Coles opens ‘uniquely personalised’ store in Sydney

Coles has opened what is said to be its “most innovative and tailor-made supermarket yet”, inspiring customers with “Australian-first” sustainability features and a product range personalised to meet the needs of the local community.

Opening today, the Chatswood store is part of an expansion of the Coles Local format in Sydney. This follows the successful launch of the concept in Rose Bay in May, with Manly set to welcome a new Local store to the neighbourhood later this year.

In an “Australian supermarket first”, Coles Local Chatswood debuts a range of refillable Ecostore shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and laundry liquids available for customers through a new in-store refill station using bottles made from recycled and sugarcane plastic, eliminating the need for single-use bottles.

According to Coles, the new store is “uniquely personalised” to the community that it serves. It features more than 200 plant-based food products, ice cream just for dogs, a premium coffee and orange juice station, a macaron, mini gelato and Japanese mochi ice cream parlour, and a dedicated aisle with what is claimed to be the largest Asian range in the country.

Coles Chief Sustainability Property and Export Officer Thinus Keevé says each Coles Local supermarket is uniquely tailored to the specific needs of the local community.

“Coles Local Chatswood is a brand-new neighbourhood supermarket destination with new products sourced from 35 small Sydney suppliers, and innovative features that customers may not have seen before,” he says.

“As we make progress on our mission to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket, we’re increasingly looking at new and inventive ways to reduce packaging on certain products.

“This new Ecostore station is a first for an Australian supermarket, which we hope will resonate well with customers.”

Ecostore Managing Director Pablo Kraus says this was the first time the company had installed a refill station in an Australian supermarket to help reduce packaging waste.

“After successfully launching over 80 refill stations across New Zealand, we are thrilled to bring the first in-supermarket Ecostore refill station trial for home and personal care products to Australian customers at the new Coles Local Chatswood store,” he says.

“People are used to bringing in their reusable supermarket bags; now they can also bring in their reusable Ecostore refill bottles to conveniently refill their home and personal care products at the supermarket.”

Other sustainability measures

Supporting a sustainable circular economy, the trolleys at Coles Local Chatswood are made from recycled plastic milk bottles and REDcycle plastics.

In addition, free recycled carry boxes are available in place of bags, unsold food that cannot be donated to food charities is diverted to organic composting and green energy generation, and team member name tags and uniforms also feature part-recycled materials.

More than just a name

Local not just by name, Coles Local Chatswood will create jobs for 35 locals and has partnerships with more than 35 local Sydney-based butchers, bakers, and cafes. This includes “restaurant-quality” pasta, salads and meals from Pasta Pantry, artisan sourdough bread, muffins and sweets from Sydney bakery Sonoma and premium meats from eastern suburbs butcher Field to Fork.

The new store has customer lunch and dinner plans sorted, with more than 800 ready-to-eat products designed for Chatswood residents (87% of whom are said to be busy working professionals who are more likely to grab ingredients for dinner on the way home from work, compared to a typical Coles customer).

Tailored to the needs of the local Asian community, Coles Local Chatswood also includes a full aisle with more than 600

Asian products from well-known brands and 25 bilingual team members.

Last but not least, the redevelopment supports the local artistic community including an “iconic” wall mural by local artist Nancy Liang, paying homage to Chatswood’s rich history and culture.

Treats galore for pets

As Chatswood residents spend an average of 10% more on their pets compared to the national average, says Coles, the new also store includes a pick-and-mix bar just for dogs, and in a Sydney Coles supermarket first, a range of frozen pet food ice cream.