Welcome to the neighbourhood - Coles Local unveiled
13 NOVEMBER 2018
First smaller format store goes big on tailored offering and sustainability
The first of Coles’ new look local neighbourhood supermarkets, Coles Local, will open today in Melbourne’s Surrey Hills.
Coles Local offers a tailored in-store experience and a thoughtfully crafted range of high quality local and imported products, designed specifically to meet the needs of the local community.
"Coles Local gives the Surrey Hills community the convenience of a supermarket with the character of a specialty store," said Coles CEO Steven Cain.
“The great thing about Coles Local is that it makes life easier for our customers and helps them explore their love of food. Our customers have told us they’re often juggling shopping with a busy family and work schedule, so there will always be a friendly team member who can help them find the specialty products they want to take home for their families.”
As a local supermarket, the Surrey Hills store will source products from Aussie suppliers including Backyard Honey, Meatsmith, Brunetti and MoVida, and will proudly sell 100% Australian-grown fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fresh seafood. Coles Local customers in Surrey Hills will also be the first in Australia to see quality products under the Coles Local brand including Coles Local convenience meals and prepared fruit and veg.
It will also feature a new “Foodie Hub” with a resident chef to offer product samples, advice and recipes to customers in store.
The store champions sustainability with a zero edible food waste policy, and will feature a food digester which uses water and microbes to partly digest inedible food waste and send it to the local waste water treatment plant where it is turned into renewable energy.
Coles Local will proactively contribute to the area through partnerships with local community groups including the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Community Centre and Surrey Hills Rotary Club.
“We’re here to be part of Surrey Hills. Our customers have told us that they want to shop in a sustainable store that reduces food waste and helps the local community,” said Mr Cain.
Adding to the local focus of the store, the vast majority of the 81 team members of Coles Local in Surrey Hills are from the local area and surrounding suburbs.
Coles will listen carefully to customer feedback on the Surrey Hills store as we seek to roll out smaller format stores in coming years. Coles Local Surrey Hills at a glance.
- First Coles Local store in Australia.
- The store is part of Coles’ $120 million investment in Victoria over the next 10 months, creating more than 1600 new construction and retail jobs across seven new supermarket developments.
- Almost 80 new local jobs.
- Approximately 1280sqm in size (about half the size of a full-size Coles supermarket).
- Sustainability initiatives include a zero food waste policy, ORCA food digester, refrigeration with a closed water loop system and energy efficient design.
- All edible food waste will be donated to SecondBite.
- Community partnerships with the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Community Centre and Surrey Hills Rotary Club.
- The “Foodie Hub” features meats from famed Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell’s Meatsmith.
- An in-store barista and in-store chef.
- Exclusive new Coles Local-branded products including Coles Local convenience meals and prepared fruit and veg.
- An extensive vegetarian and vegan range, including the Beyond Meat range.
- MoVida branded pantry products.
- Exclusive Brunetti panettones.
- Noisette Pastries.
- Surrey Hills’ local Backyard Honey range.
- Laurent bread, cakes and pastries.
- Mexican section with locally produced products.
For further information, please contact Coles Media Line (03) 9829 5250 or
media.relations@coles.com.au
