It's no secret that the retail sector has been suffering in recent years due to the immense economic pressure placed upon it by the COVID-induced crisis.

Regrettably, even giant retailers such as Woolworths have been feeling the heat.

And now, the supermarket chain has announced that they’re going to make an unprecedented move, effectively downsizing their meat departments in hundreds of stores across the country.

Woolies confirmed that the decision is going to be devastating for hundreds of employees in its stores nationwide as in-store butcher shops will be closing down for good by the end of March.

The move is expected to lay off 489 jobs.

At present, there are 300 Woolworths stores in Australia running with a butcher shop service. After the decision, it’s expected that these stores will only carry pre-packaged meat options in-store.

Woolworths announced laying off almost 500 jobs after management decided to permanently shut down in-store butchers. Credit: Shutterstock.

A Woolworths spokesperson explained that customer habits have been shifting recently which prompted the move. In recent years, customers have seemingly opted for pre-packaged options more often than freshly cut meats from an in-store butcher shop.

The representative explained: 'We’ve recently conducted a review into our in-store butcher shops and found that they account for just four per cent of meat sales as customers continue to move towards our more convenient pre-packaged options.'

‘We have around 1,000 supermarkets [across Australia], and about 300 currently have butcher shops. We’ve made the difficult decision to close the majority of our remaining butcher counters over the coming months, with the exception of 50 stores where they are supported by the necessary customer demand.’

‘We deeply regret the impact of this decision on the team members who work in our butcher shops and we know many of them are well known by our regular customers.’

‘We’re very grateful for the contribution these team members have made and we’ll be offering redeployment to another role for those who are interested, or re-employment support for those who leave the business.’

‘Across all stores, we’ll continue to offer our customers high-quality fresh meat through our wide selection of pre-cut case-ready meats that are conveniently packaged to pick up on the go.’

Woolworths claimed that there has been a shift in customer preference for pre-packaged meat over meat purchased from in-store butchers. Credit: TikTok/@woolworths_au.

It’s understood that Woolworths closely observed customer purchasing habits in thousands of stores over the recent months. In that time, they’ve noticed a definite and clear trend: customers favour pre-packaged meat products over freshly cut meats from an in-store butcher shop.

Only 10 per cent of shoppers opt for an in-store butcher shop as it seems that customers are largely satisfied with the conveniently packaged meat at other stores’ butcher counters.

Additionally, it was reported that only 50 in-store butchers will remain nationwide.

The supermarket giant said that the remaining in-store butcher shops have been selected as locations where their meat trade is supported by sufficient customer demand.

Around 200 team members who currently split their shift between the butcher shop and other areas of the store will have their rosters changed to only include shifts in other departments.

The option of being redeployed to another job within the supermarket group will be offered to other team members whose roles are deemed redundant as a result of the transformation.

Meanwhile, employees who do not want to be redeployed will be provided with free post-employment support which includes ‘individual career coaching, resume development, a job search plan, LinkedIn profile and interview coaching, connections to relevant employment and training opportunities in their local area and financial planning support'.

Key Takeaways

• Woolworths has announced that it will close the majority of its in-store butcher shops, resulting in 489 jobs lost.
• Only 50 of the fresh service meat counters will remain open, with affected stores only selling pre-packaged options from now on.
• Woolworths has seen a shift in customer purchasing habits, with in-store butcher shops only accounting for around 10 per cent of customers purchases.
• Employees affected by the change will be offered post-employment support and access to counselling.

Members, while the shift towards pre-packaged meat is understandable, we at the SDC understand the need to keep jobs in Australia and the local economy going. This has been a sad situation and we hope affected workers can find support throughout this challenging period.

What are your thoughts on this? Better yet, do you think the shift in consumer preference for pre-packaged meat over butchered meat makes sense? Or do you prefer getting your meat supplies from local butchers?

 

[Suzanne rose]

Don’t know about other states but saw dust on the floor hasn’t been allowed for well over 25 years in Victoria. Health Department banned its use as many shops used it as an alternative to actual washing the floors.

I actually said when I was young I rememberseeing saw dust on the floor..I'm 61 now and even lucky to see a butcher around

 

[Bill MacL]

If veganism is so great, why do they always try to make it taste like meat and what chemicals do they use to do that???

 

[Tipsy]

Butchers aren't what they once were anyway. I have asked at every butchers and shops that sells meat if they have or can get a joint of Boiling Bacon. Most have never heard of it and those that have say it's not available as it's gone out of fashion. What the? Since when do cuts of meat have a fashion season? My family used to love Boiling Bacon and I used to buy it almost every week but it disappeared from the shelves some time ago and I've now been looking for it for years,

If you ask for Pickled Pork you will get what you want usually done with the worst cut of meat and which was orginally boiled.... I ask the the Butcher to pickle a decent cut like a leg and roast the thing.... depending on how much salt is used when the brine is made it can be somewhat salty... which I presume is why it was boiled

 

[Ricci]

If you ask for Pickled Pork you will get what you want usually done with the worst cut of meat and which was orginally boiled.... I ask the the Butcher to pickle a decent cut like a leg and roast the thing.... depending on how much salt is used when the brine is made it can be somewhat salty... which I presume is why it was boiled

The boiling Bacon I used to buy never needed soaking but I remember my Mum would have the meat soaking in a bucket for about 24hrs to wash out some of the salt. Gee you took me back, that memory just popped into my head from waaay back!

