OPINION: Woke Woolworth’s South African born CEO, appears to be quite happy to play the race card, with banners in their stors for Diwali an Indian holiday, and Chinese New Year, but no celebration merchandise or banners in their stores for Australia’s national holiday Australia Day and this has incensed Australian and talk back radio hosts.

CEO Brad Banducci admits he misread the political environment with Gerry Harvey wading into the discusion over the woke culture of Woolworths claiming “It’s a mad, woke world”. where business leaders no longer feel able to say what they think.

The CEO has already copped 3000 emails about their woke, Australia Day decision, he’s also admitted that threats against staff had jumped by 50 per cent – after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for a boycott in response to the decision.

The decision also re-energised a debate about “woke capitalism” which is rampant at Woolworths.

Playing politics instead of working on making profits appears to have backfired on the Company along with the role of his executive team who appear to believe that social issues, such as the Indigenous Voice to parliament is going to deliver growth for the business despite 60% of Australians voting against it.

Banducci appears to be quite happy giving Australians the two finger salute, in an effort to foster better relations with aboriginal communities who are claiming the 26th in actually ‘Invasion Day’.

Angry investors claim that it “would be interesting to see how much Aboriginal and Torrens Strait communities spend at Woolworths Vs the bulk of Australians who voted no to the recent referendum on the recognition of aboriginals in Australia’s constitution.

The business has several executives from South Africa where apartheid was a major issue in the past, that led to the destruction of the SA ecconomy.

Brad Banducci, Woolworths.

Caryn Katsikogianis was appointed Chief People Officer in November 2016, she is a South African manager.

Andrew Hicks was appointed Chief Marketing Officer, Woolworths Group in June 2019.

Prior to Woolworths Group, Andrew was the National Marketing Executive for Musica in South Africa.

He has a Marketing Honours degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

In a leaked email to staff Banducci wrote “Why do we put banners up for other cultural events/days of significance like Lunar New Year or Diwali but not our own national day,’ he says to staff.

‘Celebrations like Diwali and Lunar New Year are often centred around connection over food, and as a business we are committed to supporting events and occasions like this for our customers and team”.

‘In recent years these sales have declined to less than $1000 per Supermarket over the month of January.

“The decision [on Australia Day merchandise] was a commercial one, but clearly I, we, misread the political environment and did not land our message as effectively as we should have,” he said.

One has to question whether the advice to put out this messaging to staff came from one of his woke managers, who seems to have suddenly got amnesia over the amount of snags, steakes, rolls, and other foods that real Australians buy for the barbacue on Australia day.

When they announced it would not be stocking January 26 merchandise due to declining demand and sensitivities around the day, they used merchdise revenue numbers to justify their decision. There was no mention of how much revenue comes from Australia Day food purchases, despite food purchases being used to justify celebrations for Indian and Chinese national day activities.

As one person said”Is it time to get an Australian running Woolworths, who has respect for our national day”.

Woolworths decision has sparked public outrage, with talkback hosts slamming the decision.

ChannelNews understands that Woolworths has tried to use their media buying clout to silence some media outlets from reporting on the issue that is tarnishing the Woolworths brand.

Banducci claims that he is ‘deeply sorry’ about the decision to remove Australia Day merchandise from the retailers stores resulted in a barrage of abuse from customers

Two stores have been vandalised in Queensland with staff in Surfers Paradise also copping abuse.

In an effort to try and play down the poor decision Hhe claims that the supermarket chain engaged with the Australia Day Council ‘to seek guidance on the evolved meaning on Australia Day, 26 January and how they balance respecting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and the diverse communities that make up Australia today.’

It appears that Brad never got the message that 60% of Austraslians voted NO to new reconciliation laws despite Woolworths funding a YES vote.

Several talk back radio hosts have slammed Woolworths management, Samantha Armytage the former Sunrise host, weighed into controversial debate saying she will proudly recognise January 26.

n 2017, she went head-to-head with a Melbourne suburban mayor who said those who oppose her council’s decision to ditch Australia Day celebrations were ‘uneducated’.

Armytage confronted Mayor Kim Le Cerf in a heated interview, persistently pressing the community leader about the tiny survey the council based its decision on, and her claim that if ‘more Australians were educated, they would be ashamed of Australia Day’.

‘Aren’t you elected to make a decision on behalf of the people of your shire?’ Armytage said, cutting Ms Le Cerf off mid-sentence.

This week the current Sunrise host Natalie Barr has accused the CEO of Woolworths of trying to make a political statement about Australia Day, prompting the supermarket boss to insist he isn’t trying to ‘cancel’ the national day.

Ray Hadley has hit out against the supermarket giant Woolworths for removing Australia Day merchandise from their stores.

At the 55% owned Pet Stock management appear to have also taken on board Woolworths woke culture.

Earlier today Petstock issued a memorandum to staff saying they won’t be recognising Australia Day across stores this Friday.

Petstock said in a statement that the move promotes more inclusivity.