Woolworths is the Australian supermarket chain founded in Sydney in 1924 and known for its green branding.
Woolworths Limited was registered on September 22, 1924, by five Australian entrepreneurs, including Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, George Creed, and Ernest Williams. Its first shop opened on December 5, 1924, in Sydney’s Imperial Arcade as the “Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basement.”
The business began as a variety retailer, not a supermarket. It entered food retail in the 1950s, opened its first purpose-built supermarket at Warrawong in 1960, and gradually converted its variety stores into supermarkets. Today, Woolworths Supermarkets is owned by Woolworths Group and is Australia’s largest supermarket chain by market share.
The green logo is a useful clue, but it is not the company’s only identifier. Woolworths is also called “Woolies” in Australia. It is unrelated to the former American and British F. W. Woolworth company, despite the similar name.