Woolworths Limited
Encyclopedia
Woolworths Limited is a major Australia
n company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand
. It is the:
(PEL) runs the following supermarket chains:
PEL also operates internet grocery stores in the name of Woolworths Home Shopping and Foodtown Online.
Tata Group ends deal with Woolworths. According to the report in The Economic Times of India, Woolworths was surprised that the deal had a time limit on it.
Woolworths opened its first store, the Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basement, in the old Her Majesty's Arcade Pitt Street, Sydney
, where Centrepoint now stands, on 5 December 1924. Its nominal capital was just £25,000 and although 15,000 shares were offered to the public, only 11,707 shares were subscribed for by 29 people, including the five founders – Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, George Creed and Ernest Williams. One of the foundation investors was Preston Lanchester Gowing, the then chairman of Gowings
. The name on the draft prospectus drawn up by Cecil Scott Waine was "Wallworths Bazaar" – a play on the F.W. Woolworth name (the owner of the Woolworth's chain in the United States and United Kingdom). However, according to Ernest Robert Williams, Percy Christmas dared him to register the name Woolworths instead, which he succeeded in doing after finding out the name was available for use in New South Wales
. Accordingly, Woolworths Ltd in Australia has no connection with the F.W. Woolworth Company in the United States.
The new Woolworths store was innovative; it was the first variety store in the world to use cash registers that print receipts for customers.
Christmas set up a New Zealand general merchandise operation in Wellington in 1929. Woolworths New Zealand opened its first food store in Auckland in 1956, and supermarkets in 1971. Woolworths New Zealand was sold to the company that is now Lion Nathan in 1979, then sold to Dairy Farm International in 1990, now owned by Progressive Enterprises
, a subsidiary of Foodland Associated Limited of Australia. In 2005 Woolworths Limited and Metcash Holdings (IGA
) agreed to purchase a demerged Foodland, and Progressive Enterprises
and 23 of Foodland's Action supermarkets came under Woolworths' ownership. This acquisition brought total store numbers in Australia to near 750.
During the late 1920s the company grew, with a second store in Sydney and stores in Brisbane
and Perth
. It grew further in the 1930s, despite the depression, until by the end of 1933 it had 23 stores. In 1933 the first store in Melbourne
was opened. On 1 April 1936 the company bought eight stores from Edments Ltd and opened its first store in Adelaide
.
World War II
slowed the growth of Woolworths and the Australian and United States military used Woolworths' warehouses in Sydney for storage. After the war expansion was rapid and in 1955 Woolworths opened its 200th store, in the Civic Centre in Canberra
(since closed). At this point Woolworths was still mainly a variety chain and had not moved into the food sector that uses the "Woolworths" brand today. This move began in 1955 when it opened its first supermarket at Beverly Hills, south-west of Sydney. The company bought the Rockmans chain of women's clothing stores in 1960.
In the 1970s, the company started to open Big W discount department stores and the slow removal of many variety products from the supermarket and variety stores began. This process finished in 1989 when the last of the Woolworths Variety stores was closed (except the one in Rundle Mall) and the "Family Centres" were split into separate Big W and Woolworths supermarket stores. Woolworths acquired the Dick Smith Electronics consumer electronics chain in 1981 and expanded the consumer electronics arm of its business with the purchase of the Tandy chain in Australia from InterTan Inc in 2001. The company sold the Rockmans chain in 2000.
In 1985 the acquisition of the 126 Safeway stores in eastern Australia made Woolworths the largest food retailer in Australia. Safeway stores were in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and included Food Barns in Queensland and northern New South Wales. The stores were acquired following an agreement whereby Safeway acquired a 19.99% interest in Woolworths Limited. Woolworths and Safeway supermarkets in Victoria traded under the Safeway brand, and Safeway's Food Barns in Queensland and New South Wales became part of Woolworths.
Around this time the supermarket chain had run eight small supermarket chains including the Queensland-based Food For Less
and the Sydney-based Flemings, both of which survive.
