To change the colour of the bag in less than five days can either mean damage control or this has been on the cards for a while.
Controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee last week Thursday revealed the versatility of the Woolworths shopping bag.
He told the committee that he used the black shopping bag to deliver R300 000 to former police minister Bheki Cele.
In less than a week, Woolworths started rolling out the new bags, which are white and semi-transparent.
@tumisang_singo Lol I knew it that Woolies would act fast😂😂💔 #catmatlala #wooliesbag #moneybag #fyp
♬ original sound – Tumisang Singo
Woolworths bag change damage control?
To change the colour of the bag in less than five days can either mean damage control for the brand’s reputation or this has been on the cards for a while.
The Citizen reached out to the retail giant in an attempt to find out the reason behind the switch. A comment will be added once received. However, many have viewed this as Woolworths’ way to maintain its premium image.
The bag switch highlights how public revelations can influence corporate decisions, even indirectly.
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Woolworths promotes transparency?
Speculation has been that this is Woolies’ way to promote transparency, as the new colour is less “secret-keeping” than the black one.
A bag that once concealed its contents has become one that reveals them. The change from solid to transparent material elevates it from a practical tool to a visual and symbolic statement.
Woolworths has consistently pushed to eliminate single-use plastics and promote reusable, recyclable bags. The updated design supports that strategy while delivering a sleeker, more modern look.
@ecks_ves ♬ original sound – Xolile Vesile
Not new to scandals
Woolworth is not new to scandals though. Late last year, police arrested seven people for re-packaging and altering dates on fake and expired Lucky Star canned fish in what looked like the retailer’s boxes.
The company said it had a “strong” reason to believe that the products may be part of a batch rejected for not meeting quality control standards.
“While this investigation is ongoing, we have strong reason to believe that the product in question may have formed part of an imported shipment from an international supplier that was rejected by Woolworths, as a result of it failing to meet our stringent quality control standards,” Woolworths said.
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