Coles will embark on a new strategic direction as it prepares to spin off from its parent Wesfarmers into a separate ASX-listed entity, prioritising customer satisfaction and team member engagement over comp sales growth.

In a strategy day briefing on Thursday, outgoing Coles managing director John Durkan said the supermarket giant had developed a “new, differentiated strategy which will make life easier for customers.”

Under the new plan Coles will double down on growing its fresh department and invest in driving innovation in its private label products.

It will also focus increasingly on a wide range of convenient delivery alternatives, including click and collect concierges for store-to-car deliveries, collection lockers and dedicated online supermarkets.

The so-called “anytime, anywhere shopping” will see Coles increase its available delivery slots, begin offering one-hour home delivery and increase its food-to-go fresh offer in the next twelve months.

It comes as rival Woolworths also steps up its investment in its online offer, having rolled out in-store pick-up to all stores already.

The move is part of a broader plan to better match-up Coles’ offer to the needs of its customers, with further work being undertaken to better tailor its in-store experience to local customers.

Durkan said on Thursday that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to its supermarkets, and that network gaps, particularly in inner city locations with smaller footprint stores, would be a target moving forward.

Signalling a step change in the quality and breadth of Coles’ private label range, Durkan said there will also be more brands across more categories in the coming years.

Continuing its move to every-day-low-pricing (EDLP) is also a focus, with 4,259 items on the Coles EDLP program so far and growing.

Meanwhile, the business will be making a concerted effort to reduce costs and plans to have rolled out its stockless stockroom program, which ensures product is out on the floor and not in the back of the store, to all stores by the end of June.

More to come.