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Woolies holds onto to $19 billion in sales after Ooshies craze
Australia's biggest supermarket chain has reported another rise in sales since its successful Ooshies promotion.
- Supermarket giant Woolworths has reported $19.4 billion worth of sales, a jump of 4.7 per cent, in the first quarter.
- Woolworths said it was maintaining strong numbers from its recent “Ooshie collectable range” over winter.
- The upcoming Christmas period is a boom time for supermarkets as households over-spend on food for th festive season.
Australia’s biggest supermarket chain has reported another rise in sales since its successful collectable figurine promotion, as it heads into the lucrative Christmas holiday period.
Woolworths, which operates more than 1,000 grocery stores across the nation, posted a 4.7 per cent rise in sales to $19.4 billion for the three months to October 4.
Most of that growth was driven by its home market, where Australian food sales rose by almost seven per cent to $14.8 billion, compared to the same period in the prior financial year.
“Sales growth in Australia is broadly in line with the first quarter post Ooshies trading, and we are well positioned for the key Christmas holiday period,” chief executive Amanda Bardwell said on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, Woolworths launched an Ooshies promotion of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars figures, giving shoppers a squishy rubber figure for each $30 spent.
The marketing effort helped drive sales when it ran from mid-July to early August and attracted new customers.
However, Woolworths, which is valued at $49.9 billion and about $17 billion more than its major rival Coles, said the cost of living crisis continued to hurt its customers.
“We recognise that many of our customers remain under significant pressure and we are committed to making Christmas special,” Ms Bardwell said.
In August, Woolworths reported a 2025/26 annual net profit of $1.1 billion, up 18 per cent on the year before.
Topics: money, Supermarkets, Woolworths