BI-LO (Australia)

BI-LO Supermarkets

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retail
Founded	1979
Founder	John Weekes
Headquarters	Hawthorn East, Victoria, Australia
Number of locations	1
Parent	Wesfarmers
Website	http://www.coles.com.au/

BI-LO Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers (formerly Coles Group). Once a chain of 180 outlets, most BI-LO stores were re-branded as Coles Supermarkets during 2006 and 2007. In October 2008, Coles stated it was looking to create a new chain to replace the remaining BI-LO stores. As of January 2017 only one store exists and is located in Loganholme, Queensland. Coles Supermarket in Bentley has the exact decor of Newmart Supermarket. Newmart was Bilo supermarkets trading name in Western Australia.

BI-LO was established by John, Peter and David Weeks in Adelaide in 1979. The first stores opened at Stirling and Aldgate in South Australia's Adelaide Hills region after being converted from hardware outlets, followed by the acquisition of a third store at Murray Bridge. Coles Myer cited that by 1979, BI-LO was South Australia's cheapest grocer.

Bi-Lo was a leader in adopting new technology and by 1983 operated product scanning systems in all stores, the first grocery chain store in Australia to complete scanning across all stores in the group.

By 1987, BI-LO was operating 28 supermarkets in South Australia and generating one third of metropolitan Adelaide’s supermarket sales, when it was acquired by Coles Myer, which also purchased the 34-store Shoeys discount supermarket chain in New South Wales (subsequently renamed as BI-LO). BI-LO would later expand into Queensland and Victoria.

In December 1994, BI-LO opened its first Mega Fresh store at Greenacres, SA, in response to its then chief competitor Franklins "Big Fresh" concept. In 1996, BI-LO acquired six Newmart supermarkets in Western Australia although the Newmart name was retained due to its strong brand identification. In 1998, BI-LO purchased three Northern Territory supermarkets in Darwin and Alice Springs. In 1999, the slogan "Extra Value For You" was launched.

BI-LO/Newmart opened nine new stores and completed 23 refurbishments in 2000, and opened 26 more stores and completed 11 refurbishments in 2001. 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 Ocean Keys, Clarkson (July 2001). Newmart Stores in Garden City, Collie, Stirling Central, Noranda and Ocean Keys became an Action Supermarkets outlet at the same time, then became a Woolworths outlet. Coles in Bentley Western Australia still has Newmart checkouts, Newmart Aisle signs and Deli counter and Bakery Awnings.