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False Advertising: The Bunnings Case

Janek Ratnatunga

Management Accounting Frontiers2025https://doi.org/10.52153/oaj1010123article
ABDC C
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

False advertising, characterized by misleading or deceptive claims about products or services, poses significant ethical and legal challenges in marketing. This paper examines the case of Bunnings, a leading Australian hardware retailer, focusing on its price-beating guarantee and exclusive home-brand products. Bunnings promotes a slogan promising to beat competitors' prices by 10%, yet many of these products are exclusive to Bunnings, complicating price comparisons and raising questions about the transparency of their advertising practices. An ABC TV Four Corners investigation revealed that over 9,000 home-brand products marketed under this guarantee are not available elsewhere, suggesting that consumers may be misled about the true value of their purchases. The legal landscape surrounding false advertising is explored, highlighting the roles of regulatory bodies like the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in safeguarding consumer rights. The paper also discusses the broader implications of Bunnings' pricing strategies and market influence, emphasizing the need for transparency and ethical marketing practices. As consumer awareness grows, understanding these dynamics becomes essential for making informed purchasing decisions and fostering trust in the marketplace. This analysis not only sheds light on Bunnings' marketing tactics but also contributes to the ongoing discourse on responsible advertising in the retail sector.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52153/oaj1010123

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@article{janek2025,
  title        = {{False Advertising: The Bunnings Case}},
  author       = {Janek Ratnatunga},
  journal      = {Management Accounting Frontiers},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52153/oaj1010123},
}

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False Advertising: The Bunnings Case

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.