Overnight the last two big banks fell into line: ANZ, CBA and Westpac now join NAB in tipping a 25bp RBA hike before the end of 2026, taking the cash rate from 4.35% to 4.60%. NAB still calls it for the 29 September meeting; the others hold out for November. Either way, the practical window for shoppers to lock fixed-rate quotes and interest-free finance is this week. Meanwhile weekend clearance widens: Glassons opens the Top 6 at 67% off, Pillow Talk hits 60%, and Coles has four days left on 10% off Uber, Rebel, BCF and Supercheap Auto gift cards. Here is the shopper’s read.
Big Four Now Unanimous on a Cash Rate Hike Before Year End
Two-way street closed. The Aussie Home Loans expert wrap on 9 September, compiled by Bea Amarille and Priyanka Gaunder, confirms all four majors now forecast a 25bp cash rate hike before end of 2026, lifting the RBA target from 4.35% to 4.60%. NAB has been in the September camp for a fortnight and stands by 29 September as the meeting; ANZ, CommBank and Westpac shifted their calls this week, and all three now expect the move at November instead, arguing the RBA will wait for the September quarter CPI print first.
The cash rate has been held at 4.35% since August 2026 per the RBA cash rate target page. The July monthly CPI indicator came in at 3.5% (down from 3.8% in June) with trimmed mean at 3.6%, and the August print lands on Wednesday 30 September, the day after the RBA decision.
For shoppers, the direction is set: it is now a question of when, not whether. Fixed-rate quotes and lender pre-approvals typically move a week before markets price the shift, so this week is the practical window to get a written offer in hand from your lender or broker rather than after the fact. If you are eyeing a big-ticket buy on interest-free finance, watch card and BNPL providers reset their terms in the fortnight after the decision.
Weekend Gift Card Wins (four days left, to 15 September)
Per Point Hacks’ 7 September round-up by Brandon Loo, Coles is running 10% off selected gift cards this week (limit 5 per customer, no bonus Flybuys points on top). The full lineup: Uber, Uber Eats, Supercheap Auto, Rebel, BCF, DoorDash, and the Super Retail Group Super Card that works across Supercheap Auto, BCF, Rebel and Macpac. Four days remain.
Woolworths is stacking 20x bonus Everyday Rewards points (equivalent to 10 Qantas Points per dollar) on Google Play, TCN Shop, TCN Deluxe, TCN Pamper, TCN Cinema and TCN Kids gift cards, with a 10-per-member daily limit (TCN Deluxe Variable capped at 2 per day). The TCN Kids Variable card is excluded.
Best weekend plays: Super Card plus a Supercheap Auto or BCF spend is the strongest deal for fuel-adjacent categories. TCN Shop under the 20x window is genuine free grocery credit if you were going to spend at Woolworths anyway.
Households Keep Trading Down. Retailers Keep Widening Clearance.
The NAB Consumer Sentiment Survey for August 2026 shows Australians still cutting eating out, entertainment and holidays, and actively swapping to cheaper products across groceries and household goods. ABS Household Spending for July 2026 already showed the softening: turnover growth is flat month-on-month.
The retailer response is visible in today’s Top 6 below. Womens fashion, bedding, department store and bags are all at 50% off or deeper, with sport at 40% and footwear at 30%. If you have a shopping list you have been holding, this weekend is the sharpest window before the RBA decision reshapes discretionary spending intent.
Term 3 Holidays Countdown: Nine Days Out
Term 3 school holidays across QLD, NSW and VIC start Saturday 20 September, nine days away. Camping, swim, uniform and kids’ clothing clearance is still deep across the pool of stores on the It’s On Sale live sales page, and this weekend of 13 to 14 September is the last low-traffic window before family-spend intent picks up. If you drive an out-of-town trip during the break, lock in a set of Woolworths TCN Cinema cards now: the 20x point stack makes them the cheapest way to buy holiday-week movie tickets.
Top 5 Deals of the Day
Five stores. Five categories. The deepest headline discounts surfaced from a sweep of every retailer on It’s On Sale, audited at dawn.
% discounts shown are indicative across each store’s sale range. Individual product savings vary.
Other Deals Worth a Look
- UGG Australia: up to 30% off footwear at checkout across the sale range. Reliable spring resupply before the holidays.
- Strandbags: up to 50% off sale and travel deals, a smart companion to the Oroton pick if you are refreshing everyday bags too.
- Bonds: 25% off first order for new members, plus underwear and basics on running sale.
- Portmans: up to 50% off across the sale range, tidy spring workwear layering play alongside the Glassons top pick.
What to Watch This Weekend and Next Week
Coles Week 37 gift card offers close Monday morning 15 September. The August 2026 CPI release lands Wednesday 30 September at 11.30am AEST via ABS Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator: this is the reading the RBA sees for its September decision the day before (Monday 29 September, 2.30pm AEST). Term 3 school holidays begin Saturday 20 September. Any big-ticket finance decision is best locked before markets fully price the RBA move.