The Coles Story: From Corner Store to Supermarket Giant

The value of the global trade of goods today is approximately 30 trillion US dollars. That’s 83 billion dollars per day of goods being transported all over the world across land, air, and sea. But trade is nothing new. In ancient times, trade began as a barter system in which people exchanged one object for another. People traded animal skins or services for food, weapons, clothing, and spices. Some primitive societies even used shells or pearls as currency, but during the 18th century, coins and money currencies became more prominent. 

Trade has boomed over the last two centuries to the point where we are all involved in it every day of our lives. Most of us regularly trade in the local supermarket, where we can find almost anything we need in one place rather than having to visit multiple stores. It’s made shopping so much more convenient. These self-service super shops offer a wide variety of food, beverages, and household products under one roof. They offer a huge range of brands and product types. In fact, on average, there are around 40K items in the store. The main supermarkets in Australia are Woolworths, Coles, IGA, and Aldi.

But have you ever wondered how they began? So, how did one of Australia’s largest supermarket chains begin? Well, Gary Kent, as we follow in the footsteps of Sir George James Coles, a businessman and philanthropist, who changed how we shop, do business, and live. His story will amaze and inspire you.