Woolworths has sparked fury among customers by releasing a new $20 ‘designer’ shopping bag amid the rising cost of living.
The supermarket giant has collaborated with British fashion designer Anya Hindmarch, best known for her luxury handbags and accessories, to create The Universal Bag – a stylish and sustainable tote.
A similar tote bag by the high-end brand can cost upwards of $790.
And now, Woolworths customers can get their hands on the designer piece for a fraction of the price as part of the grocery chain’s ongoing efforts to encourage customers to ditch single-use bags for good.
However, the tote bag has not been well received, with many shoppers divided over the supermarket’s latest launch.
‘So at a time when I can barely afford to buy groceries, Woolies puts out a $20 bag to put barely anything into. Got it,’ one revealed.
‘Omg that is outrageous,’ another said.
‘$20… in this economy?!’ one raged.
‘Aside from the absurdity of releasing a $20 bag in a cost of living crisis by Woolies of all places, it’s not even an on-trend shade of green, it’s still giving corporate Woolies green,’ another added.
‘Cost of living crisis and Woolworths thought let’s bring out a $20 shopping bag,’ one chimed in.
Others said the price of the bag was ‘insane’ while another said they ‘literally eye rolled’ when they saw it in stores.
‘That escalated quickly from free to 10 cents to $1 to $20,’ one pointed out.
‘They really are out of touch with what’s going on these days,’ another added.
However, not everyone agreed with the outrage, with one saying: ‘I’ll buy it because it’s the only Anya Hindmarch I’ll ever be able to afford.’
‘It’s an Anya Hindmarch bag. She’s a UK accessories designer who collabs with supermarkets mainly in the UK. They sell out every time and we are super lucky to have these in Australia. Got mine because I love it and can afford it,’ another revealed.
‘No way!! These are amazing,’ one raved.
Available in 600 Woolworths stores now, the bag isn’t just another reusable tote.
Made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, every element of the bag, from the fabric to the stitching, has been certified under the Global Recycling Scheme (GRS), ensuring it meets the highest sustainability standards.
Unlike flimsy alternatives that wear out within months, the tote bag is built to last a full decade, having undergone rigorous durability testing.
Anya Hindmarch, whose I Am Not A Plastic Bag campaign in 2007 helped kickstart a global shift away from disposable plastic, is now taking things a step further with The Universal Bag, a project in collaboration with major retailers worldwide.
Since launching in 2021, the project has already prevented 230 tonnes of virgin plastic from ending up in landfill.
Woolworths is the first Australian supermarket to join the movement, following in the footsteps of Selfridges, Whole Foods, and Waitrose in the UK, as well as leading stores in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.
‘The Universal Bag project has saved over 230 tonnes of virgin plastic from landfill to date, the equivalent weight of over 19 London double decker buses,’ Hindmarch said.
‘Plastic pollution remains a pressing environmental issue but working together with major global food retailers shows how the solution needs to be collaborative.’
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