Monday morning and one of the largest Australian retail-worker settlements on record has been reached: Aldi has agreed to pay approximately $55 million to about 32,000 current and former store and warehouse employees to settle a Federal Court class action over unpaid pre-shift and post-shift work, subject to court approval. On Tuesday tomorrow, Coles walks into the Australian Competition Tribunal for a case management hearing on its appeal against the ACCC block on a second Kalgoorlie supermarket, the first live test of the new supermarket merger regime effective 1 January 2026. Congo Brands has begun winding up the Australian arm of influencer sensation Prime Hydration. And RACQ is warning that the Brisbane fuel cycle is quietly returning, right before the full fuel excise resumes on Monday 3 August. Monday’s Top 5 opens with Showpo at up to 80 per cent off.
Aldi To Pay $55 Million To 32,000 Workers In Class-Action Settlement
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) announced on Wednesday 16 July 2026 that a proposed settlement had been reached with Aldi Stores (A Limited Partnership) in the Federal Court class action alleging widespread underpayment for work performed before rostered shifts began, and for store staff, after rostered shifts finished (SDA media release, 16 July 2026). The settlement covers approximately 32,000 current and former Aldi store employees, store managers, assistant store managers, and warehouse employees across Australia, and is one of the largest retail-worker underpayment settlements in Australian history. Aldi has already paid approximately $28.9 million of the total, with a further $26.3 million payable plus interest, and a separate $1.5 million contribution towards SDA legal and project costs. Critically for workers, no legal costs or litigation-funding commission will be deducted from settlement payments, meaning workers keep the full amount owed.
Cindy Cameronne at Lawyerly, filing the story at 3:11pm Sydney time on 16 July, reported the case had been running since 2022 with detailed allegations that Aldi store and warehouse rostering systems required staff to arrive early to prepare tills, unpack pallets or set up the sales floor, and (for store staff) stay late to complete cash-up and close-down tasks, all without paid recognition (Cindy Cameronne, Lawyerly, 16 July 2026). The Australian Financial Review confirmed the settlement value in a Wednesday 15 July report noting Aldi had also paid the SDA $1.5 million towards costs (AFR, 15 July 2026). Federal Court final approval is still required, and formal registration for eligible former employees will only open after that approval. For the more than 30,000 current Aldi workers already in the store or warehouse system, no immediate action is required, back-payments will flow through the settlement mechanism once approved.
Consumer-side read: Aldi has built its Australian market position on private-label pricing that runs roughly 15 to 25 per cent below equivalent Coles and Woolworths shelf tags, and part of that gap has always come from tight labour scheduling. A $55 million bill (about $1,700 per worker averaged out, though individual payments will vary sharply by tenure and hours) is a live reminder that low-price retail is not free, and that shoppers who value the Aldi trolley economics are also indirectly buying into a labour model that has now been formally litigated. Nothing changes at the checkout on Monday, Special Buys still land Wednesday and Saturday, the Sunday roast cut is still under $10 a kilogram, and the private-label chocolate is still half the Cadbury RRP. What has changed is that the ledger just got settled, publicly, and every large retailer in Australia will be reading the fine print of this settlement over the next fortnight.
Coles Kalgoorlie ACCC Appeal Hits The Tribunal Tomorrow
Coles will front the Australian Competition Tribunal on Tuesday 21 July 2026 for the case management hearing in its appeal against the ACCC decision to block a proposed second Coles supermarket and Liquorland outlet in the Western Australian gold-mining city of Kalgoorlie (Sean Cao, Inside FMCG, 17 July 2026). The 2,800 square metre site at Lots 95-106 Great Eastern Highway in Somerville, Kalgoorlie, is the first supermarket application the ACCC has outright refused under the new merger regime that took effect on 1 January 2026, which requires supermarkets to notify the ACCC of any acquisition of a commercial site over 1,000 square metres or a vacant land site over 2,000 square metres. In blocking the deal, the ACCC said the second Coles would substantially lessen competition in the local Kalgoorlie market, currently served by an existing Coles, a Woolworths, an IGA, and independent operators.
A Coles spokesperson said the retailer “respectfully disagrees with the ACCC’s assessment and remains of the view that the proposed development would not substantially lessen competition in Kalgoorlie”, and warned that the decision “may have broader implications for future supermarket developments under the new merger regime” (AFR, 16 July 2026). Bird & Bird analysts noted that the appeal is effectively a stress test of how the tribunal will interpret “substantially lessen competition” in geographically remote markets where the incumbents already hold most of the shelf space (Bird & Bird analysis, July 2026). Tuesday’s directions hearing will not resolve the substantive appeal, it will set the timetable, evidence framework and hearing dates for the full merits review, which is expected to run for several months.
