August 26, 2026 — 8:53amWoolworths has outpaced its closest competitor on sales growth after posting a 4.6 per cent increase in Australian food sales to $53.85 billion in the 2026 financial year. Profits rose 18.1 per cent to $1.14 billion.Across the whole Woolworths group, revenue grew 3.6 per cent to $71.5 billion.Woolworths’ 2026 sales growth has outpaced Coles.Oscar ColmanChief executive Amanda Bardwell said a focus on value, convenience and better execution had paid off.“Looking ahead, while we expect the challenging economic environment to continue with household budgets remaining under pressure, our strategy to deliver low prices and the best range and convenience gives us confidence we can be first choice for customers while delivering for our team and shareholders in the year ahead,” she said in a statement.Jessica Yun is a business reporter covering retail and food for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners