Aldi has joined Woolworths in deciding not to sell Australia Day merchandise prior to the national holiday, which marks the arrival of the First Fleet on Jan. 26, 1788. The supermarket giants will not carry themed items such as thongs this year, although they have offered such products in previous years.
This decision is in line with a broader industry trend as both major retailers respond to evolving perspectives on Australia Day. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has encouraged shoppers to boycott Woolworths over the decision not to sell themed merchandise in over a thousand stores and more than 150 Big Ws nationwide. Dutton also called for Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci to reverse the decision.
The government has criticized Dutton for “always” attempting to initiate a culture war. Cabinet minister Murray Watt said that the Liberal leader is out of touch with the concerns of regular Australians who are dealing with cost of living pressures and high food prices.
Federal Labor has pledged to lower grocery prices and appointed former Labor Minister Craig Emerson to lead a review of the current code of conduct for the food and grocery industry. Meanwhile, Greens Senator Nick McKim alleged that Coles and Woolworths made billions in profits through price gouging in a living cost crisis. Nationals frontbencher Barnaby Joyce said that Woolworths should focus on reducing prices to help Australians.
Woolworths has explained that their primary focus is providing customers with diverse food and produce for all occasions, including Australia Day, as food constitutes the core of their grocery business. Meanwhile, Coles is stocking a limited range of Australian-themed summer merchandise throughout January, which is popular with customers for sporting events such as the cricket and tennis, as well as for the Australia Day weekend.
Finally, the national date of January 26 has been a topic of controversy and is often labeled “Invasion Day.” Some major employers now allow workers to take a day off on an alternative date, and in previous years, Woolworths allowed office teams to choose not to work on the day. However, Woolworths clarified that retail teams can choose to work on the day if scheduled, following the policy for all public holidays. Other teams in support offices will observe the public holiday.