2019 Fortune list
| Rank | Fortune 500 rank | Name |
|---|
| 1 | 195 | Wesfarmers |
| 2 | 233 | Woolworths Group |
| 3 | 246 | BHP |
| 4 | 373 | Commonwealth Bank |
At the time of writing our data says that Woolworths Group Limited has a market cap of AU$39b, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of AU$7.8m.
Woolworths wants to relinquish control of its controversial pubs and poker machines business through a plan to merge it with its bottle shop operations and spin that off as a new company. Woolworths said it expected to retain minority ownership of the new business, to be called the Endeavour Group.
85% of the company was bought out by the Kingfisher Group in 2000 for £15.7 million, and then became part of the Woolworths Group with its de-merger in 2001.
Woolworth closed its remaining variety stores in the United States in 1997, thus abandoning its traditional general-merchandise retail business there. After renaming itself Venator Group, Inc., in 1998, the company operated retail stores in North America, Europe, and Australia into the early 21st century.
Shares in Woolworths have been decimated since its flotation in 2001 as the group's fortunes have turned. Woolworths faced mounting difficulties with its suppliers, which saw it forced to pay cash when buying its stock because trade credit insurers were no longer prepared to insure suppliers to the firm.
The growth and expansion of the company contributed to its downfall. The Woolworth company moved away from its five-and-dime roots and placed less emphasis on its department store chain as it focused on its specialty stores. Still, the company was unable to compete with other chains that had eroded its market share.
Target Australia (formerly Lindsay's and later Lindsay's
Target) is a mid-price department store chain
owned by Wesfarmers.
Target Australia.
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|
| Revenue | A$ 2.802 billion (2018) |
| Number of employees | 16,000+ |
| Parent | Wesfarmers |
| Website | target.com.au |
Woolworths came out on top with a score of 95 and Coles second with 91.
2001 Aldi arrives in Australia
Aldi was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 when they took over their mother's store in Essen, Germany. Since 1960 there have been two separate companies, now named Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud, each one having initially been controlled by one of the Albrecht brothers.Coles Group
| Type | Public |
|---|
| Predecessors | Coles Myer Ltd Wesfarmers (spun-off) |
| Founded | 9 April 1914 Collingwood, Victoria |
| Defunct | 23 November 2007 |
| Headquarters | 800 Toorak Road, Hawthorn East, Victoria, Australia |
Kmart: chain of discount department stores, originally 51% owned by the US S.S. Kresge Company (later Kmart Corporation), but bought out by Coles Myer in 1994. Target: chain of discount department stores whose name and logo was originally purchased from Target Corporation by Myer Emporium Limited in 1968.
The parent company was renamed the
Target Corporation in 2000 and divested itself of its last department store chains in 2004.
Target Corporation.
| Target Corporation headquarters, Target Plaza, in Minneapolis |
|---|
| Headquarters | Target Plaza, 1000 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
The Bunnings DIY chain is owned by ASX-listed Wesfarmers, which last November spun off supermarket group Coles into a seperately-listed entity.
The retail chain told news.com.au that “officially” the 'K' doesn't stand for anything but the US company's founder was named Sebastian Spering Kresge. So, the letter represents the founder, who died three years before the first Kmart store opening in Australia.
Woolworths had first opened in 1924 in Sydney's Imperial Arcade as a variety store called Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basement. The store had no links to the Woolworth chain of five and dime stores in the USA and unashamedly stole the name when the founders realised it had not been registered in Australia.
The F. W. Woolworth Company (often referred to as Woolworth's or Woolworth) was a retail company and one of the original pioneers of the five-and-dime store. The chain went out of business in July 1997, when the company decided to focus primarily on sporting goods and renamed itself Venator Group.
Woolworth closed its remaining variety stores in the United States in 1997, thus abandoning its traditional general-merchandise retail business there. After renaming itself Venator Group, Inc., in 1998, the company operated retail stores in North America, Europe, and Australia into the early 21st century.
Dairy Farmers and Dairy Choice are both supplied by Lion, which is owned by Japanese company Kirin. A2 Milk is publicly listed, which means it is owned by a variety of Australian and international shareholders. Norco sells its own milk, while Farmers Own is from farmers who made their own deal with Woolworths.
Woolworths Holdings Limited (JSE: WHL) is a South Africa-based multinational retail company that owns the South African retail chain Woolworths, and Australian retailers David Jones and Country Road Group. Woolworths, however, has no association to Australia's Woolworths supermarket chain.
Although M&S ultimately sold its shares of Woolworths, the two companies maintained close personal ties as well as a formal technology agreement. Woolworths merged with Truworths in 1981 to form the Wooltru Group (JSE:WLO).
Why SA consumers are most satisfied with Woolworths. Johannesburg – Woolworths has succeeded in providing high quality products, convenience and fast service, and its growing presence at petrol stations has helped, a survey shows.
