Major change for Coles amid crime crackdown

A popular kitchen item has been removed due to safety concerns among staff and customers, but not everyone thinks it’ll help.

Coles is restricting the sale of an everyday kitchen staple amid a major crackdown on crime.

Smeg knives, which are redeemable as part of the supermarket’s current Flybuys promotion, have been pulled from 26 stores across the country to ensure the safety of team members and customers.

The majority of the stores are located in Victoria, where there are 24 locations that don’t stock the knives, but there is also one ban each in Queensland and New South Wales.

One of the stores includes Sydney’s Bondi Junction, where six people were fatally stabbed in April this year.

There are also additional stores where the knives will be kept behind a counter and not on display.

Coles’ service team members have received training on the sale of knives and refreshed coaching on the laws in their state.

“Safety remains our number one priority for our team members and customers,” a Coles spokesman told news.com.au.

“All Smeg knives are packaged in sealed blister packaging, which require an additional instrument such as scissors to open.

“The blister packs are housed in a cardboard carton with three tamper seals.”

All 26 nonparticipating stores are listed on the Coles website and customers looking to redeem the Smeg kitchen products are advised to visit a nearby Coles or check online to redeem.

It follows the example set by competitor Woolworths, which removed knives from 350 locations nationwide after a stabbing incident at a checkout in a Melbourne store in 2021.

Coles is giving away Smeg knives as part of their Flybuys promotion. Picture: TikTok/@claudiashops

However, the items have been banned in some stores due to safety concerns. Picture: TikTok/@claudiashops

On social media, the reaction has been mixed, with some supporting the idea while others have claimed it’s an “over-reaction.”

One person called the move “ridiculous” while another said it was “useless” considering someone could simply bring a knife into a store at any time.

“Stop wasting time!” blasted another commenter. “Knives are everywhere.”

However, others believed it could have happened earlier.

“Why didn’t they do it in April when the incident happened?” one asked. “Looks like management putting profits before people again.”

“About time,” a different Aussie remarked.

Coles have banned the sale of Smeg knives in 26 stores across the country. Picture: Supplied

Queensland and Victoria have some of the strictest knife laws in Australia.

In these states, shops can only sell knives to people who are 18 years old or older.

Anyone caught with a knife in a public area in Queensland can be jailed or fined $5,750.

In Victoria, selling a knife to someone underage carries a fine worth $46,154.

In NSW, it’s illegal to sell a knife to anyone under the age of 16.

Originally published as Major change for Coles amid crime crackdown