The anatomy of the Woolworths Australia Day pile-on
The furore over Woolworths' sales of Australia Day merchandise may feel contrived, but it also underscores a much larger story about the reshaping of politics.
Around this time of year, there is usually one big culture war story over Australia Day which fills the summer news vacuum. The national public holiday marking the arrival of the First Fleet to Sydney Cove has become an increasingly divisive in recent years, with many Indigenous Australians regarding the date as one of mourning.
Last year, Telstra was in the firing line over its decision to allow employees to work on Australia Day and take another day off. This year, it's groceries giant Woolworths Group’s turn in the spotlight.
On Wednesday, the company responded to an inquiry from 7NEWS.com.au over whether it had decided not to sell Australia Day-themed merchandise in its stores including Woolworths and BigW. While BigW stocks Australian flags all year around, both stores have in the past sold other items such as novelty sunglasses, hats and temporary tattoos in the lead-up to Australia Day.
A spokesperson for the company said the decision was made not to store any additional merchandise this year because of a “gradual decline” in demand over recent years while there was a “broader discussion about 26 January and what it means to different parts of the community”.
