Coles Website, App Crash After Viral Alcohol Pricing Glitch
Shoppers Rush To Grab 80% Discounts On Jack Daniel’s Drinks
The Coles website and app are back online after crashing for several hours on Saturday as thousands of shoppers rushed to take advantage of a viral pricing glitch on alcoholic drinks.
The disruption came after an Australian Reddit account highlighted unusually steep discounts on 24-packs of premixed alcoholic beverages available through Coles' Liquorland subsidiary.
The account, operated by the team behind price-tracking website CW Scanner, spotted packs of Jack Daniel’s & Cola being sold for just $27, despite the products normally retailing for around $130. The price represented a discount of nearly 80 per cent.
“Found this. I’m assuming it’s a mistake?!” the Reddit user wrote while sharing details of the deal. “Go get it before it runs out (or they notice) I guess.”
The post quickly went viral, attracting about 184,000 views by midday. Other Reddit users then began reporting similar discounts on premixed drinks and beer, sharing screenshots of their orders and encouraging others to take advantage of the unusually low prices.
The sudden surge in traffic appeared to overwhelm Coles’ online platforms, with customers reporting difficulties accessing both the website and app. The outage lasted for several hours on Saturday before the services were restored.
The incident sparked a frenzy among bargain hunters, with shoppers attempting to place orders before the apparent pricing errors were corrected or products sold out.
It remains unclear how many orders placed at the discounted prices will be fulfilled. Retailers typically reserve the right to cancel orders when products are incorrectly priced, depending on their terms and conditions.
The pricing issue also prompted widespread discussion online about whether the discounts were genuine promotions or an error in Coles’ digital pricing system.
Coles has not publicly confirmed the cause of the pricing glitch or provided details on how it will handle orders placed during the period. The company is expected to review the affected prices and transactions.
The episode highlights how quickly pricing errors can spread online, with social media and bargain-hunting communities capable of sending thousands of shoppers to a retailer within a matter of hours.
