Coles unveils new store complete with juice bar and fresh pizza
Coles has launched a new sustainability concept supermarket complete with a pizza bar in what could be a preview of things to come for shoppers.
The supermarket opened the concept store on Friday at Moonee Ponds in Melbourne, which also includes a fresh-pressed juice station, seafood market, Vietnamese street food vendor and a packageless Omo and Surf refill station for people looking to purchase laundry detergent and cleaning products.
The refill station will allow shoppers to refill old containers in store without having to purchase new ones.
Meanwhile, shoppers will be able to enjoy a hot slice of pizza in store cooked on demand in two to four minutes with a cold Vietnamese iced coffee to wash it down.
Customers can also make a headstart on dinner before they've even left the store, with a dedicated fruiterer on hand to slice and dice their fruit and veggies any way they like.
Coles aiming to become 'Australia’s most sustainable supermarket'
While it might look fancy, Coles said the supermarket is part of a wider strategy towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Coles announced its sustainability strategy, dubbed “Together to Zero”, on Friday in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and rely on 100 per cent renewable energy.
Part of the strategy includes the purchase of wind farms in Ballarat, Victoria, to produce renewable electricity until the end of 2030.
Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said the goal is to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“A key part of our ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket will be reducing our environmental impact, and we have a responsibility to help create a better Australia for future generations,” he said.
The supermarket hopes to have 100 per cent renewable electricity by the end of 2025 financial year.
Lorna Ash, head of Unilever which owns Omo and Surf, said it’s hoped the refill station will “empower Australians to make more sustainable decisions at the supermarket”.
“Today's launch of the laundry refillery station at Coles marks an important step in Unilever’s vision to create a future with less plastic, with the installation looking to save 20 plastic bottles each week - which equates to saving approximately 500 plastic bags,” she said.
Coles will also aim to reduce food waste and change how it packages items. It will undergo a trial of misting and cold plates, and will reduce plastic packaging on smaller produce items including herbs.
Team members will also wear shirts made up of 65 per cent recycled bottles, and trolley baskets will be made of 90 per cent recycled milk bottles and 10 per cent of recycled plastic through its REDcycle program.
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