Coles Group

What Coles Group does

Coles Group Limited is an ASX-listed (ticker: COL) Australian retail conglomerate and one of two dominant supermarket operators in the country, alongside Woolworths, jointly controlling approximately 67% of national grocery sales. Founded in 1914 and headquartered in Hawthorn East, Victoria, Coles operates more than 2,400 supermarket locations alongside Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, and First Choice Liquor Market liquor banners, employing 115,000+ team members across roughly 2,500 sites. The group serves Australian consumers through an integrated omnichannel platform comprising physical stores, Coles Online (powered by Ocado's automated fulfilment technology and integrated with Uber Eats for delivery), the Flybuys loyalty program with 10M+ active members, Coles Financial Services (pet, car, home insurance and credit cards), and the Coles 360 retail media network that monetises point-of-sale data for supplier advertising.

The business generates revenue across five primary streams: core Supermarkets retail (the dominant revenue driver with H1 FY26 group sales of A$23.6 billion, +2.5% YoY), Liquor retail, Retail Media (Coles 360), Financial Services (subscription/recurring), and Loyalty/affiliate (Flybuys). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via physical and digital storefronts, supplemented by a B2B supplier ecosystem of 9,000+ vendors transacting through the SAP Ariba Network and Supplier Central portal. Pricing follows standard unit pricing with frequent 'Down Down' promotional cycles, though the company is now subject to mandatory price gouging laws (effective 1 July 2026) given its A$30B+ annual turnover.

The technology stack combines proprietary and third-party AI/automation capabilities: ChatGPT Enterprise (GPT-5) deployed across the corporate workforce as the first major Australian grocery chain to do so; Ever.Ag's AI-powered optimisation modelling for fresh meat supply chain planning (reducing planning time from hours to minutes); electronic shelf labels enabling dynamic pricing; Ocado's automated Customer Fulfilment Centre infrastructure; the Coles 360 Impact measurement platform (built with Circana); AI-powered smart shopping trolleys in trial; and AI sales forecasting. Recent strategic moves include the Marks & Spencer Food partnership (November 2025), potential A$4B acquisition of Greencross Pet Wellness (July 2026, with TPG), the appointment of Cate Harris as GM Sustainability (February 2026), and a CTO transition in January 2026. The group faces heightened regulatory scrutiny from the ACCC, including an adverse Federal Court ruling on misleading 'Down Down' discount conduct and an ACCC-blocked supermarket acquisition in Kalgoorlie.

Name

Coles Group

Legal name

Coles Group Limited

Website

https://colesgroup.com.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Coles Group is an ASX-listed Australian retail conglomerate operating 2,400+ supermarkets, liquor stores, and digital channels, serving mass-market consumers with groceries, financial services, and the 10M+ member Flybuys loyalty program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Credit Card Issuing (522210)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Line Supermarkets (National/Regional Chains) (CRAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Supermarket retail
• Online grocery delivery
• Liquor retail
• Retail media network
• Loyalty program services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hawthorn

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Supermarkets: Core supermarket retail business selling food, groceries, and household products through physical stores and online channels. Drives majority of group revenue with strong volume-led growth.
2. Liquor: Liquor retail through Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, and First Choice Liquor Market chains.
3. Retail Media (Coles 360): Retail media network offering advertising and marketing solutions to brands and suppliers.
4. Financial Services: Coles Financial Services including insurance products (pet, car, home) and credit cards.
5. Loyalty (flybuys): Loyalty program monetized through customer data and partner commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coles Group operates one of Australia's two largest supermarket chains through over 2,400 Coles Supermarkets, complemented by Coles Online for home delivery and pickup. The company also runs liquor retail banners (Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, First Choice Liquor Market), the flybuys loyalty program with 10 million+ members, Coles Financial Services (pet, car and home insurance plus credit cards), and the Coles 360 retail media network for supplier advertising.

Product overview

Coles Group operates as a diversified retail conglomerate with a multi-brand portfolio across supermarkets, liquor retail, and financial services. The core offering is Coles Supermarkets, a leading Australian grocery retailer complemented by Coles Online for digital commerce. The liquor division encompasses Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, and First Choice Liquor Market. The Group's loyalty ecosystem centers on Flybuys (10M+ members), while Coles 360 serves as its retail media network for supplier advertising. Financial services include insurance products (pet, car, home) and credit offerings. The Coles Nurture Fund supports supplier innovation through grants. Recent expansion discussions include potential acquisition of Greencross Pet Wellness (Petbarn) which would add veterinary services to the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coles Supermarkets Core supermarket retail banner offering groceries, fresh produce, meat, and household goods through 2,400+ physical stores across Australia.
• Coles Online Digital e-commerce platform enabling online grocery shopping with home delivery and pickup services for Coles products.
• Liquorland
• Vintage Cellars
• First Choice Liquor Market
• flybuys Loyalty Program
• Coles Financial Services
• Coles 360 Retail Media Network
• Swaggle Pet Products Pet products business launched by Coles offering pet food and supplies across Australia.
• Coles Nurture Fund Grant program providing funding (up to $500,000 per recipient) to Australian food and liquor producers for innovation, sustainability, and growth projects.
• Coles Flat Iron Steak (Australian No Added Hormones Beef) 100% Australian No Added Hormones Beef Flat Iron Steak available nationwide at $36/kg, developed in partnership with MasterChef Australia and Curtis Stone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27% e-commerce sales growth to $2.8 billion in H1 FY26
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ever.AgcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 June 2026Partnership to introduce AI-powered optimization modeling into Coles' fresh meat supply chain for beef, lamb, and pork. Resulted in planning time reduction from hours to minutes and improved accuracy for freshness and pricing management.
• OpenAI (Extended Partnership)coreTechnology or Integration · 3 February 2026Extended partnership as part of 'OpenAI for Australia' initiative - training collaborations with Coles, Commonwealth Bank, and Wesfarmers aimed at delivering AI skills to over 1.2 million Australian workers through OpenAI Academy.
• Marks & Spencer (M&S)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025M&S Food partnership launching in Australia with Coles - M&S Food products available in Coles stores, online channels, and fulfillment centers, with plans to expand to over 200 SKUs next year. This marks M&S's first Australian retail partnership.
• OpenAIcoreTechnology or Integration · 30 October 2025Coles deployed ChatGPT Enterprise across corporate workforce as the first major Australian grocery chain to integrate OpenAI's GPT-5 powered platform. Initial rollout with segments of corporate team, comprehensive deployment scheduled for February 2026.
• Planet ArkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental not-for-profit partnership to further efforts to reduce food waste and packaging, tackle plastic waste and recycling challenges, including during National Recycling Week and School Recycle Right Challenge.
• SecondBitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue organization partnership since 2011. In FY25, donated 18,960 tonnes (equivalent to 37.9 million meals) to SecondBite. Combined with Foodbank, provided 39.1 million equivalent meals to Australians in need.
• FoodbankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue partnership since 2003. In FY25, donated 695 tonnes (equivalent to 1.2 million meals) to Foodbank. Combined with SecondBite, provided 39.1 million equivalent meals to Australians in need.
• RedkitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildhood cancer support charity partnership since 2013, raising over $50 million to date. FY25 fundraising totaled $1.8 million for counseling services, financial assistance, and education support.
• Australian Football League (AFL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Supermarket of AFL and AFLW. Coles Healthy Kicks program delivered to over 65,000 children across Australia in FY25 via stadium clinics, overnight camps, and holiday programs.
• Little Athletics AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership providing $150,000 in sports equipment grants to Little Athletics centres and raised $150,000 for Community Fund, donated over 1 million bananas to local centres and events.
• Hospitals United for Sick KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational children's charity partnership since 2019. FY25 raised over $1.3 million through year-round 50c donation campaigns from Mum's Sause and Mum's Jam products.
• LinfoxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectric prime mover truck logistics partnership with Linfox - completing about 25 weekly grocery deliveries in Victoria, projected to reduce emissions by over 65 tonnes of CO2e annually.
• Origin Zero AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewable energy partnership projected to generate 9,821MWh of renewable electricity annually to support Coles' sustainability targets.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital partnership for delivery integration expanding Coles' omnichannel capabilities.
• OcadocoreTechnology or IntegrationOcado Technology partnership - Coles uses Ocado's automated grocery fulfillment system technology through a long-term contract, serving as Coles' primary e-commerce fulfillment infrastructure.
• CHEP AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10-year supply chain partnership providing reusable plastic crates for fresh produce and protein suppliers - pool of crates washed and rotated up to 80 million times per year.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kroger: US-listed #1 pure-play grocer operating supermarkets, fuel, loyalty (Boost), and a large retail media network (Kroger Precision Marketing). Closest international analogue for Coles' integrated loyalty + retail media + financial services model.
• Tesco: UK's largest grocer with comparable supermarket, online, loyalty (Clubcard), and retail media playbook. Frequently cited by Coles executives (e.g., new CFC head Chad Burke is a Tesco/Waitrose alumnus) as a strategic benchmark.
• Woolworths Group: Australia's #1 grocer with ~37% market share and direct overlap with Coles across supermarkets, liquor (Endeavour Group), e-commerce, and retail media (Cartology). The closest comparable on format, customer base, and regulatory exposure.
• ALDI Australia: Hard-discount grocery operator with rapidly growing Australian footprint (~590 stores). Competes directly with Coles on price and fresh produce, exerting structural pressure on the duopoly's value-oriented customers.

Others

• Ocado Group: UK-listed automated grocery-fulfillment technology provider and Coles' primary CFC infrastructure partner. Strategic vendor rather than competitor; critical to Coles' online scale economics and omnichannel differentiation.

Emerging players

• Amazon Australia: Operates Amazon Fresh and same-day grocery delivery in Australia. Competes with Coles on convenience, pricing transparency, and quick commerce, and was jointly targeted by Fair Work fuel-price review orders alongside Coles and Woolworths.
• Costco Wholesale Australia: Membership-based warehouse club serving Australian consumers. Captures bulk grocery and household spend from Coles shoppers seeking value, particularly for pantry and fresh staples.

Regional players

• Metcash: Wholesaler and franchise partner for the IGA network in Australia. Competes indirectly through independent and regional grocery banners, capturing share away from the Coles/Woolworths duopoly in non-metro markets.

Broad incumbents

• Carrefour: Global multi-banner grocer with supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience, and loyalty (Carrefour+) across Europe, LatAm, and Asia. Comparable on format mix, private-label depth, and omnichannel investment.
• Wesfarmers: Diversified Australian retail conglomerate (Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Officeworks) and former parent of Coles. Competes through Bunnings' adjacent home and convenience proposition and Kmart's value general merchandise overlap with Coles' non-food assortment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coles

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coles Group