Coles Supermarkets

Name

Coles Supermarkets

Legal name

Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd

Website

https://coles.com.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (445110), Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Supermarket Operators with In-Store Foodservice/Prepared Foods Focus (CRAHAAAJ), General Online Grocery (Full-Basket) (CRAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Grocery retail
• Online grocery shopping
• Fresh food
• Home delivery
• Financial services

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grocery Retail Sales: Core revenue stream from sale of groceries and general merchandise through Coles supermarkets and Coles Online. Includes fresh produce, dairy, bakery, deli, frozen foods, pantry items, health & beauty, baby products, pet supplies, home & garden, and tobacco.
2. Liquor Sales: Revenue from liquor products sold through Coles Online, operated by Liquorland (Australia) Pty Ltd. Includes beer, wine, and spirits through Liquorland brand locations.
3. Financial Services: Coles offers credit cards (issued by National Australia Bank), personal loans, insurance products (car, home, landlord, pet), and Coles Pay digital payment services. Revenue includes interest income, fees, and commissions from partner financial institutions.
4. Coles Mobile: Mobile telecommunications services offered under Coles Mobile brand.
5. Delivery and Service Fees: Revenue from delivery fees, late cancellation fees, additional delivery fees for failed delivery attempts, and bag fees ($2 per order for reusable paper bags).
6. Loyalty Program (Flybuys): Coles participates in the Flybuys loyalty program operated by Loyalty Pacific Pty Ltd. While Flybuys itself is a separate entity, Coles benefits through customer data collection and retention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels12 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Coles Supermarkets is a major Australian grocery retailer operating hundreds of physical supermarket stores and the Coles Online e-commerce platform selling groceries, fresh produce, household essentials, liquor, health and beauty products, baby products, pet supplies, and general merchandise. The company also distributes financial services products including credit cards, insurance, and personal loans, plus Coles Mobile telecommunications services, all supported by the Flybuys loyalty program and Coles Plus membership.

Product overview

Coles Supermarkets operates as a major Australian grocery retailer with a diversified portfolio spanning core grocery operations, financial services, and telecommunications. The primary offering is Coles Online, an e-commerce grocery platform complemented by the Coles App for mobile shopping. The company operates a loyalty ecosystem through Flybuys and subscription program Coles Plus. Financial services include credit cards (Rewards, No Annual Fee, and Low Rate Mastercards issued via NAB), insurance products (car, home, landlord, and pet insurance), personal loans, and mobile plans. Additional offerings include Coles Local neighborhood stores, Liquorland alcohol retail, M&S Food partnerships, and convenience services like Coles Radio and gift cards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coles Plus: Membership program offering free delivery and other benefits for online shopping.
• Coles Mobile
• Coles Insurance
• Coles Credit Cards
• Coles Personal Loans
• Coles Pay
• Coles Gift Cards
• Mix
• Flybuys
• Coles Radio
• Swaggle
• QuiteLike