Practical shopper read: tomorrow’s hearing will not shift a single price at any checkout in Australia, but the framework the tribunal lays down over the next three months will define how aggressively the ACCC can use its new merger powers to shape supermarket rollouts nationwide. If Coles wins, the ACCC will be far more cautious about outright blocks and shift towards behavioural undertakings; if Coles loses, expect much slower supermarket approvals across regional Australia and a more assertive ACCC on every large-format grocery, hardware and department-store proposal from Karratha to Cairns. For Kalgoorlie shoppers today, the existing Coles, Woolworths and IGA options continue as normal, catalogues out Wednesday, weekly specials refreshed midnight Tuesday.
Prime Hydration Collapses And RACQ Warns Brisbane Fuel Cycle Is Back
Congo Brands, the American owner of Prime Hydration, moved on 7 July 2026 to wind up the Australian arm of the influencer-driven sports-drink phenomenon, with administrator Alice Ruhe of BRI Ferrier reporting the Melbourne-based business had lost $1.42 million in 2024 and owed approximately $7.92 million to suppliers at the point of collapse (Harry Booth, Inside FMCG, 13 July 2026). The first meeting of creditors was held on Friday 17 July. Prime was famously co-founded by Logan Paul and KSI, launched globally in 2022 and hit peak resale prices of US$1,500 for a single 500ml bottle during the UK supermarket frenzy of 2023, before Australian supermarket distribution normalised prices back to $4 a bottle by late 2024. Shoppers with unopened Prime bottles in the pantry face no immediate risk (product is safe, best-before dates remain valid), but retailers holding stock now become the loss-bearers rather than Congo Brands Australia.
Meanwhile RACQ economic and affordability expert Ian Jeffreys warned on Monday 14 July that the Brisbane fuel cycle is quietly returning, with average unleaded at 172.1 cents per litre and roughly 10 per cent of Brisbane service stations already near $2 per litre at the top of the cycle (ABC News, 14 July 2026). Jeffreys said: “We believe this indicates that fuel companies are beginning to reestablish a price cycle.” The timing matters, the temporary fuel excise cut was halved on 1 July, and the remaining half unwinds fully on Monday 3 August 2026, adding roughly 32 cents per litre back to pump prices. Combined household planning move for the week: fill the tank at a bottom-of-cycle station this coming weekend (Sunday 26 July is historically the deepest trough), and use apps such as PetrolSpy, MotorMouth or 7-Eleven Fuel Lock to pin the sub-170 price before the 3 August reset.
The Week Ahead: What Australian Shoppers Should Track
Four dates matter for Australian shopper wallets between now and mid-August. Tuesday 21 July: Coles Kalgoorlie appeal, first case management hearing in the Australian Competition Tribunal, no immediate pricing impact but sets the tempo for the first full ACCC merger test of 2026. Wednesday 29 July at 11:30am AEST: the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases the June quarter Consumer Price Index alongside the very first monthly headline CPI print for June, a double release that will fix the RBA’s inflation reading for the August rate meeting. Sunday 2 August at 11:59pm: the temporary fuel excise cut fully unwinds, with full excise of 52.8 cents per litre resuming from Monday 3 August (average pump prices are expected to rise roughly 10 to 12 cents per litre through the following week). Tuesday 12 August: the RBA cash-rate decision at 2:30pm AEST, with the market currently split roughly 60/40 on a hold versus a 0.25 percentage point cut.
Household planning moves this week: fill the tank on Saturday 1 August before the full excise resumes, front-load any planned discretionary purchase (winter jacket, mattress, small appliance) before the 12 August rate meeting because a rate hold plus a hot CPI print would push retailer discounting deeper into September, and check the David Jones and Myer mid-year sale windows which close around the first weekend of August. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment index lifted 4.1 per cent to 83.9 in July, its best reading in three months, but still sits inside the bottom 10 per cent of the 50-year survey history (Morningstar, 14 July 2026). For anyone considering a mortgage refinance, the two-week window between the 29 July CPI print and the 12 August RBA meeting is historically the flattest quote window of the calendar, meaning quotes locked this week are unlikely to be improved on before mid-August.
