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?

 

[Home.]

These Supermarkets destroyed the local butchers in their shopping centres so now they are going to downsize or close their own butchers. I wonder if it is a plan to help stop us eating meat as they want us to do and are saying at Devos.

 

[Marj53]

Occasionally I will buy some of the pre packaged meat. Very rarely though. Don't think it tastes as nice. Most of the time I buy from normal butcher shops.

 

[Suzanne rose]

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

 

[Penny4]

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.
Where I live, there are butchers of course, but people have to drive there as they are destination stores only. Nothing else there.

 

[Tipsy]

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?

That was their plan all along as they started reducing what was available at the butchers and putting more and more prepacked products on the shelves forcing us to take more PLASTIC home as well.... they dont care about staff just increasing the profit line

 

[goodmorning]

Coles have done that a few months back so I guess woolies has to copy the meet is the same but not as much choice now and I dint like some of the supermarket meet so I would but at the butcher

 

[TomDevine55]

I wonder who Woolies will get there packaged meat from, possibly Ireland like they do their bread. I dont trust them as it is all about profits not assistance to the customer. I want them to explain where they get the meat from and if it is not Australian, why not? Hopefully butchers will get more customers as the quality of meat is better from them and not pumped full of water or chemicals to make up the weight.

 

[poppyshero]

I cannot understand why people buy meat at a supermarket unless they have no choice. i buy all my meat from a local butcher even if i have to pay a couple dollars more, the quality is far superior. If i am going to stretch my pension out to buy some meat, i want to be able to eat it and enjoy quality meat.

 

[Ricci]

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,

 

[Penny4]

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,

I agree. I reckon there's two types of butchers these days. One butcher who has their meat displayed in their front counter doesn't tell me their use by date, so I have no idea how fresh it is. The other butcher has packed meat just the same as supermarkets which are no cheaper or fresher.

 

[Macarj]

Occasionally I will buy some of the pre packaged meat. Very rarely though. Don't think it tastes as nice. Most of the time I buy from normal butcher shops.

I have always shopped at a butcher shop

 

[Colleen M]

As a third generation butcher, past owner and past supermarket meat manager, i just snigger at some of the ill informed comments regarding this article.

 

[Penny4]

As a third generation butcher, past owner and past supermarket meat manager, i just snigger at some of the ill informed comments regarding this article.

That's great! Love to hear the truth from the source. Can you enlighten us?

 

[Colleen M]

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?

 

[Colleen M]

That's great! Love to hear the truth from the source. Can you enlighten us?

Number one, many of the staff are in fact not trade butchers, but rather staff who have done a "slicing" course within the company of about three months. A trade butcher has a four year apprenticeship, and papers to prove this. Butchers are trained in all aspects of the trade, these "slicers", simply learn how to open a box and slice, they have no idea regarding breaking a beast down to primals etc.
Number two, when these "serveries" were first introduced it was the intention that they were to take 10% of total meat sales within that store. Many have failed to reach that target, ( have you seen some of the disgusting displays that are offered), once again, not serviced by proper staff. Prior to my retirement i ran a department with two fully qualified butchers and were taking around 20% of sales, some that are closing are taking as little as 4%. So you can see that from a business point of view it is unsustainable.
Number three, all meat is Australian,there are major fines in place regarding ticketing of produce, eg we used to make shaslicks, which we had to delete due to the capsicum sometimes coming from Argentina.

 

[margaretritchie48]

I used to buy all my meat from Woolies but once they started to pre pack it I started to go to a "Real Butcher". A little bit more expensive but I can buy just what I want and not have to buy in bulk. My butcher advises a to eat by date.

 

[Penny4]

Number one, many of the staff are in fact not trade butchers, but rather staff who have done a "slicing" course within the company of about three months. A trade butcher has a four year apprenticeship, and papers to prove this. Butchers are trained in all aspects of the trade, these "slicers", simply learn how to open a box and slice, they have no idea regarding breaking a beast down to primals etc.
Number two, when these "serveries" were first introduced it was the intention that they were to take 10% of total meat sales within that store. Many have failed to reach that target, ( have you seen some of the disgusting displays that are offered), once again, not serviced by proper staff. Prior to my retirement i ran a department with two fully qualified butchers and were taking around 20% of sales, some that are closing are taking as little as 4%. So you can see that from a business point of view it is unsustainable.
Number three, all meat is Australian,there are major fines in place regarding ticketing of produce, eg we used to make shaslicks, which we had to delete due to the capsicum sometimes coming from Argentina.

Thanks so much for this info. Sad to hear that staff have only completed a 'slicing' course compared to a qualified butcher. So correct that our meat is Australian. It actually states that on the package.
I had an issue once with a certain packet of chicken from Woolworths being a lower weight than stipulated.
I have electric Wedderburn scales that are accurate, so I could prove my point. I give my hat off to Woolworths as they said it wasn't legal to be underweight. They contacted their chicken packing source, and it hasn't been an problem since.

 

[Staffordshire Whippet]

I'm wondering which 10-minutes-in-the-workforce bloody HR Graduate came up with this genius money-saving idea. This, in one clean hit, removes possibly the only U.S.P. remaining between Woolworths and Coles; the Woolworths in-store butchery was something I actively looked forward to on my trips to major centres like Pialba (Hervey Bay) and Smithfield (Cairns); it was great meat, cut how I liked, cheaper than the regular high-street butchers and streets in front of the pre-packed muck sold in regular Woolworths (and all Coles, since THEY did likewise two years ago.) Plus, I got Reward points..... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
This move will come back to bite them. (Or could it all be part of a wider plot to promote Veganism? The displays of Vegan foods are getting bigger all the time.)

 

[Cheezil]

These Supermarkets destroyed the local butchers in their shopping centres so now they are going to downsize or close their own butchers. I wonder if it is a plan to help stop us eating meat as they want us to do and are saying at Devos.

Or just an excuse to cut their wages bill/costs I'm thinking more like it!