In 1989 the company was acquired by Industrial Equity Limited and was a wholly owned subsidiary until 1993, when it was floated in the biggest share sale (at that time) in Australia's history.
In 1996 Woolworths entered the petrol market, initially with wholly owned "Plus Petrol" outlets located in shopping centre parking lots. In 2004, as part of a loyalty program aimed at attracting customers to supermarkets through the lure of four cent a litre discounts, Woolworths entered into an agreement with Caltex to co-brand some Caltex outlets as Caltex Woolworths. These joint venture outlets are supplied with fuel by Caltex and with groceries by Woolworths, and accept Woolworths cards and discount dockets.
In 1999, Woolworths began a joint venture with the Commonwealth Bank called Woolworths Ezy Banking, but was scaled back by 2006. In 2005 the company reached an agreement with the ANZ Banking Group to install ATMs at Woolworths locations. Additionally, by 2008 it had invested in financial services infrastructure and expertise, building a team of 50 staff for this purpose.
In 1997 Woolworths opened its first Metro convenience store, in Sydney
, converting their premier variety store for 32 years to this format with the lower ground floor specialising in a large range of ‘prepared meals’ to cater for the increasing numbers of city dwellers. Subsequent stores opened in Coogee
, Boronia Park
and West Pennant Hills in Sydney and Ascot
in Brisbane
. Stores that have since been sold or re-branded are Newtown
, Waterloo
and its Sydney city store (all in Sydney).
Woolworths started to expand into liquor businesses with the acquisition of Dan Murphy's
in 1998. By 2001, the BWS
chain had been established. With Queensland
licensing laws dictating that retail outlets must be operated by a hotelier, Woolworths moved into the hotel industry in 2005 in a joint venture with experienced hotel operator Bruce Mathieson, purchasing hotelier Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH). Later in 2005 the ALH Group expanded its portfolio to 250 hotels by acquiring the Taverner Hotel Group and the Bruce Mathieson Group. The ALH Group is 25% owned by Bruce Mathieson and 75% owned by Woolworths. Statistics provided during the acquisition of the Taverner group showed that over one third of sales are made up of gaming/poker machine takings. The number of poker machines owned by Woolworths and Bruce Mathieson after ALH acquisitions was 10,722.
In 2006 the company had three major events:
In 2006, Woolworths rolled out new Retalix point of sale
systems running on IBM
POS hardware with LCD
touchscreens throughout all its stores.
In August 2007 Woolworths announced that it was planning to launch a general purpose credit card in 2008. It is expected to offer credit cardholders reward vouchers redeemable through its store network. HSBC
was subsequently named as its credit card partner. Woolworths subsequently announced that the Woolworths Everyday Money MasterCard would be launched on 26 August 2008 and allows customers to earn shopping cards redeemable at Woolworths group retailers. It was suggested Woolworths could earn approximately $20m from credit cards in three years and that it was targeting 100,000 to 150,000 cardholders in the first year.
Into 2008, a Wake Up Woolworths campaign, largely funded by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
, was pushing Woolworths to sever its relationship with Asia Pulp & Paper over claims of deforestation of Indonesian rainforests. Asia Pulp & Paper supplies Woolworths' Select Brand tissue products.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is the:
- largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales
- largest food retailer in Australia and the second largest in New Zealand
- largest takeaway liquor retailer in Australia
- largest hotel and poker machine operator in Australia
- 19th largest retailer in the world (may change from time to time)
Supermarkets
- Woolworths – The company's premier supermarket chain, which operates in every Australian state and territory. The supermarkets are often colloquially known as "Woolies" and have used the slogan 'The Fresh Food People' since 1987.
- Woolworths online (Homeshop) – An online Woolworths supermarket store. Homeshop allows users to purchase their groceries online and have them delivered to their front door. The groceries are packed in special warehouses located around the country specific for homeshop.
