The Australian Competition and Consumer Commision (ACCC) has announced its 2025–26 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities, renewing all priorities from 2024-25, and adding twelve added focuses to meet current challenges.
Speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia event in Sydney, ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb emphasised key themes of cost-of-living pressures and market competition issues for groceries, retail, and essential services.
“Consumers are still doing it tough, and the cost of groceries and essential services have contributed to significant cost of living stress,” said Cass-Gottlieb.
“We will continue to pursue our priorities through strong enforcement action, education to foster compliance, and advocacy for reform.
“Greater competition in markets fuels economic dynamism and growth. This is the key principle on which Australia’s competition policy, and the ACCC’s role in enforcing it, rests. That’s why we use our tools in competition policy and consumer fair trading to achieve the best outcomes,” she said.
The ACCC outlined a stronger emphasis on firms in the supermarket and retail sector and conduct that impacts small business, and a new priority for misleading surcharging practices and other add-on costs. The organisation is expected to release the results of its 12-month Supermarket Inquiry any day now.
While not a compliance and enforcement priority, Cass-Gottlieb also took the opportunity to herald the work the ACCC is undertaking to prepare for the new merger regime, due to come into effect at the start of next year.
The ACCC released the following compliance and enforcement priorities for 2025-26:
- Competition issues in the supermarket and retail sector, focussing on firms it considers have market power and conduct that impacts small business.
- Consumer and fair trading concerns in the supermarket and retail sectors, with a focus on misleading pricing practices.
- Promoting competition in essential services with a focus on telecommunications, electricity, and gas.
- Misleading pricing and claims in relation to essential services, with a particular focus on energy and telecommunications.
- Competition and consumer issues in the aviation sector.
- Competition, product safety, consumer and fair trading issues in the digital economy, with a focus on misleading or deceptive advertising within influencer marketing, online reviews, in-app purchases and unsafe consumer products.
- Misleading surcharging practices and other add-on costs.
- Consumer, fair trading and competition concerns in relation to environmental claims and sustainability, with a focus on greenwashing.
- Unfair contract terms in consumer and small business contracts, with a focus on harmful cancellation terms, including those associated with automatic renewals, early termination fee clauses and non-cancellation clauses.
- Improving industry compliance with consumer guarantees, with a focus on consumer electronics.
- Improving compliance by NDIS providers with their obligations under Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
- Consumer product safety issues for young children, with a focus on compliance with button battery standards and raising awareness about new infant sleep and toppling furniture standards.
The organisation stated when deciding whether to pursue a matter, the ACCC will prioritise those which fall within current priority areas. Particular consideration will be given to matters which also have the following factors:
- conduct that results in substantial consumer or small business detriment
- conduct that has a significant impact on the cost of living
- conduct or practices that disproportionately targets consumers experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage
- conduct that is of significant public interest or concern
- national conduct by large traders, recognising the potential for greater consumer detriment and the likelihood that conduct of large traders can influence other market participants
- conduct involving a significant new or emerging market issue or where our action is likely to have an educative or deterrent effect
- where action will help to clarify aspects of the law, especially newer provisions of the Act.
The full list of 2025–26 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities, including enduring priorities carried over from 2024-25, can be viewed here.
