Woolworths is Australia's largest supermarket operator by comparable retail sales. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission estimated FY2023 supermarket retail sales of A$48.0 billion for Woolworths, A$36.7 billion for Coles and A$12.0 billion for ALDI. Together, Woolworths and Coles represented about 67% of national supermarket retail sales. IGA had more stores than any single corporate chain in the ACCC's September 2024 footprint data, but those stores are independently owned and supplied under Metcash's network.

Operator or network FY2023 supermarket retail sales Share of national supermarket retail sales Approximate stores by September 2024 What the figure represents
Woolworths A$48.0bn 38% 1,115 Corporate supermarket retail sales and stores
Coles A$36.7bn 29% 852 Corporate supermarket retail sales and stores
ALDI A$12.0bn 9% 594 Corporate discount-supermarket sales and stores
Metcash wholesale supply / IGA network A$8.4bn wholesale supply 7% proxy used by ACCC 1,335 IGA stores Metcash wholesale revenue and independently operated banner stores, not one retailer's sales
Other supermarkets A$21.4bn 17% 941 ACCC market remainder across regional and independent operators

Source and basis: ACCC Supermarkets Inquiry final report, February 2025, table 2.1 for FY2023 sales and share; ACCC interim report, September 2024, figure 7.5 for approximate store counts. The ACCC cautions that Metcash's number is wholesale supply to independent retailers, so it is not directly comparable with retailer sales. Store totals above sum the state and territory counts in that report and may include different store formats.

Latest company revenue does not create a like-for-like ranking

Company reports are newer than the ACCC comparison but use different boundaries. Woolworths reported A$53.852 billion in Australian Food sales for FY2026. Coles reported A$45.6 billion in FY2026 group sales revenue, which includes Liquor as well as Supermarkets. Metcash reported A$10.5 billion in FY2026 Food revenue including charge-through sales, covering wholesale supermarkets plus Foodservice and Convenience.

These current figures are useful for scale, but they should not be sorted as though they measure the same activity. ALDI Australia is privately held and does not publish an equivalent annual segment report. For a consistent market-share comparison, the ACCC's FY2023 table remains the strongest public source.

What each major supermarket route means for suppliers

Woolworths: the largest comparable supermarket retailer

Woolworths offers the greatest national supermarket sales scale in the ACCC dataset. Its FY2026 Australian Food measure includes Woolworths Supermarkets, Metro and e-commerce. Suppliers should confirm which format and category team they are targeting, then prepare for central ranging, service-level and promotional requirements.

Coles: the second-largest national supermarket retailer

Coles represented 29% of FY2023 national supermarket retail sales in the ACCC comparison. Coles now says it operates more than 840 supermarkets. Like Woolworths, it provides national reach, but a product still needs a specific category case, supply resilience and a plan for promotions and online fulfilment.

ALDI: a national discount retailer with a smaller assortment

ALDI represented 9% of supermarket retail sales in the ACCC comparison and opened its 600th Australian store in May 2025. Its limited-assortment, private-label-led model creates a different supplier proposition from a conventional branded supermarket listing. Pitch economics, volume and product role accordingly.

IGA and Foodland: independent retailers supplied through Metcash

Metcash owns the IGA brand and supplies a network of independent retailers. Its FY2026 report says the supermarket business supports more than 1,200 independent retailers under national banners including IGA and Foodland, plus thousands of customers under their own brands. Banner reach can be valuable for regional, premium and locally relevant products, but the network is not one corporate retailer. Ask whether a listing is a Metcash wholesale range decision, a banner program, or an individual retailer decision.

Regional and specialist retailers

Drakes, Harris Farm Markets, Ritchies, FoodWorks, SPAR, Costco and other operators add important regional or format-specific routes. Public revenue and store-count disclosures are inconsistent, so this article does not assign unsupported numerical ranks to them. They can still be better launch partners than a national chain when the product needs fresh-category expertise, local storytelling, a warehouse-club pack or a concentrated regional pilot.

How to use revenue, store count and market share

  • Revenue or sales indicates commercial scale only when the business boundary matches. Australian Food segment sales, group revenue and wholesale turnover are different measures.
  • Store count indicates possible physical reach, but one hypermarket, convenience store and independent banner store are not equivalent distribution points.
  • Market share depends on the market definition and year. This article uses the ACCC's national supermarket retail sales definition and dated FY2023 estimates.
  • Supplier fit depends on category, margin, shelf life, service levels, geography and how buying decisions are made. Scale alone does not identify the best launch partner.

Practical route-to-shelf checklist

  1. Choose the target format and shopper before approaching a buyer.
  2. Build a landed-price and margin model that includes distributor or wholesaler layers where relevant.
  3. Document Australian labelling, biosecurity and food-standard compliance.
  4. Show supply capacity, shelf life, case configuration and service levels.
  5. Propose a measurable regional, store-cluster or online pilot when national proof is limited.
  6. Clarify whether the buyer controls a corporate chain, wholesale range, banner program or independent store.

If you need an intermediary before approaching retail buyers, use our Australian food and beverage distributor guide and distributor shortlist by channel and supplier fit. Compare other concentrated retail markets in our guides to Singapore supermarkets, US supermarkets and European supermarkets.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the biggest supermarket in Australia?

Woolworths is the biggest by the ACCC's comparable FY2023 supermarket retail sales estimate: A$48.0 billion and 38% share, ahead of Coles at A$36.7 billion and 29%.

Who has the most supermarket stores in Australia?

The IGA banner had the largest footprint in the ACCC's September 2024 estimate, with about 1,335 stores. Those stores are independently owned and operated, so the count does not represent one corporate retailer. Woolworths had about 1,115 stores in the same ACCC dataset.

What are Australia's four major supermarket routes?

Woolworths, Coles and ALDI are the three major corporate supermarket retailers. Metcash supplies independent retailers, many trading under IGA or Foodland banners. The ACCC estimated these four routes represented 83% of FY2023 national supermarket retail sales, using Metcash wholesale supply as a proxy.

Is Woolworths bigger than Coles?

Yes on the ACCC's comparable basis. Woolworths had 38% of FY2023 supermarket retail sales and Coles had 29%. Their latest company-reported revenue figures use different segment boundaries, so the ACCC comparison is the clearer answer.

Planning an Australian retail launch? Talk to GourmetPro about buyer mapping, distributor selection and route-to-market strategy.