Black Friday 2026: Friday 27 November · updated August 2026
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | ACCC sweep finds concerning Black Friday advertising |
| Jun 2025 | Michael Hill, MyHouse and Hairhouse each pay $19,800 |
| 10 Nov 2025 | ACCC puts retailers on notice ahead of the next sweep |
| 18 Dec 2025 | ACCC warns retailers ahead of Boxing Day sales |
| 14 Apr 2026 | 50 retailers reviewed, about half making concerning claims, several investigated |
| Jun 2026 | Two more online retailers pay $39,600 and $79,200 |
The pipeline from sweep to penalty runs roughly six to seven months. A claim made in November is assessed over summer and acted on the following winter.
Count. For every planned claim, work out the actual share of the catalogue it will cover, and write the exclusion into the banner rather than the terms page. Pull the order history that evidences each "was" price you intend to display.
Check the storefront as a customer, in a private window, on mobile. Confirm timers count to a real deadline. Confirm the announcement bar matches what the product pages actually do.
Re-count. This is where sales drift: products get added, restocked or have their discount quietly removed, and nobody re-reads the banner against the catalogue. The claim that was accurate on day one is not necessarily accurate on day twelve, and the screenshot a regulator takes is not necessarily taken on day one.
Take the comparison prices down. A "was" price left standing after the sale is the single most common finding on Australian stores, and it is the one that converts a finished campaign into a standing representation.
There is no separate Black Friday law. Ordinary Australian Consumer Law applies: claims must not mislead. In practice the ACCC's sweeps have focused on sitewide claims with hidden exclusions, was/now prices that were never genuinely charged, 'up to X% off' with few qualifying products, misleading countdown timers, and fine print contradicting the headline.
Friday 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday on 30 November 2026. Many Australian retailers begin discounting in early November.
Its April 2026 sweep reviewed 50 retailers and referred several to investigation. The penalties issued in June 2026 went to online retailers rather than major chains, and the ACCC has stated the law applies to online stores as much as to bricks and mortar.
An infringement notice for a body corporate is $21,840 from 1 July 2026. Court proceedings carry maximums of the greater of $100 million, three times the benefit, or 30% of adjusted turnover. Some matters resolve administratively with refunds instead.
The observed pattern is a sweep during the sale period, findings published the following April, and penalties around June — roughly six to seven months from the claim to the consequence.
How long can a 'was' price stay up? · Can you say 'sitewide sale' in Australia? · Are countdown timers illegal in Australia? · The eight-point pricing checklist · What must a furniture listing say about anchoring?
Every figure on this page traces to one of these. If any of it is
wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
ACCC — price displays guidance ·
ACCC — pricing for business ·
ACCC — sitewide claim penalties, June 2025 ·
ACCC — Black Friday sweep findings, April 2026 ·
ACCC — strikethrough pricing penalties, June 2026 ·
ACCC — 2026-27 enforcement priorities