In 2023, Viva Energy acquired Coles’ network of 700 service stations and has already rebranded over 100 locations across Australia. The company aims to complete the rebranding of all stores within three and a half years. As a result, the Coles Express brand will disappear, but customers can expect no significant changes in their experience.
The familiar convenience stores offering hot food will remain, as will popular loyalty programs like FlyBuys and the 4-cent-per-litre fuel discount, thanks to Coles’ ongoing partnership with its supermarkets. The fuel sold at these stations will also stay the same, as Viva Energy has secured a long-term agreement with global oil giant Shell, which will continue supplying fuel until 2029.
Viva Energy’s CEO, Jevan Bouzo, reassures customers that consistency is a top priority during this transition. “Customers will continue to enjoy the same great service, offers, and rewards they’ve come to expect,” he said in a statement. The rebranding to Reddy Express is simply the next phase in the company’s plan, with consumers only noticing a new label and colour scheme.
Viva Energy is positioning itself to stand out from the traditional Coles Express business, which it purchased, and its broader network of stations that operate under the Shell and Liberty brands. Currently, Viva Energy runs more than 13,000 service stations across Australia under the Shell license.
This transition comes at a strategic time for Viva Energy, as Coles and other major supermarkets are facing public criticism. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is currently suing both Coles and Woolworths over misleading discount claims, further damaging public trust in these brands.
For Coles, the $300 million sale of its service station network allows it to exit the operational side of the business while maintaining its supply agreements, marking a clean break from running a network of stores without losing valuable business relationships.
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