What is grocery price history and why does it matter?

Last updated 2 May 2026

A product’s current price tells you what it costs today. Its price history tells you whether that is actually cheap. Without history you cannot tell whether a special is genuine or whether a product is at a typical price with a promotional label on it.

What price history reveals

Promotion cycles: most products go on special on a predictable rotation. Knowing the cycle helps you buy at the right time.

Was price accuracy: when a retailer shows a was price, history confirms whether that price was genuinely charged before the promotion.

Inflation tracking: price history shows whether a product has been getting more expensive over time even outside of promotional periods.

How ShopHop builds price history

ShopHop has been recording prices at Woolworths, Coles and Aldi on an ongoing basis since 21 April 2026. That means 12 days of daily price data across all three chains as of today. The dataset grows by one record per product per chain on an ongoing basis automatically.

The 90 day threshold

Our promotions analysis feature uses 90 days of price history to evaluate whether a was price is supported by observed data. This activates 20 July 2026. The methodology is based on the standard the ACCC references in its proceedings against Woolworths and Coles.

How to tell if a special is real →

Frequently asked questions