Other Catalogues & Specials — Australia

The Aussie Shopper's Guide to Discount, Variety and General Merchandise Catalogues

Not every catalogue fits neatly into a grocery trolley or a wardrobe. Australia's discount department stores and variety retailers cover the awkward middle ground of the weekly shop: kids' school shoes, a new kettle, garden hose fittings, storage tubs, birthday presents, and the odd impulse buy near the checkout. Shoppers who track the big w toy sale catalogue or scan Kmart's latest markdowns before a big shop know that these retailers often carry the deepest discounts of the retail calendar, especially once seasonal stock needs to move. Because these stores span homewares, toys, tools, clothing basics and electronics all under one roof, comparing their weekly and seasonal catalogues side by side is one of the more overlooked ways Australian households stretch their budget.

This guide covers how Australia's major discount and general merchandise chains structure their catalogues, when the best markdowns tend to land, how their loyalty and membership schemes stack up, and where to find genuine value rather than inflated 'was/now' pricing. Whether you're comparing target clearance racks against Kmart's homewares aisle, or weighing up a Costco membership against Bunnings' everyday low prices, understanding this corner of Australian retail can save a household hundreds of dollars a year.

The Big Players: Big W, Kmart, Target and Bunnings

Kmart and Big W are the twin giants of Australian discount retail, both owned by major listed groups and both fighting hard on price across homewares, apparel, toys and small electronics. Kmart has built a cult following for its minimalist homewares range and viral 'Kmart hacks', while Big W leans harder into toys, kids' clothing and school essentials, which is exactly why shoppers specifically search the big w toy sale catalogue around Christmas and school-holiday periods. Target sits just above them in price positioning, competing more directly on fashion basics and homewares, and is well known for its seasonal target clearance events that clear end-of-season stock at steep discounts.

Bunnings Warehouse dominates the hardware and home improvement side of general merchandise, and while it doesn't run a traditional weekly specials catalogue the way a supermarket does, its 'Lowest Prices Are Just the Beginning' price-match promise means regulars still check its catalogue drops for seasonal ranges like outdoor furniture, power tools and garden supplies. The Reject Shop rounds out the picture as Australia's dedicated variety retailer, stocking everything from party supplies to cleaning products at budget prices, and is often the first stop for households doing a clearance sale run across multiple discount chains in a single afternoon.

Costco and the Membership Warehouse Model

Costco operates on a fundamentally different model to the rest of Australia's general merchandise sector: an upfront annual membership fee in exchange for bulk pricing on everything from electronics to tyres to bakery items. Shoppers researching costco warehouse savings quickly learn that the real value isn't in the weekly catalogue at all, but in Costco's rotating 'treasure hunt' floor stock and its consistently sharp pricing on big-ticket items like televisions, mattresses and appliances. Because Costco only operates a handful of warehouses across the major capital cities, it isn't a weekly habit for most Australians the way Kmart or Big W might be, but for households near a store, membership frequently pays for itself within a few large shops.

The trade-off with warehouse club shopping is volume: Costco's per-unit pricing only beats the discount department stores if you genuinely use bulk quantities, which makes it a better fit for large families or shared households than for someone shopping solo. Comparing a planned Costco trip against the same items at Big W or Kmart before committing to a membership renewal is a smart habit for any Australian household weighing up whether the annual fee is still worth it.

When the Best Markdowns Actually Land

Unlike supermarket catalogues that refresh like clockwork every Wednesday, the general merchandise and discount sector runs on a seasonal and event-driven calendar. The single biggest window is late November into December, when the imported black friday deals and Cyber Monday period overlaps directly with pre-Christmas toy and homewares promotions at Big W, Kmart and Target. Boxing Day follows immediately after and is arguably even bigger for this category, since it's when unsold Christmas stock, summer homewares and outdoor furniture get marked down hardest across every discount chain in the country.

Beyond the November-January peak, back-to-school season in late January drives a second major wave of specials on stationery, kids' clothing and lunchboxes, while EOFY in June brings clearance pricing on electronics and homewares as retailers clear stock ahead of the new financial year. Bunnings tends to time its biggest outdoor and garden promotions around the spring changeover in September and October, when Australian households start prepping backyards for summer. Keeping half an eye on the calendar rather than shopping reactively is the single easiest way to avoid paying full price in this category.