Five Fresh Australian Stores, Audited At Dawn
Five stores. Five categories. All fresh names today, none carried over from the last three days, all headline discounts verified from the live sale pages this morning.
Discount
ShowpoWomen's WearUp to 80 per cent off Showpo: dresses, denim, knitwear, coats, going-out and workwear from the Sydney-founded Australian-owned online womenswear label, with Afterpay, Zip and free shipping over $75.80%OFF2
Kick Push SkateSkate & ScootersUp to 79 per cent off Kick Push Skate: complete skateboards, decks, wheels, trucks, scooters, protective gear and skate shoes from the Sunshine Coast-based Australian-owned skate retailer, with Afterpay and free shipping over $99.79%OFF3
Eckersley'sArt & CraftUp to 70 per cent off Eckersley’s Art & Craft: acrylics, oils, watercolours, canvases, brushes, easels and kids craft supplies from the Melbourne-founded 100 per cent Australian-owned art retailer, with click-and-collect at over 20 stores nationwide.70%OFF4
DuskCandles & HomewaresUp to 60 per cent off Dusk: scented candles, diffusers, wax melts, essential oils, gift sets and homewares from the Australian-listed lifestyle chain, with Afterpay, Zip, free shipping over $65 and click-and-collect at over 130 stores.60%OFF5
Lounge LoversFurnitureUp to 40 per cent off Lounge Lovers: sofas, armchairs, dining tables, bedroom furniture, rugs and outdoor pieces from the Sydney-founded Australian-owned furniture retailer, with Afterpay, ZipMoney and free metro delivery on orders over $2,000.40%OFF% discounts shown are indicative across each store’s sale range. Individual product savings vary.
Other Deals Worth A Look
Beyond the Top 5, a handful of other Australian-owned or locally fulfilled retailers are worth a Monday scroll on the last full week before the excise unwind and the CPI print. UGG (today’s Top 6 ticker pick) has up to 30 per cent off ugg boots, slippers, moccasins and sheepskin accessories from the original Australian-owned UGG family business, made in Australia from Australian sheepskin, with Afterpay, Zip and free Australian shipping over $99. Koala keeps clearance pricing on mattresses, sofas, bunk beds and bedding from the Australian-owned certified B Corp with 120-night trials and free delivery. David Jones continues the winter mid-year runout across menswear, womenswear, homewares and beauty from the Melbourne and Sydney flagship department store, with free shipping over $100. Temple & Webster has running winter prices on lounge, dining, outdoor and rugs from the Australian-listed online furniture specialist, with free returns on most items and click-to-order Australia-wide. JB Hi-Fi continues its This Week’s Hottest Deals across TVs, laptops, headphones and kitchen appliances from the Australian-listed electronics retailer, with in-store price beat and click-and-collect at over 200 locations. Chemist Warehouse is running the weekly half-price specials on vitamins, supplements, skincare and personal care from the Australian-owned discount pharmacy. All Australian-owned or locally fulfilled, all backed by the Australian Consumer Law.
Our Take
Monday 20 July marks a moment that will show up in Australian retail textbooks: the biggest single retail-worker underpayment settlement in the country’s history has been reached without a Coles or Woolworths logo on it, and the biggest live test of the new supermarket merger regime hits the Tribunal tomorrow. Both stories say the same thing from different angles, the era in which Australian retailers could quietly manage costs on the labour ledger or push through store rollouts on incumbent scale alone is over. Aldi has cleared the historical record on its rostering, and Coles is now the first supermarket to argue its footprint case in front of a Tribunal under the 1 January 2026 rules. The CommBank data from last week already told us that under-35 households have essentially run out of room to absorb further price rises, and the retailers who thrive over the next twelve months will be the ones who read that number honestly, discount deeply and transparently on live inventory, and treat their staff and their shoppers as the two sides of the same ledger.
That is exactly why It’s On Sale exists. We track 35,000 Australian stores and 45,000 live sale products, every retailer Australian-owned or locally fulfilled, every promotion audited daily against the store’s own price history. No trial traps, no hidden fees, no offshore marketplaces dressed up as a local brand. Today’s Sales shows every store currently running a discount in one place. The AI search reads the way real shoppers ask (try “womens winter knitwear under 100” or “kids school shoes half price”). None of it is Temu, Shein, AliExpress, Wish or any offshore marketplace dressed up as a local brand. Browse Today’s Sales on Monday morning ahead of a week that will genuinely reshape the balance of power between shoppers, workers, and the Big Two, and make your money go further with Australian retailers who stand behind the ticket.