- SafewaySafeway (Australia)Safeway was the trading name used by Woolworths Limited until 2008 for its supermarkets in Victoria, Australia. Elsewhere in Australia the trading name is Woolworths. In August 2008, Woolworths announced the discontinuation of the Safeway name, and has since gradually rebranded Victorian stores as...
– In 1985 Woolworths Limited acquired Safeway and used it as the trading name for Woolworths supermarkets in Victoria. In August 2008, Woolworths announced it would be rebranding these stores as Woolworths. As at December 2008 Safeway remained by far the dominant brand in Victoria, with only a handful of Woolworths' branded stores. However the Woolworths brand will be slowly rolled out throughout Victoria as the stores are refurbished. - Food For LessFood For LessFood For Less is an Australian discount supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Limited. It was originally established in Queensland, where a discount 'food barn' chain operating as "Jack the Slasher" was acquired by Woolworths in the early 1980s...
– Discount supermarket chain located in Queensland and New South Wales. Rumored to be rebranded to Woolworths over time as stores are refurbished. - FlemingsFlemings (supermarkets)Flemings is a chain of supermarkets in Sydney, Australia. The chain is owned by Woolworths Limited and only two supermarkets still trade under the Flemings brand name. Internally they are known as Woolworths, feature the same marketing materials and carry the same home brand products. The remaining...
– Group of four supermarkets located in Sydney and the Central Coast (the remnants of a chain purchased in the 1960s). Rumored to be rebranded to Woolworths over time as stores are refurbished. - Thomas Dux GrocerThomas Dux GrocerThomas Dux is a chain of gourmet grocery stores launched by Woolworths in 2008..In May 2009, Woolworths announced the acquisition of up to nine store leases from Macro Wholefoods with the intention to rebadge the stores. The first of the rebadged stores opened in August 2009.-Current stores:-Future...
– Upmarket supermarket / deli chain launched in 2008 - Macro Wholefoods Market – Organic Food and produce chain, purchased in 2009 and due to be rebranded to Thomas Dux GrocerThomas Dux GrocerThomas Dux is a chain of gourmet grocery stores launched by Woolworths in 2008..In May 2009, Woolworths announced the acquisition of up to nine store leases from Macro Wholefoods with the intention to rebadge the stores. The first of the rebadged stores opened in August 2009.-Current stores:-Future...
. The Macro Wholefoods branded organic products (100 line items) will be sold through Woolworths and Thomas Dux GrocerThomas Dux GrocerThomas Dux is a chain of gourmet grocery stores launched by Woolworths in 2008..In May 2009, Woolworths announced the acquisition of up to nine store leases from Macro Wholefoods with the intention to rebadge the stores. The first of the rebadged stores opened in August 2009.-Current stores:-Future...
.
Liquor
- Safeway Liquor – A department of Safeway supermarket stores.
- BWSBWSBWS may mean:* BWS , an Australian liquor retailer, owned by Woolworths Limited* BWS Financial, an independent stock research firm* Barry Windsor-Smith, a British cartoonist, comics-author, and painter...
– (Beer Wine Spirits) Liquor stores located away from the company's supermarkets. - Dan Murphy'sDan Murphy'sDan Murphy's is an Australian big box liquor supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Limited, who also owns BWS, another liquor chain with smaller stores.-History:...
– Large liquor barns often referred to as Liquor Supermarkets. Dan Murphy's is one of the company's best growth performers, with plans for up to 100 stores (from the current 55) to exist within the next 2–3 years. - Woolworths Liquor – A department of Woolworths supermarket stores. They are not located in QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, as State law there prohibits liquor sales at supermarkets. These stores were formerly known as "Mac's Liquor". - Cellarmasters
Hotels
- ALH Group – Hotel and Poker Machine operator, which is 75% owned by Woolworths Limited.