Products and services

• Coles Online Online grocery shopping platform allowing Australian customers to browse, order, and purchase groceries and household essentials for home delivery or Click & Collect pickup from selected Coles supermarket locations.
• Coles App Native mobile application for iOS and Android that enables customers to shop groceries online, manage orders, track purchases, access digital receipts, and authenticate via Face ID or Touch ID.
• Coles Plus Subscription-based membership program offering exclusive benefits for online shopping including free delivery and other perks for subscribers.
• Flybuys Loyalty rewards program operated by Loyalty Pacific Pty Ltd in which Coles participates, allowing customers to earn and redeem Flybuys points on purchases for discounts and rewards.
• Coles Credit Cards Suite of credit card products issued by National Australia Bank and distributed by Coles, including Coles Rewards Mastercard, Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard, and Coles Low Rate Mastercard. Features include Coles Shield security protection and Account Cover Plus.
• Coles Credit Cards App Dedicated mobile application for managing Coles credit cards, supporting Face ID, Touch ID, and fingerprint authentication along with push notifications and secure login.
• Coles Insurance Insurance products including car insurance, home insurance, and landlord insurance offered through Coles.
• Coles Pet Insurance Pet insurance coverage for cats and dogs offered through Coles.
• Coles Personal Loans Personal lending products available to Coles customers for personal financing needs.
• Coles Mobile Mobile telecommunications services including mobile phone plans offered under the Coles Mobile brand.
• Coles Pay Digital payment service offered by Coles for customer transactions across in-store and online channels.
• Coles Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase and redeemable for goods at Coles supermarkets.
• Click & Collect Service allowing customers to order online and collect groceries from selected Coles supermarket locations at a chosen time window.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Flybuys (Loyalty Pacific Pty Ltd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColes is a participating partner in the Flybuys loyalty program operated by Loyalty Pacific Pty Ltd. The program allows customers to earn Flybuys points on purchases, which can be redeemed for rewards. Coles and Flybuys exchange customer information for loyalty and marketing purposes. This partnership is central to Coles' customer retention and data collection strategy.
• Liquorland (Australia) Pty LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiquorland operates as the entity responsible for liquor sales through Coles Online. CSA acts as agent for Liquorland when supplying liquor products. Liquorland holds liquor licenses and manages compliance with liquor licensing requirements across Australian states and territories.
• Delivery PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery providers engaged by CSA or Liquorland to provide delivery services including rapid and same-day delivery orders, and delivery timeslots marked as partner delivery. These partners handle delivery logistics while CSA maintains oversight of customer service and order fulfillment.
• National Australia Bank (NAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Australia Bank issues Coles Credit Cards and related financial products. NAB provides credit card infrastructure, processing, and regulatory compliance while Coles distributes and promotes the credit cards. Coles receives commission for introduction of credit business to NAB.
• Marks & SpencerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarks & Spencer Food products are available exclusively at Coles supermarkets in Australia. This partnership provides Coles customers access to premium M&S food products.
• MasterChefminorGTM or Marketing PartnerColes has an exclusive partnership with MasterChef featuring recipe content, branded products, and promotional campaigns. The partnership provides recipe inspiration and cooking content across Coles platforms.
• Cadbury (Mondelez International)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerColes partners with Cadbury for exclusive product promotions such as the Cadbury &MORE range, offering unique products and promotional deals.
• Viva Energy Retail Pty LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 1 May 2023, Viva Energy Retail Pty Ltd became the owner of sites trading as 'Coles Express'. While not directly related to grocery operations, this partnership historically covered convenience retail at Coles Express fuel stations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Foodland (South Australia): Foodland is a regional supermarket banner concentrated in South Australia and parts of the NT, supplied by Metcash. Comparable full-line grocery operator but limited to specific Australian geographies and does not directly contest Coles nationally.

Broad incumbents

• Tesco: Tesco is a leading UK-based full-line supermarket and grocery retailer with a comparable multi-channel proposition including online, Click & Collect, loyalty (Clubcard), and adjacent financial services. Comparable as a broad grocery incumbent; not a direct competitor given different geography.
• Kroger: Kroger is the largest US full-line supermarket operator with private label, loyalty (Boost), digital ordering, and financial services (Kroger Credit Card via partner bank). Comparable as a broad grocery incumbent with a comparable ecosystem monetization strategy; not a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Aldi Australia: Aldi is the leading hard-discount supermarket operator in Australia, competing directly with Coles on price and fresh assortment. Closely comparable on grocery retail fundamentals while operating a fundamentally different cost and private-label model.
• Woolworths Group: Woolworths is Coles' direct duopoly counterpart in Australian full-line supermarkets, operating Woolworths Supermarkets, Woolies Online, BIG W, and an adjacent financial services portfolio under the same retail banner. Most directly comparable peer in product, customer, channel mix, and scale.
• Metcash / IGA: Metcash is the wholesale distributor behind the IGA and Foodland supermarket networks in Australia, supplying independent grocers that compete with Coles in regional and suburban trade areas. Comparable as a grocery retail/wholesale competitor targeting the same Australian household shopper.
• Costco Wholesale Australia: Costco operates a warehouse club model in Australia selling grocery and general merchandise to member households, competing for the weekly grocery basket and pantry stock-up trip. Comparable grocery competitor with a differentiated membership-based bulk format.

Emerging players

• Amazon Australia: Amazon Australia operates Amazon Fresh online grocery and a broad marketplace for pantry and household goods, competing with Coles Online for digital grocery share. Comparable on e-commerce grocery fundamentals; less national full-line footprint.
• Harris Farm Markets: Harris Farm is an Australian fresh-focused specialty grocer operating in NSW, ACT, QLD and VIC with a strong premium produce and ready-meals offering. Comparable on grocery retail fundamentals and competes with Coles in fresh and prepared food categories.
• HelloFresh Australia: HelloFresh is a subscription meal-kit operator in Australia that competes with Coles' recipe content, fresh produce, and ready-meal offerings for weekly dinner occasions. Comparable as an adjacent grocery and meal-solution competitor; partial overlap in customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Supermarkets