Welcome to Coles

The Coles Supplier Portal helps support effective working relationships between Coles and our suppliers, providing better coordination and communication to help drive efficiencies along the supply chain.

The portal also helps our suppliers by providing information to assess their performance on a regular basis and identify opportunities of improvement along the value chain.

We work closely with suppliers to take effective measures towards continuous improvement and have discussions with suppliers about opportunities and areas for improvement.

30 July 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

On behalf of Coles, we would like to thank you and your team for your continued hard work, dedication and collaboration to maintain our stock levels while we manage the changing landscape to mitigate the spread impact of COVID-19.

Today we would like to share some guidance on practices that you might implement at your facilities in an effort to keep your teams safe and your sites operational.

Workplace separation - reducing case impact
1. Separating workforce is critical control. Have layers of defence. Have Marshals to manage areas to continue separation. Breaks, car parks, entry gates
2. Limit interaction between:
  1. working groups / bubbles / cells
    - Keep these as small as possible and ensure they don’t interact
    - Watch for crossover points – canteens, toilets, smoking huts – no carpooling
    - Remove unnecessary contact points such as doors, chairs, tables
    - Make compliance easy – wrist bands / different vests to identify bubbles – have marshals to enforce / support where possible
  2. Areas of facilities
    - physical separation works best - separate carpark and entrances – remove possibility of interaction
  3. Shift groups
    - Confirm team clear out of one shift before the next arrives and ideally clean between shift. How do you manage late arrivals to shifts, teams waiting for other colleagues in changing rooms
    - Days worked/shift patterns
    - Aim for team member groups that never interact with other groups so that one positive case avoids taking out an entire site. For example: if one group works Monday – Thursday, and a separate team works Friday – Sunday, a case on Saturday cannot impact the Monday - Thursday working group
  4. Sites
    - Don’t have anyone working across multiple sites where possible – watch for contractors / plumbers etc who may be at a higher risk of transmitting a positive if working across multiple sites
    - Service business to your site are a key transmission point. Engineers, PPE providers, specialist repairs and maintenance
  5. No non-essential visitors to any location on site/storage facilities
3. Have clear evidence of separation
  1. Create a media pack to show images, videos, PPE worn - remember that health officials may not understand how a food manufacturing site works in practice
  2. Ensure you know who everyone onsite is and where they have worked - make sure you can easily provide this information, together with DOB and phone numbers and correct name detail

Nightly deep cleans
1. If you have a positive, you may be required to close for a deep clean.
2. Completing a nightly deep clean may avoid closure if you can show a deep clean has occurred since the case was last onsite

Respond quickly and proactively to any cases
1. NSW operates a different model to other states – decisions are distributed to local units based on geography
  1. Know your local health unit (LPHU); info here
    https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/Pages/phus.aspx
  2. Contact local health unit immediately if you have any case
  3. Don’t assume consistency across LPHUS or cases
  4. If you have a positive immediately exclude their bubble for at least a test if;
    - Positive TM has been at work in 48 hours prior to symptom onset or test; or
    - Source of infection is unclear (Health may assume they got it at work).
2. Be proactive with providing proposed team member isolations and actions – a solution to health department may support your site remaining operational. Have an efficient way of communicating to each “bubble” should anything occur out or in of work. Whatsapp messaging as an example

Exclude at risk team members
1. Highlight exposure sites to team members where relevant (close location or potential risk location)
2. Watch for family / friend interaction that may create risk outside of work - exclude team members whose family have tested positive. Daily Covid questionnaires at site should help support this for your business. Shared lifts with other facilities are important to capture and backward trace where community transmission is known case

Regular testing
1. Ensure testing is carried out as required and as regularly as possible e.g. every 24 - 72 hours
2. Regular testing may limit impact to your site – expect more updates on rapid antigen testing soon from NSW health

