Abandoned Coles supermarket is a time capsule from another era of retail
Photos of an eerie, abandoned Coles supermarket, posted on Facebook have struck a chord with the page’s nostalgic followers and have given a glimpse into the supermarket world of 10 years ago.
It was called ‘Coles New World’ when it opened in 1978 and was a pillar of the unnamed small town in regional Victoria, until it closed its doors in 2008.
It was discovered several years later by the anonymous photographer and urban explorer – known to his 60,000 followers as AM – who runs the Abandoned Melbourne Facebook page.
Old grocery items found in the store. Photo: Abandoned Melbourne/Facebook
He uncovers and documents the secrets behind many mysterious abandoned buildings around Melbourne and Victoria, and said this building was a stand-out.
AM admits what he does is in a ”grey area” of the law, but said he tried not to disclose the location of these abandoned buildings so as to ”preserve these places as long as possible”. His aim, he said, was to document the past.
“Stepping in, you remember what going shopping was like 10 years ago,” AM said.
“The first thing I noticed about the [Coles] store was the fact there were no self-checkouts. Back then, I would remember being served by a human, who you would have a connection to.
The old store is in a regional town in Victoria. Photo: Abandoned Melbourne/Facebook
“I’ve been to hundreds of buildings around Victoria, but the eerie and nostalgic feeling I got, walking around this supermarket struck me. The thing is, individual people can have a connection with a house, many people in an area can have a connection with a school, but in a small town like this, every local has a connection to their supermarket.”
For many of his followers, the most interesting aspects are the products and prices found during the exploration.
“Remember, 2008 is when cigarette packaging was normal? A 30 pack…was $12.64″, AM said in the post, referring to the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes in 2012.
The entry into the old Coles. Photo: Abandoned Melbourne/Facebook
What started as a simple way for him to record his own adventures and memories, resonated with the people also eager to discover what was behind the blank walls and boarded up windows. It has now become an active online community.
“With so many people interested, I go out of my way to research and learn the history and get enjoyment out of sharing the history. I do find it important to document these places, as we live in a throw-away society and everything gets demolished so quickly, for new developments or something cheap and nasty,” he said.
AM said he kept the buildings anonymous in the hope they would not become a target for vandalism and graffiti.
The abandoned IGA is another supermarket featured on the Facebook page. Photo: Abandoned Melbourne/Facebook
“I try my best not to reveal where a place is because, at the end of the day, these properties are not mine. What I do, is in the grey area of the law. But most importantly, I want to preserve these places as long as possible”.
The story of the Coles supermarket’s final days was revealed by AM in the post.
“The reason it closed was due to it being located a bit out of town. Coles had a BiLo in town also, so decided to turn the BiLo into a Coles. The same week it closed, an Aldi opened up just down the road.” It is still boarded up almost nine years after AM visited.
AM’s most recent find was a deserted IGA store, the origins of which he is beginning to investigate.
“From what I have learnt, I believe it opened as a grocery store back in the 50s. Most recently (from the 1990s till it closed) it was an IGA. I believe it closed in October 2006 due to competition and the site was meant to be redeveloped. Twelve years later, it sits there empty.”
