Coles Has Opened A Fancy-Ass Store With Refillable Products & Lets You Snack While You Shop

Coles has swung open the doors on a new, more sustainable store in Melbourne, and it includes product refill stations, less fresh produce plastic packaging, an in-store pizzeria and Roll’d, and a fruit and veg bar where you can pay to get things chopped up for you.

Oof this sounds real fancy schmancy.

The schmick new concept store in Moonee Ponds is a part of the company’s ‘Together to Zero’ strategy to drive generational sustainability from within, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, committing to making the entire Coles Group run on 100% renewable electricity by 2025, and establishing stores that set the benchmark when it comes to sustainability at the supermarket.

More importantly to us right here and now, this store looks sick. It seems to challenge a lot of things we’re used to when we do our groceries, like every bloody thing being wrapped in plastic for no fucking reason. Like bananas, they don’t need a bag, they’ve got their own damn protective layer.

Specifically, the new store has taken the plastic wrap off fresh produce products like continental cucumbers, herbs, chilli punnets, and pre-packed celery and leeks.  There’s also a station where for an extra $2 you can get someone to cut your fruit and veg up for you, which is great for accessibility in the kitchen or anyone who doesn’t have the time to chop things up (or can’t trust themselves with a knife).

To help cut down on how much hard plastic we’re taking home, you can also refill bottles for your cleaning and skincare at the new Coles. Brands like OMO and Surf have refill stations for laundry soap and house detergents, while Sukin has jumped on with body wash, hand wash and hair washing options.

And if you’re the kind of person who’s partial to having a cheeky snack while you’re doing your groceries – we’re all guilty of nicking a grape, don’t lie – the new supermarket also has a bunch of in-store snack stops so you can have a monch while you shop. God knows it’s easier to do your groceries when you’re not hungry, lest you wind up with 12 packets of chippies just because your brain was like “give chip now please”.

Roll’d has opened its 100th store inside the Coles, so you can hoof down a rice paper roll while you’re wandering the aisles, and if you’re into something warmer, there’s a whole-ass pizzeria in there too. I’m shooketh, this rules.

That’s not even the end of it – there’s a fishery with a focus on local fish, a smoothie station, an artisan cheese nook (!!!), a vegan dairy, a pick-n-mix pet treat bar, and a focus on local booze in the equally-as-fancy Liquorland.

Moonee Ponds Coles is open now for your perusing pleasure, and I’m not gonna lie, I might just go out of my way to check it out and do my weekly shop.