Vaccination
1. Encourage TMs to take up vaccination in whatever way is possible
2. Health will not amend response based on vaccination status at this stage, but can decrease risk
3. Seek to provide vaccination onsite if possible (note limited supply)
4. Maintain all existing controls
5. Don’t assume any one solution works – all existing controls (distancing etc) limit spread and should be maintained

Have clear plans for losing a site for 14 days
1. if evidence of lots of transmission on site or across bubbles / shifts, expect to lose your whole work force for up to 14 days

Some final thoughts:

Take the view that it’s not IF but WHEN you will get your first case and plan accordingly
Community transmission, not work related, seems to be the issue and the expectation is that you as an employer can manage the spread in your business
Reassure team members so that further absenteeism is reduced with quick & easy methods of communication to team “bubbles”
Be prepared to lose a site – let us know what your business continuity plans are and how you plan to maintain Coles supply.
Also consider location of raw material, packaging and ingredients in a case of closure, can you access this stock to continue supply e.g. at your BCP site. Consider proactively addressing this now.
Plan for how you would effectively shut down your facility and plan to restart it

We really welcome your feedback on learnings so please get in touch and share your suggestions and thoughts with your key Coles contact.

Stay safe, and thank you for everything you and your teams do for our customers and team members.

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

29 July 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

While restrictions have eased in several states, in NSW the current stay at home orders will remain in place for another four weeks (until Saturday, 28 August at 12.01am) across Greater Sydney including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour. Eight LGAs are subject to an Authorised Workers Order. Only Authorised Workers in these eight LGAs may leave their LGA for work.

Since Coles Supermarkets provide an essential service, Coles and supplier team members who perform work that is essential for Coles continued operations will continue to be able to travel for that purpose as Authorised Workers, including across LGA borders, provided that they meet additional testing requirements.

To limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19, we request that:

you immediately cancel any visits that are not essential for Coles’ operations in Greater Sydney and in any area that is subject lockdown or other enhanced COVID restrictions, including NSW
if your team visits, it is essential that they sign in to enable our contact tracing efforts and follow all health and safety protocols called out in stores, including never visiting a store while unwell
you ensure your team only works in one store (of any brand) each day, unless specifically agreed otherwise.

The NSW Government is providing other guidance on the rules and restrictions to stay safe.

Coles will also be placing regular updates on the supplier portal as details become available so we would recommend you visit the portal frequently during this challenging period.

All exposure incidents at Coles stores are listed at www.coles.com.au/covid19 and affected supplier team members will be contacted by health authorities directly.

Once again, we’d like to thank you for your tireless support and commitment during this difficult period. If you require any support, please do not hesitate to reach out us.

We thank you for your continued support.

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

Message for suppliers: COVID update all states 23 July 2021

23 July 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

On behalf of Coles, we would like to thank you and your team for your incredible hard work, dedication and collaboration to maintain our stock levels while we manage the changing landscape to mitigate the spread impact of COVID-19. As each state is experiencing different levels of restrictions, we want to stay in contact with you and continue to work together to ensure we remain focused on maintaining consistent supply.

We are working hard to ensure we have the right protocols in place to set your business up for success and limit your risk of exposure to COVID-19. We encourage you to reach out to the Coles Team with any questions or where you need support as we are always happy to assist where we can. To ensure you are working with the most current and accurate information we suggest you access the relevant website for your state or territory.

Below are some helpful links for your reference:

Official Australian Government Website – www.australia.gov.au/

Coles Supplier Portal – www.supplierportal.coles.com.au

Coles will also be placing regular updates on the supplier portal as details become available so we would recommend you visit the portal frequently during this challenging period.

All exposure incidents at Coles stores are listed at www.coles.com.au/covid19 and affected supplier team members will be contacted by health authorities directly.

We anticipate that your team members who need to visit our stores as part of their essential duties will be able to continue to do so in all states. However, we request that you immediately cancel any non-essential visits in any state that is subject lockdown or other enhanced COVID restrictions. If your team visits, it is essential that they sign in to enable our contact tracing efforts and follow all health and safety protocols called out in stores, including never visiting a store while unwell.

