Well, in a back flip to last year, Woolies have decided to bring back Aus Day promos.
Woolworths has announced this year customers will notice more Australia Day signage in its stores than they did last year.
No word of merch specifically, but reading between the lines:
He also said BIG W, which is owned by Woolworths Group, would sell products people might want as they gathered over the long weekend.
Poll like last year to see what everyone's view is this time around.
I mean it's still crap, and will still end up in landfill
And that is the most pertinent issue. What are we saying about Australia when we create cheap rubbish that ends up becoming real rubbish? If we really cared about our country we would minimise the amount of rubbish we dump on it.
yeah mate, but how is this different to a lot of the stock they have on their shelves using throw-away plastic etc, eg fruit & veg, meat etc. People who buy it see it as having value. They have made a positive step in being less woke and letting people decide for themselves - they are a consumer goods provider - nothing else. By not selling any Aus Day merchandise they were sending a clear message - one that did not reverberate with national society as a majority.
@dunster: They didn’t let people decide for themselves they kicked up a fuss to force a company to sell what they didn’t want to. The sort of people who misuse woke could’ve bought their tat from anywhere else.The issue just reverberated with a small minority that answered the dog whistle of the usual rightwing suspects. Funny how the rightwing decries “cancel culture” until they are the ones doing it.
If Australia Day is all about selling cheap tat that becomes landfill then maybe we should review it. That certainly isn’t doing anything of value.
@try2bhelpful: It's funny, no one mentions anything about Halloween and the tonnes of waste it produces - that, and not actually celebrating anything from it. From growing up in country Qld Australia Day was a huge day, great cricket & enjoying a lamb on the BBQ. God bless Sam Kekovich. Need more like him.
@dunster: Frankly I don’t think we need the plastic crap from any of them. Make your own merch and buy food.
If we cared about rubbish we'd have a plasma furnace at every tip.
Rubbish isn't a problem, it's an underutilised resource.
@cfuse: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/plasma-arc-recycling.html
Interesting concept that hasn’t been scaled up yet. Still better to not have the waste in the first place.
@try2bhelpful: We are not getting rid of waste no matter how hard we tighten the belt because plenty of everyday objects are currently impossible to recycle. It doesn't matter when, it's ending up in landfill because it has nowhere else to go.
We need to adjust our mindset about the nature of the problem if we hope to mitigate it. Using less has its place but it isn't enough on its own. We need to be able to walk into a landfill and make it half as big.
@cfuse: Sorry, my answer was ambiguous. I don’t disagree with you but I think it is a multi pronged attack. Minimise waste creation to start with, reuse, recycle and then destroy. We spend a lot of resources and energy making short term use rubbish. Better not to make it to start with.
Ah yes I saw these in there already
They are pandering as they tanked their public image
I'm going to go out on a limb and speculate that you don't respect inclusivity
Any chance you also think recent immigrants should "Go back where they came from"?
Fact is Australia day isn't on the day of the "invasion", simply it has nothing to do with that other than people deciding if did. Australia day was about everyone coming together as a country to celebrate what is good in our current society, not the past BS not the future BS it's about those here now celebrating each other and the land we live in.
Simply put, society is dumb and creates its own issues
@Slippery Fish: There are so many other days that are a better fit for “Australia Day”. Please Google about the history of Australia Day and the other options that are available. That day was chosen in the 1930s to specifically commemorate something that happened in NSW in 1788.
The most logical day to celebrate is January 1st when we became one nation.
The Commonwealth of Australia was declared on 1 January 1901 at a ceremony held in Centennial Park in Sydney. However we already have a public holiday on that day.
I do agree that society is dumb and creates its own issues.
If we aren’t going to remember anything then just pick a different neutral day we “celebrate” on. Nobody should have an issue with that. Simples.
WCON.
@try2bhelpful: Why illude to it and not tell me the story, your trying to be helpful lol :)
I don't agree with changing the date just because someone decided to take offence, reactive decisions urk me.
I'll have a google but that's what I and likely most who want to celebrate it see it as.
@Slippery Fish: No probs.
Wiki on Australia day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Day
Alternative options
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Day_debate
Australian citizenship and rights
https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/journals/ALRCR….
Look at the dates associated with the aboriginal people.
Just some background.
@try2bhelpful: Obviously we can't use January 1 as that is taken already and already too much going on at Christmas and New Years
@MrFrugalSpend: More than anything else we hold our public holidays sacrosanct. If we made it the 2nd of January I think a lot of people would get onboard. Make the Christmas/New Year holiday an extra long break.
