Big W
Big W is an Australian discount department store subsidiary of Woolworths Group, operating 180+ stores and an e-commerce marketplace, selling general merchandise to mass-market consumers under a value-price model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersBaulkham Hills, Australia
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Big W does
Big W is an Australian discount department store chain and wholly-owned subsidiary of Woolworths Group Limited (ABN 88 000 014 675), founded in 1964 and employing more than 10,000 people. It operates 180+ physical stores across Australia and an e-commerce platform at bigw.com.au, serving mass-market consumers with general merchandise including apparel, homewares, and everyday essentials under a value-price positioning.
The company runs a multi-channel retail platform comprising owned stores, an e-commerce site, and a third-party marketplace that extends assortment beyond owned inventory. Operational technology includes RFID-based inventory management deployed across the full store network, supporting stock visibility and replenishment. Customer engagement is anchored by integration with the Everyday Rewards loyalty program (shared with parent Woolworths Group) and by gamified augmented-reality loyalty challenges. Delivery capability was expanded through a partnership with DoorDash enabling same-day fulfilment, and the private-label portfolio was extended with the DAISE brand.
The business model is high-volume, low-margin discount retail across general merchandise categories, with revenue consolidated within Woolworths Group rather than separately disclosed. Distribution leverages the parent's logistics, procurement, and loyalty ecosystem, while the marketplace introduces platform-style take-rate economics alongside traditional buy-and-sell retail. Marketplace onboarding (e.g., Petbuds) and same-day delivery indicate a strategic pivot toward hybrid retail-platform economics within the constraints of a mature domestic footprint.
Big W firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big W
- Legal name
- Woolworths Group Limited ABN 88 000 014 675 trading as BIG W
- Website
- https://bigw.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Big W is an Australian discount department store subsidiary of Woolworths Group, operating 180+ stores and an e-commerce marketplace, selling general merchandise to mass-market consumers under a value-price model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Big W is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baulkham Hills
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Big W business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Retail Sales: Revenue from sales of general merchandise across 180+ physical store locations in Australia, spanning categories including apparel, home goods, electronics, toys, and groceries.
- Marketplace Commissions: Revenue generated from third-party sellers on the BIG W marketplace platform, earning commissions on sales of products sold and shipped by marketplace sellers.
- E-commerce Sales: Online sales through bigw.com.au including standard delivery, express delivery, same-day delivery, and in-store pickup options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Metro Delivery |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Same-Day Delivery |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | In-Store Pickup |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Marketplace Promo Code |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Big W product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BIG W operates as a discount department store selling general merchandise across categories including apparel, home goods, furniture, toys, electronics, baby products, health & beauty, books, gaming, and groceries through a national network of 180+ physical stores and an integrated e-commerce platform (bigw.com.au). The retailer extends its assortment through a third-party seller marketplace and offers same-day delivery via a DoorDash partnership, with Everyday Rewards providing a shared loyalty program across Woolworths Group brands.
Product overview
Big W is an Australian discount retail chain owned by Woolworths Group, operating as a single-platform omnichannel retailer with both physical store network (180+ stores) and digital commerce (bigw.com.au). The company offers a diverse product portfolio across 18+ categories including clothing, toys, electronics, home goods, and groceries. Its digital ecosystem comprises the main e-commerce website, a Marketplace for third-party sellers, the Everyday Rewards loyalty program, mobile app, and same-day delivery service powered by DoorDash. The retailer positions itself as an 'everyday low price' destination competing with Kmart and Target in the Australian market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BIG W E-commerce Website (bigw.com.au) Online storefront offering Big W's full general merchandise range across apparel, home, toys, electronics, baby, and health & beauty categories, with multiple fulfillment options including same-day delivery, standard and express delivery, in-store pickup, and direct-to-boot delivery. Targeted at Australian consumers shopping online for value-priced goods.
- BIG W Marketplace Third-party seller marketplace hosted within bigw.com.au, offering millions of products across categories such as Furniture, Tech, Health & Beauty, Baby, Clothing, Appliances, Home Decor, Toys, and White Goods from sellers including Fresh Cosmetics, Samsung Official, and Edragon Australia. Extends Big W's assortment beyond first-party inventory.
- BIG W Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables shoppers to browse and purchase products, track orders, view deals and catalogues, and access gamified loyalty experiences bridging physical and digital shopping. Targeted at Australian consumers preferring mobile shopping.
- Everyday Rewards Loyalty Program Cross-banner loyalty scheme shared with Woolworths Group brands (Woolworths supermarkets, BWS, Healthylife) allowing customers to earn and redeem points online and in-store, with additional earning opportunities through Travelex foreign currency and Money Card top-ups. Targeted at Australian consumers seeking rewards across Woolworths Group banners.
- Same-Day Delivery powered by DoorDash On-demand same-day delivery service in partnership with DoorDash for eligible Big W products in participating Australian postcodes. Orders placed before midday are delivered by 5pm the same day. Targeted at consumers needing fast fulfillment for time-sensitive purchases.