Once again, we’d like to thank you for your tireless support and commitment during this difficult period. If you require any support, please do not hesitate to reach out us.

We thank you for your continued support.

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

Message for suppliers: NSW COVID restrictions 17 July 2021

17 July 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

With the changes in restrictions announced by the NSW Government to further limit the spread of the COVID-19 Delta strain, we want to confirm that Coles Supermarkets are an essential service and will continue to operate in line with guidance. As a result, Coles and supplier team members who perform work that is essential for Coles continued operations will continue to be able to travel for that purpose, including across LGA borders, provided that they meet additional testing requirements.

This means that, in addition to our guidance on 14 July about team members who live in Fairfield LGA and Greater Sydney:

If your team member lives in Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool LGAs but for work purposes needs to visit a Coles store or Distribution Centre outside of their LGA, they will from Tuesday 20 July, be required to show evidence of a test obtained in the last 72 hours
Team members who live in the Fairfield LGA, but for work purposes need to visit a Coles store or Distribution Centre in any other LGA, will continue to be able to do so provided they show evidence of a test obtained in the last 72 hours
We want to also re-assure suppliers that with evidence of a test obtained in the last 72 hours, as an essential supplier to Coles you and your team are permitted to travel outside these LGAs for the purpose of supplying goods or services to Coles

Accordingly, your team members who need to visit our stores or Distribution Centres as part of their essential duties will be able to continue to do so, provided you comply with the testing requirements. However, we request again that you immediately cancel any non-essential visits. The NSW Government is providing other guidance on the rules and restrictions to stay safe.

If your team visits, it is essential that they sign in to enable our contact tracing efforts and follow all health and safety protocols called out in stores, including never visiting a store while unwell. A fitted face mask is mandatory when you are in an indoor area of a non-residential premises in NSW including supermarkets.

Coles publishes all information related to COVID-19, including stores with impacted team members here. Our Supermarkets and Distribution Centres have strict protocols in place to ensure they are safe for customers, team members and suppliers, and we want to reassure you that safety and wellbeing is our number one priority. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Coles contact to discuss further.

We want to thank you again for the continued support you have shown our team. The situation is complex and evolving almost daily. We will continue provide you with regular updates, but if you have any concerns or questions please reach out. We are proud of the way Coles and our supplier partners are working together to help our community get through this challenging period.

Best wishes,

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

Message for suppliers: VIC COVID restrictions 16 July 2021

16 July 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

The Victorian Government has announced a new five-day lockdown effective 11:59pm on Thursday 15 of July 2021, with only five reasons to leave home. We want to confirm that Coles Supermarkets are an essential service and will continue to operate.

The Victorian Government is providing guidance as to which other businesses are allowed to continue to operate. We anticipate that as a supplier of Coles, your Victorian operations will be able to continue to operate, but you will need to carefully assess the requirements that apply to your industry. We will provide further guidance as information becomes available.

We anticipate that your team members who need to visit our stores as part of their essential duties will be able to continue to do so. However, we request that you immediately cancel any non-essential visits. If your team visits, it is essential that they sign in to enable our contact tracing efforts and follow all health and safety protocols called out in stores, including never visiting a store while unwell. It is also mandatory to wear a mask when visiting our Supermarkets and Distribution Centres in Victoria.

We want to again say thank you for the support you continue to show our team during this difficult time. The situation is complex and evolving almost daily. We will provide you with regular updates, but if you have any concerns or questions please reach out. We are proud of the way Coles and our supplier partners are working together to help our community get through this challenging period.

Best wishes,

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

Message for suppliers: NSW COVID restrictions 14 July 2021

14 July 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

With the announcement from the NSW Government on COVID-19 testing requirements for some essential workers, we wanted to confirm that all Coles Supermarkets stores will operate in line with this guidance.

