Australian Stores to drop Australia Day Merchandise 2024.
Australia Day is celebrated on 26 January every year. In 2024 this falls on a Friday.
Australia Day celebrates the landing on 26 January 1788, of Arthur Phillip, who had sailed into what is now Sydney Cove with a shipload of convicts, where he hoisted the British flag.
The Woolworths Group (including Big W) have stated that they will no longer stock special Australia Day-themed merchandise.
They do sell Australian flags year-round, but due to a gradual decline in demand for Australia Day merchandise over recent years, they have chosen not to stock this extra merchandise from this year.
Coles has also reduced their range of Australia Day merchandise this year, in a similar way to the same last year, 2023.
Kmart dropped a major amount of Australia Day merchandise from its stores last year.
ALDI has announced that they will also not sell Australia Day merchandise in 2024.
Australia Day Holiday History.
In 1818, New South Wales had the first official celebration of the formation of that State on 26 January.
In 1935 all Australian states and territories adopted use of the term “Australia Day” to mark the date of the 1788 landing of the First Fleet.
In 1938, on the 150th anniversary, the 26th of January was proclaimed an official holiday, while Aboriginal Australians held a protest on the same day, calling it a “Day of Mourning”.
In 1988, 26 January became a national public holiday.
In 1994, 26 January was marked as a public holiday by all states and territories.
Other names for Australia Day, have included:
- Anniversary Day,
- Foundation Day,
- Survival Day,
- Invasion Day,
- Day of Mourning.