Woolworths Ooshies promotion ends early, impacting shoppers and Coles sales
Consensus Summary
Woolworths’ Ooshies promotion, offering one of 40 collectible characters for every $30 spent, ended early on August 13, a week before its advertised conclusion on Tuesday. The promotion caused a significant shift in consumer behavior, with two-thirds of parents altering their shopping habits, and led to a 4-week slump in Coles’ supermarket sales. Both sources agree that the promotion’s early sell-out left many shoppers frustrated, though 7NEWS highlights the complexity of resolving complaints when the reward is no longer available. The Guardian notes broader societal impacts, including school bans on Ooshies due to conflicts and environmental concerns about plastic waste. While Woolworths provided recycling options until October 31, the promotion’s legacy raises questions about consumer expectations and corporate accountability when promotions fall short.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- The Ooshies promotion was advertised to end on Tuesday.
- Woolworths offered one of 40 Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars characters for every $30 spent.
- Stocks of Ooshies ran out by August 13, a week before the advertised end date.
- Coles reported a slump in supermarket sales growth due to Woolworths’ Ooshies promotion.
- The Ooshies promotion impacted Coles’ sales for 4 weeks.
- A Facebook Ooshie swap group added 2,500 members in the past week and now has 45,000 members.
- Two-thirds of parents surveyed changed their shopping behavior due to the Ooshies promotion.
- Ooshies are made from 97% recycled thermoplastic rubber.
- Woolworths offered recycling options for Ooshies until October 31.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The promotion was advertised as running 'while stocks lasted'.
- Ajust, a consumer complaints platform, handled more than a quarter of all Woolworths complaints since the promotion ended early.
- Tom Kaldor, founder of Ajust, noted that most consumers do not complain due to perceived futility.
- Woolworths hosted swap days and exchange jars to help collectors complete their sets, but these do not guarantee finding a specific missing character.
- Coles’ full-year results showed it grew supermarket sales and gained market share in the 12 months to June.
- Coles’ net profit rose 1% to $1.09bn in the year to June, with supermarket profit margins increasing from 5.3% to 5.7%.
- A Queensland school banned Ooshies due to 'distractions, conflict, and unfair trading'.
- A Sydney after-school care center banned Ooshies due to disputes and distress among children.
- Alan Ngov, chief commercial officer at Headstart International, called the school bans a 'badge of honour'.
- One in five adult Ooshies collectors planned to sell the products online, according to YouGov.
- Environmental groups expressed concerns about the plastic waste from Ooshies, with Reverse Garbage calling them 'future landfill'.
- The 2019 Ooshies craze included farmers destroying a rare lion Ooshie live on TV in protest against online bullying.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- 7NEWS states the promotion was advertised until August 25, while the Guardian does not mention this specific date.
- The Guardian mentions Coles’ profit margin increased from 5.3% to 5.7%, but 7NEWS does not provide this financial detail.
Source Articles
Ooshies: Woolworths promotion ends, but questions remain over shoppers left empty-handed
More than a quarter of complaints logged about the supermarket giant in three weeks were linked to its collectibles promotion.
Woolworths’ Ooshies craze causes Coles sales slump with parents shopping at rival supermarket to collect toys
Coles full-year results show that despite gaining market share over past 12 months, sales fell over four weeks of ‘competitor’s collectables campaign’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Woolworths’ latest Disney “Ooshie” collectibles have not only captivated Australian children, they have led to a short-term slump in competitor Coles’ sales. The latest rubber figurine promotion was scheduled to end on Tuesday, but s
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