Woolworths to sell Australian flags for Paris Olympics after Australia Day boycott

Woolworths will sell Australian flags for the Paris Olympics after the supermarket boycotted them for Australia Day.

Woolworths released a statement on Monday saying the flags would be available for sale.

“With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games getting underway later this month, as a proud Australian retailer we are once again delighted to be the Official Fresh Food Partner of the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Teams,” the statement reads.

Woolworths announced that customers could also purchase a ‘locally made Australian hand flag’ made from wood and polyester.

The flags are available to customers all year round.

“Once the locally made hand flag is available in-store, it will be available for purchase year-round in the general sales department and also online,” the statement said.

‘Locally made hand-held Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags will be available for purchase later this year. These flags will also be available all year round.’

The measure comes after the supermarket chain decided earlier this year to stop selling flags and other items related to the January 26 celebrations.

The company said in a statement at the time that demand for Australia Day items has declined in recent years.

“At the same time, there is a broader discussion going on about January 26 and what it means for different parts of the community,” they said.

Australians condemned the controversial decision as ‘un-Australian’ and received widespread criticism.

Peter Dutton joined the group in urging Australians to boycott Woolworths, saying customers should ‘do their shopping elsewhere’.

“It’s up to the customers whether they want to buy the product or not. I think people should boycott Woolworths,” Dutton told 2GB.

Brad Banducci, former CEO of Woolworths, defended the decision not to sell Australia Day items.

Mr Banducci said the supermarket’s main focus is on helping customers save money when they shop for groceries.

‘We all make different decisions about what we stock… we focus on delivering great value for everyday needs so you can see [Australia Day],’ he said.

Woolworths’ reputation has been badly damaged by the intense criticism of the decision.

The company, which was once the 7th most reputable brand in Australia, is now ranked 42nd by leading corporate reputation management company RepTrack.

The ongoing cost of living crisis has also done little to soften the impact of the company’s poor reputation with consumers.