Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci in media blitz after company accused of hypocrisy over Australia Day ads
Woolworths’ CEO has detailed why the stores are not stocking Australia Day merchandise, but does so for other cultural events in a leaked letter to staff.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A leaked letter from the Woolworths chief executive revealed why the supermarket giant isn’t recognising or celebrating Australia Day but does the complete opposite for other cultural events including the Chinese New Year.
In the letter obtained by the Daily Mail, Woolworths chief executive officer Brad Banducci explains the reasoning behind the highly divided decision.
“Why do we put banners up for other cultural events/days of significance like Lunar New Year or Diwali but not our own national day,” he wrote to staff.
“Celebrations like Diwali and Lunar New Year are often centred around connection over food, and as a business we are committed to supporting events and occasions like this for our customers and team.
“Like other events such as Christmas or Easter, we support our team to dress up or wear themed shirts to respectfully mark Australia Day, 26 January,” he explained.
“As always, we must ensure we are not being offensive to others.”
He also apologised to staff for enduring backlash following the announcement.
He also outlined to staff that the highly divisive decision was a commercial one, contrasting to his original statement that spoke of the sensitivities of the day.
“In recent years these sales have declined to less than $1000 per Supermarket over the month of January. BIG W has not sold Australia Day merchandise for a number of years,” he said.
“Rather than stocking those imported products, Woolworths Supermarkets is focusing on continuing to celebrate the best of Australian fresh food for Australia Day long weekend gatherings with family and friends.”
CEO TOLD TO ‘STICK TO GROCERIES’
On Wednesday, Mr Banducci went in to damage control after Woolworths was accused of hypocrisy for putting out advertisements to cash-in on Australia Day while sweeping all Aussie themed merchandise from its shelves.
Chief executive Brad Banducci has spent the morning insisting the company is not trying to “cancel” Australia Day.
He defended the decision to not stock Australia Day merchandise following weeks of backlash, insisting it was a decision based on declining sales.
“The great thing about retail is that we all make different decisions on what to stock, they have made their decision and we have made ours,” Mr Banducci in relation to his competitors stocking Australia Day items on Sunrise on Wednesday.
“Ours is to focus on what we do best and what Australian families need right now which is great value.
“We are focused on providing great value around everyday needs so you can mark the occasion and celebrate the Australia Day long weekend with friends and family.”
The chief executive claimed sales had been declining on Australia Day items for “a number of years”.
“It is really the specific items, actually, that space in our store has been shrinking anyway.”
He also appeared on talkback radio, making similar statements to 2GBs Ben Fordham.
He apologised for how poorly Woolworths communicated throughout the matter.
“Sorry about how we communicated it, our decision was a straightforward commercial one,” he said on the radio program on Wednesday morning.
“We know what we’re good at and that’s food, we know that customers in Australias are doing it tough right now.
“We need to look at the value and we need to look at key events like the Australia day long weekend.”
A 2GB listener phoned in and blasted the chief executive for his decision.
“I have not gone back to your shop since, it doesn’t matter how well or not you communicated the decision, the decision was a poor decision,” Michael said.
“You have stewardship sir of over 175,000 employees, you put their jobs at risk now but meddling in Australian politics, stay out of politics, sell groceries, and stick to that.”
Mr Banducci replied: “Thank you for the feedback, our focus is to do that, it is to focus on providing great Australian grown food and veg for our customers.”
The supermarket giant’s South African-born chief executive, Mr Banducci has also taken out full page newspaper ads today to tell customers it is not trying to “cancel” Australia Day.
Wednesday’s sale ads offering “great value for the Australia Day long weekend” came out after another Woolworths-owned company told staff they would not be recognising the national day on Friday.
Another appearance on Nine’s Today Show, Mr Banducci faced a barrage of questions from the hosts trying to work out if there was more to the decision than just business.
“So you’re not anti Australia today as a company?” Karl Stefanovic asked.
Mr Banducci replied: “Karl, we are a very proud Australian company.
“We’ve been around for 100 years.
“We have 178,000 hard working 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.
“But you’re not anti Australia Day?” Stefanovic asked again.
In a slight shift of tone, Banducci conceded the day “means different things to everyone” and the supermarket leadership support Australians to commemorate the day in whatever way they wish.
He added that while customers won’t be able to buy the merchandise, stores around the country will be decorated in “green and gold” to commemorate the national day.
“You must have serious regrets about this?” Karl asked.
“I think we could clearly have done a better job of explaining our decision, that’s why I’m here,” he said.
“I do feel anxious about the impact that this is having on our team. They are proud, hard working Australians, and for them to be seen as anti-Australian or woke is fundamentally unfair.”
