Coles fast tracks convenience strategy, sells avocado on toast and other brekky favourites

The Aussie breakfast favourite has become so popular Coles is rolling it out among 75 new products in an aggressive ‘convenience’ strategy.

Coles is ramping up its convenience strategy by adding 75 new products to its range of ready-to-eat meals intended to be bought and consumed on the run.

The plan will include beginning to refurbish 100 supermarkets in the next six months to allow it to stock classic cafe-style meals such as the Australian favourite avocado with mini toast.

“Our customers are increasingly seeking to reclaim their time, but with minimum compromise on freshness, quality, and flavour,” a Coles spokesperson told news.com.au.

“Coles research has found 33 per cent of customers don’t know at 5pm what they’ll be having for dinner that night, and around 50 per cent say they don’t have time to cook from scratch.

“So we are developing more fresh, innovative products including food-to-go and meal solutions.”

’Food for now’ available at the Eastgardens Coles in Sydney.

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Coles will roll out a range of new convenience products this week including nine fresh prepared breakfast items for $4.50 each.

“We are also increasing the space allocated to fresh convenience in stores where customer demand is high, with an expanded range to be available by the end of the calendar year,” the spokesperson said.

Those breakfast items include:

• Smashed avocado, tomato, fetta and toast

• Smashed avocado and egg

• Homestyle beans, bacon and egg

• Coconut chia with mango and passion fruit

• Granola and yoghurt

• Acai, banana and oat

• Apple bircher with cranberry and coconut

• Mexican style bean salsa with egg

• Hot smoked salmon, brown rice, egg and spinach

Coles version of smashed avocado, tomato, fetta and mini toast will cost $4.50.

Lots of ready-to-eat goods.

Coles will add 75 new products to boost the convenient options.

Both major supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths have opened dozens of smaller convenience store-style shops throughout metro regions to occupy high-density areas in Australia’s largest cities.

Earlier this year, Queensland University of Technology retail expert Gary Mortimer told news.com.au the supermarkets are good at modifying store formats to cater to the habits of targeted customers.

He said the smaller stores, particularly the Woolworths Metro, have a specific range of products aimed at the demographic of the area they’re located in and we should expect more of the store formats as the proportion of Australians living in medium to high-density housing grows.

“We have thousands and thousands of consumers living in the range of the CBD and that land is very expensive to get a full supermarket into,” he said.

“Smaller format metro-style stores work really well and people who tend to live in those high-density urbanised areas tend to shop more frequently but buy fewer products.”

Woolworths said at the time when it opened a store in Sydney’s inner-north that its research revealed residents in the area were keen on the prospect of salads and other ready-made meals to go.

“We know customers are increasingly looking for quality fresh food options at affordable prices in convenient locations and Woolworths Metro Kirribilli is designed to meet these needs,” Woolworths Metro general manager Justin Nolan said.

“Catering for busy city workers, Milson Point train commuters, tourists visiting the area and local residents looking for quick and easy ‘grab and go’ shopping options, the new Woolworths Metro offers a curated and contemporary range.”

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