By Luke Voogt
Geelong singer-songwriter Annie McGlade has accused Woolworths of hypocrisy after it denied her an online shopping discount for a cigarette purchase.
“For a long time if you ordered over $300 of stuff (online at Woolworths), delivery was free,” she said.
“Now, with no announcement, that $300 does not include cigarettes.
“I get it, that it’s a frowned-upon habit. However it is still legal and where do Woollies get off passing judgement on my spending habits?”
Ms McGlade was furious when she discovered the supermarket’s free delivery policy did not apply to cigarettes.
“They are a damn supermarket not a health watchdog,” she said.
Ms McGlade accused the supermarket giant of hypocrisy after a manager confirmed she could still get free delivery if the $300 included junk food.
“I could buy any amount of sugary drinks, sweets, pre-packaged frozen dinners full of preservatives, salt and sugar, and they would be hunky dory,” she said.
“Despite the medical facts that pre-processed, overly-salted or sugary food causes diabetes, heart disease and stroke.”
If the supermarket chain were “serious” about health they would rearrange their stores with junk food to the rear, Ms McGlade said.
“It’s kind of all or nothing, you’d think.
“It’s apparently totally fine to organise their supermarkets so that the healthy, non-preservative, real food is at the back so you have to walk through the cheap, unhealthy and impulse buy (items).
“I got a couple of free deliveries out of it but I was pissed off.”
A Woolworths spokesperson said the company disclosed the exclusion of cigarettes and tobacco products from delivery spend thresholds to customers in the online shopping process.
“We’re working hard to keep the cost of delivery of fresh food and groceries as affordable as possible for our customers.
“The deliver fee threshold change on cigarettes and tobacco products will help ensure we can continue doing this.”
