Sunday morning, and the fuel cliff is now inside the final 16 hours. The temporary 16 cent per litre excise cut ends at 11:59pm tonight, and the full 52 point 6 cents per litre excise resumes from Monday 3 August. Once the annual inflation indexation is layered on, Australian metropolitan pump prices lift by roughly 17 cents per litre on Monday morning, and Bushletter and The Guardian both report unleaded already tracking above 2 dollars per litre and diesel above 2 dollars 40 cents in some capitals this week. Fill the tanks this morning. Meanwhile the RBA meeting is now just 9 days out, with all Big Four banks and AMP aligned on a hold at 4 point 35 per cent and money markets pricing an August hike at just 3 to 4 per cent, so the mortgage rate you have this Sunday is very likely the rate you have through spring. Today’s Top 5 opens with Cotton On at up to 50 per cent off.
Excise Ends Tonight: 16 Hours To Midnight
The fuel excise unwind is now inside the final 16 hour window. Treasurer Jim Chalmers reconfirmed on Saturday that the temporary 16 cent per litre excise cut, introduced in late April in response to the Iran conflict oil price spike, fully unwinds at 11:59pm tonight, Sunday 2 August. The full 52 point 6 cents per litre excise resumes from Monday 3 August, per the ABC on 2 August 2026. The Australian Taxation Office biannual indexation ratchet layered on top lifts the total rate to roughly 53 point 7 cents per litre once inflation is applied. NRMA head of media Peter Khoury told 7NEWS that the total uplift will be around 17 point 5 cents per litre at most Australian pumps once indexation is included, per 7NEWS on 1 August 2026. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has publicly ruled out any last minute extension, per Bushletter on 30 July 2026.
The immediate cost read for Australian households is now genuinely painful. Guardian Australia reports on Friday that unleaded petrol is on track to top 2 dollars per litre and diesel above 2 dollars 40 cents in metropolitan capitals from Monday, per The Guardian on 1 August 2026. On a 65 litre tank fill, that is an extra 11 to 12 dollars every time a household fills up from Monday morning. For a two car commuting household filling weekly, the running weekly cost lifts by roughly 22 to 24 dollars. Bushletter estimates the average Australian family spending 3 to 4 dollars extra per week on groceries within three weeks as the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge also unwinds from 16 point 4 cents per litre back to 32 point 4 cents per litre on Monday, which will filter through to freight costs on supermarket, hardware and appliance deliveries.
Sunday Fill Playbook: The Final Window Closes At Midnight
The Sunday game plan is now down to a five hour window in most metropolitan cycles before shelf prices start climbing ahead of the midnight cutoff. First tool: use MotorMouth or PetrolSpy to scan within a five kilometre radius of home right now, this Sunday morning. Sunday morning typically sits at or just above the cycle low in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane; by Sunday afternoon, retailers begin quietly repricing at the bowser ahead of the excise resumption. Second tool: the 7 Eleven Fuel Lock app allows a household to lock the current price for up to seven days at any participating 7 Eleven site. If you have not used Fuel Lock before, download it this morning, register with your mobile number, lock the current unleaded or diesel price now, and redeem the locked price mid week on the second tank. Third tool: Costco Fuel members should hit their local Costco pump this morning; Costco’s standard practice of stable weekly pricing means the Sunday morning price will typically hold into Monday, giving one extra buffer day.
Fourth: top up every fuel storage vessel the household controls before midnight. Primary car tank, second vehicle, camper trailer, caravan onboard tank, boat outboard, ride on mower jerry cans, generator supply, workshop fuel. A single 20 litre jerry can filled this morning saves roughly 3 dollars 40 cents against Monday pricing, and a caravan or camper trailer with a 90 litre tank saves roughly 15 dollars per full fill. The math on a two car commuting household. Filling both tanks Sunday morning at 186 to 188 cents per litre against Monday pricing at 204 to 210 cents saves roughly 22 to 24 dollars across the initial fill. Locking one 65 litre tank on 7 Eleven Fuel Lock and redeeming mid week saves another 11 to 12 dollars. Filling a 65 litre jerry can supply saves another 11 to 12 dollars. Total Sunday morning savings run to 45 to 60 dollars for a two car household against waiting until Monday morning. Do not delay the run past mid afternoon; Sunday evening shelf prices are already progressively climbing across most metropolitan sites, per the Bushletter tracker.
