The massive change coming to Coles this Friday as supermarket extends its opening hours for 200 stores
- Nearly 200 Coles stores across Australia will open from 6am on Friday
- The supermarket will end its special hour for elderly and vulnerable Australians
- It comes as panic buying sparked by the coronavirus pandemic eases
- Coles is hoping changes will help those homeschooling and working from home
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Coles will extend trading hours and end special shopping times for the elderly and vulnerable as the coronavirus crisis eases.
From Friday, almost 200 stores nationally will open their doors from 6am to ease pressure on families juggling home schooling and work-from-home arrangements.
A special community shopping hour - set aside for elderly and vulnerable customers and emergency and healthcare workers - will also be opened up to everyone.
Coles will extend trading hours and end special shopping times for the elderly and vulnerable as the coronavirus crisis eases (pictured: shoppers line up outside Coles in Adelaide)
Coles Chief Operations Officer Matt Swindells says it's time to resume all-access trading, now that demand and product availability is normalising.
The grocery chain has also reopened Coles Online orders to all shoppers.
That service was restricted to elderly and vulnerable customers when demand was at its peak amid panic buying of essential goods such as toilet rolls, pasta and hand sanitisers.
Share this article
'As the government begins to look at easing restrictions, customers should remember that appropriate safety practices will still apply and ask all customers to support with the same amazing collaboration we've seen in the past few weeks,' Mr Swindells said.
'The reason we started Coles Community Hour was because excess demand led to limited availability, which meant we had lots of people eager to get into stores early in the morning.
'Having a dedicated shopping hour for some of the most vulnerable members of the community, as well as those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, was really beneficial.
Coles will end its community shopping hour from 7am to 8am dedicated to the elderly, disabled and frontline workers
At the height of panic buying, stores were flooded with customers and products stripped from shelves
'With supply almost back to normal for essential groceries, Coles is reopening this hour to all customers again as well as opening earlier where we can, to make shopping more convenient for everyone in the community.'
Staff will continue to work to ensure the hygiene for shoppers including sanitising trolleys and baskets in between customers.
In busier stores, the number of customers will also be restricted.
Staff will continue to work to ensure the hygiene for shoppers including sanitising trolleys and baskets in between customers, Coles said on Tuesday
Restrictions on Coles Online Orders which had been reserved for elderly or vulnerable customers will also be made available to everyone (pictured: shoppers at a Melbourne Coles)
