Coles

Coles is Australia’s second largest supermarket chain, and accounts for 80% of the country’s market share along with Woolworths. The company was founded in Melbourne in 1914 by George Coles, who opened ‘Coles Variety Store’ in Collingwood and began quickly expanding the company by acquiring other grocery store chains. More recently, Coles supermarkets have been heavily criticised for their relationship with suppliers. The company has been found to be aggressively non-competitive and unethical, threatening harm to suppliers if they don’t keep prices low. Coles has a range of private label brands, including: Coles Smart Buy, a budget label for everyday household items and groceries; Coles Finest, a premium brand that sells gourmet food products positioned to be better quality than competing brands; Coles Green Choice, a range of environmentally friendly household products that donates to Clean Up Australia; and Coles Organic, a produce label that sells organic food that is free of chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides.