Major product reshuffle integrates ‘health’ items in regular aisles

Food aisles are being transformed to make way for the biggest selling new product — superfoods.

Coles is transforming its supermarket aisles with products traditionally found in the ‘health foods’ aisle being integrated within their respective categories.

Products like cereals, Fodmap soups, pasta, oils and nut spreads – originally located in the health food aisle – will move to their respective product aisles, meaning similar food groups will now be located next to each other.

The traditional health food aisle will become home to more than 150 new items of ‘Superfoods’, bringing together all vitamins, sports nutrition and Wellness Road superfoods in one location.

Additional room on grocery shelves has been made by reducing the number of displays one product would receive – for example the same flavour Kellogg’s cereal which would normally have three or four displays, now has two displays with the rest stacked behind it.

Coles are combining their food shelves, so healthy and organic foods are with the ordinary food products. Gym junkies Amer Pasanovic, 28 and Laura Zolis, 25, getting their groceries. Picture: Jason Edwards

Coles General Manager for Grocery Leanne White says the transformation is a year in the making following insights that showed ‘Health Foods’ is the fastest growing category at Coles. The Sports & Diet market in Australia is estimated to be worth $2 billion now.

“We are seeing more and more shoppers look for healthier options or specific dietary requirements in the main grocery aisles – they no longer expect to go down one specific aisle to find these options,” she says.

“Sports & Diet was the fastest growing segment of our health foods aisle between 2014 – 2019 and it’s showing no signs of slowing down as customer demand continues to grow for sports nutrition and protein products.”

The rise in popularity of protein powders and bars, vitamins and supplements, is being driven by a new generation of fitness and health conscious consumers.

Amer Pasanovic says he spends between $200 and $250 a month on vitamins and protein powders.

“I think it will be good to be able to get them more conveniently, often you have to travel to get to a specialty sports nutrition store,” he says.

Some of the new performance products include, protein bars and custards from Muscle Nation (first retailer to launch this brand), 20 new and specialty sports performance products from Body Science (BSC), Macro Mike’s powdered peanut butter and brownies mix, Dose & Co Marine Collagen and Botanika Blends Vegan Bars & Bickies.

New superfoods and specialty ingredients include Australian primary hemp from Mount Elephant, Melrose Superfood Powders and MCT Oils and expanded range of ingredients from Coles Wellness Road.

In addition to this – the Coles PerFORM frozen meals are now endorsed by the Essendon Football club, fuelling both the men’s and women’s team with high protein and low carb meals.

“With an expanded health aisle featuring some of Australia’s best brands, we’re aiming to target Millennials and gen-z customers who are shopping at specialty stores or online for their sports nutrition and niche health ingredients by providing a convenient one-stop-shop at Coles,” Ms White says.