I have never worked for Coles Group or known anyone personally who has done so, but I get the impression they differ a bit from Woolies and have a strict "no return to central warehouse" policy at their stores, including Target. If they need to get rid of something they are able to mark it down ridiculously in their local stores.
I first noticed this when I lived on Bribie Island where they opened a Target. It was initially unclear what stock they should carry for this new demographic and after a couple of months the mark downs on many lines were amazing, I got shoes for $2 etc.
I didn't shop at Coles for about 15 years, but on moving to Old Bar I now shop at our BILO (same thing) and they do big clear outs of meat a couple of times a week, first marking down to 20% off then 40% off, then half price and even down to the likes of $2 for trays of mince etc. I regularly cull the meat section and stock up the freezer. They often clear out slow moving lines like the 5L bottles of Extra Virgin Olive oil for ten bucks that's still keeping me going after a year.
If you are near a Coles it's usually a good ploy to find out when they mark down (often Monday Morning). If you see a meat manager with a clipboard and a trolley, shadow him / her like a vulture B)
ed: another thing they do is to sell trays of beef, lamb or pork offcuts which are basically just cubed meat that's ideal for stews, casseroles and curries. These 'scraps' usually go out at around $7 a kilo, half the price of their 'official' diced meats. Usually found in the same section as soup bones and chicken necks. This is an intermittent thing, depending on what's been happening at their central butchery departments, so need to check often.
I first noticed this when I lived on Bribie Island where they opened a Target. It was initially unclear what stock they should carry for this new demographic and after a couple of months the mark downs on many lines were amazing, I got shoes for $2 etc.
I didn't shop at Coles for about 15 years, but on moving to Old Bar I now shop at our BILO (same thing) and they do big clear outs of meat a couple of times a week, first marking down to 20% off then 40% off, then half price and even down to the likes of $2 for trays of mince etc. I regularly cull the meat section and stock up the freezer. They often clear out slow moving lines like the 5L bottles of Extra Virgin Olive oil for ten bucks that's still keeping me going after a year.
If you are near a Coles it's usually a good ploy to find out when they mark down (often Monday Morning). If you see a meat manager with a clipboard and a trolley, shadow him / her like a vulture B)
ed: another thing they do is to sell trays of beef, lamb or pork offcuts which are basically just cubed meat that's ideal for stews, casseroles and curries. These 'scraps' usually go out at around $7 a kilo, half the price of their 'official' diced meats. Usually found in the same section as soup bones and chicken necks. This is an intermittent thing, depending on what's been happening at their central butchery departments, so need to check often.
