Woolies reveals huge ‘demand’ for international foods in Australia

A whole new aisle has been created in Woolworths stores in response to a huge “demand” as the nation’s population changes.

Australians are raving about a new aisle in Woolworths supermarkets that some have described as a “hidden gem”.

The international aisle has been a feature at the supermarket for many years, but it has recently been expanded in response to Australia’s changing population, many of whom are born overseas.

It’s estimated there are 26.6 million people currently in the country. This is made up of 18.5 million people born in Australia and 8.2 million people who were born elsewhere, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Stats also show the proportion of Australia’s population born overseas is growing, increasing to 30.7 per cent in 2023, up from 29.5 per cent the year before.

Because of this, Woolies has ramped up its food offerings, with each store’s international section varying dependent on its local community.

Woolworths international section has expanded into a full-blown aisle in response to our changing population. Picture: news.com.au

“We’ve seen the demand for popular international foods rapidly accelerate over recent years,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.

“Our International Food team works hard to keep up with emerging food trends to better understand the needs of our customers.

“It continues to evolve and tailor the international range based on the demographics of each local community and changing customer demand.”

It hasn’t gone unnoticed with shoppers.

As foods that have previously proved hard to find Down Under, or been expensive to buy at independent stores, appeared on Woolies shelves – it sparked a rush among shoppers as word spread.

Melbourne food blogger @AngeEats described the once underwhelming grocery aisle as the supermarket’s “best kept secret”.

“There’s so many hidden gems and goodies at the moment from overseas that aren’t stocked anywhere else – it’s like being a kid in a candy store in that special little aisle, you never know what you’re going to find,” he told news.com.au.

It’s a sentiment shared by fellow foodie @nectoriouspapi, who claimed it was often cheaper to buy the international items there than in specialist retailers.

“It’s where you find all the goodies that you’ve been paying top dollar for from imported online candy shops at a reasonable price,” he told news.com.au.

“I think it’s fantastic not only for us Aussies, but those that now live here in Australia to have something from their home country.”

Some items sell out quickly, such as these British Monster Munch chips. Picture: news.com.au

It stocks an array of foods from around the world, catered to the local community around the store. Picture: news.com.au

He expanded on this further in a TikTok video, describing the aisle as “bringing the heat”, before showing off some of the products that can be found there.

“Starburst original are back, and the Nesquik Banana,” the food blogger, who hosts the Three Food Guys Podcast alongside Ange and Dub Eats Everything, said.

“The popular Biscoff chocolate is now stocked in Woolies, but in the international aisle too

“And Monster Munch, a classic British chip, is also available.”

Melbourne food blogger @nectoriouspapi said the items are often cheaper here than in specialist international stores. Picture: news.com.au

The most popular items include Turtle Chips, Starburst and Kewpie Mayonaise. Picture: news.com.au

Currently, the most popular items in the international range are, Turtle Chips Chocolate Churro, Kewpie Mayonaise, and Nongshim and Samyang Noodles.

But Woolworths explained that many of these items are only on shelves for a “limited time” due to stock restrictions on imported goods.

“Customers should check online to see availability in their local store,” a spokesperson advised.

Many products are already selling out, including Monster Munch Pickled Onion chips and the Biscoff chocolate block, with images flooding social media alongside posts that read: “Sold out.”

Social media reaction has been mixed, with some stating their international aisle is “amazing”, as others claimed theirs was “practically bare”.

Originally published as Woolies reveals huge ‘demand’ for international foods in Australia