Mini Woolies
Supporting young people with disabilities
Fujitsu is proud to be the technology partner supporting Woolworths Group in providing educational experiences for young people with disabilities. The Mini Woolies program has now expanded to every state and territory across Australia and has a presence in New Zealand.
Challenges
Launched in 2018, the Mini Woolies program was created to provide hands-on learning experiences for young people with disabilities in a safe and comfortable learning environment.
Solutions
The idea behind Mini Woolies was to bring a simulated supermarket experience directly into the everyday learning spaces of young people with disabilities. Mini Woolies launched with the support of Fujitsu to help students gain independence and confidence in a supermarket-like setting that was available for them to use every day.
Outcomes
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Students learn key skills in an environment where they feel safe and supported
- Build confidence, independence, and future preparedness by providing a unique experience in a simulated retail environment
- Offers crucial experience that may lead to job opportunities in the retail or hospitality industry
"It's incredible to see how far Mini Woolies has come since its launch in 2018. We started with a simple goal to create an engaging learning environment for young people with disabilities. Reaching so many sites is a testament to all of the wonderful communities that have welcomed us across Australia and New Zealand.
Whether it's for a maths class, food tech class or for practical experience in a retail qualification, we've seen the program used in so many creative ways, and it's fantastic to see students and staff having fun and making the most of these spaces."
Sarah Corey, General Manager of Enterprise Operations and Mini Woolies at Woolworths Group
8000+ young people supported over 100+ sites
- Industry: Retail
- Location: Australia & New Zealand
- Customer's website
About the customer
The Mini Woolies program is run by Woolworths Group along with supporting partner Fujitsu Oceania. Woolworths Supermarkets (colloquially known in Australia as “Woolies”) is an Australian chain of supermarkets and grocery stores owned by Woolworths Group. Woolworths today is Australia’s biggest supermarket chain.
Enriching the lives of young people with disabilities
In 2018 Woolworths partnered with Fujitsu to launch the Mini Woolies program. The aim was to create an education resource for schools that support an entire cohort of students with disabilities, TAFE’s and disability support providers by creating an immersive educational experience. Each site is designed to simulate the operations of a Woolworths supermarket. Using Fujitsu registers, students learn customer service skills, scan grocery items, handle educational money, and process sales in a safe and familiar environment.
“Mini Woolies is woven into the fabric of our values — using innovation to enable all people to thrive, learn, and grow. There is no greater example of that spirit than what we see at site launches. As a father and as a leader, it’s incredibly moving for me to see how programs like Mini Woolies create real opportunities for young people to build confidence, independence, and skills that will shape their futures.” emphasises Peter Grassi, CEO Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand.
Celebrating 100 Mini Woolies and counting
The first Mini Woolies opened seven years ago in 2018 at St Edmund’s College in Sydney. There are now over 100 Mini Woolies across Australia and New Zealand.
“The opening of the 100th Mini Woolies site at Warringa Park School, in Victoria was a milestone that speaks to the power of collaboration, commitment, and a shared belief in the potential of every young person.” adds Peter Grassi, CEO Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand. “Fujitsu is proud to support Woolworths’ in-site technology across more than 3,000 sites nationally, and we are delighted to officially welcome Warringa Park School’s Mini Woolies into that network of support.”
Continuing to take the program to exciting new places
Fujitsu and Woolworths Group are proud to continue to collaborate to deliver technology and innovation to create a society where everyone can participate to their full potential. The partnership is working to enhance processes and tools in the Mini Woolies initiative to ensure a smoother, more impactful experience for students. Throughout 2025, more Mini Woolies sites are scheduled to open across Australia and New Zealand.
The work supporting the Mini Woolies initiative with Woolworths received the Excellence Award at Fujitsu Global 2023 Sustainability Contribution Awards. The Fujitsu Sustainability Contribution Awards aim to recognise employees and initiatives that are actively contributing to the realisation of Fujitsu’s purpose, but it doesn’t stop there.
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