Woolworths Group Limited

What does Woolworths Group own?
Woolworths Group owns Woolworths Supermarkets (Australia's largest supermarket chain with more than 1,000 stores), Woolworths New Zealand (supermarkets formerly trading as Countdown), Big W (general merchandise discount stores), PFD Food Services (wholesale food distribution), and Petstock (pet supplies). The company demerged Endeavour Group (Dan Murphy's, BWS, hotels) in June 2021. Woolworths also operates the Everyday Rewards loyalty program and a range of private label brands.

Is Woolworths Group publicly traded?
Yes, Woolworths Group Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under ticker WOW. The company has been publicly listed since 1924 and has a broad institutional and retail shareholder base with no single controlling shareholder. Major institutional shareholders include Australian and international fund managers.

Who founded Woolworths?
Woolworths was founded on December 5, 1924, when the first store opened in the Imperial Arcade in Sydney, New South Wales. The founding team included Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, and Ernest Williams. The store was modeled on the American F.W. Woolworth variety store concept, though the Australian company had no formal connection to the U.S. chain.

Where is Woolworths Group headquartered?
Woolworths Group is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was originally founded in Sydney, New South Wales, and maintains significant operations in both cities. Woolworths operates stores across every Australian state and territory, as well as in New Zealand through its Woolworths New Zealand subsidiary.

How many stores does Woolworths operate?
Woolworths operates more than 1,000 Woolworths Supermarket stores across Australia, plus stores in New Zealand (Woolworths New Zealand), approximately 170 Big W stores, and PFD Food Services distribution centers. The company employs approximately 200,000 people across its businesses.

Who owns Woolworths Group?
Woolworths Group Limited is publicly traded on the ASX with a broad institutional and retail shareholder base. No single shareholder holds a controlling stake. Amanda Bardwell serves as Managing Director and CEO, and Scott Perkins chairs the board. The company's ownership is distributed among Australian and international fund managers and individual investors.

What is Woolworths Group's revenue?
Woolworths Group reported sales of A$69.1 billion for FY2025 (52 weeks ended June 29, 2025), up 3.6% on a normalized basis. Group EBIT was A$2.75 billion, down 12.6% normalized. For H1 FY2026 (27 weeks ended January 4, 2026), group sales were A$37.1 billion (up 3.4%) and EBIT was A$1.66 billion (up 14.4%), indicating the turnaround strategy is gaining traction.

Woolworths was founded on December 5, 1924, when the first store opened in the Imperial Arcade in Sydney, New South Wales. The founding team included Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, and Ernest Williams. The store was modeled on the American F.W. Woolworth variety store concept, though the Australian company had no formal connection to the U.S. chain. The name "Woolworths" was chosen for its familiarity and positive associations.

The company expanded rapidly through the 1930s and 1940s, establishing stores across New South Wales and expanding into other states. Woolworths listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange in 1924 and grew through variety retailing, becoming one of Australia's largest retailers by the 1950s.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Woolworths shifted its focus to grocery retail, opening its first supermarket-style stores. This transition eventually made food retail the company's core business. In 1985, Woolworths acquired the Safeway supermarket chain in Victoria, operating those stores under the Safeway name until rebranding them as Woolworths in 2008.

The company expanded into liquor retail with the acquisition of Dan Murphy's in 1998 and the launch of BWS (Beer, Wine, Spirits) in 2001. These brands gave Woolworths a dominant position in Australian liquor retail. The company also built a large hotels and gaming business, which was later demerged as ALH Group and subsequently sold to the Bruce Mathieson Group.

In 2012, Woolworths acquired a 50% stake in Masters Home Improvement, attempting to compete with Bunnings in the home improvement market. The venture failed. Woolworths exited Masters in 2016, writing off approximately A$3 billion in one of the largest retail failures in Australian corporate history.

In June 2021, Woolworths demerged its Endeavour Group (Dan Murphy's, BWS, and hotels) as an independently listed company on the ASX. The demerger allowed Woolworths to focus on its core food and general merchandise businesses while Endeavour Group focused on liquor and hospitality. Woolworths initially retained a significant stake in Endeavour but has since reduced it.

Brad Banducci served as CEO from 2016 to September 2024. Under Banducci, Woolworths invested heavily in e-commerce, supply chain automation, and its loyalty program. However, his tenure ended controversially after a Senate inquiry into supermarket pricing, where Banducci initially refused to answer questions about profit margins, generating significant negative media coverage.

Amanda Bardwell succeeded Banducci in September 2024. Her first full year as CEO was difficult. FY2025 saw EBIT decline of 12.6%, driven by cost-of-living pressures on consumers, industrial action in Victoria, and competitive pressure from Aldi. Bardwell has focused on lowering prices, improving in-store execution, and simplifying the business, with a target of A$400 million in above-store cost savings by the end of calendar 2025.

In H1 FY2026 (27 weeks ended January 4, 2026), Woolworths showed improvement. Group sales increased 3.4% to A$37.1 billion, and EBIT before significant items increased 14.4% to A$1.66 billion. All segments reported sales and EBIT growth. Q3 FY2026 sales (13 weeks ended April 5, 2026) grew 4.5%, with Australian Food sales up 5.9%. The company is navigating inflationary pressures from global fuel cost increases linked to Middle East conflict, but customer metrics including value perception have improved.

Woolworths Group publishes an annual sustainability report aligned with its Sustainability Plan 2025. The company's sustainability commitments cover emissions reduction, responsible sourcing, packaging, and waste reduction.

On climate, Woolworths has committed to science-based emissions reduction targets. The company has invested in renewable energy, including solar installations across its store network and power purchase agreements. Woolworths has reported progress on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reduction, though Scope 3 emissions from its supply chain remain a larger challenge.

On packaging, Woolworths has committed to reducing plastic packaging and increasing recyclability across its private label products. The company has phased out single-use plastic bags in its stores and has set targets for reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging.

On responsible sourcing, Woolworths has policies covering human rights in its supply chain, animal welfare standards, and sustainable agriculture. The company is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). However, Woolworths is not a Certified B Corporation, and its sustainability claims are primarily self-reported through its annual sustainability report, without comprehensive independent third-party verification of all metrics.

The company has faced criticism from environmental groups regarding its plastic use and food waste. Woolworths has responded with partnerships with food rescue organizations including OzHarvest and Fareshare, donating surplus food to people in need.

Woolworths has faced significant public and political scrutiny over supermarket pricing practices during the 2023 to 2025 cost-of-living crisis. The Australian Senate conducted an inquiry into supermarket pricing, examining whether Woolworths and Coles were price-gouging consumers. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched an investigation into pricing practices at both major supermarket chains.

Former CEO Brad Banducci's conduct during a Senate hearing in March 2024 generated significant negative media coverage. Banducci initially refused to answer questions about profit margins, prompting the Senate committee to threaten him with contempt charges. He subsequently apologized and answered the questions. The incident contributed to his departure as CEO in September 2024.

In 2024, the ACCC initiated legal proceedings against Woolworths and Coles, alleging misleading discount pricing practices. The regulator accused the supermarkets of inflating regular prices on products before applying "discount" prices that were actually higher than or equal to the original price. The case was before the Federal Court as of 2026.

The Masters Home Improvement venture (2012 to 2016) resulted in approximately A$3 billion in losses and write-offs, representing one of the largest retail failures in Australian corporate history. The company exited the home improvement category entirely after the failure.

Woolworths has also faced criticism regarding its treatment of suppliers, with allegations that the company used its market power to extract unfavorable terms from smaller suppliers. The company has responded by publishing a Supplier Code of Conduct and participating in the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct.