Coles sparks backlash after dumping 100 per cent Aussie milk

Coles has been criticised for dumping a popular brand of 100 per cent Australian milk from the vast majority of its stores. 

Gippsland Jersey milk, an award-winning dairy brand which is ‘proudly independent and Australian-owned’, will now be stocked in just 16 Coles’ stores nationwide.

Sallie Jones and Steve Ronalds, who co-founded the beloved milk brand in 2016, said they were ‘bitterly disappointed’ by the decision.

‘The brand is being delisted from the majority of Coles stores due to the retailer’s margin requirements and sales expectations,’ the co-founders wrote on social media. 

‘We are bitterly disappointed that Coles supermarket has a system that we believe doesn’t really work for little brands like us. 

‘We’ve tried hard but we just don’t have the big advertising budgets and profitability to “go on sale” and drop our pants on giving them more margin and we certainly won’t be going broke trying to appease them.’

Daly Mail Australia approached Coles for comment. 

Many milk fans were furious about the decision and said they would be taking their business elsewhere.  

‘If Coles won’t support local producers such as Gippsland Jersey and they put their profits over local jobs I’m done with Coles,’ wrote one.

Another said: ‘Hopefully those who were buying Gippsland Jersey from Coles will be able to swap to a local IGA or grocer.

‘We never buy anything else and never buy it from Coles.’

Another accused the supermarket behemoth of ‘disgusting’ behaviour.  

A Coles spokesperson told 7News it was committed to selling Gippsland Jersey in stores ‘where we see most demand for this local brand from customers’.

More to come.