Woolworths Group (Australia)
Woolworths Group Limited is an Australian multinational retail and finance company, primarily known for the operation of its retail chain Woolworths Supermarkets across Australia, Woolworths (previously known as Countdown) in New Zealand and its discount department store Big W. Headquartered in Bella Vista, Sydney, it is the largest company in Australia by revenue and number of employees, and the second-largest in New Zealand.
Headquarters at the Norwest Business Park | |
| Woolworths Limited (1924–2017) Woolworths Group (2017–present) | |
| Company type | Public |
| |
| Industry | Retailing |
| Founded | 22 September 1924 |
| Founders | Percy Christmas Stanley Chatterton Cecil Scott Waine George Creed Ernest Williams |
| Headquarters | , Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand |
Key people | Gordon Cairns (Chairman) Bradford Banducci (CEO) Annette Karantoni (Chief Supply Officer) |
| Revenue | A$63.67 billion (2020) |
| A$3.19 billion (2020) | |
| A$1.602 billion (2020) | |
Number of employees | 215,000 (2020) |
| Divisions | Supermarkets (Woolworths, Metro Countdown) General Merchandise (Big W) Finance and loyalty (Everyday Rewards, Woolworths Financial) |
| Subsidiaries | List of subsidiaries |
| Website | www.woolworthsgroup.com.au |
Founded in Sydney in 1924 as variety retailer Woolworths Limited, the company entered the New Zealand market in 1929 and has traded in every Australian state and territory since 1960. Woolworths experienced steady growth throughout the 20th century and began to diversify its business, closing the last of its variety stores in the 1980s to focus on its portfolio of other retail brands. Since 2012, Woolworths has undergone significant consolidation, divesting its shopping centre, electronics retailing, home improvement, fuel retailing, liquor retailing and hospitality businesses to concentrate on supermarket retail.
Woolworths currently owns Woolworths Supermarkets, customer loyalty program Everyday Rewards and discount department store Big W in Australia and the Countdown, SuperValue and FreshChoice supermarkets in New Zealand.