Coles’ shopper discovers how to game the system

With everyone’s supermarket bill going up every week we are all scrambling to cut down on our grocery bill. 

Weekly specials are becoming more important to keep our bank balances in check as we hunt for the best bargains. 

But what if you could take the sting out of your time at the checkout? One Australian has discovered how. 

Data scientist Adam Williamson has built a web tool that trawls through Coles’ data to accurately predict when products will go on sale and for how long and if a ‘special’ is truly a ‘special’. 

Plan your shopping

Using an internet browser plug-in, customers will be able to plan their shopping with more confidence, as it provides predicted specials on popular supermarket products such as yoghurt, muesli bars and dishwashing tablets. That last one should be especially handy, with the price exploding to an eye-watering $50 a packet on some lines.

Mr Williamson said consumers could easily save 50 per cent on some items.

“You’re looking at double the cost if you get it on the wrong week,” he told Nine News.

“Or as Coles and Woolworths like to say … half price if you get it on the right week.”

“I built this Chrome extension mostly for myself, and I was clicking around, playing with it. Then I thought, ‘I’ll share one of the insights on social media’.”

The extension has had 4000 downloads since it was launched in July. 

It works by comparing Coles’ price fluctuations and price histories.

Fluctuating prices

Mr Williamson discovered some prices fluctuate weekly, while others might hold their price for up to 49 days before going on special. 

As it shows historical data, the extension can also show if it’s a genuine special or minor price drop before going up in price when it comes back to full price. 

It could be a real saver, especially for big-ticket items or expensive everyday items such as nappies.

In one example, Williamson’s extension showed that at some times the Oral B Pro electric toothbrush pack was $199 and other times $99.50.

While the extension is for only one supermarket, hopefully it should provide some clarity on pricing. 

CHOICE has previously criticised Australian supermarkets for engaging in ‘sloppy’ price marketing, saying some tactics were designed to confuse shoppers. 

It claimed using terms such as ‘members’ specials’, ‘super specials’ and ‘prices dropped’ were unclear and made it tough to work out what exactly was on offer. 

“Many customers incorrectly thought that certain items were on discount when they weren’t, while many simply said they weren’t sure whether it was a discount or not,” the CHOICE report stated. 

More work to be done

Mr Williamson said he will continue to refine the extension. 

“I’ve learned about everyday low price, high low pricing, a shallow sale versus a deep sale,” he added.

“It’s really insightful and these are the sorts of things I’d like to surface with consumers so they can make better buying decisions.”

Find the extension in the Chrome web store here. 

Mr Williamson is working on a similar extension for Woolworths. 

Would you use such a tool? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?

Also read: Woolies testing ‘smart’ trolleys