Woolworths and Big W join league of retailers dumping Australia Day merchandise but is it enough?

For years, January has seen the isles of Big W and Woolworths stocked with Australia Day products, from thongs, to face paint, fedoras, bikinis, paper plates and more.But, this year won’t be the same.Woolworths Group, one of Australia’s biggest retailers, has scrapped Australia Day merchandise, citing a “gradual decline in demand”.

“At the same time there’s been broader discussion about January 26 and what it means to different parts of the community,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.

“We know many people like to use this day as a time to get together and we offer a huge variety of products to help customers mark the day as they choose.”The retailer said they “celebrate the best of Australia every day”.

They will also provide staff the opportunity to decide whether to work on the public holiday or not.

Woolworths Group announced the decision on Wednesday. Credit: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Wiradjuri woman and lawyer, Taylah Gray didn’t praise the retailer’s decision to cull the merchandise saying they aren’t “really advocating for meaningful change for First Nations Peoples in this instance”.She believes it to be “pure business strategy”.”My suspicion is that Woolworths’ made their decision to detract from their shameful profit margins during this living crisis,” she said.

Ms Gray said “Australia cannot exist” until it becomes shameful to celebrate the arrival of settlement and colonisation.

“We are still without a Treaty and for that purpose alone, I cannot celebrate . . . I want to celebrate this beautiful nation too – just not on a day that symbolises the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and massacres,” she said.Rachael McPhail, Gomeroi woman and advocate behind the Traditional Place Names campaign, shared similar thoughts.While she sees it as a “great step in the right direction”, Ms McPhail said it isn’t enough.”Off the back of the devastating referendum result last year, corporate Australia needs to start having these hard conversations with their customers,” she said.

Ms McPhail believes both Woolworths and Coles need to do more to build “meaningful, reciprocal relationships with First Nations communities” including ensuring equitable food security.

“Woolies and Coles, as the two major players in the food distribution system, and with record profits, should be working to fix these systemic issues,” she said.Ms McPhail also said the retailers could do more to empower the self-determination of First Nations people over their Country.

“If these big companies really want to make a long-term difference for future generations of mob, they should be approaching First Nations communities, offering to help them gain access to their homelands and set up sustainable food businesses with a softer impact, rather than maintaining the status quo business relationships with the big cattle stations that continue to devastate Country and lockout mob,” she said.

Woolworths Group’s decision follows Kmart, who last year made the same decision to stop selling Australia Day merchandise in an attempt to make their stores “inclusive and respectful” to all.“At Kmart, we do not sell any merchandise that is specific to Australia Day,” a spokesperson told 7News at the time.

“However, customers who shop with us can find a number of products year-round that feature Australian designs with Australian animals, flora and fauna, as well as educational materials.”

The spokesperson said the brand respects that January 26 “means different things to different people”.”We aim to foster an environment that is inclusive and respectful of both our customers and teams,” they said.“It is for this reason that we will also be giving all of our team members the choice of whether or not they work that day, with the option to substitute for another day.”While Woolworths has pulled their stock, their competitor Coles will continue selling Australia Day theme merchandise.

“We are stocking a small range of Australian-themed summer entertaining merchandise throughout January which is popular with our customers for sporting events such as the cricket and tennis, as well as for the Australia Day weekend,” a Coles spokesperson told NITV.