Woolworths Ooshies Promotion Triggers Temporary Sales Dip for Coles

Woolworths rolled out a Disney-, Marvel- and Star Wars-themed “Ooshie” collectible in late July 2026. The rubber figurines, earned after a $30 spend, sold out a week early and spurred a nationwide trading frenzy. Coles reported that the surge in Woolworths foot traffic produced a “temporary moderation” in its supermarket sales for nearly four weeks, primarily in physical stores.

The Guardian

Collectible promotions have long been a retail tactic in Australia, from Woolworths’ “Little Shop” mini-replicas to Coles’ cookware giveaways. The Ooshies, small figures that attach to pens, come in a set of 40 characters. Children trade them in schools and on a Facebook swap group that added almost 2,500 members in one week, bringing the community to more than 45,000 members. Woolworths has hosted in-store swap meets and offered recycling bins, noting the figures are made from 97 % recycled thermoplastic rubber.

The Guardian

• “It does tend to be a temporary impact,” — Leah Weckert, Coles chief executive.

The Sydney Morning Herald

• “We have completed a strategic review of the business and are now executing a program to improve the financial performance by creating a more integrated food and drink proposition, optimising the store network and simplifying the operating model,” — The Coles.

The Sydney Morning Herald

• Woolworths said the figures are made from “97 % recycled thermoplastic rubber” and has placed dedicated collection bins in some stores for recycling.

The Guardian

• Michael Toner of RBC Capital Markets warned the Woolworths campaign could “scare Coles investors,” highlighting investor sensitivity to short-term sales shifts.

The Sydney Morning Herald

• School bans: Bellevue Park State School in Queensland announced a ban on Ooshies, citing “distractions, conflict and unfair trading.” A Sydney after-school care centre made a similar decision after reports of disputes among children.

The Guardian

• Industry reaction: Alan Ngov, chief commercial officer of Headstart International (the Ooshie developer), celebrated the bans as “a badge of honour,” saying they signal a successful campaign.

The Guardian

• Environmental concerns: Kirsten Junor of Reverse Garbage argued the plastic collectibles will become “future landfill,” urging a halt to the reward-based model.

The Guardian

• Share-price movement: Reuters described a drop to A$22.12 followed by a modest decline, while SMH later noted a 1.2 % rise to $22, creating contradictory accounts of market reaction.

Reuters

• Sales-growth figure: Reuters indicated that Coles did not disclose the exact supermarket-sales growth percentage for the first eight weeks of fiscal 2027, leaving the magnitude of the Ooshies-related dip unquantified.

Reuters

Coles’ chief executive Leah Weckert confirmed the chain will continue running collectible campaigns, but future items will be “more functional than fun” to recapture lost foot traffic. Woolworths is scheduled to release its full-year earnings on the Wednesday following the August 25 report, which will include the final impact assessment of the Ooshies promotion.

The Sydney Morning Herald

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Woolworths, Coles: Aussie customers divided as ‘ridiculous’ items hit shelves four months out from Christmas