Here you can post your reasons why or why not to buy at Coles. Remember to keep the discussion about evidence based reason, though opinion is welcome as long as it remains within Community standards regarding civility.
I shop at Coles for much the same reasons as I shop at Woolies - convenience. This includes getting to and from and into and out of the store, with the things I wanted in hand.
Although I probably shop at Woolies Metro more often than at Coles, the latter is in a small suburban mall that has other businesses I use from time to time. When I shop at Coles it’s usually because I was going to one of those other businesses anyway. Parking is outdoor and usually plentiful. Access to the mall is easy, and although it’s well-patronised, it’s not frantically busy.
Coles, like Woolies, tends to have all or most of the things I wanted to get.
Prices aren’t sufficiently different between Coles and Woolies to make me choose one over the other.
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Our nearest Coles is about 50km (35 minutes drive), so it isn’t s supermarket we frequent regularly. We do however buy some of their store branded cleaning products as we have fund them superior to the competition’s cleaning products. We also buy wholemeal pasta from one store a little farther away as it is the only supermarket within cooee which sells Australian made wholemeal pasta.
Coles would be our second most frequented supermarket, possibly on average 1-2 times a month to buy things we can’t get or don’t perform to our satisfaction at out local Woollies (2 minutes walk away).
We are also conscious of using our car unnecessarily and as a result, won’t make special trips to supermarkets some distance away, when we can walk to our local one.
Parking at Coles is usually easy, and don’t face the same challenges as in the major cities as most of the Coles are stand-a-lone supermarkets or in small centres where there is ample parking.
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I do not personally shop at Coles . My shopper from Bolton Clarke drops in fortnightly and picks up anything I require from them . Usually toiletries which are brands that IGA don’t stock .
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Sometimes I shop at Coles, a few metres from Woolies.
The reason is almost exactly the same as the one I posted in the ‘why shop at Woolworths’.
When I need to get petrol i do a big shopping at Coles in Balaclava, they have the breakfast steaks I like, and I keep the receipt for the petrol discount.
Can’t think of a reason not to shop there.
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Coles has some things I prefer over the Woolies variety, eg Colby cheese. And Woolies has some things I prefer over the Coles version, eg Potato, egg and bacon salad. Woolies is more likely to have a greater variety of cat food, where Coles seems to be reducing the number and variety of brand name cat foods. And so on, So I buy from all three supermarkets in the near area. No IGA close by, although if I have a need of something I might pop in if passing.
A ‘why to’ is that Coles gift cards can be purchased at a discount (up to 4%, 3% being common) from multiple card issuers and membership organisations. Used to buy groceries that is a saving up front. it is very slightly offset by losing interest on the amount purchased until the funds are used, probably only a few cents.
Coles house brands are very good and often produced in Australia. Vanish is a good example: why by a polish-made product that is there times the price of the house brand Australian-produced equivalent.
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