Woolworths sales rise 4.7% to A$19.353 billion in first quarter
Key Facts
Woolworths Group reported first-quarter sales results for fiscal 2027 on October 28, recording A$19,353 million over the 14 weeks ended October 4, up 4.7% from the corresponding period. Growth was 5.7% on a constant-currency basis, according to figures reported by StockWireX. The result reflected mixed performance across businesses and markets, with Australian Food leading the increase while sales in New Zealand in Australian dollar terms and at BIG W declined. The group’s sales thus exceeded the A$18,483 million recorded in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year, when growth was 2.7%. The announcement comes at the start of the new fiscal year and is not an update on the first quarter of 2026, as stated in the earlier draft.
Australian Food recorded sales of A$14,841 million, up 6.9% in the first quarter. The company attributed growth to a 4.0% increase in comparable sales and a 3.0% rise in transactions, rather than higher prices. In the year-earlier comparison, the segment grew 2.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The company said sales growth at the start of the quarter benefited from the Disney Ooshies promotional campaign, and that growth remained strong for the rest of the quarter. This places the campaign’s impact in a specific time frame, with sales continuing to grow after it ended.
Growth extended to the digital channel, with group e-commerce sales rising 16.0% to A$3.1 billion. eComX sales increased 20.2% to A$2,665 million during the period. Group e-commerce sales had risen 13.2% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, meaning the channel’s reported growth pace accelerated year on year. In contrast, management said Australian Food sales year to date in October were "generally in line with first-quarter trading following the end of the Ooshies campaign." This provides an early indication of trading after the campaign, alongside continued monitoring of the online channel’s performance.
In New Zealand, Food sales rose 2.9% to NZ$2,251 million, but fell 6.4% to A$1,853 million when converted into Australian currency. The difference in currencies highlights the contrast between local performance and the value reported for the group in Australian dollars. BIG W sales also declined 0.9%, which the group said came in a "deteriorating discretionary retail environment." Capital Brief reported that Australian growth offset continued weakness in New Zealand Food and BIG W. The overall increase was therefore not evenly distributed across the group’s divisions.
Chief Executive Amanda Bardwell said customers continued to respond to the company’s progress in improving value, expanding its range and providing greater convenience. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Bardwell had said Woolworths Food Retail’s sales performance was below the company’s ambitions, as work continued on value, convenience and product availability. In that quarter, average prices excluding tobacco declined for the seventh consecutive quarter. In the current quarter, the company attributed Australian Food growth to comparable sales and transactions, while saying early sales growth benefited from the promotional campaign. These comments place efforts to improve the offer and value in the context of the comparison between the two periods.
WOLWF shares closed at US$26.6 on October 27, according to EL7 data. That was one day before the sales results announcement, and the available data do not include the share’s movement after the results were released. The company scheduled its annual general meeting for October 29, 2026, followed by an investor day on November 18. It also listed the announcement of first-half fiscal 2027 results for February 24, 2027. These dates provide the next milestones for shareholders following the quarterly sales update.