Australia Supermarket Specials Watch: This Week's Best Half-Price Deals
Australia runs on the half-price cycle: a huge share of the trolley is bought at 50% off on rotation. These are the best specials we verified for the current catalogue week, Wednesday 14 to Tuesday 20 October 2026, each checked against the regular prices in our weekly tracker. Catalogue prices below come from catalogue reproductions and comparison coverage of this week's catalogues (including Seniors Discount Club's NSW catalogue coverage and a 132-price Coles versus Woolworths comparison for this week), labeled as catalogue-sourced, because neither chain exposes a checkable specials feed. Specials can vary by state.
The best specials this week
Coles: Australian Fresh RSPCA Approved Chicken Breast Fillets, $8.50/kg. Against regular tracker readings of $12.00 to $12.50/kg, this is the standout protein special of the week. Verdict: stock up and freeze.
Woolworths: Australian Fresh RSPCA Approved Chicken Breast Fillets, $9.50/kg. A strong price, beaten by Coles this week. If you shop at Woolworths, this is still well under the regular rate. Verdict: stock up.
Both chains: 5kg rice at half price. Woolworths has SunRice Basmati or Premium Thai Jasmine Rice 5kg at $17.50, was $35.00. Coles has SunRice Jasmine Rice 5kg at $13.50, was $27.00. Rice keeps for a year. Verdict: stock up at whichever chain you are in; Coles wins on price.
Coles: Nescafé Gold Instant Coffee 100g and Blend 43 140 to 150g, half price at $7.25, was $14.50. Verdict: stock up. Branded instant at half price is the coffee deal pattern in Australia, and this is it.
Woolworths: Twinings English Breakfast Tea Bags 100 pack, half price at $6.75, was $13.50. Verdict: stock up, tea keeps.
Coles: Bertolli Olive Oil 750mL, half price at $13.00, was $26.00. Woolworths has Monini Extra Virgin Olive Oil 750mL at half price, $11.00, was $22.00, while Coles has the same Monini bottle as a special at $10.00, was $16.00. Verdict: stock up on the Coles Monini at $10.00, the best olive oil price of the week.
Good specials with conditions
Woolworths: Hans Middle Bacon Rashers, half price at $9.50/kg, was $19.00/kg, from the NSW catalogue. Coles: Don Premium Leg Ham at $24.00/kg, was $32.50/kg, selected stores only. Deli meats at half price are freezer-friendly in portions, but check your state catalogue.
Both chains: soft drink at half price. Woolworths has Coca-Cola and Sprite 1.25L at $2.25, was $4.50. Coles has Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite 12 by 300mL cans at $12.00, was $24.00. The condition is the obvious one: it is only a saving if it replaces a full-price purchase, not if it adds one.
Woolworths: John West Yellowfin Tuna 90g at half price, $1.45, and Salmon 95g at $1.75. Coles: Smith's Thinly Cut Chips 175g at half price, $2.50, and Cadbury Favourites 265g at Woolworths half price, $7.00. Pantry and treat lines: fine to stock at half price, none of them are staples.
Coles: Australian Lamb Loin Chops, $23.00/kg, was $34.00/kg, running for two weeks. A genuine cut on the category the ABS flags as up 9.4% on the year, but $23.00/kg is still a premium protein even on special.
Woolworths: macro Free Range Whole Chicken at $5.50/kg (save $1.00/kg) and Kensington Pride Mangoes at $3.00 each, from the NSW catalogue. Seasonal and state-dependent.
Coles, verified directly on coles.com.au: Tamar Valley Greek Style Yoghurt 1kg at $6.50, was $8.30, and Pura Full Cream Milk 3L at $6.00, was $6.70. The yoghurt is a solid special; the Pura milk at $2.00 a litre is not a saving against the $4.95 house-brand 3L, and we say so.
What is not on special, and the Aldi note
Aldi Australia runs its catalogue from Wednesday to Tuesday like the majors, but no Aldi grocery specials with prices could be verified this week: catalogue aggregators confirm a catalogue is running for 14 to 20 October 2026 without extractable grocery prices. Rather than republish numbers we could not check, Aldi gets no lines this week.
Eggs, butter and bread, the lines shoppers most often ask about, have no verified major specials this week at either chain. Their regular prices are in the tracker, linked below.
How we check specials
Specials checked Monday, October 19, 2026, for the catalogue week Wednesday 14 to Tuesday 20 October 2026, from catalogue reproductions (currentspecials.com.au), a published 132-price comparison of this week's Coles and Woolworths specials, and Seniors Discount Club's NSW catalogue coverage, with two Coles lines confirmed directly on coles.com.au. NSW catalogue prices may vary in other states.
Verdicts compare the special price against the regular prices in our weekly Australia tracker, so a half-price premium line does not automatically beat a house brand at regular price. We say which one wins in the text.
A special is only a saving against what you usually pay. Scan your receipts free (5 scans a month, no credit card) and Grocery Spending Tracker shows your real per-item prices, so half-price maths takes seconds.