2245 GMT - Thursday's federal court decision wasn't as bad for supermarket chain owner Coles as it might have been, suggests Jefferies. The court found Coles raised prices of 245 products included in its Down Down promotional campaign too early. It needed a so-called minimum price establishment period of 12 weeks before promoting products in the campaign. For doing that the court found the Down Down tickets misleading. However, it also found the price rises were commercially justified. Analyst Michael Simotas called the decision "negative but balanced," with the court noting Coles may have been competitively disadvantaged had it not acted. "This may influence the determination of penalties and soften consumer backlash," Jefferies says. "With minimum price establishment period now set, the field is now level and we expect the industry to remain rational." (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 14, 2026 18:46 ET (22:46 GMT)

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