Latest news with #Coles'
West Australian
01-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
STORE WARS! Coles takes discounts fight to rival Woolworths with 12-week winter savings campaign
Coles is taking the fight for shoppers' stretched budgets back to rival Woolworths with a new winter savings campaign that looks set to escalate the supermarket store wars. The launch comes just weeks after Woolworths announced it would slash prices on hundreds of popular grocery items in a major cost-of-living move aimed at cutting into Coles' market. On May 14 it introduce a long-term campaign to lower shelf prices on almost 400 essential products both in-store and online, promising a family spending $150 on their weekly shop was likely to save about $15 each week when purchasing from the discounted range. Coles will respond to the price challenge on Monday when it will unveil plans to cut prices on 307 products under its Down Down promotion for 12 weeks across meat, bakery, dairy and pantry staples, with average savings of 19 per cent. The products includes Coles-branded lamb, pork, beef and chicken, Chobani and Danone yoghurts, Charlotte's Bakery pies, Kleenex tissues and Dove conditioner. The discounts, which the grocer says adds to more than 200 products already on Down Down prices, start from Wednesday. It will sweeten the deal to lure shoppers with its first Flybuys Activate Bonus Campaign that will give customers 10 times the points on more than 800 products in June, along with a range of cross savings promotions through its network of Liquorland stores. Coles chief commercial officer Anna Croft said the savings would help Australians find more value on their favourite products. 'This winter we're investing in bringing prices down to deliver immediate relief at the checkout to our customers,' Ms Croft said. 'Whether it's a leg of lamb roasting in the oven, a freezer full of batch-cooked meals, or a simple stir-fry to feed hungry mouths, Coles is helping households make meals they love at lowered prices.' The campaign aims to build on a continued preference for home cooking over dining out as consumers show few signs that recent interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank have given them greater confidence to loosen the purse strings. Coles will be hoping it also arrests a fall in the amount shoppers are spending on their weekly shop, a pattern experienced by both supermarket giants While delivering a 3.4 per cent jump in group-wide revenue to $10.4 billion for the March quarter in April, Coles chief executive Leah Weckert noted cash-strapped customers were cutting back on treats and buying less meat and bottled water. 'Our most popular and well-performing specials every week would be the ones that are the 40 and 50 per cent off,' she said. 'We are very aware that it's about two thirds of customers that are still battling to balance the household budget each week . . . and it's those customers that are really changing their behaviour.' Woolworths reported a similar rise in group-wide sales for the quarter but said cost-of-living pressures remained front of mind for shoppers. 'We're certainly seeing customers really resonate with those (promotions) that are deeper, so over the 40 per cent off mark is particularly popular,' chief executive Amanda Bardwell said at the time. Excluding fruit and vegetables and tobacco, average prices across its store network declined by 1.2 per cent in the first three months of 2025. But higher meat prices offset falls in the cost of long life categories such as pantry, snacking, freezer and everyday needs. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week showed inflation in the year to the end of April remained flat at 2.4 per cent but core inflation — which strips out price volatility — ticked up from 2.7 per cent to 2.8 per cent. The price of food and non-alcoholic beverages dipped in the 12 months to April to 3.1 per cent — down from 3.4 per in March — helped by a big fall in the cost of meat and seafood. Fruit and vegetable prices also dropped sharply in the month.
Perth Now
14-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Aussie shopper baffled by ‘insane' Coles policy
An Aussie shopper was left in disbelief at the checkout after discovering a little-known supermarket policy. Hana Andersonn was at a Coles store buying a beauty product which was marked down to $25 from $50, but when she was at the checkout the item scanned at full price. Andersonn alerted an employee to the error, and to her surprise the worker replied 'if anything ever scans at the incorrect price then you get that item for free.' Shocked by the experience, Andersonn took to TikTok to let her followers in on her newly discovered shopping 'hack.' 'I've never heard of this rule. Has anyone else had this happen to them because I was actually stunned,' Andersonn asked in disbelief. The policy Andersonn is referring to is Coles' Promise on Price Scanning, where the supermarket giant gives customers an item for free if it scans for a price that is higher than the one advertised on the shelf. 'All Coles supermarkets apply our Promise on Price Scanning to ensure pricing accuracy at our in-store registers,' the retailer's website states. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. But Coles isn't the only supermarket to have such policies in place. Other big retailers including Woolworths and Aldi are signed up the voluntary code of practice which have similar guidelines in place. According to Coles' website, the Promise on Price Scanning policy excludes, items without a barcode, tobacco or liquor products, items over $50, third party gift card products or Telco recharge vouchers.
