The first of Coles’ new-look local neighbourhood supermarkets has arrived in Sydney as the doors officially open to Coles Local Rose Bay. The store marks a new era for supermarket shopping in Sydney, with never-before-seen features including a pick-and-mix bar just for dogs, a macaron, mini gelato and Japanese mochi ice cream parlour, a self-serve coffee and orange juice station, and one of the largest plant-based ranges of any Coles supermarket in NSW. 

Coles Local supermarkets offer the community a tailored in-store experience, partnering with local butchers, bakers and cafes to offer a bespoke range of high-quality foods designed to meet the needs of local residents. 

Coles conducted wide research into the Rose Bay community, finding they are more than twice as likely to choose premium, high quality products than the average Australian shopper, and overwhelmingly value fresh and healthy solutions at mealtimes. They are also typically aged between 25 – 44 and don’t have kids. 

Coles Local will cater to these time-poor Rose Bay professionals, becoming a destination for health and convenience, offering more than 350 new ready-to-eat products that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, including restaurant-quality pasta, salads and dinnertime meals from Sydney icon Pasta Pantry. 

Coles CEO Steven Cain said the Coles Local format had been designed to appeal to local tastes and preferences. 

Coles Local Rose Bay (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images for Coles)

“Customers want us to make their lives easier, and this store offers our customers the convenience of a supermarket with the range of a specialty store,” Cain said. 

“This is our first Coles Local supermarket to open in Sydney. The store has been carefully designed with cutting edge sustainability features and local partnerships with neighbourhood bakers, butchers and producers.” 

The store features an extensive Kosher range, and products from 35 speciality Sydney producers, including family butchery Field to Fork, whose Bondi and Vaucluse outlets were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Field to Fork was started by Paula Horwitz in 2014. Together with her husband Gary, they share more than 50 years of collective experience in the food industry including their first shop, The Swiss Deli, which they opened in 1986.

Joshua Horwitz from Field to Fork said the family was happy to be partnering with Coles to offer their range of top-quality marinated meats for customers. 

“We are delighted that Coles has chosen our a small, family-run business to showcase our brand in their store,” Joshua said. 

“There was no anticipating the impact coronavirus would have on our industry. We experienced a 40% reduction in revenue almost overnight.” 

“When Coles reached out and brought us on board, it meant that we had a new place to retail our products and not one Field to Fork employee was made redundant and no stock has gone in the bin.” said Joshua. 

The store has a number of quirky features, including a pick-and-mix bar just for dogs, a macaron, mini gelato and Japanese mochi ice cream parlour, self-serve coffee and one of the largest plant-based ranges of any Coles supermarket in New South Wales. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images for Coles)

“We are committed to making a positive difference to the communities in which we operate, and our Rose Bay store helps us to support these small local producers in these difficult times,” Cain said.

Coles Local Rose Bay will champion sustainability, with team member uniforms made from 65% recycled bottles, trolleys made partly from recycled plastic and free reclaimed customer carry boxes as an alternative to bags. A zero edible food waste policy also means that any unsold food that cannot be donated to food rescue organisation SecondBite will be diverted to green energy generation. 

The store’s pick-and-mix selection of tasty doggy treats will be the first in New South Wales, so customers can spoil their pampered pooches with a bespoke blend of canine snacks. 

The redevelopment has also restored the heritage-listed Kings Theatre cinema to its former glory – and in the process – revealed the original cinema screen previously thought lost.

Supporting the Rose Bay community, the store will create 26 new jobs and has partnered with local not-for-profit Print35 who provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, supplying the store with Kosher serviettes and Jewish-themed greeting cards.