Major change for Coles amid crackdown on knife crime

Supermarket giant Coles has placed major restrictions on the sale of a popular kitchen item at dozens of stores amid fears for the safety of shoppers and staff.

The Smeg knife range, which is currently redeemable through Flybuys points, has been pulled from 26 stores across Australia in a major move to crackdown on crime. 

The items have been banned from 24 Coles stores across Victoria and one each in Queensland and NSW. 

The 24 Victorian stores Coles has pulled the popular range from the shelves are mostly in Melbourne, including Melton, Richmond and Hampton. 

It follows the lead of supermarket rival Woolworths, which pulled knives from 350 stores across the country in the wake of a stabbing attack at Melbourne store checkout in 2021.

Coles spokeswoman Martine Alpins said the supermarket giant takes the welfare of its customers seriously. 

‘Safety is the number one priority when it comes to our team members and of course our customers,’ Ms Alpins told 7 News.

‘We hear from our team members, we hear from the community that they would rather not have them [Smeg knives range] in those stores because of particular incidents that have occurred.’ 

She urged other retailers to consider whether selling the items reflects the safety concerns the community has about knives.

‘They’re available at many retailers across Australia and they should be available, but I think it’s important for retailers to be conscious of what’s going on,’ Ms Alpins said. 

Some shoppers welcomed the move as a good idea while others labelled the decision an ‘overreaction’. 

Daily Mail Australia understands Smeg knives are kept behind a counter and are not displayed in some Coles stores. 

Staff members are also understood to have received training on the sale of knives and have also received coaching on knife laws in their state or territory.   

A Coles spokesperson said all Smeg knives are packaged in sealed blister packaging, which requires addition tools such as scissors to open.  

‘The blister packs are housed in a cardboard carton with three tamper seals,’ the spokesman said. 

Meanwhile, Aldi said it adheres to the rules when selling special buys knives to customers. 

Australia has been rocked by major incidents involving individuals, who have used knives that has put the safety of shoppers at risk. 

The Smeg knife range has also been pulled from Coles at Sydney’s Westfield Bondi Junction. 

Six people – five women and a male security guard – were killed in April when Joel Cauchi went on a stabbing spree at the busy Westfield in the city’s east. 

A nine-month-old baby girl was one of 12 others stabbed before the knifeman was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott.

Some shoppers agreed with the move to ban the item from supermarket stores while others labelled the decision an ‘overreaction’

A man, 60, and a security guard were allegedly stabbed by a man at a Woolworths store in Barkly Square, in Brunswick, in Melbourne’s north, in October 2021. 

Woolworths announced at the time it was temporarily pulling knives and scissors from stores across the country- a move that has since become permanent in 350 stores. 

Daily Mail Australia understands Woolworths resumed selling knives in stores in 2022 with improved packaging protocols to prevent the easy access to knives.

These changes are part of several security initiatives the supermarket has implemented including team safety cameras and virtual reality training to protect staff.

Queensland and Victoria have the strictest knife laws in Australia. 

Knives cannot to be sold to anyone aged under-18 in the Sunshine State. 

Anyone caught carrying a knife in a public place can be put behind bars or can be fined $5,750. 

A person caught carrying a knife can go to jail for a year in Victoria. 

Selling a knife to aanyone under-18 carries a fine worth up to $46,154 or a two year jail sentence. 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Aldi for further comment.