The Coles owned liquor chain, Liquorland, has been accused of patronising residents of Maylands, Western Australia by suggesting alcoholics can't understand advertisements' small print.
Liquorland was appealing an earlier rejection of a big-barn liquor store in Maylands and in addition to also losing its appeal, the brand was slammed by Supreme Court Justice James Edelman for suggesting nearby residents of homeless shelters wouldn't be affected by its advertising because they wouldn't understand the small print.
According to thewest.com.au, Justice Edelman referred submissions by Coles' lawyers as "breathtaking".
"There was evidence that Liquorland's website promised that 'if you find a cheaper liquor price anywhere, we'll beat it'. In a breathtaking submission before the Liquor Commission (that was repeated on this appeal), counsel argued that the small-print conditions upon these promises of cheap alcohol by his client (such as availability of stock by a competitor, verification of price etc) were such that disadvantaged or marginalised persons would not be able to meet them," he said.
Lisa Baker, local MP, said Coles' comments were patronising.
"Whatever possessed them to think that vulnerable people didn't have the intellectual capacity to cross the road to take advantage of their lower prices," she said.
"It was stupid."