Coles unveils store of the future in Melbourne’s east
World renowned chef Curtis Stone officially launches new format focusing on fresh convenience and innovation
13 August 2019
Coles will unveil the first supermarket in its new convenience-focused format including never-before-seen features tomorrow in Melbourne’s east.
Hundreds of customers are expected to flock to the new-look store which will be officially opened by Michelin-starred chef Curtis Stone, who will be on hand to provide expert cooking advice to time-poor Aussies looking for fresh and convenient meal options.
The supermarket is the first of its kind in Victoria, focusing on fresh convenience and gourmet foods, and features a number of innovations that have already proven popular in customer trials including a fresh pasta bar, DIY pizza station, restaurant quality desserts from Mark’s Cakes and a self-serve bread slicer that makes short work of the store’s range of gourmet stone-baked breads from Melbourne supplier Laurent Boillon.
As part of Coles’ strategy of tailoring stores to the needs of the local community, Coles at The Glen Shopping Centre includes an expanded range of Asian foods including Chan’s Yum Cha meals, Marion’s Kitchen cooking kits and King of Kings Bao and Noodles.
The new ‘store of the future’ format caters to increasing consumer demand for convenience, with Coles customer research finding 50 per cent of shoppers don’t have time to cook from scratch, while 33 per cent cannot say at 5pm what they will be having for dinner that night.
“Helping customers solve the problem of what to eat is what this store is all about - providing a better opportunity for time-poor customers to buy food for now like breakfast or lunch, and food for later like dinner with the family,” Coles General Manager for Store Development Jon Haggett said.
“Customers have told us what they want – it has to be fresh, it has to be quick and it has to be great quality. So we’ve done the hard work with an expanded range of delicious ready-made convenience options including everything from an on-the-go breakfast like deconstructed smashed avocado and toast, to prepared meals from our new Coles Local brand and Youfoodz that can help you put dinner on the table in minutes.”
“If you want to cook but need some help or inspiration, we also have a huge range of prepared meal solutions that will have you in and out of the kitchen in half the time, like the Cooked by Curtis range of seasoned mince, ready-to-cook meats and seafoods, and Coles Fresh Kitchen pre-cut vegetables and salads.”
Based on the success of a trial concept store in Sydney, the Coles supermarket located at the newly-renovated Glen Shopping Centre marks the beginning of Coles’ recently-announced strategic investment in store developments.
Additional store features include;
- Upgraded in-store bakery with flatbread and sourdough breads by esteemed French baker Laurent Boillon;
- Open-style meat counter with a qualified butcher
- Pick & mix tomatoes and mini capsicums.
- Gourmet deli with self-serve olive bar and expanded cheese selection;
- Scoop & Weigh with international range of coffee beans, nuts, dried fruits, indulgent chocolates, and loose leaf herbal teas, ranging from golden chai to a calming blend of chamomile, lemon and lavender.
As part of the refurbishment, Coles has also created more than 20 new local retail jobs, with 10 new team members starting their first job ever.
For further information, please contact Coles Media Line (03) 9829 5250 or
media.relations@coles.com.au