Petrol
- Caltex Woolworths/Safeway – Petrol stations located both free standing and adjacent to Woolworths and Safeway supermarkets
General merchandise
- Big WBig WBig W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
– Discount Department Store chain, which sell a wide range of general merchandise. BIG W represents about 8% of group sales and reputedly has aggressive expansion plans compared with competitors Kmart and TargetTarget (Australia)Target Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian department store chain owned by Wesfarmers . It operates 172 Target stores and 119 Target Country stores making 291 combined stores with its head office located in North Geelong, Victoria. It sells clothing, cosmetics, toys, homewares, electrical and...
.
Consumer electronics
- Dick Smith – Sell a wide range of consumer goods such as computer products. (Formerly 'Dick Smith Electronics')
- Dick Smith Large – Larger Dick Smith stores with a focus on consumer entertainment products (Formerly 'Dick Smith Powerhouse').
- TandyTandy (Australia)Tandy was an electronics retailer in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Tandy was originally founded in the United States in 1950 as Tandy Leather Company. In 1963, Tandy changed its business to electronics when it acquired control of RadioShack, a forty year old electronics business...
– Similar to Dick Smith Electronics stores, but smaller and lacking the hobbyist components (Tandy brand is being phased out, becoming smaller Dick Smith stores).
Everyday Services
- Everyday RewardsEveryday Rewards (Australia)Everyday Rewards is an Australian loyalty program operated by Woolworths Ltd, operator of Woolworths supermarkets. Earned fuel saving offers are stored electronically on the Everyday Rewards card, thus eliminating the need for shoppers to retain paper coupons previously used for this purpose. Fuel...
– Loyalty program offering customers fuel saving offers, QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
Frequent Flyer points, and personalised shopping offers. As of February 2010, there were 4.6 million Everyday Rewards cards registered, with 2.1 million linked with Qantas Frequent Flyer memberships. - Everyday Money – First product is the Everyday Money Credit Card. Points are earned for purchases made at Woolworths Limited stores, points are converted to shopping vouchers. Second product launched in June 2010 is the Everyday Money Prepaid MasterCard.
- Everyday Mobile – Pre-paid mobile service running on the OptusOptusSingTel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications...
network – $2 SIM cards are purchased in stores and recharge is available in store or online.
Home Improvement
- Masters Home ImprovementMasters Home ImprovementMasters Home Improvement is the trading name of an Australian Home Improvement chain, operated by a joint venture between Australian Retailer Woolworths Limited and Mooresville, North Carolina based hardware chain, Lowe's...
– In 2009, Woolworths announced a joint venture with US home improvement retailer Lowe'sLowe'sLowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
to enter the home improvement market. Based on documents submitted to the government, Woolworths' hardware chain will be named Masters. This was confirmed on 2 May 2011. The first store will be located in BraybrookBraybrookBraybrook or Braybrooke may refer to:* Baron Braybrooke* Braybrooke, a village in Northamptonshire, England* Braybrooke, an electoral ward of Hastings, England* Braybrook, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, Victoria and is scheduled to open in September 2011. Springfield Central, Queensland is also scheduled to open in late 2011. As of November 2011, they have opened 5 stores, 18 more under construction and plans to take it to 150 sites in 5 years.
Progressive Enterprises
Progressive EnterprisesProgressive Enterprises
Progressive Enterprises Limited is an Australian owned company operating in New Zealand, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited....
(PEL) runs the following supermarket chains:
- CountdownCountdown (supermarket)Countdown is a New Zealand full-service supermarket chain, owned by Woolworths Limited. Founded in 1981, Countdown is now the flagship brand of Progressive Enterprises, Woolworths' New Zealand supermarket subsidiary, with 133 supermarkets across New Zealand...
– Progressive Enterprises' and Woolworths' New Zealand flagship supermarket chain – 104 full-service discount supermarkets, operating across the North and South Islands of New Zealand.- WoolworthsWoolworths Supermarkets (New Zealand)Woolworths is a New Zealand supermarket chain and a unit of Woolworths Limited.- 1929 - 1979 Woolworths :Founded in 1929 by Percy Christmas, the chain was separated from the parent company Woolworths Limited in Australia and was called Woolworths New Zealand...
