Coles seizes opportunity and announces it will stock Australia Day merch throughout January in wake of ‘woke’ Woolies fallout

Coles will stock “Australian-themed” merchandise throughout January after Woolworths’ “woke” announcement.

On Wednesday, Woolworths confirmed its decision to drop all Australia Day merchandise in 2024, citing a “gradual decline in demand” despite also conceding the decision was in part due to a “broader discussion about January 26 and what it means to different parts of the community”.

Big W, a subsidiary of Woolworths Group, has also confirmed its shelves will be free of Australia Day merchandise.

Although Woolworths has claimed the declining demand for the products, a spokesperson for Coles said the Aussie-themed merchandise was “popular with our customers”.

“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,” the spokesperson told SkyNews.com.au.

Woolworths did indicate its decision was also driven by the ongoing conversation around Australia Day, but said it would still offer a “huge variety of products” for customers to mark the day.

“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 spokesperson for Woolworths said.

“Woolworths and Big W celebrate the best of Australia every day, and we’re proud to support the farmers, producers, and suppliers who work with us.”

Social media was alight with uses lambasting Woolworths, with one user on X asking: “Why are cultural Marxists hell bent on making us all ashamed of our nation?”

Sky News Australia contributor Prue MacSween slammed Woolworths’s decision and called on people with a differing opinion to vote with their dollar and demonstrate how “out of step they are with mainstream Aussies”.

Conversely, some users pointed out the products were mostly made overseas, mainly China.

The growing resent towards Australia Day was compounded by the failed Voice referendum and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s “slippery policy change” which allowed at least 81 councils to axe their citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

The major supermarkets have been in the limelight in recent days for another reason, as a review into the food and grocery code has been lauded by frustrated farmers.

Woolworths announced on Wednesday the price of fruit and vegetables was “determined by what we pay our farmers.”

Natural Earth Produce farmer Ross Marsolino said this claim was “hogwash”.

“Woolies this week, to bluff the consumer, they’ve got zucchinis at $1.38 each. I’ve never seen anything being retailed like this,” Marsolino said.

Coles has navigated the Australia Day fury Woolworths has stoked, with one X user even saying: “I’m a proud indigenous man and I love Australia Day. Off to Coles for me from now on”.