ProPrint understands Australian department store Big W, owned by parent company Woolworths, is set to follow in Coles’ footsteps with plans to shrink its marketing on all platforms including print.

A source close to Big W told ProPrint the retailer has already cut more than half of its internal marketing team which looks after print and digital advertising, allegedly slashing 35 of its original 54 jobs, leaving a significantly smaller panel of 19, which is set to work with a reduced budget.

Catalogue publisher PMP is contracted by Woolworths to provide catalogue printing for the supermarket and its subsidiaries, however it was unable to comment on whether Big W has slashed its spending with the printer.

A Big W spokesperson confirmed to ProPrint there has been staff cutbacks, however was not able to comment on the reported shrinking print expenditure.

“A review of corporate office functions is underway at BIG W to bolster business performance and drive improvements for customers. This will not affect BIG W store staff or operations teams,” the statement reads.

Big W last year scrapped the role of marketing director, instead crafting the role of general manager creative- one of many senior executive changes within the discount retailer.

The shift in marketing comes soon after parent company Woolworths posted a $1bn loss for its half-year results.

Big W is one of the country’s biggest producers of catalogues, both online and print, and circulates dozens of different catalogues each year. 

Last week ProPrint also reported that Coles was slashing more than half of its weekly print advertising spend.

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