Coles supermarket reveals dramatic store overhaul – effective immediately
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Folks, if you often shop at Coles supermarket or pop in for last-minute dinner ingredients, then you’ll want to take note of this important announcement.
The retail giant has revealed a major change to selected stores across Australia – effective immediately!
Coles announced recently that it will be making some changes to the deli counter at selected stores around the country.
The supermarket giant announced that the popular service area will now close at 8 pm every night, regardless of the trading hours of the specific store.
This decision was made after it was revealed by the supermarket that customers don’t tend to buy deli products at night.
‘As a result, we are tailoring the opening hours of some of our delis to when our customers shop the most,’ they added.
The spokesperson continued: ‘Customers will still be able to buy their deli favourites, including sliced meats, cheeses, and antipasto as part of our convenient pre-packaged range often located near the deli department.’
The change won’t impact all stores, however. Trading hours will still differ depending on the specific store, and some will be immune to this decision entirely.
‘Customers are encouraged to check with their local store if they are unsure of their deli opening hours,’ the spokesperson explained.
This comes after Coles decided to permanently close down all in-store butcheries in October 2021 in favour of selling pre-packaged meat. At the time, the news was a ‘devastating shock’ for butchers, but Coles’ management said they worked with the affected employees to retrain them for other roles.
They also defended the move, saying: ‘With more than 800 supermarkets across the country, we regularly review the offering and range in each store to ensure it meets local customer demand.’
This also comes after Woolworths’ decision to change its deli, seafood, and meat operations to close at either 7 or 8 pm in August 2022. At the time, a spokesperson for Woolworths said the changes were made after careful consideration of customer shopping behaviour.
‘We’ve also moved to standardise our overall operating hours so we can offer a consistent customer experience across our store network,’ they said. However, this decision was met with mixed responses, with some customers saying that the store’s services need to be accessible during regular business hours.
One wrote: ‘Shoppers need to remember that Woolworths openly asked and endorsed extended grocery store trading hours for 9 pm.’
Another shared that since they worked irregular hours, they do their shopping past 8 pm. ’Now I can no longer get access to the service deli,’ they added. More details about this change can be found here.
Recently, a shopper from Victoria saw the deli counter in Woolworths closed hours before the intended curfew. In a statement made by the supermarket, they said that the local store had to close early due to ‘recent staff shortages’.
It is also believed that since the store was located in a rural area, it could be difficult for staff to be deployed there. You can read more details about this story here.
The move by Coles to reduce the trading hours of its deli counters will likely impact customer satisfaction. The lack of convenience and options can be a major source of frustration for shoppers, and some may feel as though their needs are not being taken into consideration by the supermarket giant.
Just look at how Woolies’ customers reacted when they made changes to their national trading hours. Customer retention plays a huge role in retailers’ reputations, as new changes without considering how shoppers will react to them can lead people to seek out alternative stores.
So, there you have it, members! Was this change made to your local Coles store? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
The retail giant has revealed a major change to selected stores across Australia – effective immediately!
Coles announced recently that it will be making some changes to the deli counter at selected stores around the country.
The supermarket giant announced that the popular service area will now close at 8 pm every night, regardless of the trading hours of the specific store.
This decision was made after it was revealed by the supermarket that customers don’t tend to buy deli products at night.
‘As a result, we are tailoring the opening hours of some of our delis to when our customers shop the most,’ they added.
The spokesperson continued: ‘Customers will still be able to buy their deli favourites, including sliced meats, cheeses, and antipasto as part of our convenient pre-packaged range often located near the deli department.’
The change won’t impact all stores, however. Trading hours will still differ depending on the specific store, and some will be immune to this decision entirely.
‘Customers are encouraged to check with their local store if they are unsure of their deli opening hours,’ the spokesperson explained.
This comes after Coles decided to permanently close down all in-store butcheries in October 2021 in favour of selling pre-packaged meat. At the time, the news was a ‘devastating shock’ for butchers, but Coles’ management said they worked with the affected employees to retrain them for other roles.
They also defended the move, saying: ‘With more than 800 supermarkets across the country, we regularly review the offering and range in each store to ensure it meets local customer demand.’
This also comes after Woolworths’ decision to change its deli, seafood, and meat operations to close at either 7 or 8 pm in August 2022. At the time, a spokesperson for Woolworths said the changes were made after careful consideration of customer shopping behaviour.
‘We’ve also moved to standardise our overall operating hours so we can offer a consistent customer experience across our store network,’ they said. However, this decision was met with mixed responses, with some customers saying that the store’s services need to be accessible during regular business hours.
One wrote: ‘Shoppers need to remember that Woolworths openly asked and endorsed extended grocery store trading hours for 9 pm.’
Another shared that since they worked irregular hours, they do their shopping past 8 pm. ’Now I can no longer get access to the service deli,’ they added. More details about this change can be found here.
Recently, a shopper from Victoria saw the deli counter in Woolworths closed hours before the intended curfew. In a statement made by the supermarket, they said that the local store had to close early due to ‘recent staff shortages’.
It is also believed that since the store was located in a rural area, it could be difficult for staff to be deployed there. You can read more details about this story here.
The move by Coles to reduce the trading hours of its deli counters will likely impact customer satisfaction. The lack of convenience and options can be a major source of frustration for shoppers, and some may feel as though their needs are not being taken into consideration by the supermarket giant.
Just look at how Woolies’ customers reacted when they made changes to their national trading hours. Customer retention plays a huge role in retailers’ reputations, as new changes without considering how shoppers will react to them can lead people to seek out alternative stores.
Key Takeaways
- Coles supermarket has announced that it has reduced the trading hours of its deli counters at some stores to 8 pm each night.
- Customers are urged to check with their local store if they are unsure of their deli opening hours.
- Woolworths also recently reduced the trading hours of its seafood, deli and meat counters to 8pm.