BI-LO (Australia)
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In Australia, BI-LO was established by John Weekes in Adelaide during the late 1970s. It is a major supermarket chain owned and operated by retail giant Coles Myer Limited in parallel to Coles Supermarkets. It has more than 190 stores in Australia and employs around 15,000 people in its stores throughout Australia. Today BI-LO sell a range of different products, from fresh foods, groceries and packaged foods to DVDs and iTunes Music Cards. BI-LO also has its own brand of discount products. BI-LO participates in many store promitions such as FlyBuys and petrol saving clubs.
BI-LO is very cheap, easy to find everything and value for money, which is why their current slogan is "Why Pay More". Every Wednesday, BI-LO also has a Market Day sale where BI-LO stores have extra specials in the fresh food departments.
Contents
Philosophy
Bi-Lo has a simple philosophy to offer customers:- *A wide product choice
- *Lower prices everyday
- *Fresh foods
- *Friendly people
Milestones
late 1970s
Australia's first BI-LO store is opened at Stirling in South Australia's Adelaide Hills region after being converted from a hardware outlet. Another hardware outlet in Algate is also converted to one of the first BI-LO stores in Australia. A third store in Murray Bridge, a ninety minute drive from Adelaide was subsequently acquired.early 1980s
BI-LO was established as South Australia's cheapest grocer, during a time when there was a demand for a true discount supermarket retailer to sell cheap groceries by providing only essential services to customers, a concept which was very successful for BI-LO.1987
By that year, BI-LO was operating 28 supermarkets in South Australia and generating one third of metropolitan Adelaide’s supermarket sales. It was also acquired by Coles Myer that year and purchased the 34-store Shoeys discount supermarket chain in New South Wales which was re-named as BI-LO. The total store numbers for BI-LO had grown to 62 stores across South Australia and New South Wales.1996
Six Newmart supermarkets in Western Australia are acquired by BI-LO although the Newmart name is kept due to its strong identification (which has a tick next to the name)1998
BI-LO purchased three Northern Territory supermarkets in Darwin and Alice Springs (one of them has since closed).2000
BI-LO/Newmart opened nine new stores and completed 23 refurbishments.2001
BI-LO/Newmart opened 26 stores and completed 11 refurbishments. The last Newmart stores in Western Australia to open before the chain was absorbed into Coles Supermarkets were at Garden City, Booragoon (October 2000) and at the Ocean Keys Shopping Centre in Clarkson, Western Australia (July 2001). Those stores however later became Action Supermarkets and eventually, Woolworths Supermarkets.2002
BI-LO acquired and convertd 15 Franklins sites, in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Around 820 former Franklins employees were offered positions at BI-LO.The fifteen BI-LO sites were located in the following areas:
- *New South Wales: Warilla Grove, Campbelltown, Hillsdale (closed in 2003), Mt Druitt (closed in 2005), Shellharbour, Lavington, Thirroul
- *Victoria: Southland, Waverley Gardens (closed in 2004), Lalor, Broadmeadows
- *South Australia: Unley
- *Queensland: Kawana, Capalaba, Hope Island, Loganholme
- *Plus two more stores
Departments
Each BI-LO supermarket stocks around 16,000 different products with a strong emphasis on fresh foods. Typically, a BI-LO/Newmart store is equipped with:Grocery
BI-LO has an extended grocery range. BI-LO stocks more than 800 BI-LO brand grocery items. The BI-LO brand offers a value for money alternative to national branded products in almost every product range. Bulk foods are also sold at the stores.Fresh Produce
Each BI-LO and Newmart supermarket stocks a wide variety of the freshest quality seasonal fruit and vegetables.Delicatessen
BI-LO and Newmart have full-size continental style delicatessens which feature a wide range of cold meats, specialty cheeses and many prepared meals including barbecue chickens. They are also equipped with fresh ready to heat and eat pizzas from the pizza bar.Meat
Extensive fresh meat section, with the largest restaurant quality meat cuts and trimmings, and a range of value-for-money bulk meat packs.Bakery
A boutique range of baked foods including fresh specialty breads and bread rolls, donuts and assorted cakes and buns.Seafood
BI-LO and Newmart stores have an abundance of seafood, delivered daily.International Foods
International foods from around the world, including Japanese, Indian, American, east and west Asian and Thai products.Formats
BI-LO Mega Frrresh
In response to it's main competitor Franklins launching "Franklins Big Fresh" in the 90s, BI-LO launched its Mega Frrresh brand using the same format. BI-LO Mega Frrresh is the discount mega store format of BI-LO supplying all grocery item needs at the lowest expense. There are Mega Frrresh stores in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.Newmart
Up until 2003, BI-LO also had stores trading under the name Newmart in Western Australia. The Newmart group of six supermarkets was purchased by BI-LO in 1996. The name was retained due to its strong identification. It traded in a similar manner to BI-LO and was also owned and operated by retail giant Coles Myer Limited in parallel to Coles Supermarkets. There were more than 16 Newmart stores at its peak before Coles abandoned the brand and sold 4 stores to Foodland Associated Limited re-branding those stores as Action Supermarkets. The remaining stores became Coles supermarkets although only 4 Newmart stores currently remain in Western Australia.
External links
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