Supermarkets Catalogue This Week in Australia

Two giants, one discounter and a crowd of independents

Open any supermarket catalogue in Australia and you are looking at a market with an unusual shape. The competition watchdog's supermarkets inquiry described Woolworths and Coles as the dominant pair, with Aldi third and the independent stores supplied by Metcash further back. This hub covers all of them: the big chains, the discounter, and the family-run grocers that print a weekly catalogue of their own. Not all of these are the same kind of business, so it helps to know who is who before you compare pages.

The corporate chains are Woolworths stores, Coles stores and Aldi stores. Then there are brands where each shop is owned by a local operator: IGA stores and Foodland stores sit under the Metcash umbrella, while Foodworks stores is supplied through Australian United Retailers. Finally come regional or family names such as Drakes stores, Ritchies stores and Supabarn stores. We say this plainly because a catalogue from an independent banner can differ from shop to shop in a way a Woolworths one rarely does.

How the weekly catalogue turns up

The searches people actually type tell the story. "Coles catalogue starting Wed this week", "Woolworths catalogue starting Wednesday" and "IGA catalogue starting Wed" all point to the same rhythm: the new week of specials begins on a Wednesday. Foodworks publishes its own specials pages on a Wednesday-to-Tuesday cycle, which we saw on its store pages in October 2026. People also ask "when does the Woolworths catalogue come out" and look for a "sneak peek" ahead of the changeover, so a preview of next week is a real habit rather than a niche one.

Aldi works differently. Alongside its regular specials it runs Special Buys, and its own homepage says these arrive on Wednesday and Saturday. That is why searches such as "Aldi catalogue special buys" are so common: shoppers treat it as two shopping moments a week, not one.

Loyalty schemes and what they change

Several of these chains tie their specials to a card. Woolworths uses Everyday Rewards, and Coles owns Flybuys. Those programmes are different animals, so read the terms before you assume points will turn into dollars. Supabarn runs Supa Rewards through the Go Rewards app on corporate stores only, and Ritchies has a free card whose proceeds are reported to fund clubs, schools and charities. Drakes takes a community route, with its Community Dollars scheme. IGA has a free rewards club card for adults and an app with cash back, while Foodland has its own Great Rewards app, though the rules were not published on the pages we saw. Foodworks, by contrast, describes its truly local Rewards app as one that does not collect points.

The practical lesson: a special can be open to everyone, or can depend on a card. Check the small print on the catalogue page before planning a shop around it.

Sundays, public holidays and who is open

Trading hours are set by each state and territory, which is why "is Coles open on ..." completes so often with a show day, Anzac Day or a public holiday. The Australian Retailers Association lists Good Friday as closed for non-exempt shops in several states and Anzac Day morning as restricted in New South Wales and Victoria, with rules and exemptions differing by state. For Coles, our research notes that it closes on Good Friday nationwide while Anzac Day varies by state. For independents the answer is looser still. Foodland in South Australia varies by store, and staff there must voluntarily agree to work Sundays and public holidays. Foodworks stores we checked closed at 7pm on a Sunday in one coastal town and traded 8am to 8pm in another. Supabarn's Canberra examples run 7am to 10pm daily, shortened on public holidays.

If a holiday week matters to you, check the exact shop, not the brand.

Reading the differences between formats

A big chain gives you one national story: one app, one set of hours rules. An independent gives you flexibility. Metcash supplies the IGA and Foodland stores, but the owner decides much of the day-to-day, which is why searches carry state tags like "IGA catalogue WA" or "Foodland catalogue SA". Ritchies is headquartered in Carrum Downs, Victoria and was founded in 1870. Drakes trades in South Australia and Queensland and has offered DoorDash delivery since July 2024.

Savings tactics grounded in what is verified

• Compare the changeover day. Most catalogues start on Wednesday, so a Tuesday shop uses the old week's specials.
• Look at Aldi's Wednesday and Saturday Special Buys separately from its regular range.
• Check whether the offer needs a card: Everyday Rewards, Flybuys, Supa Rewards, Great Rewards.
• Use click and collect or pickup if you want to lock a shop in. IGA offers it via IGA Shop and its app on a store-by-store basis, and Woolworths lists Direct to Boot with a 1pm cut-off.
• Ask the shop about its own seniors or community schemes, as Supabarn runs a Wednesday seniors offer and Drakes its community scheme.
• If you are returning something, Aldi's official page offers a 60-day refund or replacement in store.

Which question are you really asking?

The real queries fall into four groups: this week's catalogue, next week's catalogue, which chain is cheapest, and whether a shop is open. We cannot answer the cheapest question, since we publish no prices. What we can do is point you to the right weekly pages and nearby categories. If you are planning a larger household run, the Home and Garden hub covers the hardware and furniture side, and the Australian catalogue home page lists every category in one place.