@try2bhelpful: Well I certainly wouldn't be on board
I'd like to have long weekends and public holidays more spaced out.
Pick a day late in the year - in my hometown our "Show Holiday" is around easter time, along with everything else.
There is almost all the public holidays bunched together from Christmas to mid-year then only one otherwise.
@MrFrugalSpend: You should come to Victoria. Not only do we get a public holiday for a horse race we get one the day before the Grand Final.
I can hear what you are saying but over the Christmas/New Year is when families can get time off together because the kids are off school. Also the weather is usually pretty good. Often people take the days off between to get a long holiday together. I still think most people would see this as optimal. YMMV and a quite valid point.
@try2bhelpful: Easy fix, 1 January, Australia Day, 2 January, public holiday in lieu of New Years Day. If on a weekend, then the the next 2 week days. Simples!
@Slippery Fish: yep while i think a collective ideal seems to be dead in this country much like others plagued with this me vs 'em US- like thinking, i must say i was impressed at an accident scene the other day, all these tradies dropped their lunches to help divert traffic and call 000 to help with some kid that came of his motorcyle. Most of us were probably from the four corners of the planet but it didnt matter some guy's bad day couldnt have gone better (he was ok mostly scrapped from not wearing proper gear, but nothing broken). I've been at other accidents that "coming together" to help some guy off the road isnt always present in other places.
Having skin in game is the level of inclusivity I accept. Do you want this to work or not, and are you willing to put in the work required for that?
It's no great mystery who hates Australia, nor who hypocritically has the hand out whilst they're doing it. If a person wants us to fail then I don't give a damn what their citizenship is.
Fifth columnists are the worst.
I remember woolworths, they used to be a supermarket.
I remember supermarkets. Now there's Aldi.
And I wish Woolworths and Coles would learn from Aldi. There's no reason for supermarkets to only sell food. Sure, there's a full range of stores in the CBDs, but most of do our shopping in small local shopping centres with a limited range of stores and products. And a supermarket. As long as they don't canibalise the other stores in the shopping centre, they should sell a wider range of stuff.
Woolworths has Big W and Coles has Kmart. A lot of the bigger shopping centres have all four.
Coles does not own Kmart. Coles is owned by Coles Group Limited. Kmart is owned by Wesfarmers.
Wesfarmers previously also owned Coles, but split it off in a demerger (spin off) then gradually sold its shareholding in Coles.
Currently, Wesfarmers owns Bunnings, Kmart, Target, Officeworks, Beaumont Tiles, Catch, various pharmacies, various resources companies (materials/chemicals), etc.
Coles Group only owns Coles Supermarket, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor.
@ForkSnorter: Interesting, I had assumed since both Coles and Kmart use Flybys they must be the same company.
Turns out Coles Group and Wesfarmers each own 50% of Flybuys through the joint venture Loyalty Pacific
totally agree mate, I'm an Aussie through & through - lived in Mount Isa for 10 years, and not proud of our polititians and some of our history, but most countries in the world have pride in their flag and national day which most do… a positive move from what the business decided last year. Should stick to selling salmon, scotch fillet steak and strawberries….
Safeway??
wait so you're anti-free speech
His pro free-speech as long as it is his sides
lol and what side is that?
*He's
Do shoppers not have the free right to choose where they shop at?
Can always trust a lib to use semantics to come at you.
Certain true of a Liberal party member. They want to cancel the choices people make including how people live their own lives.
@try2bhelpful: wOt?
And who here is a liberal party member?
And the rest of what you said, what’s that got to do with this post or my comment
@try2bhelpful: Why volunteer that information in the first place? I dont remember asking you anything about the liberal party..
Also, not so long ago you claimed that the Labour Party is right wing. Everything seems right wing for someone as radical as you.
And now we start with the personal attacks.
You are misremembering stuff again
My reference was not to you at all. It was showing there are two sides to the coin. You were only presenting one side
On the contrary I wasn’t making any political statements at all but was commenting on the flip flop nature of corporations.
You are literally seeing things again, like the that other time you went on a long crying rant about Trump and tagged me in it. Insane
I’m flattered you follow my work.
Wtf?
You directly replied to me with that unhinged nonsense,
Labor party is right wing. That is just a fact.
lol okay,
@Gervais fanboy: Hmm, “you can always trust a lib to use semantics”. So exactly what were you trying to say with that line? This was a personal attack, just on someone else rather than me.
