The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued penalties to three major retailers—Michael Hill, MyHouse, and Hairhouse Online—over allegations of misleading advertising during Black Friday sales. Each retailer was fined $19,800 after the ACCC identified misleading representations regarding the extent of discounts offered to consumers.

The ACCC's investigation followed a sweep of numerous sales advertisements from the previous year's Black Friday and post-Christmas sales events. The authority found that the advertisements misrepresented the size and scope of discounts, particularly claims that discounts applied 'sitewide' or 'storewide'. ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe emphasized that such claims should accurately reflect the discounts available across all products.

Michael Hill Jeweller was penalized for its advertisement promoting a 'Member Event 25% off Sitewide' sale, which allegedly misled consumers as not all products were discounted. Similarly, MyHouse's advertisement claimed 'Up to 60% Off Sitewide + EXTRA 20% off', but the additional discount was not applicable to all items, leading to consumer confusion.

Hairhouse Online faced penalties for stating 'SAVE 20% to 50% SITEWIDE', which misled consumers into believing that all items were discounted by that range, while in reality, many products were excluded from the sale. The ACCC warned that misleading discount claims not only deceive consumers but also create unfair competition against businesses that accurately represent their sales.

The ACCC has made it clear that businesses must provide truthful representations in their advertising and that they will continue to monitor sales promotions to protect consumers from misleading practices. The authority's focus on consumer and fair trading concerns in the retail sector is set to intensify in the coming years.