Coles selling hot cross buns from Boxing Day
IN a controversial move, Coles will start selling hot cross buns on Boxing Day for the first time – dubbing them Boxing Day buns.
The supermarket giant has made the decision to sell the buns a day after Christmas, after they sold more than 60 million kilograms of buns within just four days of launching them in the post-christmas period on December 28 last year.
A recent Coles customer survey also revealed more than half (53 per cent) of shoppers had enjoyed hot cross buns outside of the Easter period.
Coles Own Brand manager Jasmine Medwell defended the decision to starting selling hot cross buns early, saying customers expected to be able to buy them straight after Christmas.
“While they used to be an Easter-only treat, our bakers are constantly being asked by customers when they can get our hot cross buns,” she said.
But the move is not without controversy. In previous years the major supermarkets have copped backlash from customers on social media claiming they should not be selling the buns earlier than the weeks closer to the Easter period.
Retail expert Associate Professor Gary Mortimer, from Queensland’s University of Technology, said hot cross buns were now referred to as “early sellers” designed to create conversation.
“It will be a big discussion point around the family dinner table, and it is a surprise to see them out so early – it’s a big move,” he said.
Coles’ rival Woolworths confirmed to News Corp it would not be offering hot cross buns until January 2.
“Our bakery team has spent the past few months perfecting the range and this year we will have some new and exciting twists for our customers to enjoy,” a Woolworths spokeswoman said.