RBA Meeting: 9 Days Out, Hold Consensus Locked
Beyond the fuel window, the second calm Sunday for Australian mortgage households continues. The RBA Monetary Policy Board meets on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 August, with the cash rate decision published at 2:30pm AEST on Tuesday 11 August. All four Big Four banks and AMP are now aligned on a hold at 4 point 35 per cent. Westpac was the last to capitulate on Wednesday 29 July after the June quarter CPI print, with chief economist Luci Ellis saying the downside surprise on inflation removes the case for a rate hike in August, per The Australian on 30 July 2026. Overnight indexed swap markets now price the probability of an August hike at just 3 to 4 per cent, down from 20 to 22 per cent before Wednesday morning’s CPI print, per The Nightly on 29 July 2026.
The offshore banks have gone further. Goldman Sachs Australia chief economist Andrew Boak scrapped his August hike call after the CPI print and now expects a gradual RBA easing cycle beginning February 2027. JPMorgan Australia chief economist Ben Jarman put it more bluntly, telling clients the RBA’s hiking cycle is over and the next move will be a cut in 2027. Bendigo Bank chief economist David Robertson summarised the local read to Mortgage Professional Australia on 31 July: we expect the RBA to remain on hold with a tightening bias, per MPA on 31 July 2026. Trimmed mean underlying inflation came in at 3 point 6 per cent year on year for the June quarter, still above the 2 to 3 per cent target band, so Governor Michele Bullock retains the option to hike again if the November quarterly print reaccelerates on services or wages. For a variable rate mortgage on 500,000 dollars at 6 point 24 per cent, the withdrawn August hike scenario represents roughly 82 dollars per month saved. The rate you have this Sunday morning is very likely the rate you have through August, September and October.
Retail Backdrop: Roy Morgan Record Low, Myer Half Challenging
The retail context in which the fuel cliff and the RBA hold sit remains visibly weak. Roy Morgan consumer confidence printed 74 point 7 in June, the lowest reading in the survey’s 40 year history, and recovered only marginally to 75 point 6 in July, still deep in pessimistic territory. On Monday 27 July, Myer released its FY26 sales update. Total sales rose 11 point 3 per cent to 4 point 08 billion dollars on the back of the apparel brands acquisition, but comparable sales rose just 0 point 7 per cent, and Myer shares fell 12 per cent on the day, per Reuters on 27 July 2026. Chief executive Olivia Wirth flagged the second half as volatile and significantly more challenging on the earnings call, per Inside Retail on 28 July 2026.
Beyond Myer, the store network retreat continues. Betts, the Australian family footwear chain trading since 1892, confirmed on 26 July it will close 20 of its 35 remaining Australian stores by December, per ABC News on 26 July 2026. The ABS retail trade data released two weeks ago did show retail spending up 5 point 8 per cent year on year to 39 point 67 billion dollars, per the Australian Retailers Association on 25 July 2026, but that growth is concentrated in supermarkets and cafes rather than discretionary categories. Department stores, clothing and footwear, and household goods retailing all sit in negative territory year on year. For Australian shoppers this Sunday, that discretionary weakness is exactly what is driving the aggressive clearance discounting in today’s Top 5 as retailers move winter stock ahead of the mid August spring transition.
Sunday Top 5 Deals
Discount
Cotton OnFashion & BasicsUp to 50 per cent off Cotton On: mens, womens and kids fashion including tees, denim, dresses, activewear, sleepwear and accessories from the Australian owned Cotton On Group, established in Geelong in 1991, with Afterpay, Zip, PayPal and free click and collect at over 700 Australian stores.50%OFF2
KathmanduOutdoor & CampingUp to 50 per cent off Kathmandu: outdoor jackets, tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, thermals, packs and travel gear from the Australia and New Zealand owned outdoor retailer, established in Christchurch in 1987, with Afterpay, Zip, PayPal and free click and collect at over 90 Australian stores.50%OFF3
Lounge LoversFurnitureUp to 50 per cent off Lounge Lovers: sofas, dining tables, chairs, beds, mattresses, rugs and homewares from the Australian owned furniture retailer with showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with Afterpay, Zip and Australia wide delivery.50%OFF4
SportitudeSport & FitnessUp to 50 per cent off Sportitude: running shoes, football boots, cross training shoes, apparel and gym gear from the Australian owned specialist running and sport retailer based in Adelaide, with Afterpay, Zip, PayPal and free Australia wide shipping over 100 dollars.50%OFF5
SussanWomen's WearUp to 50 per cent off Sussan: knitwear, dresses, tops, denim, sleepwear and lingerie from the Australian owned womens fashion label established in Melbourne in 1939, with Afterpay, Zip and free click and collect at over 100 Australian stores.50%OFFEvery store in Sunday’s Top 5 is Australian owned or locally fulfilled. Every discount was checked against the store’s current sale page this morning. None of it is Temu, Shein, AliExpress, Wish or any offshore marketplace dressed up as a local brand. Every product ships from an Australian warehouse and is backed by the Australian Consumer Law. Cotton On at up to 50 per cent off is the outright winner this morning on tees, denim, dresses, activewear and sleepwear from the Geelong headquartered fashion group across mens, womens and kids. Kathmandu at up to 50 per cent off runs winter clearance across outdoor jackets, tents, hiking boots and thermals from the New Zealand founded, Australia and New Zealand owned outdoor retailer. Lounge Lovers at up to 50 per cent off covers sofas, dining tables, beds, mattresses and rugs from the Australian owned furniture retailer with showrooms in the four eastern capitals plus Perth. Sportitude at up to 50 per cent off delivers running shoes, football boots and gym apparel from the Adelaide based specialist. Sussan at 50 per cent off holds winter knitwear, dresses, denim and lingerie from the Australian womens fashion label established in Melbourne in 1939.
