Woolies beats Coles to the punch with another collectibles range

Woolworths has beaten Coles to the punch with a new collectibles launch, fresh off the back of the success of the Disney Ooshies range that caused a short-term slump in its competitor’s sales.

Woolies is continuing its partnership with Fissler cookware to launch the new promotion, which kicks off on September 9.

Meanwhile, Coles appears to have shifted away from kids’ toy and mini collectibles. The supermarket giant hasn’t run one this year; its last such promotion was Harry Potter Magical Discs in early 2025.

Coles did stock a limited range of Blueys Best Buys merchandise from July to August this year, offering Bluey-themed homewares, toys, and a family trip competition to Bluey’s World, but it was not based on customer redemptions based on $30 spends.

Consumer psychologist Gavin Northey from Griffith University speculates that Coles may have opted out of running a costly kid’s collectibles range due a lack of long-term benefits to the business.

“The recent Ooshies craze was certainly beneficial for Woolworths in the short term, but it is possible Coles see the ‘temporary loyalty’ that comes from such promotions as not just expensive, but also not really generating true, ongoing brand loyalty,” he told nine.com.au.

“If we look at it from that perspective, it seems like Coles is shifting to promotions that excite the adult customers, rather than the children of their customers because, after all, it’s the adult customers that action and pay for the weekly shop.