Coles has entered a major new partnership with UK retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) that will see
a curated range of M&S’s iconic food products stocked in Coles supermarkets across Australia.
This marks the first time M&S food will appear in Australian grocery aisles, expanding the brand’s
international footprint and strengthening Coles’ product differentiation strategy.
M&S is widely recognised for its high-quality own-brand food and clothing lines, with strong
customer loyalty in the UK. Coles noted that more than half of Australians are already familiar
with the M&S brand due to historical ties between the two countries. Beginning next Wednesday,
Coles stores nationwide will sell popular items such as Percy Pig confectionery, Colin the
Caterpillar sweets, Luxury Gold Tea, and a rotating line of seasonal or limited-edition snacks,
including the viral “Very Moreish Munch.” The partnership will expand to over 200 M&S food
products next year.
The move also has competitive implications: Coles is looking to reinforce its market positioning
against rival Woolworths, which is in the middle of a turnaround strategy and recently opened its
second automated distribution centre to improve availability and regain lost market share.
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