Melbourne vitamin company Melrose Health to be stocked in Coles

A company that started out as a one-man band in a garage has landed a deal to have its products sold across hundreds of Coles stores.

An Aussie vitamin company has finally made it onto Coles’ shelves after 40 years.

Melbourne-based Melrose Health was the first Aussie business to create liquid fish oil and it’s just landed a deal with Coles to sell a number of products in 800 stores across the country.

The company entered into talks with Coles after it doubled in size between 2018 and 2020, especially thanks to popular demand for its Melrose Essential Powders.

The Essential Greens Powder in particular is a top seller, with Melrose Health selling a whopping $50,000 worth of them last year.

Melrose Health rolled out its best-selling superfood products in Coles last month, including its Melrose Essential Powders and MCT Oil ranges.

The company expanded from a one-man band in 1979 to a company with more than 100 workers.

Before the new rollout, Melrose Health had a smaller presence within select Coles stores, but the chief executive believes the new partnership will be a very lucrative enterprise for both companies.

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Melbourne vitamin company Melrose Health are now being stocked in Coles supermarket shelves.

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Russell Parker, CEO of Melrose Health, said in a statement to news.com.au that Covid-19 had increased demand for health products like ones his company supplied.

“It is difficult to be precise when estimating what sales, we can expect from our extended partnership with Coles, especially when the products are new to Coles shoppers,” Mr Parker said.

“However, the success we have had with these products in other channels, combined with the amazing strength of the Coles Brand and Coles team means we are very optimistic about what this will mean to both of us.

“We have seen very strong growth in our Melrose Brand sales over the past four years driven by our new products, marketing, and underpinned by the increased interest in people taking proactive control over their own health.

“Covid has certainly accelerated this trend and we are seeing double digit growth across our pharmacy channel and now our grocery channel with the recent Coles announcement.”

Melrose Health was founded 40 years ago by pharmacist Geoff Steinicke who recognised the potential in natural supplements and started manufacturing them in his garage.

A company that started out as a one-man band in a garage has landed a deal to have its products sold across hundreds of Coles stores.

Looking to expand his business, Mr Steinicke bought a 300sq m factory in the Melbourne suburb of Box Hill in 1983.

Melrose became the first company to launch liquid fish oil and flax seed oil and was also a big advocate of coconut oil and the MCT oil health movement.

“We have always been proud to be able to continue his (Mr Steinicke’s) legacy and although he is no longer involved in the business, his son still works in our operations team and Geoff still drops by every now and then to say ‘hi’ and try out our new products,” Mr Parker said.