Coles' Downfall Exposes Supermarket Giants' Dirty Secrets The recent collapse of Coles, one of Australia's largest supermarket chains, has sent shockwaves through the industry.
Beneath its surface lies a more insidious truth: the dirty secrets of the supermarket giants. The Rise and Fall of a Retail Giant Coles was founded in 1917 by Frank Coles with just six stores.
By the 1960s, it had expanded to over 200 outlets, making it the country's largest retailer. In 1979, Coles went public, raising millions for its investors.