This means that:

If your team member lives in the Fairfield LGA, but visits a Coles store outside of the Fairfield LGA, from Saturday 17 July they will not be permitted to work in the store unless they have obtained a test in the previous 72 hours
If your team member lives in Greater Sydney, but visits a Coles store greater than 50km outside of Greater Sydney, from Monday 19 July they will not be permitted to work in the store unless they have obtained a test in the previous week

Your team members may continue to visit stores in the Fairfield LGA and doing so will not result in them needing to seek a test under the announced restrictions.

We anticipate that your team members who need to visit our stores as part of their essential duties will continue to be able to do so. However, we request that you immediately communicate these new requirements to your team and take steps to ensure that affected team members comply with this requirement before visiting our stores. We also ask again that you immediately cancel any non-essential visits. The NSW Government is providing other guidance on the rules and restrictions to stay safe.

If your team visits, it is essential that they sign in using the both the QR codes and the store visitor book, to enable our contact tracing efforts and follow all health and safety protocols called out in stores, including never visiting a store while unwell. A fitted face mask is mandatory when you are in an indoor area of a non-residential premises in NSW including supermarkets.

Your team will be asked to confirm their compliance with this testing requirement when signing into each store and may be required to produce evidence of a test or their residential address to Coles or to health authorities.

We want to thank you again for the continued support you have shown our team. The situation is complex and evolving almost daily. We will provide you with regular updates, but if you have any concerns or questions please reach out. We are proud of the way Coles and our supplier partners are working together to help our community get through this challenging period.

Best wishes,

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

Message for our suppliers - 29 June 2021

29 June 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

With the announcement from the NSW Government of a ‘stay at home’ order and period of restrictions, we wanted to confirm that Coles Supermarkets, Coles Express and our liquor stores are essential services and will continue to operate.

The NSW Government is providing guidance as to which businesses are allowed to continue to operate and COVID-19 safety plans to do so. We anticipate that as a supplier of Coles, your NSW operations will be able to continue to operate, but you will need to carefully assess the requirements that apply to your industry. We will provide further guidance as information becomes available.

We anticipate that your team members who need to visit our stores as part of their essential duties will be able to continue to do so. However, we request that you immediately cancel any non-essential visits. If your team visits, it is essential that they sign in to enable our contact tracing efforts and follow all health and safety protocols called out in stores, including never visiting a store while unwell. A fitted face mask is mandatory when you are in an indoor area of a non-residential premises in NSW including supermarkets.

Coles publishes all information related to COVID-19, including stores that have been attended by impacted team members or customers here. Our Supermarkets and Distribution Centres have strict protocols in place to ensure they are safe for customers, team members and suppliers, and we want to reassure you that safety and wellbeing is our number one priority. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Coles contact to discuss further.

We want to thank you again for the support you have shown our team during this difficult time. The situation is complex and evolving almost daily. We will provide you with regular updates, but if you have any concerns or questions please reach out. We are proud of the way Coles and our supplier partners are working together to help our community get through this challenging period.

Best wishes,

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

Message for our suppliers - 27 May 2021

27 May 2021

Dear Valued Supplier Partner,

With the announcement from the Victorian Government of a 7-day "circuit breaker" period of restrictions, we wanted to confirm that Coles Supermarkets are an essential service and will continue to operate.

Where your team members need to visit our stores as part of their essential duties, they will be able to continue to do so. However, we request that you immediately cancel any non-essential visits. If your team visits, it is essential that they sign in to enable our contact tracing efforts and follow all health and safety protocols called out in stores, including never visiting a store while unwell. All visitors must wear a mask when visiting our Supermarkets and Distribution Centres in Victoria.

We want to again say thank you for the support you have shown our team during this difficult time. The situation is complex and evolving almost daily. We will provide you with regular updates, but if you have any concerns or questions please reach out. We are proud of the way Coles and our supplier partners are working together to help our community get through this challenging period.

Best wishes,

Greg Davis

Chief Executive, Commercial & Express

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