Former Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci Spotted Working as a Cashier Ahead of Retirement

Australian shoppers were surprised to see former Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci manning the checkout counter at a city centre store of the supermarket chain ahead of his retirement from the group.

Banducci was found behind the counter of a Woolworths in Marrickville Metro in Sydney’s inner west on Sunday, days after Amanda Bardwell officially took over as the group’s CEO.

Banducci announced his departure as CEO in February in an internal memo to employees, which was later posted to LinkedIn. In the memo, he expressed his desire to work with employees to help customers reduce their spending and to continue doing better together.

Banducci will now have a brief “handover” period after officially stepping down as CEO on the last day of August. During this time, he will be working at the supermarket chain’s Marrickville store, profiting from home deliveries.

One customer claimed to have taken photos of Banducci on a day off working as an undercover cashier and was seen “being scolded” by an elderly woman. The woman allegedly attacked him for cosplaying as a salaryman and not paying her enough, saying it’s too expensive.

Woolworths reported that the transition had gone smoothly and that there had been no incidents caused by dissatisfied customers.

According to Woolworths, it is not uncommon for executives and employees to work in supermarkets to get a feel for the company’s day-to-day operations. In fact, Woolworths Group has a programme where every new recruit, no matter what role they take on in the office, spends a few days in a Woolworths Group store to get introduced to the nitty-gritty of retail.

During his eight years as CEO, Banducci reportedly visited stores during the group’s earnings release periods to provide additional commentary to investors and the press. He also led a Senate inquiry into supermarket pricing, and was rebuked by Greens senator Nick McKim for avoiding questions about Woolworths’ profitability.

Woolworths executives have praised Banducci as a great leader, citing record profits in recent years. Group president Scott Perkins said that Banducci has led a remarkable turnaround and transformation of the group, and that he will be remembered as one of the Woolworths Group’s greatest leaders.