He’s witnessed firsthand a number of people reaching for healthier items through the pandemic in a bid to support their wellbeing, noting an increase in the sale of healthier products.

In fact, the healthylife Living Healthy report (2022) launched by Woolworths Group this year reveals that one in three Australians report they are eating better now compared to two years ago and believe they’re healthier as a result.

“As a Group, we aren’t willing to compromise on health, and we believe we have a responsibility to do our part to help improve the health of all Australians,” Guy Brent says.

“We live in a world with more choices and products on offer than ever before, so it’s important that we help make healthier products more affordable and accessible for our customers,” Brent says.

Healthier choices

Woolworths’ Own Brand range is proving an important part of the switch for many Australians, with sales of these products now accounting for over a third of all sales.

“We’ve been on this journey for a while now to improve the health and nutrition of our Own Brand range and have developed a robust reformulation program. We’re working hard to make the products that we sell healthier. So, we’re reducing nutrients of concern such as salt, sugar and saturated fat without compromising on taste or quality, and adding more whole grains and vegetables” Stevie Wring, Head of health and nutrition at Woolworths, says.

It’s working, too. Woolworths has been ranked as Australia’s healthiest supermarket when it comes to its Own Brand products for the third year in a row.

The latest Foodswitch: State of the Food Supply report (2021) by The George Institute ranked Woolworths as having the healthiest supermarket own brands, with an average Health Star Rating of 3.2 compared to other supermarkets.

“We work hard to make healthier choices easier for our customers. “, Wring says.

Woolworths has also been working hard to ensure its products are of equal quality to the national brands.

“We’re making sure that we’re putting great products on the shelf, which we believe will ultimately motivate and inspire new recipes. We know there’s a real customer desire to make mealtimes easier,” Wring says.

Success in sustainability

But Woolworths Group has gone one step further, aiming for 100% of its Own Brand Packaging to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable in its supermarkets in Australia by the end of 2023. Reducing virgin plastic in packaging and supporting a circular economy is just as important, Brent says.

Refill stations for products such as laundry detergent are also being trialed in-store. “Customers hate having to throw plastic in the bin. We’ve been working hard to reduce plastic, particularly single-use plastic,” Brent says.

“We’ve been working on improving the sustainability of our packaging, which also gives us an opportunity to actually improve the design. So, it’s a win-win for us,” he says.

The hope is that the brand will get to a point where we’re as close to 100% of it being recyclable, reusable, or compostable by the end of 2023 in Australia and 2025 in New Zealand.

“We’re also working with one of the largest packaging groups in the nation to get access to recycled plastic.

“We can all do our bit by making sure that we buy products that use less packaging, recycled packaging, or packaging you can reuse,” Brent added.

For more information on how Woolworths Group is creating a better tomorrow please visit https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/sustainability