My comment was on the your use of “libs” and pointing out that they might be called the “Liberal party” but they are a long way from liberal in how they think. The other side of the coin.
I don’t misremember anything you comment on. And now others can see you attacking me more by saying I was ranting about something else. You speak about bringing in irrelevancies. You should speak to the ideas without making it personal.
Anyone objectively reading our posts can see I’ve been at pains not to attack you directly. A pity you can’t provide people with the same courtesy.
This was a personal attack, just on someone else rather than me.
Firstly, holy mother of victimhood.
That wasn’t a ‘personal attack’.
Second, you don’t know about all the times Tith’s disingenuously come at me. ‘Lib’ isn’t even a ‘personal attack’ ffs. I only say it coz it bothers and triggers him.
Also, how is any of this a reason for you to bring up your issues with the liberal party members and rest of all the nonsense you came up with?
My comment was on the your use of “libs” and pointing out that they might be called the “Liberal party”
You gave a different BS reason earlier and now you have changed to this
Also, you say ‘might’ to admit your uncertainty and yet you talk and express yourself with such brazenness. The sheer arrogance.
You are 100% wrong anyways.
This is why you shouldn’t interject in other people’s conversations without knowing anything about them.
And now others can see you attacking me more by saying I was ranting about something else.
“Attacking you”
You are the prototype SJW btw.
Offended by everything, Ashamed of nothing,
I’ve been at pains not to attack you directly.
Keep lying.
@Gervais fanboy: I will just let people look at both of our posts and make up their own minds. WCON.
So you're pro-cancel culture?
Sure they do.
Do cooperations have the right to sell stuff?
Cancel the cancellers first.
Not everything needs to be made political. Woolworths pulled a line of merchandise from sale because it assessed the demand wasn't there, and now it's re-introduced it either because the demand is there or they made an incorrect assessment in the first place. That's how business should work, matching supply to demand. But these days everyone wants ammo to further their political viewpoints or agendas.
Absolutely. Maybe Woollies looked at how heavily they had to discount stuff, and the pile of plastic junk sitting in their warehouses, and decided selling tat made overseas wasn’t a good business model. At least now they are talking about Australian made stuff. I would love to see what the analysis shows them this year. Will these people who complained actually buy anything?
There are a myriad of alternatives these people could’ve bought their stuff from but they decided on culture wars instead. It tends to be the same people who bang on about freedom of choice and companies making their own decisions.
" a myriad of alternatives these people could’ve bought their stuff from"
That would deprive them of the opportunity to out-Karen the Karens
They made a very incorrect assessment inline with luxury beliefs that a large chunk of the population despises. That is inherently political. Then they screwed up all the messaging around it (as the comments ITT demonstrate). It's divisive, and pointlessly so.
They literally could have done nothing and come out better here. Instead they chose to piss on a flag that people have died for, that was always sold as a loss leader. These people are morons. It's like they've invented negative marketing or something.
(profanity) I’m glad I don’t have the bandwidth to get outraged over this bullshit.
@YellowDieselGolf: You care about something enough to take your patronage away. That's all this is, except for others on a matter to which you claim indifference.
And how much of this rubbish do we think will still be on the shelf after Australia Day at a heavily discounted rate? How much that is manufactured will end up in landfill?
We don’t need more plastic crap whether it is Australian made or overseas made. That is the major point. I don’t need to be kitted out like a bogan to be an Australian.
It’s such an odd media release. I don’t think they will sell anything with Australian flags. I think it will just be stuff people can celebrate the day with. A dedicated section of the store with food and cutlery and outdoor games and things
Which can be seen on the Big W Australia Day page.
Big W will sell outdoor tableware and plush toys that are sold all year round.
All the stuff with the Australian flag on it will be sold through third parties marketplace sellers.
Does anyone really GAF?
wearing my D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F tshirt as i type
Yup, people who make being a "Real Australian" their whole, entire personality and self worth.
Disappointed with OP for not including an IDGAF option.
I don't like or celebrate Australia Day. I don't have a problem with Woolworths or anyone selling Australia Day merch for the people that do.
The real issue is some people were insisting that Woolworths had to sell the merch.
My only reservation about anyone selling this stuff is because a fair whack of it will just become landfill. If people want Australia day merch then create something themselves and reuse it every year.
WCON.
Right on cue.
