# So, I Wrote A Letter To Coles



## Liam_snorkel (10/8/11)

Hi Coles,

firstly congratulations on getting the store back up and running after the flood. I particularly enjoy the revamped deli & large range of cheeses on offer, and not having to go to stinking Buranda Woolies. That place is a hole.

Anyway, as a keen homebrewer who also works full time, I find it difficult to make it to one of the local homebrew stores as they aren't open after-hours during the week, and only occasionally for a few hours on Saturdays (presumably only when the store owner could be bothered). Since your store seems to always be open when I go there to buy my groceries, usually two or three times per week, I often think "gee it would be good if Coles stocked homebrew supplies". 
Last week while I was looking for chili sauce, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the in-store directory indicates that homebrew supplies are located in aisle 4, but was then quite disappointed to only find sports drinks. 
What are the chances of Coles Fairfield stocking homebrew supplies?

Also, before that pesky flood, I was able to find my most favourite ever hot chili sauce, Cholula Hot Sauce. It comes in a small bottle with a wooden cap, & on the label a picture of a nice lady wearing a bathrobe next to some hot peppers. I developed such a liking to this sauce that by the end of last year I was buying it almost every two weeks. Please tell me that Coles Fairfield will stock this magical elixir again.

Awaiting your reply,

Liam Anderson.

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Good Afternoon Mr Anderson,

Thank you for contacting us regarding the availability of Home Brew at Coles.

We regret to learn of your disappointment with our decision to no longer range this product and would like to extend our apologies for any inconvenience you have been caused as a result.

The decision to remove this product was not one made lightly. Our Merchandise Team is constantly reviewing our product range to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our customers. .

As a result of our assessment, the complete product range of Home Brew products have been removed from most Coles and Bi-Lo stores. There are some stores however, where the customer demand for this range is high and will remain on the shelves.

We are also most concerned to learn that you are unable to obtain Cholula Hot Sauce in our store. After receiving your request, we contacted our Merchandise Team and wish to advise that this product has unfortunately been deleted from our range due to poor sales. We are sorry that we are unable to assist you on this occasion and do hope you will accept our apologies for any frustration this may cause you.

We are however most pleased to learn of your satisfaction with the new store. We take all customer feedback seriously and it is always pleasing to hear about things our customers think we are doing well.

We are constantly striving to improve our business and feedback such as yours is of great value.

Your kind remarks regarding our store have been noted and referred to the Store Manager and Regional Manager for their information.

We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback. Your comments have been referred to our Merchandise Team for their consideration and information.

Kind Regards
Kate Lyons
Customer Care Consultant


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## super_simian (10/8/11)

I also miss Cholula - but then I found Nazir's.


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## Liam_snorkel (10/8/11)

SWMBO ordered a few bottles of Cholula online for me because she knew how much I missed it. Where can I get Nazir's? I've had about a dozen different hot sauces in the past year from various places. I find Tapatio to be delicious, I have a bottle at my work desk for emergencies.


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## Jace89 (10/8/11)

I actually work at Coles and you would be surprised how often/how many items get removed off the shelves each week. Then the next couple of weeks I have to explain to customers that head office just tells us to take them off the shelves etc.
Usually after a couple weeks they put them back for another run, sadly that never happened with the home brew stuff. Still to this day I get asked where it could be, so I still don't understand why they dragged them off the shelf in the first place.
Just go to Wollies they still stock it here in VIC


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## Liam_snorkel (10/8/11)

Yeah but the local woolies is a shit hole. meh.

The thing that annoyed me is that Home Brew is _listed on the directory_, but has never been stocked. Never saw it in the year leading up to the flood, and was never put on the shelves since.
I find myself going down aisle four each week.. searching for it like a lost puppy..


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## Will88 (10/8/11)

I work at Fairfield. Unfortunately the home brew gear was removed from the shelves a while ago, over six months now. I tried to convince the grocery manager to at least stock some gear as I used to buy the sanitisers but the guys up top had decided sales were too low to bother keeping it.


