Coles Liquor trialling new store formats

Coles Liquor is experimenting with innovative new store formats across both its 1st Choice Liquor and Liquorland chains, according to the division's general manager of marketing, Cameron MacFarlane.

MacFarlane, who spoke with TheShout recently, pointed to the new 1st Choice store at Burwood East in Victoria as the chain's "latest and greatest" addition.

"I think that is one of the best liquor stores in the country," he said.

"The feedback we're getting from customers through that store is, 'wow, this is something special'."

MacFarlane said that along with ticketing and point of sale innovations there are many different elements to the new store layout at Burwood East, which is a sign of what's to come for the rest of the 1st Choice network.

"The thing that strikes you is the openness. It's lower shelving, you can see across the whole store, it's very easy to navigate in terms of simple communication on the shelves," he said.

"That's starting to roll out in some of the other stores that we've launched and certain elements we're taking back to the stores that we already have within the network."

MacFarlane said Coles Liquor is also trialling at least three new Liquorland store formats at different locations across the country.

"Each is pretty different, but each will contribute to the new format that will be rolled out nationally," he said.

"It's great because it gives you the opportunity to tweak and try some different things and be a bit more bullish."

Source: The Shout, 12 November 2012