Aussie family said they will ‘think twice’ before shopping at Woolies

Australians have expressed that they will “think twice” before making a purchase at a large chain of stores after it decided to stop carrying merchandise for Australia Day.
Australia Day products is being boycotted by two of the nation’s largest stores, sparking a contentious discussion around the country.

Woolworths declared on Wednesday that it would not be carrying Australian-themed merchandise this year, citing a drop in sales and a “broader discussion” regarding the varying interpretations of the holiday.

Aldi announced on Thursday that it will likewise stop carrying Australia Day merchandise, following suit.

Many Australians believe January 26 is a day to commemorate the nation and are incensed over the changes.

Nonetheless, the controversial date is seen as a day of grief rather than celebration by a large number of Australians, including First Nations people.

NCA NewsWire went to the streets to find out what the general public in Australia thought about these changes.
The Australian Family as a Whole

A family from Cronulla was beaming as they talked about what it was like to become citizens of Australia on January 26, 2000.

Russell and Marcia Harte, husband and wife, remarked that Australia Day is a memorable day for their family since it’s a big turning point in their lives.

In the year 2000, we left South Africa. That same year, William, my son, was born. I will always find significance in it, Ms. Harte declared.
Following the birth of their 23-year-old son, William Harte, Ms. Harte claimed that Australia offered her and her family a “new lease on life.”

“We celebrate Australia Day very specially, and I will always be grateful that they [Australia] allowed my family and I to live in this wonderful country,” the woman said.

The Harte family noted that celebrating Australia Day together with loved ones is their way of saying “thank you” for this “wonderful country.”

“The purpose of the day is to honour families. It’s how people in Australia express gratitude,” Ms. Harte explained.

After learning that Woolworths had decided not to carry anything on Australia Day, the couple expressed concern that their family’s future shopping habits may be affected by the supermarket’s decision.

She remarked, “I would have given it more thought before coming here to shop today if I had known earlier.”

“I was annoyed at hearing the news, they are a South African owned company!” concurred Russell Harte, the husband.

The frugal retiree

Little Bay resident Leanne Hall, 62, said Woolworth’s decision wouldn’t significantly impact her family or her shopping preferences.

“In my opinion, there are more important things to concentrate on; there are a lot of issues going on,” she stated.

Ms. Hall stated that she doesn’t particularly celebrate Australia Day, so she doesn’t care that the company decided not to offer merchandise for the occasion.

Ms. Hall declared that even if the “merch” was for sale, she would not purchase it.
She said, “All those things just end up in landfills.”

Rather, she opts to give priority to eco-friendly shopping and purchases of used goods wherever feasible.

Concerns about “one-time use” things winding up in landfills are not unique to Ms. Hall.

On Friday, Zali Steggall stated on the Today Show that of the 67 million tonnes of waste produced annually in Australia, only thirty-seven percent is recycled.

“Do we really need more Chinese-made plastic garbage that will only last a day before ending up in a landfill?” the woman questioned.

Peter Dutton was then criticised by Ms. Steggall for his remarks, which she said were intended purely to “create division and looking for a headline.”

Rather than focusing on this, Ms. Steggall said policy makers have to pay attention to Australia’s hard-working warriors.

“Putting food on the table is the most essential thing when we talk about Australian values. So let’s discuss the big supermarket’s pricing gouging,” she remarked.

Struggling Small Company Owner

Although Simon Fowler, 39, of Paddington, owns a small business called “Simon says Juice,” he finds the change “refreshing” despite believing the large grocery chain was only attempting to “placate the public.”

He stated, “Look, it’s a step in the right direction.”

“They [big companies] are afraid to offend anyone and are just trying to appease people.”
Since launching his sustainable juice business ten years ago, Mr. Fowler claims to have spent a significant amount of time getting to know the people in his neighbourhood and to have a good understanding of their needs.

At most, one day a year is spent using these things. After that, they wind up in a landfill, he claimed.

Mr. Fowler eventually welcomed the change, believing that big business is simply exploiting these sales to tap into “people’s core beliefs” to promote a product.

The Common Australian Boomer

Film producer Michael Cook, who is headquartered in Victoria, questioned the decision of the major merchants to not stock some things, stating, “Why not sell it?”

The 72-year-old Daleford, Victoria resident expressed his opinion that the choice was “pretty lousy.”

“We may disagree on the date, but it’s still a celebration today,” he remarked.
Workers in Blue Collar Jobs

Ashley Myatt, a 33-year-old lift mechanic from Croydon, claimed that Woolworths has been disconnected from Australia for some time and that the company’s new action is just one more illustration of its bad decision-making.

He stated, “They aren’t supporting Aussie brands or produce, even though they are supposed to be the ‘all Australian’ supermarket and they always feature Australian farmers in their ads.”
Not all major retailers have chosen to discontinue carrying the merchandise, including Woolworths.

Kmart declared in 2023 that it would stop selling Australia Day goods in all of its locations.

But Coles has stated that it will still sell a “small range” of goods in 2024; it will just rename them as “Australia Day entertaining merchandise.”

A Woolworths Group representative said, “We know many people like to use this day as a time to get together and we offer a huge variety of products to help customers mark the day as they choose.”

Peter Dutton, one of the opposition leaders, suggested that consumers boycott Woolworths until the business changes its ways.

“I would strongly suggest that you move your company elsewhere…He stated, “I don’t think the public should support them.”