Loyalty Programs and Membership Perks

Loyalty structures in this category look quite different from the points-per-dollar schemes common at the major supermarkets. Kmart and Target both feed into the broader Wesfarmers-linked OnePass and app ecosystem in various forms, offering personalised app-only offers and early access to sale previews rather than a traditional points card. Big W has leaned into linking with Everyday Rewards, giving shoppers who already collect points at Woolworths a reason to consolidate spending across both chains rather than shopping around.

Costco's entire model is arguably one giant loyalty program in itself: the annual membership fee functions like a subscription that locks in warehouse pricing, and executive members receive an annual cashback on eligible purchases, effectively rebating a slice of the fee back for high-volume shoppers. Bunnings doesn't run a consumer loyalty card but instead offers PowerPass for trade and bulk buyers, which unlocks account pricing that regular walk-in customers don't see. Understanding which of these schemes actually applies to your household is worth five minutes before your next big homewares or hardware shop.

How to Actually Save Across This Category

Because general merchandise spans such a wide range of goods, from a $4 storage tub to a $2,000 television, the smartest approach is to treat small everyday purchases and big-ticket items completely differently. For small homewares and variety items, simply comparing Kmart, Big W, Target and the Reject Shop before buying is usually enough, since prices on near-identical products can vary by several dollars between chains in any given week, and stacking that against an active clearance sale rack often finds an even bigger gap. For big-ticket electronics or appliances sold through these general merchandise chains, waiting for the structured EOFY, Black Friday or Boxing Day windows rather than buying on impulse consistently delivers the deepest discounts of the year, and checking the best black friday deals across two or three chains before paying full price is a habit worth building into any bigger purchase.

It's also worth factoring in return policies and warranty terms alongside sticker price, since Kmart, Big W and Target all offer generous returns that make trial purchases lower-risk than smaller independent retailers, which matters when comparing seemingly similar deals across chains. For households considering a Costco membership purely for occasional big purchases, running the numbers on a handful of planned purchases against Big W or Bunnings pricing first is the only reliable way to know whether the membership fee will actually pay off before committing to a full year. Timing matters too: buying garden furniture in late autumn rather than at the start of spring, or picking up storage solutions just after the New Year organising rush has faded, both tend to land on noticeably lower price points across every one of these chains, simply because demand has cooled and retailers are more willing to discount to keep stock moving.

Sub-Categories Worth Comparing Separately

General merchandise isn't really one category so much as several smaller ones bundled under a single roof, and it pays to compare chains differently depending on what you're buying. Homewares and small furniture is Kmart's strongest ground, with Big W and Target following close behind on price but slightly behind on design trends. Toys and kids' items are where Big W typically leads thanks to its dedicated toy sale events, though Kmart and Target both run competitive school-holiday and Christmas promotions worth checking in parallel. Hardware, tools and garden supplies sit almost entirely with Bunnings, whose price-match guarantee makes it the default comparison point for anyone renovating or setting up an outdoor space. Bulk pantry, cleaning and big-ticket electronics purchases are where Costco earns its membership fee back fastest, provided the household has the storage space and usage volume to make bulk buying worthwhile.

Small electronics and appliances deserve their own separate check as well, since Big W, Kmart and Target all stock kettles, headphones, small kitchen gadgets and basic tech accessories at price points that regularly undercut the dedicated electronics chains, particularly during EOFY and Boxing Day windows. Party supplies, stationery and seasonal decorations are another pocket worth tracking on their own, since the Reject Shop's everyday low pricing on these items is often hard for the bigger discount department stores to match outside of a dedicated clearance event. Treating each of these sub-categories as its own mini price comparison, rather than assuming one chain wins across the board, is how experienced Australian shoppers consistently pay less across this entire corner of retail, and it's exactly the same discipline that makes checking a weekly catalogues roundup worthwhile before any bigger household purchase.