Leslie Massey
Colloquially known as Woolies, Woolworths is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Group. Founded in 1924, Woolworths is currently Australia's largest supermarket chain with a market share of 32.5% as of 2023. Woolworths Group Limited is an Australian multinational retail and finance company, primarily known for the operation of its retail chain Woolworths Supermarkets across Australia, Woolworths in New Zealand, and its discount department store Big W. Woolworths Group is headquartered in Bella Vista, Sydney, and is the largest company in Australia by revenue and number of employees.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of company | Retail and finance company |
| Headquarters | Bella Vista, Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, George Creed and Ernest Williams |
| Year founded | 1924 |
| Area served | Australia and New Zealand |
| Number of employees | Largest in Australia |
| Revenue | Largest in Australia |
| Business divisions | Woolworths Supermarkets, Woolworths NZ, Woolworths at Work, Woolworths Metro, Woolworths MetroGo, Woolworths Financial Services & Insurance, MyDeal, PetCulture, HealthyLife, PFD Food Services, Cartology |
| Business partners | Bruce Mathieson, PetSure, OzHarvest, Quantium, Cellarmasters, Dick Smith Electronics, Australian Leisure and Hospitality Limited, Foodland Australia Limited, Ampol |
| Competitors | Coles Supermarkets |
| Regulatory issues | Fined for breaching spam laws, underpaying employees, misleading customers on discounts, and failing to unsubscribe customers from mailing lists |
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What You'll Learn
Woolworths Group
In recent years, Woolworths Group has continued to expand its business through various acquisitions and joint ventures. In 2020, Woolworths acquired a majority stake in foodservice distributor PFD Food Services. In the same year, Woolworths and PetSure launched a joint venture called PetCulture, an online business selling pet insurance, pet food, and pet-related products. Woolworths Group has also shown a commitment to social responsibility, becoming a national food rescue partner with Australian food rescue organisation OzHarvest in 2014.
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Woolworths NZ
Woolworths Group Limited is an Australian multinational retail and finance company, primarily known for its retail chain Woolworths Supermarkets across Australia. Woolworths, colloquially known as "Woolies", is an Australian-owned New Zealand full-service supermarket chain and subsidiary of Woolworths New Zealand, which is itself a subsidiary of Australia's Woolworths Group. Woolworths NZ is the second-largest grocery company in New Zealand, with 191 full-service supermarkets operating across the North and South Islands. Woolworths NZ also runs the following grocery store chains: Foodtown, Countdown, SuperValue, and FreshChoice.
In 2005, Woolworths Group re-entered the New Zealand market by purchasing the retailer Progressive Enterprises, which owned supermarket brands including Countdown. Woolworths Group had previously entered the New Zealand market in 1929. In 2006, Woolworths NZ was awarded the Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand. In 2020, Woolworths Group was found guilty of breaching spam laws in excess of 5 million times and failing to unsubscribe customers from their mailing lists when requested.
In 2022, Woolworths NZ established a wholesale business, New Zealand Grocery Wholesalers, following the release of a Commerce Commission report on competition in the New Zealand grocery sector. In 2023, Woolworths NZ announced the rebranding of all Countdown Supermarkets to Woolworths. In 2024, thousands of union-affiliated Woolworths NZ supermarket workers went on strike to demand better wages and working conditions. In 2025, criminal charges were filed against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading discounts.
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Woolworths Metro
Woolworths Group Limited, the owner of the supermarket chain Woolworths (colloquially known as "Woolies"), is an Australian multinational retail and finance company. Woolworths was founded in 1924 and is currently Australia's largest supermarket chain, with a market share of 32.5% as of 2023.
Metro is also the outlet for the rapid grocery and food delivery service Metro60, now rebranded as MilkRun. This service offers under-one-hour grocery deliveries from 500 locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and the Gold Coast.
Woolworths Group has diversified its business interests over time, expanding into liquor retailing, petrol retailing, electronics, and the hotel industry. The company has also established various own brands, including Macro Wholefoods Market, Delicious Nutritious, and The Odd Bunch. Woolworths has a presence in New Zealand through its Woolworths NZ flagship supermarket chain and has ventured into online businesses such as PetCulture and HealthyLife.
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Woolworths' history
Woolworths, or "Woolies" as it is colloquially known, is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Group. It was founded in 1924 and is currently Australia's largest supermarket chain with a market share of 32.5% as of 2023. Woolworths specialises in groceries, but also sells other products such as magazines, DVDs, health and beauty products, and household items.
