Why Woolworths is trending in Australia

Published 29 October 2026 at 5:16 am · 10 sources · 500+ searches today

Woolworths is trending in Australia because it reported stronger first-quarter sales on 28 October 2026, with group sales up 4.7% to about A$19.4 billion. The result also points to a bigger cost-of-living story: shoppers are buying more value items, while Woolworths says price cuts and its Ooshies promotion helped drive demand.

Key facts

28 Oct 2026: Woolworths group sales rose 4.7% to about A$19.4 billion
Australian food sales grew 6.9% to A$14.8 billion in the quarter
Lower Shelf Price cut average prices ex tobacco by 0.7% in the quarter
Ooshies ran for one month, with one figurine per A$30 spent
Woolworths said 2025/26 net profit was about A$1.1 billion, up 18%

What happened

Woolworths reported stronger first-quarter sales on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, saying group sales rose 4.7% to about A$19.4 billion for the 14 weeks to 4 October. The company said its Australian food business was the main driver, with sales up 6.9% year on year to A$14.8 billion.

The trading update is drawing attention because it combines two stories Australians are following closely: a collectible promotion that pulled shoppers in, and ongoing pressure on household budgets. Woolworths says both are feeding into current shopping patterns as of 29 October 2026.

Why shoppers are reacting

The biggest promotional driver was Ooshies, a Disney, Marvel and Star Wars collectible campaign that ran for one month and gave shoppers a figurine for every A$30 spent. Woolworths says the campaign ended in August, but its momentum continued to influence shopping behaviour.

At the same time, Woolworths is attracting budget-focused shoppers through its Lower Shelf Price program. Average prices excluding tobacco fell 0.7% during the quarter, the 11th consecutive quarterly decline, and the company said the price-cutting effort cost more than A$100 million over the past year.

What the numbers show

Woolworths chief executive Amanda Bardwell said value-seeking behaviour had become 'entrenched', with around 70% of customers cross-shopping across multiple retailers to manage grocery costs. That helps explain why cheaper staples are getting more attention than premium items.

Beef Central reported indicative Woolworths prices of A$19/kg for lean 90CL mince, A$15/kg for everyday 82CL mince and A$11.80/kg for beef sausages. Market coverage also said cheap mince and other lower-cost foods are seeing stronger demand, including value-added proteins, bakery products, UHT milk, yoghurt and cheese.

What to watch next

The main question now is how much of the latest sales strength came from Ooshies and how much came from lower prices and everyday value shopping. Earlier reporting estimated the campaign added roughly 1.5 to 2 percentage points to Australian food sales growth, but Woolworths has not pinned down the exact contribution in this update.

Investors and shoppers will also watch whether Woolworths keeps leaning into discounts and private-label value ranges. The company said it plans to continue investing in value offers, after reporting 2025/26 net profit of about A$1.1 billion, up 18% from the previous year.

Frequently asked

Why is Woolworths trending in Australia today?

As of 29 October 2026, Woolworths is trending because it reported stronger first-quarter sales and linked that result to both Ooshies and lower prices. The update also taps into broader cost-of-living pressure.

How much did Woolworths sales rise?

Woolworths said group sales rose 4.7% to about A$19.4 billion for the 14 weeks to 4 October 2026. Australian food sales rose 6.9% to A$14.8 billion.

What is Ooshies and why did it matter?

Ooshies was a Disney, Marvel and Star Wars collectible campaign that ran for one month. Woolworths gave shoppers a figurine for every A$30 spent, and said the campaign continued to influence shopping behaviour after it ended in August.

Are Woolworths prices actually going down?

Woolworths said average prices excluding tobacco fell 0.7% during the quarter, which was the 11th straight quarterly decline. The company also said its price-cutting effort has cost more than A$100 million over the past year.

Sources

Researched automatically from live news and written by Simpledot's AI; facts are limited to what the sources above report as of the published time. Spot an error? Tell us.