Chatswood Coles ‘fancy’ supermarket selling dog ice cream, eco products
Chatswood’s hounds have hit the jackpot in Sydney’s supermarket wars as retail giant Coles rolls out another ‘fancy’ store.
NSW
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Chatswood hounds have hit the jackpot in Sydney’s supermarket wars as retail giant Coles rolls out another ‘fancy’ store.
In a clever tactic for local dog lovers who spend 10 per cent more on products than the national average, the new Chatswood ‘Coles Local’ store which opened today includes a pick-and-mix bar just for pooches and a range of frozen pet food ice cream.
The second Coles Local stores for Sydney, the company has dug down into the area’s demographics to tailor the new Westfield Chatswood specifically for local residents.
Similar to high-end supermarkets found in much of Asia, the new store features a coffee and orange juice station, a macaron, mini gelato and Japanese mochi ice cream parlour, 200 plant-based food products, and the largest Asian product range in the country.
It also debuts a refillable ecostore of shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and laundry liquids available for in-store refills, in a bid to reduce single-use plastic.
Coles Chief Sustainability, Property and Export Officer Thinus Keevé said the store has also partnered with more than 35 local Sydney-based butchers, bakers and cafes, including restaurant-quality pasta, salads and meals.
Ecostore managing director Pablo Kraus said the refill station was a first in an Australian supermarket, although there are more than 80 across New Zealand stores.
“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,” he said.
The store has a focus on sustainability, with trolleys made from recycled plastic milk bottles and REDcycle plastics, free recycled carry boxes available instead of plastic bags.
Unsold food that can’t be donated to food charities is diverted to organic composting and green energy generation.
Tailored to the needs of the local Asian community, 25 members of the team are bilingual, making life easier for customers for whom English may not be their first language.
The store is part of an expansion of the popular Coles Local format in Sydney, following 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.