 

[Penny4]

The boiling Bacon I used to buy never needed soaking but I remember my Mum would have the meat soaking in a bucket for about 24hrs to wash out some of the salt. Gee you took me back, that memory just popped into my head from waaay back!

I asked my 88yr old mother about boiling bacon. She said her mother and both grandmothers never had it. My mother said they had pickled pork and ham if they didn't have any ice (no fridges in those days). She doesn't know why they weren't dead without a fridge. lol

 

[Ricci]

I asked my 88yr old mother about boiling bacon. She said her mother and both grandmothers never had it. My mother said they had pickled pork and ham if they didn't have any ice (no fridges in those days). She doesn't know why they weren't dead without a fridge. lol

I grew up in the UK so that might count for something but I used to buy it regularly when we lived in WA and my kids grew up eating it at least weekly.

 

[Penny4]

I grew up in the UK so that might count for something but I used to buy it regularly when we lived in WA and my kids grew up eating it at least weekly.

My mother grew up in NSW. Pleased you were able to buy it for your kids in WA.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I grew up in the UK so that might count for something but I used to buy it regularly when we lived in WA and my kids grew up eating it at least weekly.

You can make it yourself.

Cover the bacon in cold water in a large pot and bring slowly to the boil. If the bacon is very salty there will be a white froth on top of the water, in which case it is preferable to discard the water and start again. It may be necessary to change the water several times, depending on how salty the bacon is. Finally, cover with hot water and the lid of the pot and simmer for 30 minutes per 450g.

 

[Ezzy]

There is not many butcher shops around anymore.

I remember going in to our local butcher when I was young , there would be saw dust on the floor. The butcher always greeted us with a smile and knew our names.
Later when I had my own kids and went in to buy meat he would always give my sons a Frankfurt.

There just isn't this service anymore.
A friend owns a butchers in Dulwich Hill NSW and they do have that old customer service

Yes, l can remember those cherished days with the sawdust on floors, a big round chopping block on legs, the delightful meaty smell as l entered the shop, the butcher constantly sharpening his carving knife, going into the freezer to get meat, friendly service & so much more. Ah, to relive those days again.

I remember, as a child, hearing the story of a family friend, a qualified retired Butcher, who while buying meat one day was able to tell the server that the cut of meat he was being sold was not what he had asked for & was in fact a cheaper cut.

 

[lanecabral]

I completely agree with you. It's sad to see traditional services like butchers shutting down. It's such a shame that we're losing that personal touch and customer service that comes with visiting a local butcher.
In the meantime, I've also noticed a lot of job cuts in the news lately. It can be really tough out there for job seekers, but I recently stumbled across a website with remote job opportunities that might be worth checking out. You can find more info at https://www.works.so/remote-jobs. They have a variety of job listings from different fields. I found it really helpful when I was in between jobs, and I thought I'd pass it along in case it could be of use to anyone else.

 

[Tipsy]

That is sad but I havnt bought meat from woolies in a long time except for the precooked stuff when it is around 13 bucks a packet. and some bacon from the deli, although I would love to get some Diced Roo but not at the prices they are selling it at.... I go to my local butcher, he maybe a little dearer but i am getting damn good quality meat.

 

[Penny4]

That is sad but I havnt bought meat from woolies in a long time except for the precooked stuff when it is around 13 bucks a packet. and some bacon from the deli, although I would love to get some Diced Roo but not at the prices they are selling it at.... I go to my local butcher, he maybe a little dearer but i am getting damn good quality meat.

Some independent butchers sell human grade roo meat. It's a bit cheaper than the supermarkets, but not much.

 

[Marj53]

I try to buy all my meat from an actual butchers shop. They may be a bit more expensive, but at least you know it is fresher. Supermarket meats you don't know where they come . Also a lot of time they have been previously frozen. I didn't know that until I turned over a pack of burgers and saw that they shouldn't be frozen again.

 

[DoubleJ]

It's the way it is these days. Businesses change to outsourcing to save paying staff wages.
The supermarket packaged meat is outsourced by a private company.
Now, the butcher's instore are losing their jobs like when Coles shut their instore butchers.
Woolies state they are keeping 50 of the busy counters, but that will change.
They also state that customers have had a shift in customers purchasing habits. Well, this is because the packaged meat has more variety which is exactly what supermarkets are steering us to buy.
It's purely convenience for customers to buy meat at supermarkets, while buying other items at the same time/store. maybe they can find work in https://www.unbench.us/find-project
Where I live, there are butchers of course, but people have to drive there as they are destination stores only. Nothing else there.

It's definitely a complex issue. On one hand, the convenience of buying packaged meat along with other groceries at the supermarket is undeniable. It saves time and effort for busy customers. But on the other hand, it's unfortunate that this convenience comes at the cost of local butcher jobs. The trend towards outsourcing is making it harder for small businesses and specialized professionals to compete. Do you think there's a way to balance convenience with supporting local businesses?