THE AGE OF TREASON: WHERE COMPANIES STAND ON AUS DAY
Petstock has joined a growing exodus of corporate and sporting organisations — including Aldi and Tennis Australia — that are abandoning our national day.
It comes as Cricket Australia’s chief executive Nick Hockley last night backflipped on his stance that Australia Day would not be mentioned at Friday’s test at the Gabba — but only after an awkward radio interview left him struggling to explain his organisation’s original boycott.
On Tuesday, the Woolworths-owned pet chain Petstock told staff it wanted to “show respect and make sure everyone who comes through our physical or digital doors feels like they belong’’.
“It is for this reason that we won’t be dressing up on Australia Day in our stores,” the internal memo said.
In a statement the company said it would still “encourage our team members to celebrate respectfully, with consideration to all our team members and customers from all nations.”
Woolworths has denied instructing companies it owns to ignore Australia Day.
A spokesman said: “This was a decision made independently by Petstock.”
In his full page open letter to customers “first generation Australian” Mr Banducci said he had tried to read all customer complaints received since Woolworths announced its decision to remove Aussie themed items from its stores.
He said he was writing in the hope of “clarifying our position” that “we aren’t trying to cancel Australia Day”.
“Our commercial decision to not stock specific Australia Day general merchandise was made on the basis of steeply declining sales,” he wrote.
However Mr Banducci did not mention his company’s original statement on its decision, which said it was made because “there’s been a broader discussion about 26 January and what it means to different parts of the community.”
Nationals senator Matt Canavan said it was “hypocritical” of Woolworths to try to spruik its Australia Day sausages and other food items in his advertising after banning Aussie themed merchandise from its shelves.
“Woolies made it clear that they were uncomfortable with Australia Day, it wasn’t just that the merchandise was not selling, it was because Australia Day was something that conflicted people,” he said.
“Now Woollies is trying to backtrack on that decision and trying to regain some credibility by making money off the Australian people on Australia Day. They will promote the Chinese Lunar New Year but not their own national day. They are meant to be an Australian company, if they are not proud of this country why should they be trying to make a profit out of Australia Day?”
German owned Aldi has also ditched Australia Day merchandise and an internal message to staff at Coles has instructed them to refer to January 26th only as the “national holiday’’. Sporting bodies have also mired themselves in controversy with their anti-Australia Day stance.
Tennis Australia, whose chief executive Craig Tiley is South African, has axed traditional Australia Day celebrations at the Australian Open, including fireworks and playing the national anthem, for the second year running.
And Cricket Australia’s Mr Hockley, who is British, yesterday became tongue tied live on air as he tried to defend the decision to remove any mention of the national day at the Gabba Test match between Australia and the West Indies on Friday in Brisbane.
The move had already drawn widespread criticism including from NSW Premier Chris Minns who urged it to “revisit the decision”.
Radio host Ben Fordham told Mr Hockley on 2GB “it’s like saying you want people to celebrate Christmas but they can’t mention Santa Claus”.
Mr Hockley was left speechless at times before he managed to reiterate the organisation’s position.
“We are not in any way boycotting Australia Day, we’re just mindful in our communications that it means different things to different people,” he said. “We appreciate that many Australians celebrate Australia Day and absolutely love watching the cricket on that day.”
At the end of the interview, Mr Hockley finally gave a categorical “no’’ when asked if the ground announcer at the Gabba on Friday would mention “Australia Day’’.
But, within hours, he had backtracked.
“While we do not refer to Australia Day in our marketing and promotional material ... in regard to welcoming people with the ground announcement prior to play on Friday, I’d like to clarify that this will include reference to Australia Day,” he later said.
A Roy Morgan poll found two thirds of Australians believe January 26 should be known as Australia Day and almost 60 per cent say the date should not be changed.
However, Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins yesterday joined the calls saying the date of Australia Day should be changed.
“This conversation comes up every year and Cricket Australia have been pretty consistent over the last four or five years,’’ he said.
“My personal opinion is I absolutely love Australia and think it is the best country in the world by a mile. I think we should have an Australia Day but I think we can probably find a more appropriate date to celebrate.”
— Additional reporting by NewsWire
Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Email tips@dailytelegraph.com.au
Fraudster boasted about moving debts at failed start-up
John Issa was heard talking about moving debts away from Inotap, the company which previously had Anthony Minichiello and Rod McGeoch as directors.
Investigator appointed to oversee greyhound racing claims
Premier Chris Minns has pledged to keep the NSW greyhound industry running as an investigation into a damning report by the sport’s former vet gets underway.