Coles Supermarkets facts for kids
Logo used since 2007
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The main office for Coles in Hawthorn East, Melbourne.
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Trade name
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Coles |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail, supermarket and consumer services |
| Founded | 1914 |
| Founder | George Coles |
| Headquarters |
Hawthorn East, Victoria, Australia
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Number of locations
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860 stores
List
830 Coles Supermarkets
30 Coles Local |
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Area served
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Australia |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  A$38.175 billion (2019) |
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Operating income
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A$1.414 billion (2018) |
| Total assets | A$21.644 billion (2018) |
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Number of employees
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~120,000 |
| Parent | Coles Group |
| Subsidiaries |
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Coles Supermarkets, usually just called Coles, is one of Australia's largest supermarket chains. It sells groceries and other household items and has its main office in Melbourne.
Coles was started in 1914 by Sir George Coles in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. Today, there are over 840 Coles supermarkets across Australia. The company has more than 120,000 employees and is a major player in the Australian grocery market.
You can also shop at Coles online through its website, Coles Online, which offers home delivery or a "click and collect" service where you can pick up your groceries.
For a long time, Coles was part of a larger company called Coles Myer, and later it was bought by a company called Wesfarmers. In 2018, it became its own company again, known as Coles Group. In 2020, Coles started using the slogan "Value the Australian way".
Contents
History of Coles
How It All Began
George Coles learned about running a store from his father. On April 9, 1914, he opened his own shop, the "Coles Variety Store," in Collingwood, a suburb of Melbourne. This was the very first Coles store.
The company grew, and in 1958, it started to focus more on food by buying 54 grocery stores. Over the next few years, it bought hundreds more stores in South Australia and New South Wales.
The First Supermarkets
In 1960, Coles opened its first real supermarket in Balwyn North, Melbourne. A modern Coles store is still there today. Starting in 1962, the supermarkets were called Coles New World and used cool space-themed pictures in their ads. By 1973, there was a Coles store in every capital city in Australia.
The stores changed their name to Coles Supermarkets in 1991, and since 1998, they have been known simply as Coles.
Changes in Recent Years
Between 2006 and 2008, many Bi-Lo supermarkets were changed into Coles stores. In 2007, a large company called Wesfarmers bought the entire Coles Group. An experienced British retailer named Ian McLeod ran Coles from 2008 to 2014.
In 2018, Wesfarmers decided to separate Coles into its own company again. Steven Cain became the new CEO of Coles Supermarkets.
Coles is also working on being more environmentally friendly. It started using its first electric truck in 2022 and added fully electric delivery vans in 2023. The company has also opened large, automated centers that use robots and technology to help pack and send out products to stores and customers.
Advertising and Slogans
Coles has used many different slogans over the years. When it was a variety store, its slogan was "nothing over 2/6" (two shillings and sixpence, an old form of money).
Here are some of its other famous slogans:
- "You'll find the best value is at Coles New World" (1980s)
- "Serving you better" (1998–2003)
- "Save every day" (2003–2007)
- "Good things are happening at Coles" (2018)
- "Value the Australian way" (2020–present)
The "Down Down" Campaign
In 2010, Coles launched one of its most famous advertising campaigns: "Down Down, Prices Are Down." The ads featured a big red hand pointing down and used the tune of the song "Down Down" by the rock band Status Quo.
The campaign was very popular and changed a few times. In 2012, the band Status Quo even appeared in the ads. In 2017, Australian singer Casey Donovan sang a disco version for the commercials. The "Down Down" campaign ended in 2018.
Coles Radio
When you're shopping in a Coles supermarket, you might hear music playing. This is Coles Radio, the store's own radio station. It is run in partnership with Nova Entertainment and plays pop hits from the 1980s to today. You can also listen to Coles Radio online or on a DAB+ digital radio.
Pricing and Fairness Questions
Coles and Woolworths are the two biggest supermarket chains in Australia. Because they are so big, some people have raised concerns about their power.
Some suppliers have said that Coles has used its size to push for lower prices from them. In 2014, a court found that Coles had treated some of its suppliers unfairly and ordered the company to pay a fine of $10 million.
The company was also fined $2.5 million in 2015 for advertising bread as "freshly baked" when it had been partially cooked somewhere else and frozen before being baked in the store.
In 2024, both Coles and Woolworths were looked at closely for how they set their prices. Some people accused them of price gouging, which is when a company charges prices that are seen as too high or unfair, especially when many people are finding it hard to afford things. An official investigation recommended making new laws to stop this from happening.
Fun Promotions
Coles is known for its special offers and collectible promotions.
- Fuel Offer: If you spend over $30 at Coles, you can get a discount on petrol at Coles Express service stations.
- Flybuys: Shoppers can collect points on their purchases at Coles and other stores. These points can be used to get money off future shopping or other rewards.
- Sports for Schools: In this program, customers collected vouchers that schools could trade for new sports equipment.
- Little Shop: In 2018, Coles ran a very popular promotion called "Little Shop," where customers could collect tiny toy versions of real grocery items. It was so successful that they brought it back for Christmas.
Coles Store Brands
Coles sells products with its own brand names, which are often called private labels or store brands. These products are usually cheaper than well-known national brands.
- Coles: The main store brand, offering a wide range of everyday products.
- Coles Finest: A premium brand for gourmet and high-quality foods.
- Coles Organic: A range of products made without synthetic chemicals or pesticides.
- Coles Simply: A budget-friendly brand offering basic items at low prices.
- Coles Green Choice: A line of cleaning products that are designed to be better for the environment.
Images for kids
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A Coles supermarket in a shopping centre in Warwick, Western Australia
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A Coles store in Glenfield Park, New South Wales
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A Coles store at a shopping centre in Hawthorn, Victoria
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A Coles store in Engadine, New South Wales
See also
- List of supermarket chains in Oceania
- Pick n Pay Stores
