Chemist Warehouse Black Friday sale prices not so hot 

It’s no secret that Australian retailers have jumped on the Black Friday sales bandwagon in a big way in recent years, taking a cue from the supercharged American marketplace. 

Whether online or instore, during a Black Friday sale – or any other sale for that matter – you would reasonably expect  prices to go down and not up. 

But some customers found that was not the case at major Australian retail chain Chemist Warehouse on November 26, 2021, this year’s designated Black Friday. 

We were recently tipped off by an admirably vigilant consumer who documented Chemist Warehouse prices before, during and after Black Friday and found that the retailer’s sale prices on the day were markedly higher. 

Our shopper found that prices jumped significantly on Black Friday on three items in her online shopping cart, as the graphic below depicts. 

The longtime Chemist Warehouse customer told us: “It shocked me to see prices increase between Nov 22 and Nov 26 for a group of items I wished to purchase. I have asked for an explanation, but received no advice yet.” 

The three items in question jumped a collective 38% higher than their 22 November price. 

Chemist Warehouse responds 

According to a Chemist Warehouse spokesperson, the explanation for the Black Friday price increase on the three items in question has to do with the company’s current sales strategy, which involves “a vast array of sales campaigns”. 

“Over the period you have identified, what you consider pricing of concern is simply the dovetailing of marketing activities,” the spokesperson said. “Three separate sale events ran from one, into another and then into the other.” 

That may well be the case, but from the customers’ perspective, it’s a bit confusing. The lesson? A Black Friday sale may not actually mean items are less expensive than before and after the sale. 

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Andy Kollmorgen

Andy Kollmorgen is the Investigations Editor at CHOICE. He reports on a wide range of issues in the consumer marketplace, with a focus on financial harm to vulnerable people at the hands of corporations and businesses. Prior to CHOICE, Andy worked at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and at the Australian Financial Review along with a number of other news organisations. Andy is a former member of the NSW Fair Trading Advisory Council. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University. LinkedIn

Andy Kollmorgen is the Investigations Editor at CHOICE. He reports on a wide range of issues in the consumer marketplace, with a focus on financial harm to vulnerable people at the hands of corporations and businesses. Prior to CHOICE, Andy worked at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and at the Australian Financial Review along with a number of other news organisations. Andy is a former member of the NSW Fair Trading Advisory Council. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University. LinkedIn