Other Deals Worth A Look
Beyond the Top 5, a handful of other Australian owned or locally fulfilled retailers are worth a Sunday scroll before the midnight fuel excise cutoff. Typo (today’s Top 6 ticker pick) is at up to 50 per cent off stationery, gift wrap, notebooks, planners, desk accessories and quirky homewares from the Australian owned Cotton On Group brand. Jac + Jack is at up to 40 per cent off womens tops, dresses and cashmere knitwear from the Sydney designer label established in 2004. Lee Mathews holds 40 per cent off womens tops, dresses and knitwear from the Sydney based designer label. Novo Shoes is at up to 40 per cent off womens footwear including boots and heels. Rebel Sport holds up to 40 per cent off sneakers, apparel and gym equipment from the Australian sport retailer. Strandbags is at up to 40 per cent off luggage, backpacks, handbags and wallets from the Australian owned bags specialist. Best and Less holds 30 per cent off womens, mens and kids basics from the Australian value fashion chain. Veronika Maine is at 30 per cent off tailoring, dresses, coats and knitwear. All Australian owned or locally fulfilled, all backed by the Australian Consumer Law.
Week Ahead
Three dates matter for Australian shopper wallets between this Sunday morning and the RBA meeting decision on Tuesday 11 August. Sunday 2 August at 11:59pm tonight: the temporary 16 cent per litre fuel excise cut fully unwinds and the full 52 point 6 cents per litre excise resumes from Monday 3 August, with roughly 17 cents per litre added at metropolitan pumps once inflation indexation layered on. Wednesday 6 August at 11:30am AEST: the June quarter Wage Price Index lands from the ABS, the last key data print before the RBA meeting the following week and the read on how strong wages growth still is against a slowing headline CPI at 3 point 8 per cent. Tuesday 11 August at 2:30pm AEST: the RBA cash rate decision after the two day meeting on 10 and 11 August, now overwhelmingly priced as a hold at 4 point 35 per cent, with the accompanying Statement on Monetary Policy released Friday 8 August as the next big directional catalyst for household mortgage and savings planning through spring. Spring inventory transitions typically start around 15 to 20 August as retailers pivot from winter clearance to fresh spring stock, so hold discretionary fashion purchases if timing allows.
Our Take
Sunday 2 August is the day the fuel countdown becomes real. Tonight at 11:59pm is the cliff, and by Monday morning Australian households are paying 17 cents per litre more at the pump, with unleaded tracking above 2 dollars per litre and diesel above 2 dollars 40 cents in some capitals. Filling both tanks at cycle low this Sunday morning saves roughly 45 to 60 dollars for a two car household against Monday pricing. Use the 7 Eleven Fuel Lock app right now to lock a second tank for the following week. Top up every fuel vessel the household controls: caravan, boat outboard, jerry cans, ride on mower. Do not wait for Sunday afternoon; shelf prices are already climbing across most metropolitan sites ahead of the cutoff. Alongside that, the RBA hold on 11 August is now essentially a done deal, with all four Big Four banks and AMP aligned. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan now expect the next RBA move to be a cut, not a hike. The rate you have this Sunday morning is very likely the rate you have through spring. The retail backdrop remains weak: Myer flagged a challenging second half, Roy Morgan consumer confidence sits at record lows, Betts is closing 20 stores. That weakness is what is driving the sharp discounts in today’s Top 5.
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 “winter jacket clearance” or “family car boot cover”). None of it is Temu, Shein, AliExpress, Wish or any offshore marketplace dressed up as a local brand. Browse Today’s Sales this Sunday morning to make your money go further with Australian retailers who stand behind the ticket and the Australian Consumer Law.
