Extremely Poor Stock, Near-Expired Products & Failed Management at Woolworths Oudtshoorn

Complaint: I want to express my deep disappointment with the Woolworths Oudtshoorn store, specifically the food section, which has become completely unreliable and does not meet the standards Woolworths is known for.

Firstly, thank you for opening a Woolworths in Oudtshoorn. Many of us were thrilled because we previously had to travel to George for quality food products. Unfortunately, the excitement has quickly turned into frustration.

Major Issues: Constant Lack of Stock The shelves are frequently empty, and when stock is available, the quantities are so limited that customers cannot depend on this store for consistent shopping. This makes no sense for a newly opened store that should be properly supp****.

Products Nearing Expiry Fresh products often expire the same day or the following day. Woolworths has always been known for freshness, normally offering items with several days’ shelf life. This store is failing that standard completely.

Catch-22 Ordering System Failure When I asked the manager why products are always near expiry, I was told the computer system will not order new stock if there is still stock on the shelves — even if that stock is about to expire. This creates a ridiculous cycle:

Items expire → customers don’t buy them → system won’t reorder → shelves remain full of old stock → customers leave again.

This is not a customer problem. This is a system and managerial failure.

Incorrect Demand Planning It is clear that someone miscalculated the expected foot traffic and demand for Oudtshoorn and surrounding towns. The food section is too large for the supply, and the ordering team is not keeping up. The result: empty shelves, stale stock, and frustrated customers.

Customers Returning to George Many locals, including myself, are now considering going back to George for Woolworths shopping because the Oudtshoorn branch simply cannot provide consistent quality or availability. This defeats the entire purpose of opening this store.

What Needs to Happen: Woolworths must urgently review the ordering and replenishment process for Oudtshoorn.

The system needs to be overridden when stock is close to expiry so fresh stock can be ordered.

The food section must be sized, staffed, and stocked according to realistic demand, not faulty assumptions.

Regional management should step in immediately to prevent this store from damaging Woolworths’ reputation in this region.

Woolworths is known for excellence, but the Oudtshoorn food section is nowhere near that standard. It has become a disappointment for customers who were excited to finally have Woolworths locally.

I hope Woolworths resolves this before the community loses faith in this store entirely