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A walk around Coles: plenty happening in Australian grocery

While in Australia last week, our Director Mitchell Whitehouse spent some time walking the aisles of Coles. He shares his impressions below...

Coles had some great examples of instore theatre.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was an Arnott's display. Their giant pink-and-white striped Tim Tam display promoting the new Iced Vovo-inspired Tim Tams dominated the store entrance. It was a great example of retail theatre, impossible to miss and exactly the sort of activation that creates excitement around a product launch.

Further into the store, Arnott's continued the momentum with a substantial Tim Tam display promoting the wider range and a chance to win 10 million Flybuys points.

What interested me was the display format.

The promotion was built using easel bins – a display style I’ve written about before. Easel bins were hugely popular during the 1990s before largely disappearing from stores. Recently, however, they seem to be making a comeback. They provide a very stable platform for high-volume merchandising, allow for large-format graphics, and deliver strong visual impact.

Confectionery was another category receiving significant investment.

New products, competitions and promotional displays were everywhere:

Cadbury featured its refreshed family block range in eye-catching new packaging
Allen’s was heavily supporting its new Mountain Dew-inspired lolly range with large freestanding displays
Darrell Lea was promoting its new Coco Bliss range with bold, highly visible secondary placements
Kinder Surprise was using licensed Star Wars content to drive attention and trial
Mars and Snickers were leveraging a mix of half-price promotions and competition mechanics, including a chance to win $10,000.

One thing that stood out was how many displays combined new product launches with promotional mechanics. The message was clear: newness alone isn't enough – brands are working hard to create multiple reasons for shoppers to engage.

There was also a strong seasonal focus.

Soups, sauces and meal solutions were being given greater prominence, with smart adjacencies linking products to meat, vegetables and pasta to encourage larger basket purchases.

It feels slightly ahead of what we're currently seeing in New Zealand, perhaps reflecting an earlier shift into winter merchandising.

Another interesting sight was a Zespri SunGold kiwifruit dump bin in produce. We recently spotted a similar activation in another Australian chain, yet we've seen relatively little equivalent secondary placement in New Zealand stores.

Australian retailers continue to invest heavily in visibility, theatre and secondary placement.

The biggest takeaway?

Coles isn't necessarily more promotional than New Zealand supermarkets, but there was a stronger emphasis on creating standout moments throughout the customer journey.

There's always value in looking beyond our own market. Some of the best ideas come from observing what's working elsewhere and considering how they might be adapted closer to home.