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Trade & Economy

Woolworths' Ooshies collectibles craze dents rival Coles' supermarket sales in Australia

Tuesday, 25 August 2026, 06:33 · 1 min read

Australian supermarket chain Coles has attributed a short-term slump in sales to a collectibles promotion run by rival Woolworths, in which shoppers received small Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars rubber figurines — known as Ooshies — after spending A$30 in-store. Coles chief executive Leah Weckert described the impact as "temporary", lasting nearly four weeks and affecting mainly physical stores, as families switched their grocery shopping to Woolworths to collect the figurines before the promotion ended. The craze has extended well beyond supermarket aisles, with a dedicated Facebook swap group exceeding 45,000 members, rare figures selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay, and some Australian schools banning the toys due to playground disputes — while environmental groups have raised concerns about the volume of plastic waste the campaign will generate.

Sources
The GuardianWoolworths’ Ooshies craze causes Coles sales slump with parents shopping at rival supermarket to collect toys ↗︎
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