– 28 full-service supermarkets, operating across the North Island of New Zealand, plus Waiheke IslandWaiheke IslandWaiheke Island is an island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, located about from Auckland.The island is the second-largest in the Hauraki Gulf after Great Barrier Island. It is the most populated, with nearly 8,000 permanent residents plus another estimated 3,400 who have second or holiday homes...
– all stores rebranding to Countdown by late 2012. - FoodtownFoodtown| area_served =| key_people =| industry = Retail| products =| services =| market cap =| revenue =| operating_income =| net_income =| assets =| equity =| owner =...
– 20 full-service supermarkets, operating in Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga – all stores rebranding to Countdown by late 2012.
- Woolworths
- SuperValueSuperValueSuperValue is a supermarket chain store in New Zealand founded in the 1960s. Along with supermarket chain FreshChoice, it is franchised by Wholesale Distributors Limited, a division of Progressive Enterprises Ltd which is owned by Woolworths Limited....
– franchised convenience supermarket - Freshchoice – franchised full-service supermarket
- Woolworths @ Gull – 22 Woolworths Quickstop and Woolworths Micro convenience supermarkets, operating in the North Island on Gull PetroleumGull PetroleumGull Petroleum is a Perth, Western Australian based petroleum company, which retails fuel in Western Australia and New Zealand....
fuel sites.
PEL also operates internet grocery stores in the name of Woolworths Home Shopping and Foodtown Online.
Dick Smith Electronics NZ
- Dick Smith ElectronicsDick Smith ElectronicsDick Smith is an international electronics retailer, founded in 1968 by Richard "Dick" Smith. Today, it is a subsidiary of Woolworths Limited, incorporating Tandy, and the remaining Dick Smith Powerhouse Stores...
– sell a wide range of hobby electronic products and consumer goods such as computer products. - Dick Smith Powerhouse – Large stores with a focus on consumer entertainment products.
India
- Croma/Tata Group Venture – In 2006 Woolworths and the Tata GroupTata GroupTata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
of IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
announced an electronics retailing venture on the subcontinent. Due to the legal framework, foreign companies are prevented from operating retail businesses in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Due to this, Woolworths will act as a wholesaler to the Tata GroupTata GroupTata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
. The stores are based on the Dick Smith Powerhouse format.
Tata Group ends deal with Woolworths. According to the report in The Economic Times of India, Woolworths was surprised that the deal had a time limit on it.
Former chains and brands
- Woolworths Food Fair – The name given to the company's growing food-retailing interests in the 1960s to differentiate them from the variety-based stores. This name was absorbed when the decision was made to use the original Woolworths name for the company's food stores and supermarkets instead of its variety stores.
- Woolworths Variety – The name given to the company's traditional variety stores to differentiate them from the company's food-retailing interests, when the decision was made to use the original Woolworths name for the company's food stores and supermarkets instead of its variety stores. These variety stores were progressively divested as Woolworths focused on food retailing and developed large-scale discount department stores.
- Woolworths Family Centre – Woolworths opened its first hypermarketHypermarketIn commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
at BoovalBooval, QueenslandBooval is a suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, containing both residential and commercial areas.Booval straddles Brisbane Rd, the main arterial link to the Ipswich Motorway. The Booval Fair shopping centre, located on Brisbane Rd, contains a number of major chain stores, including Woolworths...
near Ipswich, QueenslandIpswich, QueenslandIpswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
in November 1969 under the Big WBig WBig W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
name. A second hypermarket was opened in 1970 in IndooroopillyIndooroopilly, QueenslandIndooroopilly is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia which is located 7 km west of the Brisbane central business district.- Name derivation and history :...
, BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, under the Woolworths Family Centre name. The early popularity of these stores led to Woolworths establishing hypermarkets around Australia using the Woolworths Family Centre name. However the concept failed to perform, and the hypermarkets were re-established as separated WoolworthsWoolworths (supermarkets)Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Woolworths Limited was founded in 1924, with the first store opening up in Sydney's Imperial Arcade.-2008 rebranding:...
supermarkets and Big WBig WBig W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
discount department stores in the late 1970s to early 1980s. - Crazy PricesCrazy PricesCrazy Prices was a supermarket chain operating in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland formerly owned by Associated British Foods...
– A variety store chain that sold discounted merchandise. These stores were sold to (and formed part of) rival Go-LoGo-LoGo-Lo is a chain of Australian discount variety stores with hundreds of stores throughout Australia. It is part of the largest discount retailer group in Australia. It is owned by Jan Cameron's Retail Adventures along with Sam's Warehouse, Crazy Clark's and Chickenfeed stores. The company was sold...
in 2001, although the last store with Crazy Prices branding didn't close until 2005 in Port Macquarie. Its slogan was "The Bargains are Better". - Rockmans – Women's clothing retailer acquired by the group in 1960 and was a major operating division until its sale in 2000.
- Woolworths Plus Petrol – The original name of the petrol sites owned by Woolworths before the joint venture with CaltexCaltexCaltex is a petroleum brand name of Chevron Corporation used in more than 60 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and southern Africa.-History:...
. - Woolworths Metro – Inner-urban convenience stores located in the key metropolitan areas of Sydney and Brisbane selling a range of pre-prepared meals for the 'time poor' customer. Woolworths Metro was also the name of Woolworths' flagship five-storey store at Town Hall in Sydney until 2003 when it reverted back to the Woolworths supermarket brand.
- Roelf VosRoelf VosRoelf Vos was a wealthy Tasmanian businessman who, amongst other achievements, established a supermarket chain carrying his name initially in Launceston, but later expanded throughout the whole of northern Tasmania. The equivalent in the south of the state was Purity Supermarkets.Vos initially...
and PurityPurityPurity is the absence of impurity or contaminants in a substance or abstinence from vices in human character.Purity may also refer to:*Purity , an indication of the amount of other gases in a particular gas...
supermarkets – Two Tasmanian supermarkets located in the north and south respectively. Bought out by Woolworths (Purity in 1981 and Roelf Vos in 1982) however they continued to trade under these names until being rebranded as Woolworths in 2000. The stores adopted the standard Woolworths look and feel of their mainland counterparts but with the 'Purity' or 'Roelf Vos' text in the logo in place of Woolworths.
History
Pitt Street, Sydney
Pitt Street is a major street in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, although today's street is in two disjointed sections after a substantial stretch of it was removed to make way for Sydney's...
, where Centrepoint now stands, on 5 December 1924. Its nominal capital was just £25,000 and although 15,000 shares were offered to the public, only 11,707 shares were subscribed for by 29 people, including the five founders – Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, George Creed and Ernest Williams. One of the foundation investors was Preston Lanchester Gowing, the then chairman of Gowings
Gowings
Gowings was a department store chain in Sydney, Australia, established in 1868. It specialised in men's casual clothing, camping gear and novelty items....
. The name on the draft prospectus drawn up by Cecil Scott Waine was "Wallworths Bazaar" – a play on the F.W. Woolworth name (the owner of the Woolworth's chain in the United States and United Kingdom). However, according to Ernest Robert Williams, Percy Christmas dared him to register the name Woolworths instead, which he succeeded in doing after finding out the name was available for use in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Accordingly, Woolworths Ltd in Australia has no connection with the F.W. Woolworth Company in the United States.
The new Woolworths store was innovative; it was the first variety store in the world to use cash registers that print receipts for customers.
Christmas set up a New Zealand general merchandise operation in Wellington in 1929. Woolworths New Zealand opened its first food store in Auckland in 1956, and supermarkets in 1971. Woolworths New Zealand was sold to the company that is now Lion Nathan in 1979, then sold to Dairy Farm International in 1990, now owned by Progressive Enterprises
Progressive Enterprises
Progressive Enterprises Limited is an Australian owned company operating in New Zealand, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited....
