MELBOURNE, August 24, 2026, 14:57 AEST
- Coles stock fell 0.1% to A$22.79 in Monday trading.
- At least 66 online beer and premixed-drink items were impacted by a pricing error.
- Coles’ online platforms processed approximately A$1.38 billion in sales during the third quarter.
- FY26 results will be released on Tuesday, August 25.
Coles Group Limited ASX:COL shares traded mostly flat on Monday following a disruption caused by an alcohol pricing mistake that took both its website and app offline. The shares dipped 0.1% to A$22.79 by 2:06 p.m. AEST, with the ASX cash market still open.
The subdued reaction indicates that investors have not yet seen confirmed impacts on earnings. The broader operating stakes extend beyond just the beverages involved. Last quarter, Coles’ two online reporting divisions brought in approximately A$1.38 billion, representing 12.9% of total group sales.
The highlighted development is coles online alcohol — Coles Online is experiencing a technical issue with alcohol orders just before its earnings announcement, raising scrutiny on its digital sales channel. Investors are assessing whether such online disruptions might impact Coles’ next earnings release. Coles is scheduled to announce FY26 results on August 25.
| Monday ASX snapshot | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| COL price | A$22.79 | Shed 0.1% |
| Open | A$22.72 | Started under Friday’s A$22.82 finish |
| Intraday range | A$22.54–A$22.90 | Traded in a 1.6% band |
| Volume | 748,019 | Logged by 2:06 p.m. AEST |
The mistake priced 24-packs with significant markdowns. A Jack Daniel’s & Cola carton was reduced to A$27 from A$130, a drop of 79.2%. Another item decreased to A$29 from A$202, representing an 85.6% discount.
CW Scanner, a price monitoring platform, recorded no fewer than 20 cartons of beer and 46 cases of ready-to-drink beverages purchased. Savings averaged A$49 per carton of beer and A$111 for premixed drinks. The website came back online after being unavailable for several hours. Coles announced that those impacted would receive refunds.
| Online-channel measure | 3Q26 | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets eCommerce | A$1.327bn | up 24.8% |
| Liquor eCommerce | A$57m | up 1.8% |
| Combined online sales | A$1.384bn | 12.9% share of group sales |
| Total group sales | A$10.703bn | up 3.1% |
Online supermarket sales increased at a rate eight times higher than group revenue in the last quarter. Specifically, eCommerce saw a 24.8% rise, compared to the group’s 3.1% growth. As a result, a shared-platform outage is significant for more than just the liquor division, even if the immediate cost of refunds remains limited.
The liquor division continues to underperform. Sales in the third quarter dropped 3.9% to A$781 million. Online liquor revenue increased just 1.8%, contrasting with a 24.8% rise in supermarket eCommerce.
| Preliminary results table | Most recent value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1H26 group revenue | A$23.618bn | +2.5% |
| 1H26 EBIT, before significant items | A$1.231bn | +10.2% |
| 1H26 net profit reported | A$511m | -11.3% |
| 1H26 liquor revenue | A$1.939bn | -3.2% |
| 1H26 liquor EBIT | A$42m | -37.3% |
| 3Q26 supermarket revenue | A$9.781bn | +4.0% |
Chief Executive Leah Weckert stated in May that “value and availability will be important to our customers.” The results released on Tuesday will indicate if gains in digital channels and improved supermarket operations can balance sluggish liquor sales and increased input expenses. Coles 3Q26 release
Analysts maintain a cautious optimism, with minimal tolerance for disappointment. According to the latest Investing.com survey, there are eight buy ratings, six holds, and one sell. The consensus price target stands at A$23.74, suggesting a potential 4.2% increase over Monday’s A$22.79 close.
| Analyst recommendations | Count or value | Share or implied move |
|---|---|---|
| Buy | 8 | 53% of 15 ratings |
| Hold | 6 | 40% |
| Sell | 1 | 7% |
| Average target | A$23.74 | +4.2% |
| Target range | A$16.50–A$27.00 | -27.6% to +18.5% |
Risks: Coles has yet to reveal the total order volume or the value of issued refunds. A one-off pricing mistake is unlikely to have material impact. However, recurring incidents could hinder online expansion, inflate service expenses and erode confidence in a segment accounting for almost 13% of group revenue.
The next test comes ahead of the ASX opening on Tuesday. Investors are expected to watch online revenue, liquor margin, fourth-quarter sales and Coles’ FY27 cost projections.
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