‘Stick to selling groceries Woolies’

CEO cops Aussie Day heat

Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci has received a savage grilling over the retailer’s decision to drop Australia Day merchandise.

The supermarket has come under significant heat after it was revealed last week it would stop selling Australia Day merchandise due to lack of sales.

Woolworths has since issued a full-page advertisement insisting the supermarket giant is not anti-Australia Day.

“We aren’t trying to ‘cancel’ Australia Day, rather Woolworths is deeply proud of our place in providing the fresh food that brings Australians together every day,” Mr Banducci wrote in the letter.

In the middle of being interrogated by 2GB radio host Ben Fordham on Wednesday morning, Mr Banducci was caught off guard by a lifelong Woolworths customer calling in to share his feedback.

Michael, 57, who lives on Sydney’s affluent North Shore, said he hadn’t shopped at the supermarket since the announcement. “It doesn’t matter how well or not you’ve communicated the decision, (it) was a poor decision,” he said.

“You have stewardship, sir, over 175,000 employees, you put their jobs at risk now by meddling in Australian politics.

“Stay out of politics, sell groceries and stick to that.”

Mr Banducci thanked him for his feedback and reiterated that the retailer was focused on providing great Australiangrown fruit and vegetables to their customers.

“That’s not what people are angry about,” Fordham interrupted. “I reckon I’ve received 200 messages while you’ve been talking to us and they’re all saying the same thing, ‘We’re not going to shop at Woolworths again, we’re not copping the spin’.”

Doing the rounds on breakfast television earlier in the morning, Mr Banducci faced a questions from the hosts.

“So you’re not anti-Australia Day as a company?” Today host Karl Stefanovic asked.

“Karl, we are a very proud Australian company. We’ve been around for 100 years. We have 178,000 hardworking team members who are going to be in store doing the right thing for our customers on Australia Day, and we’re passionate about this country,” Mr Banducci said.

“But you’re not anti-Australia Day?” Stefanovic asked again.

Mr Banducci said the day “means different things to everyone” and the supermarket leadership supported Australians to commemorate the day in whatever way they wished.

While customers wouldn’t be able to buy the merchandise, stores would be decorated in “green and gold” to commemorate the national day.

“I think we could clearly have done a better job of explaining our decision, that’s why I’m here,” Mr Banducci said.

“I do feel anxious about the impact that this is having on our team. They are proud, hardworking Australians, and for them to be seen as antiAustralian or woke is fundamentally unfair.”

Mr Banducci said the decision was made almost 12 months ago when the supermarket’s leadership reflected on Australia Day sales.