, a subsidiary of Foodland Associated Limited of Australia. In 2005 Woolworths Limited and Metcash Holdings (IGA
IGA (Australian supermarket group)
Independent Grocers of Australia, or IGA, is a chain of independent supermarkets in Australia. It is the local variant of the international Independent Grocers Association...
) agreed to purchase a demerged Foodland, and Progressive Enterprises
Progressive Enterprises
Progressive Enterprises Limited is an Australian owned company operating in New Zealand, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited....
and 23 of Foodland's Action supermarkets came under Woolworths' ownership. This acquisition brought total store numbers in Australia to near 750.
During the late 1920s the company grew, with a second store in Sydney and stores in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. It grew further in the 1930s, despite the depression, until by the end of 1933 it had 23 stores. In 1933 the first store in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
was opened. On 1 April 1936 the company bought eight stores from Edments Ltd and opened its first store in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
slowed the growth of Woolworths and the Australian and United States military used Woolworths' warehouses in Sydney for storage. After the war expansion was rapid and in 1955 Woolworths opened its 200th store, in the Civic Centre in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
(since closed). At this point Woolworths was still mainly a variety chain and had not moved into the food sector that uses the "Woolworths" brand today. This move began in 1955 when it opened its first supermarket at Beverly Hills, south-west of Sydney. The company bought the Rockmans chain of women's clothing stores in 1960.
In the 1970s, the company started to open Big W discount department stores and the slow removal of many variety products from the supermarket and variety stores began. This process finished in 1989 when the last of the Woolworths Variety stores was closed (except the one in Rundle Mall) and the "Family Centres" were split into separate Big W and Woolworths supermarket stores. Woolworths acquired the Dick Smith Electronics consumer electronics chain in 1981 and expanded the consumer electronics arm of its business with the purchase of the Tandy chain in Australia from InterTan Inc in 2001. The company sold the Rockmans chain in 2000.
In 1985 the acquisition of the 126 Safeway stores in eastern Australia made Woolworths the largest food retailer in Australia. Safeway stores were in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and included Food Barns in Queensland and northern New South Wales. The stores were acquired following an agreement whereby Safeway acquired a 19.99% interest in Woolworths Limited. Woolworths and Safeway supermarkets in Victoria traded under the Safeway brand, and Safeway's Food Barns in Queensland and New South Wales became part of Woolworths.
Around this time the supermarket chain had run eight small supermarket chains including the Queensland-based Food For Less
Food For Less
Food For Less is an Australian discount supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Limited. It was originally established in Queensland, where a discount 'food barn' chain operating as "Jack the Slasher" was acquired by Woolworths in the early 1980s...
and the Sydney-based Flemings, both of which survive.
In 1989 the company was acquired by Industrial Equity Limited and was a wholly owned subsidiary until 1993, when it was floated in the biggest share sale (at that time) in Australia's history.
In 1996 Woolworths entered the petrol market, initially with wholly owned "Plus Petrol" outlets located in shopping centre parking lots. In 2004, as part of a loyalty program aimed at attracting customers to supermarkets through the lure of four cent a litre discounts, Woolworths entered into an agreement with Caltex to co-brand some Caltex outlets as Caltex Woolworths. These joint venture outlets are supplied with fuel by Caltex and with groceries by Woolworths, and accept Woolworths cards and discount dockets.
In 1999, Woolworths began a joint venture with the Commonwealth Bank called Woolworths Ezy Banking, but was scaled back by 2006. In 2005 the company reached an agreement with the ANZ Banking Group to install ATMs at Woolworths locations. Additionally, by 2008 it had invested in financial services infrastructure and expertise, building a team of 50 staff for this purpose.
