How Coles Weekly Specials Work (and How to Get the Most Out of Them)
When Coles specials update, how to find them now that printed catalogues are fading, how Flybuys stacks with specials, and what the coles&co platform actually does.
Coles runs weekly specials on groceries, fresh food, and household items that reset every Wednesday. The system is broadly similar to Woolworths, but there are a few Coles-specific quirks worth knowing — particularly around online ordering timing and their shift away from printed catalogues.
When Specials Update and How to Find Them
Coles specials go live every Wednesday at 12am AEDT. For Western Australian shoppers, that's 9pm Tuesday night your time. New deals run until the following Tuesday night.
Coles has been phasing out printed catalogues in favour of digital. The best places to find current specials:
- Coles app — the most complete view, includes personalised Flybuys offers
- coles.com.au — full weekly catalogue and online-only deals
- coles&co platform — Coles' content hub with recipes, cooking guides, and shoppable specials linked directly to your online cart
- Grocero — open the Specials tab and filter by Coles to see fresh, up-to-date deal data without needing to switch apps
The digital catalogue typically shows more deals than the printed version ever did — it's not limited by page count, and it updates dynamically when stock changes.
The Online Ordering Timing Trap
This catches people out regularly: if you place a Coles online order late on Tuesday night, the website may display Tuesday's prices at checkout — but because it's already Wednesday AEDT when the order is processed, you'll be charged Wednesday's prices.
The practical fix: don't place Coles online orders after 10pm on Tuesdays. Either shop earlier in the day on Tuesday, or wait until Wednesday morning when the new specials are fully live and prices are consistent. Always check your final receipt, especially if you ordered near the changeover.
How Coles Specials Are Structured
A few things worth understanding about how Coles manages its promotional pricing:
Half-price specials are the best deals. When something you use regularly goes half price, stock up on non-perishables if you can.
"Down Down" pricing is Coles' long-running campaign for products with more permanently reduced prices — distinct from the weekly special rotation.
Seasonal promotions around Christmas, Easter, and other periods can bring strong deals across fresh food and pantry items.
Online-only exclusives are deals that appear only on coles.com.au or the app, not in the in-store catalogue. Worth checking if you regularly shop online.
One important rule: Coles policy is that no product should be on special for more than half the year. This prevents a "special" price from becoming the de-facto normal price, and means you can trust that a promotion represents a genuine departure from the usual price.
Using the coles&co Platform
coles&co is Coles' content platform — a mix of recipes, cooking guides, and editorial content where specials are embedded directly into the experience. If you see a recipe that uses capsicums and capsicums are on special that week, you can add them to your online cart from the recipe page without leaving the site.
For meal planning around specials, it's genuinely useful. Browse the weekly specials section on coles&co, find what's discounted, and use the integrated recipes to build meals around those items rather than planning meals and then checking prices separately.
Flybuys: How It Works With Specials
Flybuys is Coles' loyalty program. Like Woolworths' Everyday Rewards, the base earn rate (1 point per $1 spent) is modest. The value is in the targeted weekly bonus offers — personalised deals sent via email or visible in the Flybuys app.
These must be activated before you shop. Scanning your card at checkout without activating offers earns minimal points. Check your Flybuys offers each Wednesday alongside the new specials — it takes about five minutes and the bonus offers can be worth several dollars per week.
Points convert to Flybuys dollars (2,000 points = $10 off a shop) or partner rewards. Like Woolworths, saving points for a larger redemption typically gives better value than cashing in frequently in small amounts.
Comparing Coles to Woolworths and Aldi
Coles and Woolworths are closely matched on overall basket price — a September 2024 Choice comparison found them "almost identical." Both sit 25–30% above Aldi for a standard basket of everyday staples.
Where Coles or Woolworths can beat Aldi is on specific items during genuine half-price promotions. The best price on any given item rotates between the two chains week to week, which is why comparing both before you shop matters.
Grocero shows prices across Coles, Woolworths, and other Australian supermarkets for your specific list, so you can see at a glance whether the Coles special is actually the cheapest option that week or whether Woolworths or Aldi has it cheaper. For a full breakdown of where each store sits, see our cheapest supermarket in Australia guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Coles weekly specials start?
Every Wednesday at 12am AEDT. For Western Australia, that's 9pm Tuesday night local time. New specials run through to the following Tuesday night.
Are Coles online specials the same as in-store?
Most of the main weekly specials are the same, but the online catalogue typically shows more deals and also features online-only exclusives not available in store. You may also find unadvertised in-store clearance deals (yellow price tags) that don't appear online.
How do I find Coles specials now that printed catalogues are being phased out?
The Coles app, coles.com.au, and the coles&co platform are the main sources. The digital catalogue shows more deals and updates more dynamically than the printed version ever did.
What is the coles&co platform?
It's Coles' content hub — recipes, cooking guides, and editorial content where deals are embedded. Products featured in recipes link directly to your online cart if they're available. Useful for building meal plans around whatever's on special each week.
How do I avoid being charged the wrong price when ordering Coles online?
Don't place online orders after 10pm on Tuesday. The system transitions to Wednesday pricing at midnight AEDT, and orders placed late Tuesday can be processed at Wednesday's prices even if the checkout showed Tuesday's. Shop online earlier in the day on Tuesday, or wait until Wednesday morning.
How does Flybuys work with weekly specials?
Flybuys is Coles' loyalty program. The base earn rate is 1 point per $1 spent. The meaningful value comes from targeted weekly bonus offers in the app — these must be activated before you shop. Check your Flybuys offers each Wednesday when new specials go live.
How often do Coles specials rotate?
Most weekly specials run for exactly one week. For pantry staples, Coles' promotional pricing typically cycles around every 5–6 weeks — meaning a frequently purchased item like pasta sauce or coffee comes around to a half-price deal roughly once a month.
Is it worth comparing Coles and Woolworths specials each week?
Yes. The two chains are closely matched on overall price but diverge significantly on individual items depending on what each has on special. The best price on a given item often alternates between the two. Using a tool like Grocero to check both catalogues against your list takes about five minutes and consistently identifies meaningful savings.
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