The Best Time to Buy a TV in Australia
Most of the year, Australian retailers hold TVs at RRP and price-match each other. So the savings are about timing, not shopping around. Here is the calendar.
There is a piece of received wisdom that says you save money on a TV by shopping around between retailers. In Australia, for most of the year, that mostly is not true - and understanding why tells you exactly when you should buy.
Why the same TV costs the same everywhere
The major Australian TV retailers - JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, Harvey Norman - largely hold current-model TVs at the manufacturer's recommended retail price (RRP) for most of the year. We track prices across these retailers, and on current models the price is very often identical to the cent at all of them. So on a random Tuesday, hunting for a cheaper price at a competitor usually gets you nowhere - there is no cheaper price to find.
That means the money is not in where you buy. It is in when.
The Australian TV sale calendar
End of Financial Year (June)
The biggest whitegoods and electronics sales event of the Australian year. Retailers clear stock hard through June to hit end-of-year targets. If you can wait, EOFY is often the best single window.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (late November)
Now firmly established in Australia, and increasingly the deepest discounts of the year on TVs specifically. Deals often start a week or two early.
Boxing Day and the new year (late December to January)
The traditional post-Christmas clearance, with back-to-school promotions rolling into late January.
New-model changeover (roughly March to May)
When the new year's TV line-up lands, last year's models - which are frequently near-identical - get discounted to clear. Buying last year's flagship during the changeover is one of the best value plays in TVs.
How to actually take advantage
Because the price is stable most of the year and then drops sharply in these windows, the winning move is simple: decide on the TV you want now, then wait for a window rather than buying at RRP on impulse. Set a price alert on the model so you are told the moment it drops - you do not have to watch it yourself. When the alert fires during one of the windows above, that is your moment.
Browse our buyer guides to shortlist a TV, then set an alert and let the sale come to you.