Woolworths is the largest grocery store chain in Australia, but it started from humble beginnings. Not everyone knows this, but when Woolworths opened its first store in Australia, in 1924, the original name was “the Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basement.”  The store was founded by the following five investors: Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, George Creed and Ernest Williams. Although not related to the Woolworths chain in the UK or United States, the store was meant to be a play on the F.W. Woolworth name. 

When the owners saw that the name Woolworths was available for trading in New South Wales, they couldn’t resist setting up a store with that name. Woolworths was a company ahead of its time, and is known as the first variety store in the world to use cash registers that print receipts for customers. In 1929, Christmas set up a New Zealand store sold general merchandise.  There soon was a second store, followed by locations in Sydney and stores in Brisbane and Perth. By the end of 1933, there were 23 Woolworths stores in circulation.

Woolworths Online Catalogue

In 1956, Woolworths New Zealand opened its first food store in Auckland. Supermarkets followed in the early 1970’s. Today, Woolworths is the largest food retailer in Australia, with over 750 store locations in Australia alone.

Big W, a chain of 182 discount department stores, is also a product of Woolworths. Woolworths divides its customer base between the department/ variety store chain and its Woolworths supermarket store chain.

In 1996, Woolworths opened a series of petrol markets, and wholly-owned “Plus Petrol” outlets started appearing in shopping centre parking lots across Australia. Woolworths also has worked with Caltex to create a cobranded petrol station aptly named Caltex Woolworths. These fuel stations have Caltex petrol but feature groceries supplied. The locations accept Woolworths cards and coupons as well.

Save Money with Woolworth’s Everyday Rewards

Join the Everyday Rewards program to be privy to exclusive specials and discounts. For every purchase, Woolworths will collect certain information about you in order to get to know your tastes and give you special deals and offers. You’ll also be eligible for the Qantas Points program, which you can trade for tangible rewards, such as gift cards, flights or items features in the Qantas online store. When shopping, stay on the look out for the “Extra Saver” discounts signs for Qantas members. The savings available to members really add up.

In 1996, Woolworths entered the petrol market, initially with wholly-owned “Plus Petrol” outlets located in shopping centre parking lots. In 2004, as part of a loyalty program aimed at attracting customers to supermarkets through the lure of four cent a litre discounts, Woolworths entered into an agreement with Caltex to co-brand some Caltex outlets. These joint venture outlets are supplied with fuel by Caltex and with groceries by Woolworths, and accept Woolworths cards and discount vouchers.

Woolworths customers can also use their reward cards at these locations.

Shop Online, Then Click and Collect

Shopping online with Woolworths can make your life even more convenient and you will still rack up the savings. You can use their Click and Collect service to make your shopping trip as fast and easy as possible for you, bringing you the same great specials and prices as in-store. Using Click and Collect, you can place your entire shopping trip order online from work, school, or wherever you have access to the Internet. You will pay for the groceries online, and then check out. If you place your order before 11am, you can typically collect your groceries the same afternoon.

A dedicated Personal Shopper will handpick the items from your order and prepare them for pickup. Personal Shoppers are trained to select the best products and to choose products, such as fresh produce or meat cuts, as if they were shopping for themselves or their own families.

It’s important to know that not every Woolworths offers the Click and Collect service. To find out your nearest click and collect location, select ‘I’d like to pick up my groceries’ link in the Woolworths online website. On checkout sidebar, you will then choose your state and a list of stores will appear. Choose the store you would like to pick up your groceries for from.

Click and Collect requires a minimum order value of $30.

Once you’ve checked out and chosen your Click and Collect location, print a confirmation of your order payment. You will receive a confirmation specifying your order delivery details, your pickup date and time window, and customer service information. You will need this confirmation information to pick up an order in person, especially if you are having somebody else besides the credit card holder pick up the groceries.

Discounts and Savings Using Click and Collect

If you’re a Woolworths Rewards Member, you can earn one Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every dollar you spend over the $30 threshold in one transaction through Woolworths Online. Please be aware that you cannot earn points on certain items, such as smoking/tobacco products or gift cards.

First-time users of Click and Collect are usually offered free delivery on their first order, and a month of free deliveries. It’s a great way to test out the service and find out if it’s a good fit with your lifestyle needs.

Using the Online Catalogue to Find Woolworth’s Specials

Woolworths often features a great variety of groceries on special sale via their online store and catalogue. The online storefront has a half-price section which features hundreds of items daily, which includes a lot of savings on housewares and personal care items, but also more popular items such as cases of Coca Cola. You’ll also find items that have been marked down 25% and 30% . There are also many seasonal deals, themed sales, and other great offers you’ll only find online. Make sure you check the online catalogue for weekly and monthly deals before you head out to a shopping trip or prior to placing an order for Click and Collect. You’ll be glad you did. Make sure you also print manufacturer’s coupons out when you go the store in person. You can save a lot of money by comparing vouchers you’ve clipped from a mailer or newspaper and comparing them to current sales in the Woolworth’s catalogue.