‘we always sort of took it for granted that we were going to go on expanding… and the idea was at first to expand so that we could all get good jobs… that was our future’ – gj coles gj coles and his brother james (jim) quickly formed a partnership and set about opening the first coles variety store in australia. the site they chose was at 288 smith street in collingwood, with an 18-foot shop front and a depth of 60 feet. it was located in one of the major centres of retail trade at that time and close to the terminus of the penny tram fare from clifton hill to johnston st – gj knew that the selection of the right site was vital in terms of retail success. gj’s uncle jim was keen to help his two nephews, and two female assistants who had worked …show more content…
in comparison with the magnificent goods he had seen displayed in the us and england, gj felt his wares looked rather pitiful, but he knew he had at least one unbeatable attraction; he had purchased 240 imported, 26-inch deep, enamel mixing bowls for 1 shilling, 8 pence, which he intended to sell for 1 shilling each to herald his arrival and blow the competition …show more content…
gj greeted him eagerly and thanked him for ‘coming to help quieten the crowd’. the officer, however, was not there to keep the peace. in fact, gj remembers he was acting on a higher authority. ‘a policeman came to help because of the rush and i asked him how much it would cost if he were to stay and help all day. he replied that if he could have one of the bowls for his wife, he would stay around until things quietened down.’ other popular items included pillow-cases at threepence each and large glass bowls for sixpence. at the end of that first, hectic day of trading, the takings were £100 – a ‘very satisfactory’ sum as far as gj was concerned. as he closed the door at 5.30pm and took stock of his surroundings, he was surprised to discover that ‘there were sundry articles of women’s clothing, two hats and a baby among the debris!’ the importance of having the right products at the right prices was a pillar of the coles’ business, and to offer the widest variety of household items at the best value prices, the supply of products needed to be