- BIG W Photo Printing Service Photo printing and photo gift creation service available through bigwphotos.com.au, allowing customers to upload and print digital photos and order personalised photo-based products. Targeted at Australian consumers seeking photo printing and personalised gift options.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% tag saturation achieved through manual tagging of residual non-RFID stock to accelerate RFID implementation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Big W
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big W technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Big W partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DoorDashcoreBIG W launched same-day delivery service in partnership with DoorDash, allowing customers in participating areas to receive orders on the day of purchase. This initiative addresses last-minute consumer needs, particularly for items like Book Week costumes, following recent price cuts by the retailer. The move aligns with parent company Woolworths' broader strategy to expand grocery and retail delivery options through DoorDash.
- DoorDashcoreBIG W launched same-day delivery services for eligible products in partnership with DoorDash, timed to assist families with last-minute Book Week costume needs. The service allows orders placed before 12pm to be delivered within the same day across select postcodes.
- TravelexminorTravelex partnered with Everyday Rewards to allow Australian travelers to earn loyalty points on foreign currency exchanges and Travelex Money Card top-ups. These points can be redeemed for discounts at Woolworths supermarkets, BIG W, BWS, and Healthylife stores.
- CheckpointcoreBIG W implemented RFID technology across 180 stores in partnership with Checkpoint to solve inventory tagging challenges that had hindered product availability.
- SensormaticcoreBIG W implemented RFID technology across 180 stores in partnership with Sensormatic to achieve inventory tagging improvements.
- ZebracoreBIG W implemented RFID technology across 180 stores in partnership with Zebra for hardware and scanning solutions.
- GS1coreBIG W implemented RFID technology across 180 stores in partnership with GS1 for standards and data synchronization.
- PetbudsminorPerth-based pet technology brand Petbuds expanded distribution of its automatic self-cleaning litter boxes to BIG W's online marketplace, joining trusted household brands. The company serves over 20,000 Australian cat owners.
- DAISE (Monday haircare brand)minorDAISE, a fragrance and body-care brand targeting Generation Alpha, launched in Woolworths stores in Australia with Big W rollout planned from July 25. The brand achieved sales of 15 units per minute across 4,000+ US retail stores.
- Woolworths GroupcoreBIG W is owned by Woolworths Group Limited (ABN 88 000 014 675). The same-day delivery partnership with DoorDash aligns with Woolworths' broader strategy to expand grocery and retail delivery options.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big W competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Amazon Australia: Amazon Australia combines a broad general-merchandise storefront, fulfillment capabilities, and a third-party seller marketplace. It competes directly with BIG W for online discretionary spending and in marketplace commissions.
- Harris Scarfe: Harris Scarfe is an Australian department-store chain selling apparel, homewares, beauty, and household merchandise through physical and online channels. It is comparable by department-store format and customer base, although its proposition is more traditional and less discount-led.
- MyDeal: MyDeal is an Australian online marketplace offering broad third-party consumer merchandise. It is comparable to BIG W Marketplace through marketplace discovery, third-party fulfillment, and commission-based monetization.
- Catch.com.au: Catch.com.au is an Australian online marketplace and value-oriented general-merchandise retailer. It competes with BIG W Marketplace for third-party sellers and price-sensitive online shoppers.
- The Reject Shop: The Reject Shop is an Australian discount variety retailer serving value-conscious consumers through a national store network and e-commerce channel. It is comparable to BIG W in low-price positioning and broad everyday merchandise, though its assortment is more convenience-led.
- Kmart Australia: Kmart Australia is a discount department-store chain offering apparel, home, toys, electronics, and other general merchandise through stores and online channels. It is BIG W's closest direct competitor on value positioning, assortment, and customer base.
- Kogan.com: Kogan.com is an Australian online retailer and marketplace emphasizing competitive pricing across technology, home, and general merchandise. It overlaps with BIG W's digital storefront and marketplace model while focusing more heavily on online customers.
- Best & Less: Best & Less is an Australian value retailer focused on affordable apparel, homewares, and everyday consumer products. It competes for similar family and value-oriented customers through physical stores and online shopping.
- Costco Australia: Costco Australia operates large-format, value-priced warehouses carrying broad categories of general merchandise. It is comparable through its big-box footprint and value proposition, although membership and warehouse-club economics differ from BIG W.
- Target Australia: Target Australia operates a broad general-merchandise and department-store format spanning clothing, homewares, electronics, toys, and household goods. Its physical and online reach directly overlaps BIG W's core offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big W social profiles
Digital presenceBig W compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Big W financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big W leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Big W funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big W M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big W
What does Big W do?
BIG W operates as a discount department store selling general merchandise across categories including apparel, home goods, furniture, toys, electronics, baby products, health & beauty, books, gaming, and groceries through a national network of 180+ physical stores and an integrated e-commerce platform (bigw.com.au). The retailer extends its assortment through a third-party seller marketplace and offers same-day delivery via a DoorDash partnership, with Everyday Rewards providing a shared loyalty program across Woolworths Group brands.
Is Big W a public or private company?
Big W is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Big W founded?
Big W was founded in 1964. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Big W based?
Big W is headquartered in Baulkham Hills, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Big W make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are marketplace Commissions and E-commerce Sales.
Who are Big W's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Amazon Australia, Harris Scarfe, MyDeal, Catch.com.au, The Reject Shop, Kmart Australia, Kogan.com, Best & Less, Costco Australia and Target Australia.
Does Big W have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big W.