Coles’ Exclusive to Coles sales rose 4.3% in its first quarter, outpacing supermarket sales growth of 3.6%, as the Australian retailer launched more than 80 own-brand products.

Premium tier Coles Finest grew 13.3%, making it the strongest-performing own-brand tier in the update. The results, released on 30 October 2026, cover the 13 weeks from 29 June to 27 September and provide a fresh view of retailer-owned ranges ahead of Christmas.

For private-label manufacturers, the figures show that demand for the retailer’s exclusive offer continued to grow despite a competitive grocery market. They do not establish which individual categories gained distribution, or whether the increase came from prices, volumes or changes in product mix. Coles did not disclose a separate own-brand volume measure.

The distinction between the overall exclusive range and Finest matters. A 13.3% increase for the premium tier is not the growth rate for all Coles own-brand products. Buyers assessing demand across value, mainstream and premium ranges need to keep those measures separate.

The opportunity sits within the manufacturing network covered in GTN’s Australian private-label supplier analysis. For producers considering capacity or product development, the useful next evidence would be category-level performance and the scale of repeat orders, rather than the total number of launches alone.

Coles’ supermarket revenue reached A$10.32bn. Comparable sales growth was 2.7%, down from 4.6% a year earlier, while the company said heightened promotional activity and customers shopping across different retailers affected trading. GTN’s Australian supermarket market overview provides the wider competitive context.

Supermarket price inflation was 1.1%, with dairy and meat cost increases among the drivers. That measure is not a direct proxy for own-brand pricing, and subtracting it from the exclusive-range sales increase would not produce a reliable volume growth figure.

Online supermarket sales increased 22.9% to A$1.623bn, representing 15.7% of supermarket revenue. Coles includes liquor sold through coles.com.au in those online measures. The growing digital share adds a practical requirement for suppliers: accurate product information, clear pack images and reliable availability increasingly affect how ranges reach shoppers.

That channel shift also connects with the fulfilment and data systems discussed in GTN’s coverage of Australian retail technology. It creates more routes to market, although the results do not separate own-brand online growth from the wider business.

The outlook is more restrained than the strongest product-range figures suggest. Coles said supermarket sales growth moderated during the first four weeks of the second quarter. Following competitive pressure and additional fuel-related costs, it now expects first-half supermarket earnings before interest and tax, excluding significant items, to be in line with the corresponding period last year.

Coles has relaunched its Every Day Price programme and is entering Christmas with an expanded exclusive range. The next test is whether own-brand demand can support sales momentum while the retailer invests in value and manages higher costs.

Source: Coles Group, 2027 First Quarter Sales Results, released 30 October 2026. Commercial implications are GTN analysis.