30 October 2026 · Issue 152
Shoppers Hold Out for Black Friday
Plenty of Australian households are doing the same sum this week: buy now, or wait four weeks for Black Friday. Yesterday’s trading updates from some of the country’s biggest retailers show just how many shoppers have chosen to wait, and that decision is now showing up in the sales numbers.
Today’s brief leads on JB Hi Fi, Bunnings and Super Retail Group all reporting a softer October as customers hold off for promotions, then covers an infant sleep product recall from a Temu seller, a Christmas spending survey with a warning about overspending in the sales, and a quick note on what to watch next. The retailer offers later in this issue are a separate, freshly verified selection from a disclosed partial scan.
Retailers feel the Black Friday wait
JB Hi Fi told the ASX on 29 October that total sales at JB Hi Fi Australia fell 0.4 per cent in the September quarter, with comparable sales down 1.4 per cent. The Good Guys was broadly flat, and premium appliance retailer e&s was weaker, with comparable sales down 4.5 per cent. The company said customers remained focused on value and were increasingly shopping during promotional events, and that in October the group had seen sales slow ahead of the important Black Friday and Christmas trading periods.
The Australian Financial Review’s retail reporter Campbell Kwan reported on 29 October that Bunnings, JB Hi Fi and Super Retail each said October had proved a difficult month as consumers delayed purchases and reined in spending to cope with higher interest rates and fuel costs, with retailers bracing for a further slowdown if the Reserve Bank lifts rates again on Tuesday. Dow Jones Newswires’ David Winning reported that Wesfarmers said Bunnings started the quarter strongly before lower sales across seasonal categories and the commercial segment weighed on performance, while Kmart and Officeworks were trading broadly in line with the second half of the 2026 financial year. Managing director Rob Scott said the retail divisions remained focused on providing customers with even better value, service and convenience as Black Friday and Christmas approach.
Super Retail Group’s AGM trading update showed group like for like sales up just 0.2 per cent in the first quarter. Supercheap Auto rose 2.5 per cent and rebel 0.3 per cent, while BCF fell 1.1 per cent and Macpac fell 11.7 per cent. The company said higher fuel prices weighed particularly on BCF, and that promotional cycles and milder winter conditions affected Macpac.
AAP reported that JB Hi Fi chief executive Nick Wells told shareholders at the annual meeting in Sydney that rising memory demand from artificial intelligence and data centres was pushing up electronics prices. “In computers, we’ve seen circa 50 per cent price rises over the last six months, in gaming, it’s kind of more 10 to 20 per cent,” Mr Wells said, adding that suppliers were trying to absorb increases as much as they could. ChannelNews’ David Richards reported that Barrenjoey analyst Tom Kierath told the AFR that October seems especially weak, partly as consumers anticipate Black Friday, and nine.com.au’s Tilli Andrew quoted Nine finance editor Chris Kohler noting that the September quarter does not include Black Friday, when sales boom nationally. The New Daily’s Kaaren Morrissey described JB Hi Fi as a bellwether for the discretionary retail sector.
For shoppers, waiting can work, but only with a plan. If you are holding off on a laptop, console, tool or appliance, record today’s price and model number now so you can tell whether a Black Friday ticket is a genuine saving. With computer prices reported to have risen sharply this year, compare the same model across retailers rather than relying on a was price. Check whether a deal is a price drop or a bundle, confirm stock and delivery dates for Christmas, and if your old device is failing now, weigh the cost of waiting against a reasonable price today.
Temu crib recalled over suffocation risk
ACCC Product Safety Australia listed a recall on 27 October for a backpack with foldable crib sold through Temu by the seller ss ojjf. The recall notice says the product does not meet the mandatory standard for infant sleep products, has not been tested to the mandatory safety standards and is missing the required warning information, with a risk of serious injury or death from entrapment or suffocation if a baby rolls against the side of the crib or the mattress. Consumers should stop using it immediately, keep it out of reach of children and contact the seller via Temu for a full refund.
If you bought a travel crib or bassinet from an online marketplace, check the listing against current recalls before your next trip, and treat any infant sleep product without clear Australian standard warnings with caution.
Christmas budgets lean on the sales
retailbiz’s Peter Kohn reported on 29 October on Pureprofile’s eighth annual Christmas Report, based on research among 1,015 Australians aged 18 to 64. It found 79 per cent of Australians were adjusting Christmas spending because of cost pressures, 35 per cent planned to spend less on gifts and 58 per cent planned to use promotions to manage Christmas spending. However, 47 per cent of Black Friday shoppers admitted they often spent more than planned. Pureprofile chief executive Martin Filz said consumers were focused on genuine value for money.
Kohn also reported that furniture retailer Nick Scali forecast first half underlying net profit of $28 million to $32 million, with written sales orders across Australia and New Zealand down 15 per cent in the September quarter. Before the sales start, set a gift and household budget, write a short list, and decide in advance what you will not buy just because it is discounted.
Today’s shopping note
Coles is scheduled to report its first quarter sales today, following Woolworths earlier this week, and the Reserve Bank meets on Tuesday. Halloween is tomorrow, so check click and collect options rather than paying for rushed delivery on costumes. 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: JB Hi Fi FY27 Sales Update to the ASX, 29 October 2026; The Australian Financial Review, Campbell Kwan, 29 October 2026; Dow Jones Newswires via MarketScreener, David Winning, 29 October 2026 (Rob Scott quoted); Super Retail Group 2026 AGM Trading Update to the ASX, 29 October 2026; AAP, 29 October 2026 (Nick Wells quoted); ChannelNews, David Richards, 29 October 2026 (Tom Kierath quoted); nine.com.au, Tilli Andrew, 29 October 2026 (Chris Kohler quoted); The New Daily, Kaaren Morrissey, 29 October 2026; ACCC Product Safety Australia recall, 27 October 2026; retailbiz, Peter Kohn, 29 October 2026 (Martin Filz quoted). Shopper advice and synthesis by Neil Fairhead for It’s On Sale. Hero photo: Nick D, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (JB Hi Fi computer section, Westfield Woden, April 2023).
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 118. 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 WearAll sale range with deep clearance markdowns. The Contour Scoop Midi Dress in Olive is $9.95 from $139.95 (about 93% off), showing in size XS only when checked.93%OFF2
Elite SupplementsHealth & FitnessSupplement sale with bundle markdowns. The Health Kick Starter Pack Box is $24 from a ticketed $278.60 (about 91% off). Check what the bundle includes before paying.91%OFF3
Costume BoxCostumesClearance sale the day before Halloween. The Salt Margarita Womens Shirt is $5 from $27.99 (about 82% off). Allow for delivery timing if you need it this weekend.82%OFF4
UGG AustraliaFootwearBoot sale with ticketed markdowns. The Luxury Bondi Lux Short in Black is $95 from $348 (about 73% off), available in womens sizes 5 and 6 when checked.73%OFF5
Luxo LivingHomewaresFurniture and lighting specials. The Akiko 3 Light Metal Pendant in Light Grey is $29 from $89 (about 67% off). Add delivery before comparing.67%OFF% discounts shown are for the verified example in each card. Individual product savings vary.
One More Category Worth a Look
Scooter Hut: the sale includes the KAABO Skywalker 8S ECO800 electric scooter at $599 from $1,499 (about 60% off), listed as available in black, blue and red when checked. Check your state’s e scooter rules, warranty and delivery timing before ordering.