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## Liam_snorkel (10/8/11)

what if I send them a letter saying that I will buy one HB product each week. lol


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## Jace89 (10/8/11)

Liam_snorkel said:


> what if I send them a letter saying that I will buy one HB product each week. lol



It wont be enough. The way that Coles look at it is: If home brew goes we could either put something new that could sell well OR expand something like the Coke section so we can have more of that on the shelf etc...


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## Liam_snorkel (10/8/11)

I really hate coles & woolies, but the convenience is so.. convenient.


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## domix (10/8/11)

Liam_snorkel said:


> Good Afternoon Mr Anderson,



For some reason I pictured Hugo Weaving as Mr Smith from the Matrix saying that.

I will have to hunt done some of this Cholula sauce. I can't remember the last time I saw homebrew supplies in either
Woolies or Coles. Always plenty in Big W though.


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## TasChris (10/8/11)

Was hoping for Derek and Clyde style letter

Dear C***s in Charge,.....
Chris


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## raven19 (10/8/11)

Can you use this as an excuse to the minister of finances to move into AG?


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## Will88 (10/8/11)

I'm kind of surprised they didn't offer you something to sweeten your disappointment. The party line these days is to always have the customer going away with something in their hands.


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## Ducatiboy stu (10/8/11)

The Home-brew section has been taken over by Coca Cola-Amital...

We all know that coke is better than homebrew...


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## Liam_snorkel (22/8/11)

great success..


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Hi Liam,

Thanks for your feedback. I have not had any success in being able to obtain your Cholula Hot Sauce unfortunately. This product has been deleted from Coles in Queensland so I won't be able to get it in for you I'm sorry! However...I have managed to sort out with the space planning team to get a new layout for our 'Non Alcoholic and Home Brew' section that will actually include a small range of home brew products. This will take a week or two for the changeover to happen and then you should start to see some home brew lines on our shelves. They will be situated with the non alcoholic wines and ginger beer in aisle 4. If there is a particular product you are chasing and it doesn't appear in the section please don't hesitate to see me and I will try my best to get it in for you.

Regards

Tracey Martin
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## Will88 (22/8/11)

Wow. As a coles employee for the last 7 years, I am utterly amazed that the company actually accommodated your request.


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## peas_and_corn (23/8/11)

I'm not. The amount of attention those 'tell us what you think' forms gets in my store is incredible.


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## Will88 (25/8/11)

I guess they actually meant it when they said it was time to actually listen to the customers now.


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## Leigh (25/8/11)

Excellent, I'm going on a letter writing mission!


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## Weizguy (9/1/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> The Home-brew section has been taken over by Coca Cola-Amital...
> 
> We all know that coke is better than homebrew...


I've noticed that those cola products take up 3/4 of one side of an aisle at my local. Reminds me that I made a batch of Cola/Coopers Dark ale, many years ago. Still as fresh and odd as the day I bottled it.

Glad to see that my local Coles have started stocking Arnotts Orange biscuits again, after dropping them for about 10 years, forcing me to drive 15 minutes into the ghettos of Raymond Terrace to visit Woolworths.

In a classic bitch-fight play, Woolworths has 2 supermarkets and a BigW in the Terrace, and no Coles (since BI-LO was closed about 6-8 years ago). Woollies owns the 2 shopping centres, about 150 metres apart. They couldn't keep Aldi out though, so they have a DM's a few doors up, to get all the boozy business.


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## Redreuben (24/10/18)

Call me a stick in the mud but Woolies can [email protected]#$k off. They are heavily invested in gambling.
No pokies in WA. 
That's why we're all rich


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## Milhouse (24/10/18)

A little off topic but is it against the law to sell homebrew products in supermarkets/big w in queensland? I grew up in wa and all the supermarkets had at least a bit of homebrew stuff. I have not seen anything anywhere but a lhbs since moving to Brisbane.


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## Holden4th (25/10/18)

My local Woolies sells home brew.


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## Milhouse (25/10/18)

OK fair enough. I must be in a homebrew blackspot as far as supermarkets are concerned...


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## spotarama (6/6/19)

Tell me more about this cola Cooper's brew, I'm intrigued


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