This morning Coles opens its newest Local store – and this one includes some quirky features like ice cream for dogs! The award-winning Coles Local Glenferrie in Melbourne’s Hawthorn, has thrown a lifeline to Victorian food suppliers struggling with the impact of COVID-19. The product range, selected to match the needs of local shoppers, includes offerings from 80 speciality local growers, bakers, producers and cafés.
With a university just next door, Coles Local Hawthorn has been tailored to the millennial, with Coles research revealing this younger shopper seeks out food retailers that are both convenient and sustainable, and shop more regularly than customers from older demographics. To reduce time spent at the checkout, Coles Local Hawthorn is the first Coles supermarket to only accept card payments at self-scanning checkouts, with Coles research finding the vast majority of millennial shoppers always use cards to pay for their grocery shop.
The product range, selected to match the needs of local shoppers, includes products from 80 speciality local growers, bakers, producers and cafes
Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said the store had been designed to offer locals the most convenient end-to-end shopping experience possible.
“The smaller Coles Local format is designed to inspire customers and provide quality food through an in-store experience specifically tailored to the local community,” he said.
“We’ve delivered an offer that makes life easier for customers allowing them to move through the store efficiently, to get the ideal meal solution for their breakfast, lunch or dinner.”
The store is just the third example of the new supermarket format tailored specifically to the needs of local customers, and incorporates a range of environmental initiatives to make it the most sustainable Coles supermarket in Australia.
The options for self-serve also extend to beloved four-legged friends with a supermarket first – frozen pet food ice cream so customers can spoil their pampered pooches with an irresistible icy offering, flavours include vanilla berry or vanilla bean cones. The offering is in response to new Coles Local data showing the pet food category has experienced double-digit growth year-on-year, as customers spoil their pets in ice-olation.
The expanded convenience offering at Hawthorn includes an extensive vegan and vegetarian range, Japanese mochi ice cream, a pet treats bar, self-serve barista-quality coffee from DC coffee roasters, a cinema-style candy bar and more than 350 lunch and dinner options that customers can prepare in 30 minutes or less. This includes iconic Melbourne cake and pastry maker Brunettis, who has been impacted after the Coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of their outlets.
The product range, selected to match the needs of local shoppers, includes offerings from 80 speciality local growers, bakers, producers and cafés
Brunettis Owner, Yuri Angele was pleased to be partnering with Coles to offer an expanded range of sweets and pastries for customers.
“We are very excited to be partnering exclusively with Coles Local to offer a range of artisan desserts and we are very appreciative of the support received by them, he said.
“Brunetti has been heavily impacted by COVID-19 with a 90% reduction in our revenue. We have had to make some significant adjustments to our manufacturing capacities. Previously, Brunetti relied solely on its retail stores to generate income and this is the first time that we have pivoted our retail strategy to sell our products outside of our stores.”
Coles Local features free recycled customer carry boxes in place of bags, a dedicated eco-friendly product section, a zero edible food waste policy, reduced plastic packaging on fresh products, energy-efficient doors on fridges and team member uniforms made from 65% recycled bottles.
Customers will also notice a distinctly Hawthorn feel when they walk down Glenferrie road, with two murals from Melbourne-based designer Justine McAllister paying homage to local Hawthorn icons, including the Hawthorn Football Club.
With an emphasis on quality gourmet food-to-go choices, in-store coffee machine and more
Coles Local stores have proven to be a hit with customers, with the company now planning to roll the format out to New South Wales, with Sydney’s first Coles Local supermarket to open in Rose Bay later this month.
Commenting about Rose Bay, a Coles spokesperson said: “Coles is excited to be bringing the globally-recognised Coles Local format to New South Wales, with plans to open a new Coles Local supermarket in Rose Bay within weeks.
“The store will be a destination for convenience, featuring self-serve barista-quality coffee, a scoop & weigh pet food bar and hundreds of lunch and dinner options that customers can prepare in 30 minutes or less.”
The newest Coles Local store in Hawthorn, with Rose Bay store opening later this month
Coles Local was Voted as one of the top 30 food retail stores worldwide to visit in 2020.
Coles Local Hawthorn will employ 110 new team members with 88% of the new team members living locally – within five kilometres of the store.
Retail construction specialist Mainbrace Constructions successfully completed the refurbishment of Coles Local Glenferrie boosting its national portfolio of projects successfully delivered for Coles to 177.
Coles Local delivers a convenient experience and a high-quality offering for the local community
Mainbrace recently completed other successful projects for Coles at its Prahran, Sunbury and Sandringham stores in Victoria.
“This new Coles Local delivers a convenient experience and a high-quality offering for the local community in Melbourne’s inner-east,” said Cameron Burton, Mainbrace VIC Supermarket Refurbishments Manager.
“We are proud to deliver this latest addition to the Coles Local network after a strategic refurbishment program that progressed to schedule to add real value to our long-term customer.”
Coles Local Glenferrie includes some of the innovations on offer at Coles Local St Kilda, which opened in 2019 and was also delivered by Mainbrace.
