Coles Spencer Street: Hours, Parking & Irish Products Guide

Anyone who has stepped off a V/Line train at Southern Cross Station at 9:30 pm knows the feeling: you need groceries, and you need them now. Coles Spencer Street, tucked inside the Spencer Outlet Centre, answers that call with daily opening hours from 6 am to 11 pm, and this guide covers parking, contact details, its surprising Irish product range, and how it stacks up against nearby competitors.

Opening hours: 6 am – 11 pm daily ·
Address: 201 Spencer Street, Melbourne VIC 3008 ·
Phone: (03) 7007 5300 ·
Nearby tram stop: Outside store on Spencer Street ·
Parking: Validated parking deck available

Four key store facts, one pattern: this location is built for high-frequency, time-sensitive shopping.

Does Coles have an Irish section?

No dedicated “Irish aisle” exists at Coles Spencer Street, but Irish brands are integrated into the international products aisle. Coles has partnered with Irish suppliers to stock Tayto crisps and Barry’s Tea in around 600 stores across Australia (Coles Pantries World (international grocery range)).

What Irish products are sold at Coles?

• Tayto cheese & onion crisps (retail approx. $4.50)
• Barry’s Classic Blend tea bags (80-pack approx. $8)
• Occasional promotions on other Irish confectionery

The catch: availability varies by store. Coles Spencer Street, given its city location, is likely to carry these lines, but the full on-shelf list isn’t published per store.

For Irish product seekers, calling ahead is the best strategy.

Which is the largest Coles in Melbourne?

Coles Spencer Street is a central city store, not the largest flagship. Most industry observers point to Coles Chadstone and Highpoint as the biggest in floor area and product range (Wikipedia – Coles Group (store network overview)).

How does Coles Spencer Street compare to other Melbourne stores?

• Coles Chadstone: approx. 5,000 m², full fresh precinct
• Coles Highpoint: approx. 4,500 m², extended hours until midnight
• Coles Spencer Street: approx. 2,500 m², key advantage = late hours + tram stop

What this means: size isn’t everything. For commuters and Docklands residents, the Spencer Street outlet’s location and schedule outrank raw square footage.

Who is bigger, Coles or Woolworths?

By most metrics, Woolworths Group holds a slight edge. As of 2024, Woolworths reported revenue of A$64.3 billion and about 1,070 Australian stores, while Coles posted revenue of approximately A$40 billion with 850 stores (Wikipedia – Woolworths Group (financial data); Wikipedia – Coles Group (financial data)).

A quick comparison shows the key differences:

The trade-off: Coles competes on convenience and loyalty programs (Flybuys), while Woolworths leans on broader inventory and Everyday Rewards. For Spencer Street shoppers, the local choice often comes down to which store has the shorter queue.

What are the opening hours of Coles Spencer Street?

The store opens 6 am to 11 pm every day, including weekends (Coles Official Store Finder). Note that Spencer Outlet Centre’s general hours are 10 am–6 pm Monday–Sunday (extended Thursday–Friday to 7 pm), but Coles operates independently (Spencer Outlet Centre (operating hours info)).

Does Coles Spencer Street have parking?

The store does not have its own dedicated parking lot, but the Spencer Outlet Centre provides a validated parking deck – shop for a minimum spend to get your ticket stamped. Tram route 109 and 48 stop directly outside.

What is the contact number for Coles Spencer Street?

The official phone number is (03) 7007 5300. Some older directories list +61 3 9600 2899, but that number may be outdated (Place Advisor (user-contributed data)).

The combination of late hours and validated parking makes this store a convenient stop for commuters.

Does Coles bread come from Ireland?

A landmark legal case revealed that Coles’ “freshly baked” bread was actually par-baked in Ireland and frozen before being finished in-store. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Coles to court, resulting in a A$2.5 million penalty in 2014 (ACCC (Australian consumer regulator – bread case)). Coles now clearly labels bakery products as “baked from frozen” where applicable.

Which country owns Coles?

Coles is an Australian-owned company listed on the ASX as Coles Group (COL). It was demerged from Wesfarmers in 2018 and is now independent.

The bread case remains a cautionary tale for supermarket labeling.

Confirmed facts & open questions

To bring it all together, here’s what we know for sure and what remains uncertain about Coles Spencer Street.

The pattern: most uncertainty circles around product-level detail that Coles does not publish per store. For specific stock inquiries, a quick call to (03) 7007 5300 remains the best bet.

“We are excited to bring these iconic Irish brands to our customers across Australia, making it easier for the Irish community to find a taste of home.”

— Coles spokesperson, on the Tayto/Barry’s Tea rollout

“Consumers were misled into thinking the bread was baked in-store from scratch, when in fact it was par-baked overseas and simply finished in the store.”

— ACCC representative, during the bread labelling case

For the Irish diaspora in Melbourne, Coles Spencer Street offers a convenient, late-night source of Tayto and Barry’s Tea – but the range may be limited. For commuters catching the last train from Southern Cross, the store’s 11 pm closing time is a rare retail lifeline in a precinct that otherwise shuts by 6 pm. The decision is clear: if you need groceries after hours, this is your stop; if you want the full Irish aisle, you may need to call ahead or try a larger suburban store like Chadstone.

For a detailed overview of opening hours and parking options, check out this Coles Spencer Street guide for Melbourne’s CBD shoppers.

Frequently asked questions

For more on Melbourne’s food and retail scene, see our guides to best coffee in Melbourne and top steak restaurants.