Have a look at the form (linked wiki under controversies) of the RW bigot Rupert dragged up for this effluent story>
https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/aussies-fed-…
about the 'commentator'>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prue_MacSween
I find it really hard to take environmental concerns seriously when you see how much perfectly good furniture, toys, homewares etc are being thrown on the curbside daily. Compared to that, the australia day merch is a drop in the ocean.
A lot of the Australia day merch is single use and then throw away. At least a lot of the rubbish you are seeing was used for some time before being discarded. Personally I look for stuff like furniture in OP shops before buying new. It isn’t an either or it is a total approach.
WCON.
I don't like or celebrate Australia Day.
Free day off though so I'm not complaining
So just another Voice Poll.
90% of the ppl crying woke never buy the shit anyway.
Absolutely. Woollies will end up with a pile of crap on the shelves but the rightwing “warrior” will think they’ve won. I don’t know why they just didn’t buy their crap from somewhere else? It isn’t like Woollies had a monopoly on plastic shit.
So quick recap. They never bought the cheap tacky crap in the first place. Whinged because Woolies took a moral stand that did not align with the whingers "biases". Woolies backflips.Whingers whinging again, cos not happy still.
Half of the ppl complaining have probs never waved an Aussie flag or actively celebrated the day anyway.
I'd like to see the govt take back the public holiday and see how in love with the day ppl really are.
Our flag has been hijacked /devalued by the same macho boys who hijack ANZAC for their political agenda.
Also the poll options load the poll.
If ever there was a 'let it go' issue, this is it.
Completely agree on that one. The poll is very loaded. I don’t intent to boycott Woollies with whatever decision they make. It is just sad the rightwingers threw a hussy fit in the first place. They could’ve just bought their plastic tat elsewhere without making a fuss. However they insist they have the right to dictate to everyone else.
It is funny how the only people concerned about pronouns are the rightwingers as well. The rest of us really don’t give a shit how people identify themselves. It is the same crap that happened with “Ms” and now every form has it as an option. Just make society safe for everyone then separate spaces disappear. Even with sport you can make it on physiological differences rather than a pronoun. Maybe they are worried they will get someone drunk and force themselves on them only to find they aren’t happy with the anatomy involved.
@try2bhelpful: Right wingers the most sensitive species on earth. Happy to just say and do racist shit , but cave in when called out.
LOL loving the last part of your accurate observation.Spot on. I'm sure hookers have plenty of stories along those lines.
Also, they (RW-ingers) moan till their nose bleeds about freedoms and spend a lifetime spewing about witnessing it in action. They confuse free speech with hate speech. Must qualify as a disability, except then they'd be woke.
EDIT > also they always threaten to boycott, but I we all know they never do.
@try2bhelpful: Have you 2 finished calling everyone right wing racists yet? Even ALP voters got tagged in as as far right lol.
For someone who says they don't really care, you appear to care more than everybody else.
@megaclix: I don’t care about them selling this stuff apart from it being landfill junk. I do care we seen to have a bunch of dog whistlers who get people riled up about nothing. Frankly if you look at the traditional ALP polucues the current lot are right. I never said they were far right.
WCON.
@megaclix: Oh excuse me. So sozz. I completely forgot there's no racists who vote for the ALP!
(gimme a break)
Too late. With the culture wars, the original cause of the disagreement is irrelevant.
For many, Australia Day is now associated with "the other", the opposing tribe.
They are uncouth bogans, westies, inferior classes, right-wingers. We look down upon them, with their cheap flag-adorned clothes, distaste re-inforcing our own self-worth as the moral guardians of this … not nation, that is a dirty word, this collection of autonomous identities. Yes, I'm looking at the usual suspects.
Always good when the clickbait rage machine can rehash news stories and shovel some more 'engagement' into the 24/7 outrage news cycle.
Woolworths brought back flags and green/gold food items during the Olympics (the exact same items they selling for Australia day) and the same 'commentators' and liberal/national members got to jump on their soapbox to talk about backflips, go woke go broke, virtue signalling etc etc
Eg was on 5 months ago
Today show
https://youtu.be/QPtJjRR3r4E?si=Fjn3KV3u-0bDzMgs
Sky news
https://youtu.be/nzWRuPZA4Xk?si=j05BS12z1kIdptIr
It's not a matter of agree or disagree for me. It's junk I wouldn't buy anyway.
Getting upset with a supermarket (that we as a country are largely disgruntled with anyway) for selling or not selling some junk merchandise is an incredibly asinine thing to concern yourself with.
