Rules by country / Asia Pacific / Australia grocery code and price gouging ban
Australia grocery code and price gouging ban: what they mean for suppliers
The Food and Grocery Code has been mandatory since April 2025, and since 1 July 2026 Coles and Woolworths can't charge prices far above their cost plus a reasonable margin. Price talks now run on evidence. We bring the evidence on how your sales respond to price.
An evidence pack for price talks
How your sales really respond to price, product by product and retailer by retailer, set out as evidence for each price request.
- How your sales really respond to price, product by product, measured from your own data
- The evidence for each price request, in the form buyers expect
- What a cost rise does to volume and profit at each retailer
- A plan for each negotiation, and an Excel model
How your results look
| Product | Price request | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cola, 1.25 litres | +5% | Volume falls about 2% |
| Crisps, 170g | +8% | Shoppers switch within the brand |
| Juice, 2 litres | +3% | Hold: shoppers switch to own label |
Fictional products. Every real result comes with the expected sales and profit, and a likely range.
Your options
Every option has a fixed price, agreed before we start.
Evidence pack
- The evidence for each price request
- Price plan for each retailer
- Scenario model and a walk-through
Full pricing review
- Everything in the evidence pack
- Prices and promotions for the whole range
- How your products take sales from each other
Portfolio review
- Everything in the pricing review
- More retailers and data sources
- A plan for each channel
After the project: a refresh before each pricing round, from £2,000 (about A$3,800). Prices are fixed in pounds sterling; amounts in Australian dollars are a guide at October 2026 exchange rates. We're based in the UK and work remotely, in English, under NDA.
How it works
From the first call to your plan in about three weeks.
A free 15-minute call
Tell us about your range. We say whether a review would pay for itself, and quote a fixed price.
Your data
Sales by product and retailer, recipes and costs. We sign an NDA before anything moves.
Your plan
The evidence for each price request and a plan for each negotiation, walked through with your team.
Australia grocery code and price gouging ban: the detail
Open only what you need.
- The code
- The Food and Grocery Code of Conduct has been mandatory since 1 April 2025, after years as a voluntary code
- What it requires
- Written supply agreements, dealing in good faith, and no retribution against suppliers who raise complaints
- Price gouging
- Since 1 July 2026, very large supermarkets can't charge a price for a grocery product that is significantly excessive compared with the cost of supply plus a reasonable margin
- Who
- Supermarkets with revenue over A$30 billion, which today means Coles and Woolworths; alcohol and food for immediate eating are excluded
- Records
- Supermarkets must keep pricing information for at least three years
- Penalties
- Up to the greater of A$10 million, three times the benefit, or 10% of turnover, enforced by the ACCC
Bring the evidence
Show what a price rise does to volume and profit, product by product.
Offer the right trade-off
Know which products can carry the rise and which can't.
Measure what pays
Keep the deals that earn their cost, and drop the rest.
What is the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct?
Australia's code for how large supermarkets deal with suppliers: written agreements, good faith dealing and no retribution. It has been mandatory since 1 April 2025.
When did price gouging become illegal in Australia?
On 1 July 2026, for supermarkets with revenue over A$30 billion, which today means Coles and Woolworths.
Does the price gouging ban cover alcohol?
No. It excludes alcohol and food made to eat straight away.
What are the penalties under the grocery code?
Up to the greater of A$10 million, three times the benefit, or 10% of turnover.
How much does your pricing work cost?
A review of up to 10 products has a fixed price from £7,500 (about A$14,000) and takes about three weeks. For 11 to 50 products, a full pricing review costs around £17,500 (about A$33,000). It starts with a free 15-minute call.
Do you work with brands in Australia?
Yes. We're based in the UK and work remotely and in English, under NDA. Prices are fixed in pounds sterling before we start, and the first step is a free 15-minute call.
- ACCC, Mandatory Food and Grocery Code of Conduct comes into effect
- Treasury ministers, price gouging by large supermarkets illegal from 1 July 2026
- UNSW, the new price gouging law starts on July 1 (June 2026)
Checked on 25 October 2026. Rules and rates change, so check the official source before making decisions. This page is not tax advice.