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Coles starts marketing campaign for centenary with replica shop

Coles100 (1)Coles is celebrating its centenary year by recreating its original store in Collingwood, Melbourne and pledging to push harder on its ‘Australia First’ sourcing policy.

The first store opened on Smith Street in Collingwood, Victoria on April 9, 1914, with the brand returning to the site to recreate the original store as part of the milestone’s celebrations.

More marketing initiatives will ramp up throughout the first quarter as the business closes in on the milestone.

Coles managing director Ian McLeod said in a statement: “GJ Coles was a businessman, a family man and a philanthropist – dedicated to providing both great quality and great value, as well as a strong commitment to customer and community service. 100 years on and Coles remains true to the core principles of its founder and we will continue to strive to do so, keeping our customers at the heart of everything we do.”

The centenary year is also seeing Coles return to the site of its second store in Australia, with a new supermarket being built at 170 Smith Street in Collingwood.

One of the main goals for Coles during its 100th year is to expand its ‘Australia First’ sourcing policy, which was a foundation of the Coles business.

The founder of Coles, GJ Coles said in 1930: “A very important thing to remember when purchasing is to order Australian-made goods, as this obviously creates more employment in Australia than does the handling of goods produced elsewhere.”

In the century Coles has grown to operate over 2,300 stores; and employ 100,000 team members from an initial base of six employees.

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