The gathering of shareholders of the Coles Group was an assured occasion for the retail major and the CEO, Leah Weckert, who presented a year of substantial growth and innovation. The Coles Group’s 2025 ceiling address figured out resilience, digital acceleration, and community commitment during straining inflation and changing consumer behaviour.
Coles Group 2025 meeting highlights growth, innovation, and digital resilience.
How Did Coles Strengthen Value For Customers?
Weckert pointed out that customer experience underwent significant improvement as it was reflected in all the key metrics in FY25. With cost-of-living pressures being the dominating factor in household budgets, Coles was mainly concerned with value and convenience.
The retailer’s pricing strategy of Every Day Low Prices, weekly discounts, and Great Value promotions made the financial burden lighter for many Australians. The products that were exclusive to Coles continued to be a major distinguishing factor, with 970 new products being launched in FY25, which also contributed to a 5.7% rise in sales.
Within that, Coles Finest experienced an outstanding growth of 13.6%, which was a clear indicator of the customers’ trust in the quality and innovation of the brand.
What Role Did Digital And Loyalty Programs Play?
Digital involvement of the Australian people in online shopping was very high as the country was in a lockdown. The eCommerce sales of Coles supermarkets went up by 24.4% and those of liquor by 7.2%. Progressive app features and quicker checkout sessions were the main reasons for this achievement. The Flybuys loyalty scheme was also extending its territory with a 4.4% increase in the number of active members.
On the other hand, the number of customers who were redeeming points for discounts was up by 13.3%, indicating that the shoppers were looking for practical savings. Promotions like SMEG’s and Curtis Stone’s also contributed to the engagement.
Coles’ eCommerce soared 24.4% as Australians shopped online amid lockdowns.
How Is The Liquor Business Evolving?
Coles Liquor was able to further its transformation with ‘Simply Liquorland’ being rolled out across the nation. The transformation led to a robust amount of sales and a noticeable improvement in customer satisfaction.
The media arm of Coles, known as Coles 360, experienced a growth in income of 13.5% through engaging in advertising that connected suppliers with customers. These outcomes were in line with the company’s goal of using AI and data to increase productivity and make the right decisions.
Coles Group CEO Address 2025 Emphasises Community Commitment
The Coles Group CEO, in his address, looked beyond profit to 2025 and highlighted the company’s social responsibility. In FY25, Coles gave $40.2 million to community and charity programs, among which were 39.1 million donated meals through SecondBite and FoodBank.
It was the second time that Coles had been named as Australia’s top corporate giver in terms of profit. The company has also provided small and medium Australian farmers with $40 million in financial support through the Coles Nurture Fund since 2015, thus leading sustainable and innovative agriculture.
Coles CEO stressed social responsibility, donating $40.2 million and 39.1 million meals.
How Is Coles Supporting Its Workforce?
Weckert expressed his gratitude to the entire 115,000 workforce of Coles for their commitment. The company got the highest employee engagement score ever, which put it among the top large Australian employers in the quartile.
The focus on diversity continues with women now making up 42.7% of leadership roles. The percentage of First Nations people in the workforce remained above the target at 3.5%, and Coles was awarded the platinum status in the Australian Workplace Equality Index for its work in promoting inclusivity.
But the issue of increasing aggressiveness towards retail staff is still worrying. Coles is counteracting this with various measures, including crime prevention, technology and support initiatives.
Coles Annual General Meeting 2025 Ends On A Strong Financial Note
The meeting presented Coles’ Q1 results for FY26, which highlighted a strong positive development. The sales volume of the supermarkets increased by 4.8% and 7% when tobacco products were excluded.
The sale of liquor experienced a slight decrease of 1.1%. The inflation rate excluding tobacco was 1.2%, with some grocery items such as avocados and pantry oils experiencing price cuts. The eCommerce division was the one that performed the best, with supermarkets and liquor sales growing by 27.9% and 6.8% respectively.
Coles has already launched 225 new exclusive Christmas products as the festive season approaches, which not only communicates the company’s good sense of celebrating but also its commitment to being cost-effective.
Also Read: When Your Local Supermarket Becomes a Crime Scene: Coles Takes a Stand
FAQs
- What was the key theme of the Coles Group shareholder meeting?
The meeting highlighted the importance of digital acceleration, customer value, sustainability, and community impact.
- How much did Coles give to community causes in FY25?
Coles’ total contribution was $40.2 million, while through food rescue partners, it donated 39.1 million meals.
- What were the e-commerce figures for Coles’ growth?
There was an increase of 24.4% in eCommerce sales in supermarkets and an increase of 7.2% in liquor sales during FY25.
- What new initiatives were mentioned by Coles Group CEO Leah Weckert?
She mentioned Simply Liquorland, AI integration, and enhanced loyalty programs as customer engagement drivers.
