Coles Little Shop 2 vs Woolworths Lion King Ooshies: Shoppers line up for Coles’ Little Shop

Shoppers across the country have lined up to get their hands on the latest instalment of the Coles Little Shop miniatures.

Australians appear to have fallen for the collectibles craze once again with reports of shoppers lining up around the country to get their hands on the latest instalment of the Coles Little Shop items.

The supermarket giant told news.com.au that stores were rushing to restock the miniature grocery toys with the current items “flying off the shelves”.

“The accessories have been selling more quickly than anticipated so we have extra stock on the way from our warehouses so customers won’t miss out,” a Coles spokeswoman Martine Alpins said.

A Coles worker at Wynyard in Sydney’s CBD told 7 News the launch of the campaign on Wednesday had caused “pure chaos” in store.

“We went through 10 cages (640 boxes) in less than half an hour,” he said.

Both Coles and Woolworths went head-to-head with the release of their collectibles campaigns with an equally cute sets of miniatures — Little Shop 2 versus Disney’s The Lion King ooshies.

Coles will rely on the success of its Little Shop campaign with an updated list of miniature grocery items including Arnott’s Barbecue Shapes, Heinz Baked Beans, Maggi 2 Minute Noodles, Campbell’s Tomato Soup and the refreshing Eclipse Mints.

Vegemite will have its adorable version out again but this time the vintage label will be up for grabs.

Just 100 limited edition gold trolleys will be in circulation to add an extra challenge for the young ones wanting to fill their replica shelves.

There will be 100 rare golden trolleys spread all over the country as part of the Little Shop mini giveaway.

“Customers who find these rare minis won’t just have bragging rights that they’ve found the most coveted mini in Little Shop 2, they will also win a $100 Coles voucher,” a spokesperson from the supermarket chain told news.com.au.

“You’ll remember the excitement surrounding Billy the Gold Banana during our Stikeez campaign, we expect the frenzy over the gold trolley to be even bigger.”

There will be a special gold collectors case to fill with these items as well as a miniature Coles Mastercard gift card which will allow the recipient to go into a draw to win five million flybuys points.

Ava Keating 9 and Billy Keating 5, with the new Coles Mini Collectables. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Woolworths will rely on the sustainability of its collectibles campaign to stand out against its fierce rival with a partnership with Disney’s The Lion King.

The limited edition range features 24 ooshies, nine of those being characters from the film including Simba, Nala and Mufasa. There’s also a special cub version of Simba and Nala.

Shoppers will be able to collect The Lion King ooshie with every $30 spent in store until stock runs out.

Disney and Woolworths team up to celebrate The Lion King.

When Coles first launched its Little Shop last year the campaign helped deliver a 5.8 per cent jump in sales, while brands profited from the exposure of being a part of the miniature series.

The makers of household bleach White King reported a sales increase of 50 per cent.

These cute ooshies are bound to be a hit with kids.

WHO WILL WIN THE COLLECTIBLES BATTLE?

Despite the collectibles being designed to be collected not discarded, the campaigns have angered many environmental groups given the timing of plastic-free July, Queensland University of Technology retail expert Gary Mortimer said.

“Woolworths are really leading the way here — the packaging is recyclable paper based and if you don’t want your collectable, Woolworths has partnered with TerraCycle to recycle any unwanted ones,” he said.

“Coles has extended their program to include their Coles Express business. Smart move fill up your car, and grab a couple of collectibles.”

So many lions.

Dr Mortimer said the two campaigns offer a different value proposition — Woolworths will win the kids over and Coles will re-attract last year’s avid collectors.

“It will also come down to sales,” he said. “Coles will find it tough to grow on a 5.8 per cent increase from last year after the launch of their first very successful Little Shop campaign.

“Woolworths will be cycling of a low base.

“Consumer psychology explains the success of these programs.

“Objects take on symbolic value when they remind us of particular places, events or people.

“Thank about souvenirs for example from a holiday. So, mini Vegemite jars, or packets of Tim Tams remind us of our favourite brand we love to consume.”

Even has a mini gift card. Bless.

Dr Mortimer said the element of surprise helps, too, because the wrapping means the consumer doesn’t know what they’ll get.

“Not knowing what is inside the bag provides the excitement of receiving a reward but also encourages repeat purchases, until you collect the full set,” he said.

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