Coles SWOT Analysis

Published in Lifestyle and Retail category by MBA Skool Team

Coles is one of the leading brands in the lifestyle and retail sector. Coles SWOT analysis evaluates the brand by its strengths & weaknesses which are the internal factors along with opportunities & threats which are the external factors. Let us start the SWOT Analysis of Coles:

Coles Strengths

  1. Coles Supermarkets command the lion's share of the domestic food and liquor market due to their long history in Australia
  2. Unmatched advertising and branding in the Australian retail space. It Uses patriotic slogans like ‘Proudly Australian since 1914’, along with slogans specifically framed for price conscious buyers
  3. Coles has very attractive pricing strategies with frequent price cuts & promotional offers from time to time
  4. Immensely successful promotional campaigns: eg  in conjunction with Apple Computer and 12 other major suppliers, a campaign titled "Apples for Students”
  5. Different levels of generic brands that intend to cater to a specific type of buyer.
  6. Impressive online order and delivery/pickup service
  7.  Coles has more than 800 stores & employs close to 100,000 people

Above are the strengths in the SWOT Analysis of Coles. The strengths of Coles looks at the key internal factors of its business which gives it competitive advantage in the market and strengthens its position.

Coles Weaknesses

  1. Negative publicity surrounding hard-line negotiation with Australian suppliers has marginally hurt the public sentiment towards Coles
  2. Compared to competition, the company operates on lower margins

These were the weaknesses in the Coles SWOT Analysis. The weaknesses of a brand are certain aspects of its business which it can improve.

Coles Opportunities

  1. To seize greater control of the supply chain to funnel the produce and harvest profit at multiple point
  2. Geographic expansion can help Coles reach out to newer regions globally
  3. Sponsorship and marketing exercises can help boost business

Above we covered the opportunities in Coles SWOT Analysis. The opportunities for any brand can include prospects of future growth.

Coles Threats

  1. Intense competition in the supermarket space has led to food prices plummeting to dangerously low margins
  2. Consumers getting confused between the different generic brands due to lack of a clear distinctive communication for each
  3. Due to convenience, a percentage of the buyers might opt for independents and the smaller retailers rather than Coles
  4. The Australian food and beverage market is constantly evolving as competitors enter with game-changing business models and ideas

The threats in the SWOT Analysis of Coles are as mentioned above. The threats for any business can be external factors which can negatively impact its business.

Hence this concludes the Coles SWOT analysis.

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About Coles

The table below gives the brand overview along with its target market, segmentation, positioning & USP

Coles Overview
Parent Company

Wesfarmers Limited

Category

Retail

Sector

Lifestyle and Retail

Tagline/ Slogan

Quality food costs less at Coles; Proudly Australian since 1914

USP

Coles are the most advanced yet affordable Australian supermarket chain which is ‘Helping Australia Grow’

Coles STP
Segmentation

Retail and Departmental Stores

Target Market

Middle class and premium Australian households

Positioning

Coles retail store helps you fulfill your daily needs and at the same time helps you save


This article has been researched & authored by the Content & Research Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

Browse marketing analysis of more brands and companies similar to Coles. This section covers SWOT Analysis along with Segmentation, Market, Positioning & USP of more than 2000 brands from over 20 industry sectors.

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