Woolworths has announced that it has dumped its Australia Day merchandise from stores as the controversial holiday falls in popularity.
In a statement provided to media, a spokesperson for Woolworths Group confirmed that nothing specially made for the holiday would be available to purchase in store.
“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,” they 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.
“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.”
Although no items would be available in store, a few items would be still be sold online through third-party sellers.
Meanwhile, Coles said it would still be stocking a few items, including flags, stickers and sunglasses.
“We are stocking a small range of Australian-themed summer entertaining merchandise throughout January which is popular with our customers for sporting events such as the cricket and tennis, as well as for the Australia Day weekend,” a Coles spokesperson said.
With the discontinuation, Woolworths is joining a growing group turning against the national public holiday. Last year, Kmart stopped stocking Australia Day items, saying it respected the holiday but it “means different things to different people and we aim to foster an environment that is inclusive and respectful of both our customers and teams”.
It came as calls to change the date of the holiday or cancel it all together continued grow, with the day marking the beginning of British colonialism in Australia.
