Latest news with #ColesBakery
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Coles shoppers discover meaning behind little-known code on bakery items: 'We love a mystery'
Eagle-eyed Aussie shoppers have noticed an interesting detail printed on the barcode sticker of certain Coles baked goods - sparking speculation about the inclusion of the mysterious letters 'SC' on the label. The letters are in fact a little-known internal code, which also provide insight into how the product is made. One observant customer spotted the letters - printed in brackets - on a Custard Pull Apart loaf they recently purchased from the Coles Bakery section. 'What does SC on bakery items mean?' the shopper wrote in a Reddit thread. The question prompted a discussion, which eventually uncovered the meaning behind the 'SC' on the package. A person claiming to be a Coles employee shared their explanation that the letters 'SC' are in fact a shortening of the word 'scratch'. 'SC means scratch and indicates products made and baked from flour in store,' the worker suggested. FEMAIL asked a Coles spokesperson to clarify whether anyone in the Reddit community had cracked the case of the baked goods mystery code. 'If there is one thing we all love, it's a reddit mystery. Those Reddit-sleuths in the comments had it half right - the 'SC' is simply an internal code for our team which means it's baked in store,' the Coles spokesperson told FEMAIL. 'But here's a fun twist: just because a product doesn't have a code, doesn't mean it's not baked in store.' The Coles spokesperson further explained that while some in-store baked goods featured the 'SC' letters on the packaging, other items also made in-store did not necessarily feature the code. 'We have some bakery products that are only made from scratch in-store, so there is no need for the 'SC' code,' the spokesperson said. 'We only use the 'SC' code on those products which could be baked in store OR parbaked before being delivered to the store before its final bake. 'Regardless of whether it's baked from scratch in-store, or parbaked ahead of time, you can rest assured that our behind-the-scenes bakers have spent hours making sure to get the recipes just right.' Before the mystery was solved, some suggested the code could be an acronym or abbreviation for 'store cooked', 'soooo custardy' and 'single coated'. However, the real answer to the Reddit mystery delighted many regular Coles shoppers - some of whom had no idea there were hidden titbit of information on the barcode labels. Meanwhile, one shopper revealed: 'I always look for the hot cross buns with the SC code at my store around Easter, they're so much better.' Other observant shoppers asked the Coles employee responder on Reddit if they could also explain some other codes they'd seen printed on baked goods items, like 'PB' and 'FZ'. 'PB means par bake and is baked to 85 per cent cooked at a remote bakery, snap frozen and sent frozen to a store to be baked the last 15 per cent,' the employee said. 'This is all of the Laurent and Coles finest sourdough range, and some rolls in some stores (if they are facing baker shortages, or are just a PB bakery). Sometimes but not always labelled.' The response continued by explaining that the codes FZ or FD usually refer to 'frozen dough that is shaped from a remote bakery and frozen raw to be fully cooked at your bakery. The person claimed the code was sometimes seen on Danish and crown pastries. It certainly seems that shoppers in the know are keeping an eye out for these secret codes while browsing the Coles Bakery section.
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Coles cracks secret code for customers on bakery items
A common feature on a beloved bakery item at Coles has stumped shoppers and ignited debate on social media. A Reddit user took to the forum platform to share a photo of a Custard Pull Apart from the supermarket chain's bakery section. But it was the letters 'SC' underneath the product description that caused confusion. 'What does SC on bakery items mean,' the Reddit user asked. Many weighed in, sharing bizarre and wild theories as to what they believed the initials stood for. 'As someone who works in the medical field, my first thought was 'subcutaneous' lmao,' one person commented. Another social media user added: 'You'd have to scratch yourself pretty hard to make that.' 'Sick customer,' another joked. 'Soooo custardy,' one joked. Someone else added: 'It means stop shopping at Coles.' 'Support centre,' another quipped. One was more interested in why their local store didn't stock the popular item, commenting: 'Yum lad, how do I get my Coles to sell this.' But the supermarket giant has since cleared up any confusion surrounding the letters. 'If there is one thing we all love, it's a reddit mystery! Those reddit-sleuths in the comments had it half right – the 'SC' is simply an internal code for our team which means it's baked in store,' a Coles spokesperson told 'But here's a fun twist: just because a product doesn't have a code, doesn't mean it's not baked in store! 'We have some bakery products that are only made from scratch in-store, so there is no need for the 'SC' code. We only use the 'SC' code on those products which could be baked in store OR parbaked before being delivered to the store before its final bake. 'Regardless of whether it's baked from scratch in-store, or parbaked ahead of time, you can rest assured that our behind-the-scenes bakers have spent hours making sure to get the recipes just right!' It comes after Coles chief executive officer, Leah Weckert, revealed that the chain's sales data showed that for the first three months of the year customers cut back on treats such as lollies and alcohol, and reduced their meat intake. Bottled water was also ditched. She also said customers were also looking for heavily discounted stock to buy when doing their weekly shop. 'Our most popular and well-performing specials would be the ones that are 40 to 50 per cent off,' Ms Weckert said. 'We have announced big promotions that are really relevant to customers instead of lots of small ones.' Ms Weckert said prices of health and home category products dropped during the period, while coffee and cocoa prices rose as shoppers prepared for Easter. Overall, prices rose 1.5 per cent across the supermarket. Excluding tobacco, supermarket inflation was 1.1 per cent. 'Continued increases in livestock costs impact inflation in meat, particularly across the lamb, pork and poultry categories,' Ms Weckert said. 'Inflation, excluding tobacco and fresh, moved into deflation at -0.3 per cent, with deflation in the health and home category offsetting continued inflation across categories impacted by higher coffee and cocoa prices, such as confectionery, boxed chocolates and coffee.'
