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NEWS COLES CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF ‘DOWN DOWN’ Coles is marking the 10th anniversary of its ‘big red hand’ and ‘down down’ campaign by cutting the price of another 190 products, including some by as much as 45 per cent. According to Coles, the campaign, which reunited British rock group Status Quo, was a game-changer for the retailer’s customer offer, reducing the price of products that customers buy regularly for months, and sometimes years at a time – in contrast to ordinary specials that generally last only one or two weeks. ‘Down down’, says Coles, has been a key part of the retailer’s commitment to delivering great value to customers. Over the 10 years to the end of June, it is claimed that Coles supermarkets have delivered an estimated cumulative price deflation of 10 per cent. In 2010, Status Quo reunited at London’s Abbey Road Studios and used its 1975 hit Down Down as the inspiration for the Coles’ jingle ‘Down, prices are down’. Coles Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson says while the catchy tune has taken a break over the years, the ‘big red hand’ has remained an important fixture in Coles supermarkets. “It’s more important than ever that we’re providing customers with great value every time they shop,” she said. “‘Down down’ and the ‘big red hand’ have been an important way for Coles to provide our customers with trusted value they can rely on. “The campaign changed the face of retail by keeping the cost of groceries for Australians down. As we celebrate its 10th anniversary, we remain committed to lowering the cost of living during what has been a very challenging time for so many.” COLES LIQUOR BREAKS FUNDRAISING RECORD Coles Liquor customers have raised a “record” $823,000 for national food rescue charity SecondBite to help provide the equivalent of 4.1 million meals for vulnerable Australians. According to Coles, the 2020 Coles Liquor Winter Appeal was the biggest single community fundraising campaign held by Coles Liquor and takes the total funds raised by its Liquorland, Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor stores for SecondBite to $5.1 million since 2014. The Coles Liquor Winter Appeal was launched in early August following a run of “record-breaking” national fundraising campaigns held across Coles supermarkets since Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in Australia. With the $823,000 raised for SecondBite by Coles Liquor in the latest Winter Appeal, Coles customers and team members are said to have together raised more than $8.1 million for SecondBite, FightMND, Bravery Trust and children’s hospitals since April 2020. Coles Liquor Chief Executive Darren Blackhurst says he was incredibly proud of the Coles Liquor team’s fundraising efforts. “We didn’t know what to expect given the extenuating circumstances during Covid-19, but thanks to the generosity of our customers, we’ve reached new heights in our fundraising for SecondBite this year,” he said. “The $823,000 raised is a testament to the resilience and community spirit of our team members and customers. “SecondBite’s role in the community embodies Coles’ purpose to sustainably feed all Australians. It’s wonderful to see our liquor team play their part to support this vision and to help those less fortunate.” SecondBite CEO Jim Mullan adds that he was amazed and grateful for the results from this year’s Coles Liquor Winter Appeal. “The fundraising effort by Coles Liquor team members and customers has been extraordinary, particularly in light of the current economic challenges,” he said. “As with all not-for-profit agencies, 2020 has been an extremely difficult time and we’ve seen an increase in demand for support from a cohort of people we usually don’t see under normal circumstances, such as international students, visa holders and recently unemployed people living in regional and rural areas. “The fundraising from Coles Liquor will help SecondBite support people who have previously never needed our help but may need it over coming months and potentially years as we ease off JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments.” 8 RETAIL WORLD SEP, 2020