Staff Writer
Woolworths Holdings Limited has reported a strong start to its financial year, showing resilience across all business segments in South Africa and Australia. For the 19 weeks ending 9 November 2025, the group recorded turnover and concession sales growth of 6.2% and 6.8% on a constant currency basis, both well above inflation.
The company progressed with its share buyback programme, repurchasing 6.9 million shares since September at an average price of N$51.22.
Woolworths South Africa delivered solid results with turnover and concession sales up 7.4%. The food division continued to lead performance, posting comparable store growth of 6% and overall growth of 7.7%. Market share gains, steady volume growth and improvements in customer experience supported the division’s performance. The average price increase for the period was 4.6%. The Woollies Dash on-demand service grew by 24.2%, with online sales now making up 7.3% of South African food sales.
The Fashion, Beauty and Home division also grew, with turnover and concession sales up 6.2% and 6.6%, respectively, on a comparable store basis. Sales outperformed the market over the past six months due to improved product availability supported by value chain transformation work. Fashion inflation was 2.2%. Beauty and Home grew 9.6% and 13.8%, respectively. Online sales contributed 6% to the division’s revenue, while trading space decreased slightly due to efficiency optimisation.
Woolworths Financial Services posted a 2% decline year on year but grew 1.5% when excluding the partial sale of its legal book. The business is focusing on quality growth through new accounts and credit limit increases. The annualised impairment rate was 6.7% for the four months ending 31 October 2025.
The Country Road Group in Australia and New Zealand operated in a competitive retail environment driven by promotions. The group recorded a 3.3% increase in sales and 3.9% on a comparable store basis. Most brands, except Mimco, performed better than last year following strategic repositioning and operational restructuring.
The company reported constant currency figures to show the impact of the Australian dollar while noting that currency movements in the rest of Africa were not material.
Woolworths said the group’s performance shows steady growth across markets and business segments as it moves into the festive season. A further trading update will be released in mid-January 2026.
Caption
Woolworths demonstrated steady, well-rounded growth across markets and business segments.
- Photo: ContributedÂ
