Coles

Never thought I’d review a Coles but this is my local one and I used Unilocal to find the phone number for a shelf check (thanks Unilocal) it is one of the nicer Coles and is used for their TV commercials as well as Masterchef 2013. I prefer going here mainly for the ample parking.

I love this Coles. Truly, I’ve never had this much affection for a SUPERMARKET. Most supermarkets are quite humdrum and boring. This particular Coles is quite refreshing.
Situated next to the Flemington Showgrounds, the site itself is huge. Coles is the main tenant, and takes up probably 90% of the total floor space. The huge amount of space has allowed them to put in a fish station, butchery section, and a gourmet section (which I find ridiculous).
Fruits and vegetables are very well laid out, with multiple long rows. The fish station is set up to replicate a market stall, but it doesn’t quite get there yet. What is impressive is that there are whole fish on offer, with several types past the usual basa and barramundi. Despite having whole fish, most of the other seafood is still frozen and from overseas, like fish from Thailand and prawns from China. I find it disappointing, but I have to remind myself this is a supermarket after all.
The deli section is about normal size for a Coles supermarket. I would have preferred more choice, but standard fare is offered. The cheese section is impressive, with a wide range of hard and soft cheeses. There is also a bakery section, with fresh bread and biscuits and croissants. I think this is a welcome addition to supermarkets, especially for people who are time poor to visit artisan bakers but want something different from the usual white bread fare.
The rest of the supermarket is well laid out, but I got the feeling that they had so much space they didn’t really know what to do with it. Six or seven rows of a single product is a bit much don’t you think?
As a supermarket, there is none better. I use this Coles as a benchmark against other supermarkets. Even Barkly Square doesn’t come close. My only gripe is why can’t they stock Spreyton Fresh apple juice? It’s the best apple juice out there… and they used to stock it until recently.

This supermarket is like no other I’ve seen, except in South Korea. It provides usual supermarket conventions, however the format of the produce sections are designed to replicate the experience of an indoor market. Worth a look.

You probably think all Coles supermarkets are pretty much the same. I understand how you could think that too, if you haven’t been to Coles in Flemington.
As I type this, Coles Flemington is less than a year old. It’s what Coles refers to as a ‘new look’ supermarket with a different layout, range and service system than the others. If you’ve ever lived in the UK, it’s more like a big Sainsbury’s than what we’ve come to expect of Coles in Australia.
The store really has everything you could kind of want for your everyday grocery shopping. There’s even a fishmonger and butcher inside. I love their huge range of gluten free products (on which you get a 20% discount if you belong to the coeliac society) and that they use rainwater to clean because of the size of the roof. They also have skylights in the ceiling to reduce the amount of energy used lighting the place.
Bottom line: if you have to shop at Coles, this is the one to do it at.