The first Woolworths store, named "Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basement", was opened on 5 December 1924 in Sydney's Imperial Arcade. The company grew rapidly during the late 1920s and 1930s, despite the depression, and by 1933 it had 23 stores across Australia. Woolworths continued to expand after World War II and opened its 200th store in Canberra in 1955. In 1957, Woolworths began to diversify from variety retailing when it opened its first food store in Sydney.
In the 1960s, Woolworths began to focus on drinks retailing and acquired a store with a license to sell alcohol, leading to more license applications throughout the decade and the next. In 1964, the company opened its own Quality Assurance Laboratory to ensure the quality of its products. Woolworths introduced its first range of "Own Brands" in 1973, which were equal to or better in quality than market-leading brands.
In the 1980s, Woolworths expanded into electronics retailing, acquiring Dick Smith Electronics and two Tasmanian grocery brands: Roelf Vos and Purity. In 1985, Woolworths acquired all 126 Australian stores of American supermarket giant Safeway, which had been operating in Australia since 1962/1963. In 1987, Woolworths launched the "Fresh Food People" campaign to promote its focus on fresh foods, which remains a key selling point today.
In 1993, Woolworths was floated on the Australian Securities Exchange in the biggest initial public share offering in Australia's history at the time. The company continued to diversify its business and expand its portfolio in the late 1990s and early 2000s, entering the petrol retailing market, expanding its liquor retailing with the acquisition of Dan Murphy's, and establishing the smaller format liquor retailing chain BWS. Woolworths also ventured into hotel operations in 2004, acquiring a majority stake in the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH).
In the 2010s, Woolworths continued to grow and innovate, launching new brands and acquiring new businesses. In 2011, Woolworths acquired Cellarmasters, a large direct wine marketer. In 2014, Woolworths became a national food rescue partner with OzHarvest, Australia's leading food rescue organisation. Woolworths also launched its online marketplace, Everyday Market, in 2018, and acquired Milkrun, a fast grocery delivery startup, in 2023.
Throughout its history, Woolworths has faced some scrutiny and legal issues. In 2019, it was found to have underpaid thousands of its employees by up to 300 million dollars over a period of several years. In 2020, Woolworths was fined for breaching spam laws and failing to unsubscribe customers from mailing lists when requested. In 2023, Woolworths and Coles Supermarkets were accused of price gouging and misleading customers on discounts. Despite these controversies, Woolworths remains a prominent and influential company in Australia, with a significant market share and a diverse range of retail brands.
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Woolworths' acquisitions
Woolworths Group Limited, the Australian multinational retail and finance company, has made several acquisitions over the years as part of its business expansion strategy. Woolworths, founded in 1924, is Australia's largest supermarket chain, with a market share of 32.5% as of 2023.
One of Woolworths' notable acquisitions was in 1985 when they acquired all 126 Australian stores of American Safeway Inc., which had been operating in Australia since 1963. The following year, Woolworths rebranded its Victorian supermarkets with the Safeway look, marking its entry into the Australian market.
In 1981, Woolworths acquired 60% of Dick Smith Electronics, with the remaining 40% acquired in 1983. In 2001, they added Tandy to the Dick Smiths Electronics Division, expanding their consumer electronics retail interests.
Woolworths also entered the petrol retailing market in 1996 with wholly-owned "Plus Petrol" outlets. They expanded their liquor retailing portfolio by acquiring Dan Murphy's liquor barn stores in 1998 and establishing the smaller format liquor retailing chain BWS in 2001.
In 2004, Woolworths moved into the hotel industry by acquiring 75% of the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) and later expanded its portfolio to 250 hotels by acquiring the Taverner Hotel Group in 2005.
In 2020, Woolworths expanded into the business-to-business wholesale market by acquiring a 65% stake in foodservice distributor PFD Food Services.
Woolworths has also made acquisitions in the online grocery and e-commerce sectors, including the online marketplace MyDeal in September 2022 and a joint venture with PetSure called PetCulture in September 2020.
Woolworths' most recent acquisition was in January 2025, when they acquired a 100% stake in Beak & Johnston, a brand of frozen convenience foods.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Woolies, or Woolworths, is Australian-owned. Woolworths Group Limited is an Australian multinational retail and finance company.
Woolworths was founded in 1924 in Sydney, Australia.
As of 2023, Woolworths is Australia's largest supermarket chain with a market share of 32.5%.
Woolworths specialises in groceries (vegetables, fruit, meat, packaged foods, etc.), but also sells magazines, DVDs, health and beauty products, household products, pet and baby supplies, and stationery.
Woolworths owns other brands such as BWS and Dan Murphy's liquor stores, Woolworths Metro, Woolworths Financial Services, and PetCulture.
