28 October 2026 · Issue 150
Check the Claim Before Summer
Summer is close, Halloween is on Saturday, and today’s news has a common thread for shoppers: the claim on the label, the ticket or the message is only as good as the evidence behind it. That goes for the SPF number on a sunscreen bottle, the size of a familiar snack, and a stranger who says they have found your missing pet.
Today’s brief looks at tougher sunscreen testing proposed by the medicines regulator, a sobering new report on how many households are going without food, a practical way to track shrinkflation, and a scam that uses AI generated photos. The retailer offers later in this issue are a separate, freshly verified selection from a disclosed partial scan.
Sunscreen SPF claims face tougher testing
On 27 October, the Therapeutic Goods Administration said it is developing reforms to strengthen sunscreen regulation, informed by almost 120 responses to a consultation held from March to May 2026. The planned changes include stronger testing requirements for SPF claims, quality requirements for specific sunscreen ingredients, limits on the SPF claims that cosmetic sunscreens can make, and a review of manufacturing guidance. The TGA says any changes to SPF labelling will need further review and consultation first.
ABC News reporter Rachel Carbonell reported that brands would have to test the SPF of the finished product, not just the base formula, before listing it, and keep testing over its shelf life. The changes follow CHOICE testing last year that found 16 of 20 popular sunscreens did not meet their SPF label claims. TGA chief medical adviser Robyn Langham told the ABC that Australians expect the SPF on the label to be backed by robust evidence.
CHOICE welcomed the proposals in a 27 October statement published by Head of Media Katelyn Cameron, but Director of Consumer Impact Andy Kelly said the TGA is not proposing to routinely monitor test results, and that results would only be provided confidentially. CHOICE wants them made public. For now, the practical advice does not change: buy a sunscreen you will actually reapply, use enough of it, and treat SPF as one layer alongside shade, a hat and clothing.
One in three households felt food insecurity
The Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 found one in three Australian households, about 3.6 million homes, experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, up from 3.5 million in 2025. Foodbank says the rate stayed steady, but the number of affected households grew by about 100,000 because there are more households overall. The survey of 5,880 Australians ran from 9 July to 4 August 2026.
ABC News reporter Annabel Whitehouse reported that 69 per cent of food insecure households were experiencing it for the first time, and quoted Foodbank Australia chief executive Kylea Tink: food is the first thing households cut when money gets tight. SBS News, in a report by Camille Bianchi and Jasmine Kassis, described hunger becoming increasingly mainstream as cost of living pressure mounts. If your household is under pressure, unit pricing, home brand staples and planned meals matter more than any headline discount, and food relief services are there to be used.
Shrinkflation: keep your own receipts
Yahoo News Australia reporter Nikitha Martins spoke with Torrens University Australia economist Kris Iyer, who described shrinkflation as hiding in plain sight. His advice is to photograph and record the price and size of the products you buy regularly, so you can see when a pack gets smaller while the price stays put. The report cites a Finder survey in which 74 per cent of 1,010 respondents said they had noticed products getting smaller for the same price.
The simplest defence is still on the shelf ticket. Compare the unit price, such as the price per 100 grams, rather than the pack price, and check the net weight on a familiar product before assuming it is the same as last time.
Missing pet scams now use AI photos
ABC News reporter Neve Brissenden reported on 27 October that a Western Australian man who offered a $10,000 reward for his missing Irish wolfhound was sent an AI generated photo of the dog in a crate by someone claiming to have found him. A spokesperson for the ACCC’s National Anti Scam Centre told the ABC it was aware people with missing pets were being targeted, and that scammers use AI images to “prove” they have the pet before demanding money, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
If you are searching for a lost pet, share only what you need publicly, ask for a live video or an in person meeting in a safe public place, and never pay upfront. Report scams to the National Anti Scam Centre through Scamwatch.
Today’s shopping note
With Halloween on Saturday 31 October, check the stated dispatch time and delivery estimate for your postcode before relying on an online costume order. On very cheap clearance items, add the delivery fee before you decide the deal is worth it; a $3 or $5 item can cost more to post than to buy. Read “up to” as a range claim, and confirm size, stock and exclusions before paying.
Our scan records unsuccessful checks as well as successful ones. A retailer page being retrieved is not enough to establish that every offer, item or delivery condition has been verified.
Primary reporting sources: Therapeutic Goods Administration media release on sunscreen reforms, 27 October 2026; ABC News, Rachel Carbonell, 27 October 2026 (Robyn Langham and Andy Kelly quoted); CHOICE statement by Katelyn Cameron, 27 October 2026 (Andy Kelly quoted); Foodbank Hunger Report 2026; ABC News, Annabel Whitehouse, 26 October 2026 (Kylea Tink quoted); SBS News, Camille Bianchi and Jasmine Kassis, 27 October 2026; Yahoo News Australia, Nikitha Martins, 27 October 2026 (Kris Iyer quoted); ABC News, Neve Brissenden, 27 October 2026 (ACCC National Anti Scam Centre spokesperson quoted). Shopper advice and synthesis by Neil Fairhead for It’s On Sale. Hero photo: National Cancer Institute, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Top 5 Deals of the Day
Five stores. Five categories. The strongest discounts we verified on in stock items from today’s retailer scan.
We attempted all 153 retailer sale URLs in today’s pool and retrieved usable sale content from 120. The remaining pages could not be verified after fallback checks and are excluded. This is a disclosed partial scan, not a complete dawn audit of every Australian retailer. Retrieval does not mean an offer was fully verified: this ranking includes only eligible stores where we confirmed a ticketed sale price against a was price on an item listed as available this morning. Generic sale descriptions, unresolved price evidence and same category duplicates are excluded. Each percentage is the verified example shown, not a discount on every item in store. Offers and stock can change.
Discount
DECJUBAWomen’s WearSale range includes deep markdowns on selected tops. The Serafina Tip Shoulder Top in Riviera Print is $10 from $99.95 (90% off), showing in sizes 8 and 10 only when checked.90%OFF2
Costume BoxCostumesClearance sale with Halloween three days away. The Salt Margarita Womens Shirt is $5 from $27.99 (about 82% off), and an Australian Christmas Dress in toddler size T2 is $10 from $48.99.82%OFF3
UGG ExpressSlippersUGG boots sale advertised up to 80% off. Australian Shepherd velvet strap slippers are $3 from $15 (80% off) in several colours and sizes. Check delivery costs against a $3 item.80%OFF4
Elite SupplementsSupplementsSale collection with ticketed markdowns. Vitamin C Gummy, 90 gummies, is $11 from $40.90 (about 73% off). Check the best before date on clearance supplements before ordering.73%OFF5
Grahams JewellersJewelleryJewellery sale with marked down rings. A Sterling Silver Created Ruby and Zirconia Ring is $59 from $209 (about 72% off), available in sizes M and Q when checked.72%OFF% discounts shown are for the verified example in each card. Individual product savings vary.
One More Category Worth a Look
Robert Gordon: the Australian pottery brand’s sale includes the Dyson Salad Bowl in White at $20 from $69.95 (about 71% off) and the Vintage Table Mug in Jade at $5 from $17.95. Stock in the sale collection is limited, so confirm the item and delivery cost before ordering.