Coles commits to Australian frozen veg

Coles has announced a new long-term contract with Simplot which includes a local sourcing commitment for the next five years and increased volumes. Coles says the contract delivers long-term certainty for both Simplot and hundreds of Australian vegetable growers.

In addition to the contract, Coles has committed to sourcing 100% of the vegetables for its Smart Buy frozen vegetables line from Australia by early 2014. This will bring at least 2.4 million kilograms of additional volume to Australian growers that Coles previously sourced internationally.

Coles says that, in the frozen category, the new agreements will increase the total volume of private label vegetables and potato sourced from Australia to more than 19 million kilograms each year.

“Simplot has been a valued supplier of Coles for over 15 years and together we have launched great products, such as 100% Australian-grown Coles Brand frozen vegetables,” said John Durkan, Coles’ Chief Operating Officer.

“This new offer, including the sourcing of Smart Buy frozen vegetables from Australia, is a further demonstration of our commitment to Simplot, local growers and to delivering a quality product for the value-conscious customer.”

Coles currently offers more than 230 products from Simplot in the frozen category. This includes more than 30 private label products, such as Coles Australian Peas, and more than 200 of Simplot’s own brands, including Birdseye.