Woolworths Rebrands; Dumps "Safeway" name

[Buzz Killington]

MORE than four decades after Safeway supermarkets first opened their doors in Victoria, its owner Woolworths has decided to scrap the name.

The stores will be rebranded as Woolworths to match their interstate counterparts, 23 years after the national supermarket giant took over and chose to use the Safeway name for all its Victorian supermarkets.

Despite the different names, Safeway and Woolworths have used the same slogan, lettering, branding and jingle.

Some of those elements are also set to change, with the company believed to be concerned that its slogan ? "The Fresh Food People" ? was overwhelming the brand name.

The company is expected to ditch the slogan, and will replace its existing logo with a peeling apple. The company refused to confirm the changes, but they are believed to have been revealed at a gathering of Woolworths supermarket staff in Brisbane.

Safeway in Australia was launched in 1963 by an American company of the same name after buying three stores owned by Frankston businessman Bill Pratt. Mr Pratt went on to become the head of the Safeway chain four years later, and wrote about about his experiences in a self-published book, My Safeway Story: Making It Happen.

Retail expert Jeff Rogut suggested the change was likely to have been prompted in part by the rapid growth of the company's private label brands and its new credit card, announced this week, both of which carry Woolworths branding.

"If they've developed some credibility in the market, I think it's a lot easier to go down that path," said Mr Rogut, executive director of the Australian Centre for Retail Studies at Monash University.

Despite the enormous cost involved in new signs and promoting the change, Mr Rogut said the move was not a risky one because of the profile that Woolworths had already established.

The company followed a similar path in Tasmania several years ago when it rebranded its Roelf Vos stores as Woolworths.

FutureBrands managing director Tim Riches said that despite the affection that some shoppers had for their supermarket, the change would ultimately be insignificant to shoppers' habits

[CanberraTransport]

It was to be expected that Woolworths would eventually change the name of the supermarket, especially after they decided to change the "Roelf Vos" name a few years ago in Tassie. But it will be an interesting change for the Victorians... who have become accustomed to the Safeway brand.

[Buzz Killington]

yeah, it was definitely expected after roelf vos and purity, but the fact that they want to dump "the fresh food people" and get a new logo is a little unexpected.

[Irisbus Rider]

Yeah, yet another new look for Woolies.

Safeway?! Ha!

[Sir Pompously]

Noooooo! Not Safeway, that was like the best name for a supermarket and like the Only Woolworths I would visit! I would think there may be abit of backlash over the name change, as Victorian's seem to love the Safeway Brand.

[Buzz Killington]

set up a facebook group or something, todd.

Yeah, yet another new look for Woolies.

what?

[Sir Pompously]

lol, I am sure I may get like John, and maybe Mat and that is about it

Woolies has had the same logo for years, and all they have done in the past is added on 'Bringing food to Life' underneath it.

[Buzz Killington]

exactly. their campaigns have changed over years, but the logo and "the fresh food people" have not changed (apart from that bringing food to life phase) in a good fifteen years

[Irisbus Rider]

I hate Safeway!

As for the "new look", it's generally the way their shopping centres are layed out, refurbed, painted (interior) and in their certain colours. I can recall 3 different set ups in the last 6 years or so.

[Sir Pompously]

Uh, Woolworths and Safeway are exactly the same when it comes to store layouts, refurbs, products etc etc. Except they just replace Woolworths with Safeway, like in Advertisements.

[Buzz Killington]

As for the "new look", it's generally the way their shopping centres are layed out, refurbed, painted (interior) and in their certain colours. I can recall 3 different set ups in the last 6 years or so.

yeah, because woolies actually pump a lot of money back into refurbs so their stores look good - as opposed to coles, of which all in canberra look disgusting apart from maybe gungahlin.

[Snorzac]

Coles in Jamo has just being refurbed and looks pretty good.

[bubzie]

it makes sence to me, it'll save them heaps in advertising and such (think about it! they have to change EVERYTHING to safeway!! now its just only one thing!)

Now, only if woolworths was actulary a good employer and actulary gave me shifts, i'd be happy!! *shakes fist in woolies general direction..*

[Trolleybusracer]

Finally!!!! even though i always called Safeway Woolies i'll miss it

[Buzz Killington]

The moment you've all been waiting for is here. GET YOUR BUCKETS READY and scroll down

[Irisbus Rider]

Thats a fucken apple peel, something you usually throw away!

Looks pretty crap IMO.

[Trolleybusracer]

Hey Bron Considering you dressed up as the easter Bunny at your Own free will.. will you promote Wollies by Walking around as a Apple 

[bubzie]

oh believe me, it was not by free will!

[Buzz Killington]

[lukeo25]

SCARY ****

[Sir Pompously]

My mum just took a look at it, and her reaction was 'oh, it looks like an apple..... gone wrong'.

[Snorzac]

They could have done a lot better.

[bubzie]

BURN IT!!! EVIL!! AHH! MY EYES ARE SOILED!!

for the love of god, if i have to wear stuff at work encrusted with that logo, i personally will burn something!! :)

[bubzie]

BAHAHAHA..

..todd and luke, care to explain your avatars?? :)

[Buzz Killington]

maybe you can explain yours, miss lovejoy???

[bubzie]

well, you see, i work there, and love it so much....

....HA!

[lukeo25]

just a final farewell until they change the branding in woolworths in southlands and woden and the rest of 'em

[bubzie]

nooooooooo!

keep southlands the way it is!! plz???


(No, dont work there, clearly.)

[lukeo25]

well i did work experience in yr9 and it was ****

[Buzz Killington]

i doubt they'll be in any rush to change over the signage, somehow. Big W has had it present logo for nearly a year now and none of the canberra stores have it on the outside yet.

[Busnerd]

Rockdale and Rouse hill are the only ones ive seen here with the new logo...but heaps of stores have had interior refurbs to the new layout.

[Snorzac]

It will be atleast 5 years before we see it everywhere

[Busnerd]

yes sign replacement expert

[Snorzac]

I got word from a woolies employee. the safeways will be the first to recieve the new sign starting almost imeadietly

[Buzz Killington]

I got word from a woolies employee. the safeways will be the first to recieve the new sign starting almost imeadietly

Wrong.

[Snorzac]

it probobly is. he is the big fat butcher from kippax that i unfortunetly call my uncle who thinks he knows everthing but infact knows nothing

[Irisbus Rider]

He sells good honey.

[Snorzac]

right???

[Sir Pompously]

Either he sells good prostitutes, or he sells good condiments. You pick.

[Buzz Killington]

usually you pay double for that kind of action, Cotton

[bubzie]

the first one to be rebranded is going to be mona vale, apparently...

so, WRONG!! :)

[Buzz Killington]

i did post a link disproving his theory... where i said "Wrong"....

[Snorzac]

not my theory someone elses which i decided to post

[Buzz Killington]

same thing

[Irisbus Rider]

Honey, do doo doo doo doo, awwww sugar.

Maybe I should stop listening to 2CA

He sells good bee honey.

[Sir Pompously]

Isn't it, 'Ah Sugar, do do do do do do, ahh Honey Honey, do do do do do do. You are my candy girl, and you got me wanting you' etc etc'?

[Buzz Killington]

you two can serenade each other elsewhere, thanks.

[Irisbus Rider]

Yay!

[Buzz Killington]

bump.

as some of you may know, Woolworths Limited own Woolworths, Countdown and Foodtown Supermarkets in New Zealand. They have just announced they intend to ditch two of those brand names and unite all stores under the one name.

The one name, with the apple peel logo.


This store:

































...seriously

[Busnerd]

yeh bro, lits go down to cuntdown