In 1997 Woolworths opened its first Metro convenience store, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, converting their premier variety store for 32 years to this format with the lower ground floor specialising in a large range of ‘prepared meals’ to cater for the increasing numbers of city dwellers. Subsequent stores opened in Coogee
Coogee
Coogee may refer to:*Coogee, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney*South Coogee, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney*Electoral district of Coogee, an electoral district in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, based around the area...
, Boronia Park
Boronia Park
Boronia Park is a waterfront parkland and nature reserve wholly within the suburb of Hunters Hill, in the Municipality of Hunter's Hill, New South Wales, Australia...
and West Pennant Hills in Sydney and Ascot
Ascot, Queensland
Ascot is a predominantly affluent residential suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, characterised by large Queenslander homes. Located from Brisbane, the suburb is well catered for in terms of public transport with many bus and train services departing from Ascot railway station...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. Stores that have since been sold or re-branded are Newtown
Newtown
-Australia:*Newtown, New South Wales*Newtown, Queensland *Newtown, Queensland *Newtown, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong*Newtown, Victoria , a locality near Ballarat-Ireland:* Newtown, County Cork* Newtown, County Laois...
, Waterloo
Waterloo, New South Wales
Waterloo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Waterloo is located 4 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.-History:...
and its Sydney city store (all in Sydney).
Woolworths started to expand into liquor businesses with the acquisition of Dan Murphy's
Dan Murphy's
Dan Murphy's is an Australian big box liquor supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Limited, who also owns BWS, another liquor chain with smaller stores.-History:...
in 1998. By 2001, the BWS
BWS
BWS may mean:* BWS , an Australian liquor retailer, owned by Woolworths Limited* BWS Financial, an independent stock research firm* Barry Windsor-Smith, a British cartoonist, comics-author, and painter...
chain had been established. With Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
licensing laws dictating that retail outlets must be operated by a hotelier, Woolworths moved into the hotel industry in 2005 in a joint venture with experienced hotel operator Bruce Mathieson, purchasing hotelier Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH). Later in 2005 the ALH Group expanded its portfolio to 250 hotels by acquiring the Taverner Hotel Group and the Bruce Mathieson Group. The ALH Group is 25% owned by Bruce Mathieson and 75% owned by Woolworths. Statistics provided during the acquisition of the Taverner group showed that over one third of sales are made up of gaming/poker machine takings. The number of poker machines owned by Woolworths and Bruce Mathieson after ALH acquisitions was 10,722.
In 2006 the company had three major events:
- in June it opened a buying office in Hong Kong to cut out the intermediary in sourcing foreign-produced items;
- it announced a venture with the Tata Group in India to introduce Dick Smiths Electronics stores to that country;
- in September it announced that it had taken a 10% strategic stake in the The Warehouse GroupThe Warehouse GroupThe Warehouse Group Limited, founded by Stephen Tindall in 1982, is the largest department store retailer operating in New Zealand. The Warehouse is largely a discount store similar to Wal-Mart in the United States, however The Warehouse sells far more generic brand merchandise than other discount...
in New Zealand.
In 2006, Woolworths rolled out new Retalix point of sale
Point of sale
Point of sale or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs...
systems running on IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
POS hardware with LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
touchscreens throughout all its stores.
In August 2007 Woolworths announced that it was planning to launch a general purpose credit card in 2008. It is expected to offer credit cardholders reward vouchers redeemable through its store network. HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
was subsequently named as its credit card partner. Woolworths subsequently announced that the Woolworths Everyday Money MasterCard would be launched on 26 August 2008 and allows customers to earn shopping cards redeemable at Woolworths group retailers. It was suggested Woolworths could earn approximately $20m from credit cards in three years and that it was targeting 100,000 to 150,000 cardholders in the first year.
Into 2008, a Wake Up Woolworths campaign, largely funded by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is Australia's main trade union in construction, forestry and furnishing products, mining and energy production....
, was pushing Woolworths to sever its relationship with Asia Pulp & Paper over claims of deforestation of Indonesian rainforests. Asia Pulp & Paper supplies Woolworths' Select Brand tissue products.