The company is a division of the Woolworths Group and as of 2024 operated 179 stores,[1] with around 18,000 employees across mainland Australia and Tasmania.

[2] Woolworths Limited developed the Big W brand to provide Australian shoppers with a broad range of general merchandise products in a dedicated one-stop-shop.

In August 2022, Big W opened its first small format store in Town Hall, Sydney.

In November 2023, the company launched Big W Market, an online marketplace for third-party businesses to sell their products.

Around 2023, Big W began phasing out its garden centres entirely, citing poor sales on live plants.