Coles community hour extends to help more Australians

Coles is dedicating two Community Hour shopping periods per week to emergency services and healthcare workers, who are essential to protecting the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting this Thursday 26 March, the first hour of trade on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be for emergency services and healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital and ambulance staff, police, firefighters and emergency service workers who hold an AHPRA card, have a workplace ID or are wearing their work uniform^.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday Coles Community Hours will continue to be dedicated to vulnerable and elderly customers who hold a government-issued Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, Companion Card, Seniors Card, Disability Card and Health Care Card^.

Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said the move will help even more Australians access the essential groceries they need.

“In the past week we have seen Community Hour help vulnerable and elderly Australians access essential grocery items during this challenging time. We are now extending this opportunity to those Australians who are protecting our community and keeping us safe,” Mr Cain said.

“We know these workers are incredibly busy and hope that providing them with a dedicated hour at the beginning of the day to shop will make their lives a little easier and support the vital work they are doing every day.”

“We are also incredibly proud of our team members in-store who are working hard to get stock on to shelves as fast as possible, create a safe place to shop, and provide our customers with great service. We ask that our customers continue to show them kindness and patience.”

^ these arrangements will be reviewed as necessary.

Coles is open 7am to 8pm every day

Coles would like to assure the community that it is an essential service and its supermarkets, petrol stations and liquor stores will remain open every day across Australia as the COVID-19 outbreak continues. Coles’ distribution centres are also open and the team is working with suppliers and partners to get more stock to stores as fast as possible.

The first hour of trade on weekdays at Coles supermarkets is exclusively for Coles Community Hour. Supermarkets will also close no later than 8pm to give our team members the time and space to extensively clean stores and replenish the shelves for customers the next day.

* Where state laws allow

Health and safety in stores remains a priority

Coles has introduced a number of guidelines to help with social distancing in stores. Customers are advised to use the length of a trolley as a guide for the distance between themselves and other shoppers and asked to please sanitise their hands before entering stores. The use of tap-and-go for payment is also encouraged.

Coles is spending an additional $1 million per week to extensively clean our stores and also increasing the number of security guards in our supermarkets to keep customers and team members safe during this time of unprecedented demand.

New Coles Online Priority Service (COPS)

Coles is in the early stages of rolling out our new Coles Online Priority Service and is looking to bring this service to as many vulnerable customers as possible.

Our priority is to ensure a good range of everyday grocery essentials can be offered with high availability to our customers who find it difficult to shop in-store. Please check www.coles.com.au for further updates on this home delivery service, which will be made available as soon as possible.

For more information and updates from Coles, including a list of current product limit restrictions, visit www.coles.com.au/customernotice

For further information, please contact: Coles Media Line (03) 9829 5250 or media.relations@coles.com.au

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

FURTHER READING

Melbourne Christmas Trading Hours

As both a retailer, and a consumer, we understand how stressful the lead up to Christmas can be. Scrambling to finalise gifts for your loved ones while social commitments are

Brisbane Christmas Trading Hours

With Christmas just around the corner, spare time seems to be in very short supply. To accommodate this seasonal flurry, Brisbane’s major shopping centres have extended their opening hours, giving

Sydney Christmas Trading Hours

As we rapidly approach the festive season, with Christmas merely days away, the urgency to finalise our holiday shopping intensifies. Recognising this seasonal hustle, numerous prominent shopping centres in Sydney

Perth Christmas Trading Hours

With Christmas swiftly approaching, Perth’s bustling shopping scene is ready to accommodate your festive shopping needs. In a boost for holiday shoppers, Perth’s major shopping centers are extending their hours,

Adelaide Christmas Trading Hours

With Christmas just around the corner, we understand how vital it is for you to complete your festive shopping smoothly. To aid in this endeavour, Adelaide’s prominent shopping centres have