West Australian
13-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Supermarket price war begins as Coles matches Woolies' cost-of-living cuts
Coles has followed in the footsteps of rival supermarket Woolworths by slashing prices on hundreds of popular grocery items in a bid to ease cost-of-living pressures for Australian families. Just two days after Woolworths revealed it would reduce the cost of almost 400 essential products, with average savings claimed at 10 per cent, Coles announced it had lowered the prices of more than 680 items across its stores and online, claiming average savings of 21 per cent. 'We know customers are on the lookout for great value all year round, and we remain focused on delivering that through thousands of weekly specials, including half-priced items as well as 'down down' products across popular brands and exclusive Coles Own Brand products,' a Coles spokesperson said. 'We are continuing to invest in value and will have further savings to announce for the Winter months. The company said from Wednesday, customers will be able to save on more than 680 'down down' products in-store and online, with average savings of 21 per cent. It also has more than 1000 products available at half price, including many weekly staples. 'Our promotions reflect seasonal availability to reward customers with savings on their favourite products, including meat and seafood, pantry, bakery, frozen, health and home care,' the spokesperson said. Coles price dropsFlybuys members can also access personalised offers, discounts, bonus points, and even free items through the Coles app, while shoppers can save up to 20 per cent on fresh produce through the supermarket's 'I'm perfect' range, which features cosmetically imperfect fruit and vegetables that still meet taste and nutrition standards. Coles' liquor arm, Liquorland, is also matching lower prices from competitors on identical items in the same state, with terms and conditions applying. The announcement comes in direct response to Woolworths' cost-saving campaign , set to begin Wednesday, which includes permanent lower shelf prices on family favourites like chicken schnitzels, Greek yoghurt, frozen berries, and 2L Coca-Cola bottles. Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell said shoppers can expect an average 10 per cent drop in prices across the 400 discounted products, potentially saving a family spending $150 each week around $15. 'Individually, each lower shelf price might not seem like a dramatic difference, but they will add up to real savings,' Ms Bardwell said. 'This isn't just a short-term promotion, it's a long-term commitment to delivering genuine, dependable value for our customers. Ms Bardwell said the initiative would provide 'meaningful relief' at the checkout and indicated the company planned to expand the program, with the current savings in place until at least 2026. The twin announcements come as the retail giants face increasing public and political scrutiny over grocery pricing, with many Australians struggling to manage rising household costs.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Coles sees strong demand in home brand, keeps 'eye on' tariff ripple effects
Australian supermarket chain Coles' chief said on Wednesday that shoppers remain sharply focused on value, driving strong quarterly growth in its premium home-brand line, while it keeps a close eye on potential impacts from global tariffs. CEO Leah Weckert flagged that while the company is not directly affected by tariffs levied by U.S. President Donald Trump, it has been "keeping an eye on" indirect effects of the global trade war, such as on beef production. The company's latest survey had shown a "modest uptick in terms of how people are feeling ... although I would say that some of the events from the U.S. and around the tariffs are probably offsetting that - the uncertainty that is bringing," she told reporters on a conference call. Coles reported third quarter group sales of A$10.38 billion ($6.64 billion), 3.4 per cent higher than last year, reflecting strong growth at its supermarket business on higher volumes. Weckert said customers were looking for more affordable options, resulting in a 13.7 per cent rise in sales at Coles Finest, the company's premium home brand . Coles said product availability improved during the quarter as new automated distribution centres came online, while warehouse enhancements contributed to a smoother experience for online shoppers. Analysts at Jefferies said the quarterly result was a solid outcome given sales accelerated from a relatively strong base in the same quarter a year earlier. Investors, however failed to cheer the results, with the Coles stock trading 1.3 per cent lower in Sydney. The grocer flagged that supermarket sales growth in the fourth quarter remained broadly in line with the previous three months. "The Q4 outlook appears to be running in line with Q3 at this stage, which again is decent but fell short of wowing investors and that's why Coles' stock price had a hard time garnering much enthusiasm today," said Tim Waterer, market analyst at KCM Trade.
