Summary: Don't take your children.

Generally, I prefer Coles to Woolworths. However, the Hastings Coles branch is, to paraphrase Gordon Ramsay, 'the pits'.

The store smelt of stale urine (not unlike a men's bathroom at the pub) and there were people of intimidating and derelict appearance, some clearly drug affected and others wearing barely-there clothing, lining the isles.

Perhaps I entered on a bad day. I will return and review again if it has been improved.

I found the car park a bit annoying with all the barriers up around one end, apart from that it was well stocked with all the items I needed with cheaper pricing then woolworths which is just across the street

I changed to Coles Supermarket approx. 12 months ago as I find them cheaper and I get more for my money. I was walking out with nearly double compared to shopping at other supermarkets. They have a wider variety and you can buy 2 things for the price of 1. I'm on a tight budget and these bargains keep my cupboards, fridge and freezer filled up.

Customer service was very slack, i used the self service and when the money wouldnt go through it was like an effort for the lady to come help. I will stick with going through the checkout from now on. The food quality is good, in the vegie dept. a person was putting out what seemed like nice fruit n veg. In the deli the lady was very nice. Big store with plenty of room to take my time and browse.

The local Coles is a stone throw from Safeway which tends to keep the prices down. The produce is very fresh and stock levels are always good. My only problem with the store is it's usually understaffed and most of the senior staff make no effort to engage with the customers