Coles has received backlash by customers after it increased its delivery prices and the threshold for free delivery by 25 per cent.
Customers must now meet a minimum spend of $200 to qualify for free delivery and the delivery fee is now $12 instead of $8.
Coles customers have expressed their anger on social media:
Coles you rip people off. There is no more free delivery. My elderly parents who can’t spend $200 and can’t get to the shops because they are vulnerable are being charged a $12 delivery fee for what used to be free pre pandemic!!
— Stay@Home (@suzannemcm) April 21, 2020
On Facebook, one disgruntled user wrote, “extremely disappointed Coles for increasing delivery fees during this Coronavirus pandemic.”
Another user said, “On a pension, $12 is just ridiculous! I thought Coles was there to help pensioners and others, not rip them off!!”
A Coles representative told news.com.au that the new fees reflect the cost of picking, packing and delivering the orders.
“By reorganising our delivery windows have been able to increase the number of slots available for customers, and we have also recruited hundreds of extra customer service agents to help us meet increased demand for Coles online deliveries.”
Despite the changes, Coles is still cheaper than Woolworths, who charges a $300 minimum spend for free delivery and a flat fee of $15 for orders under $100.