If you really want some little Australian flags or whatever, support your local dollar store instead.
Of course they should stock Australia day merch…. They cater to other ethnic (I'm also ethic.. so come come at me with the racist card) holiday, such as Diwali, Ramadan, lunar new year, end of financial year, so why not an actual day that the whole country can participate in!
This is what's so dumb though. Great point about participating in a day for all Australians, but really why does anyone care if Woolworth specifically stocks it or not? Plenty of other places do, if that's what you're after.
Even if you disagree with the political stance of 'not Jan 26', it's a little sad to stake your own political beliefs on whether or not a supermarket that doesn't give a damn about you stocks cheaply made disposable paraphernalia?
About this time last year at my local Coles I saw a very wide man wearing the Australian flag as a cape. Maybe he will have one less thing to whinge about now 😂
I don't buy any of it.
In previous years, before Woolworths stopped selling Australia Day merch due to cultural insensitivities, there was complaints the merch should be boycotted as it was all "cheap items made it China".
I believe Woolworths used the "culture wars" as an excuse for removing it as no one bought any of it.
Woolworths didn't use any excuse, they flat out said it was because no one was buying it. Kmart said they're not stocking it a year before due to inclusiveness and no one seemed to care.
A bunch of internet warriors (main one being Peter Dutton) decided to get angry about it and called to boycott Woolworths. That's the only reason it's back, not because it will sell but because they're prepared to take a hit on it to look more 'Strayan.
They took a gamble to play to identity politics, and it failed, then they backflipped and used declining sales as the umbrella excuse.
If it were due primarily to declining sales they would just cut the lines that aren't making money, and there would be no announcement required.
From article:
A Woolworths Group spokesperson confirmed there would be no additional Australia Day-themed merchandise sold across its supermarket or BIG W stores for the 2024 public holiday.
They cited a “gradual decline” in demand for the merchandise over the years and “broader discussion” about the January 26 date and “what it means” to different parts of the community
They took a gamble to play to identity politics, and it failed, then they backflipped and used declining sales as the umbrella excuse.
The article is from Jan 10th, before Australia day. How had it already failed before it began?
If it were due primarily to declining sales they would just cut the lines that aren't making money, and there would be no announcement required.
There wasn't an announcement. The media asked them and Woolworths confirmed it. Thus the use of the word "confirmed", the media went to them.
This is the actual press release they put out, two weeks later.
This year, however, they're out in force pandering, putting out press releases. The hilarious part is they're not even changing anything, the flags they always sold are now made in Australia, Woolworths will be selling "Australian food" (so… sausages and prawns?) and their marketplace will sell the same crap it always sold. But you're treating it as a backflip.
The article is from Jan 10th, before Australia day. How had it already failed before it began?
Because they've brought it back. The 10th of jan article states due to declining sales and broarder discussions re the 26th date. I.e identity politics. If it was due to declining demand alone they reduce the lines and no questions are asked.
There wasn't an announcement. The media asked them and Woolworths confirmed it. Thus the use of the word "confirmed", the media went to them
Because they culled the whole merchandise line in one hit to make a political statement.
This is the actual press release they put out(woolworthsgroup.com.au), two weeks later.
This year, however, they're out in force pandering(woolworthsgroup.com.au), putting out press releases. The hilarious part is they're not even changing anything, the flags they always sold are now made in Australia, Woolworths will be selling "Australian food" (so… sausages and prawns?) and their marketplace will sell the same crap it always sold. But you're treating it as a backflip.
Of course because they got it wrong, and lost punters. The article you posted literally says :
“broader discussion” about the January 26 date and “what it means” to different parts of the community.
I guess it would be nice to see what the spokesperson said in regards to the 10th Jan 2024 article
Where's the option for who gives a shit?
People politicising irrelevant crap. If they don't stock it there's a hundred other stores that do. There's serious cost of living issues and people are getting upset they can't buy a $1 cheap shitty flag at the supermarket.
Woolworth 2024: Oh yeah - let’s eradicate Australian celebration of history and culture in one day - one fell swoop!
Australians: !!!!!$&&)&(@@&$-@))!!! 😡😠
Woolworth’s 2025: haha sikes! (And scared shitless for their public perception)
Rightwingers trying to cancel people for making a commercial decision on what they sell. The same people who wail about personal responsibility and business autonomy. Ya can’t make this up. WCON.
In b4 "
LessAustralian branded Chinese made crap in landfill. Not exactly a bad thing."WRONG, according to the article: