One of Australia's biggest retailers has confirmed plans to scrap Australia Day merch before January 26.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
Woolworths and Big W confirmed plans to drop Australia Day merchandise, citing a decline in sales over recent years.
A Woolworths Group spokesperson confirmed while nothing will be available in physical stores, My Deal will continue to sell some Aussie-themed products online.
"While Australian flags are sold within BIG W all year round, we don't have any additional themed merchandise available to purchase in-store in our supermarkets or Big W ahead of Australia Day," a spokesperson said.
"There has been a gradual decline in demand for Australia Day merchandise from our stores over recent years.
At the same time there's been broader discussion about 26 January and what it means to different parts of the community."
All retails staff have been given the choice to work on Australia Day.
"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," a Woolworths spokesperson said.
"Woolworths and BIG W celebrate the best of Australia every day, and we're proud to support the farmers, producers, and suppliers who work with us."
The move followed Kmart's 2023 decision to drop Australia Day-specific merchandise from its stores in a bid to be more inclusive.
It comes amid ongoing debate about changing the controversial date of the national holiday.
The national date, long marred with controversy, has long been marked as "Invasion Day" and in recent years attracted mass protests in capital cities.
Some major employers have also opted to give workers the option of taking the national holiday on a different day.
In 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the federal government would make no moves to change the date, or make reparations payments to Indigenous Australians.
