Yahoo Finance Woolworths unveils new way to combat cost-of-living crisis: 'Never miss a special'
Woolworths new Watchlist tool lets shoppers keep an eye on grocery items and get notified when they go on special.
Woolworths has launched a new digital savings tool that allows customers to be notified when items go on special or on offer. With rising grocery prices putting pressure on many Aussies’ budgets, the feature could help shoppers ensure they are getting the best deal possible.
Woolworths has launched Watchlist, a new feature in the Woolworths app which allows users to “heart” items they want to watch and get notifications when they go on sale. The supermarket gave Yahoo Finance a first look at the feature, which also sends a single push notification every Wednesday to alert customers about specials and offers on their Watchlist.
Woolworths Group's Faye Ilhan told Yahoo Finance the supermarket hoped the Watchlist tool would help customers “find more value and get the most out of their weekly shop”.
RELATED
Rage grows as Woolworths and Coles declare $1.2 billion profit: 'Criminal'
$255 cost-of-living payments for Centrelink, pensioners and more eligible Aussies: 'This week'
Top 10 highest paying jobs for Aussies right now: ‘$236,000 a year’
“We know with the ongoing cost-of-living challenges that our customers have been finding more ways to save and this will be a great tool for all those savvy shoppers that are looking for even more ways to manage their budget,” Ilhan said.
“This week we have launched Watchlist, a new feature in the Woolworths app designed to help shoppers manage their budgets and never miss a great special on their favourite items.
“With Watchlist, customers can easily add items they want to keep an eye on and receive notifications when those items go on special or offer.”
The tool means you won’t need to manually browse catalogues and specials pages each week and will "never miss out" when your favourite items are on special.
Woolworths posted lower profit for 2024, with the company’s bottom line impacted by a $1.5 billion impairment in its New Zealand supermarket.
Revenue rose by nearly 6 per cent but after tax profit was down 93 per cent to $108 million.
Woolworths’ food prices dropped 0.6 per cent in the June quarter and 0.2 per cent in the March quarter, the supermarket said, with meat, fruit and vegetables falling the most.
Data from consumer advocacy group CHOICE found shoppers were often confused by "specials" offered by Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, with language like "down, down", "low price" and "prices dropped" making it hard to tell if a discount was actually on offer.
"Consumers are feeling increasingly confused by the volume of pricing practices found in supermarkets at the moment,” CHOICE senior policy and campaigns adviser Beatrice Sherwood said.
How to use the Watchlist tool
The Watchlist tool is available in the Woolworths app.
You simply need to tap the “heart” button to save an item to your Watchlist and then you’ll get updates when it goes on special.
The Woolworths app also allows you to browse the weekly specials and shop directly from the catalogue.
Plus, you can get a sneak peek of the Wednesday specials every Monday from 5pm.
Get the latest Yahoo Finance news - follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
