Coles to move head office roles to India under Accenture deal
Coles to move 1000 head office roles to India under expanded Accenture deal to boost tech and capabilities.
Coles is moving several head office jobs to India as part of a new, expanded agreement with Accenture. The Australian supermarket giant confirmed the shift in a statement to the Australian Financial Review, revealing that up to 1,000 back-office roles could be transferred through the partnership.
The outsourcing plan covers corporate functions, including marketing, finance, human resources and technology. Staff were told the programme is intended to improve access to skills, capability and technology while also supporting efficiency and cutting costs. Weckert explained that maintaining cost leadership is critical in a competitive market. “It ensures we can continue to reinvest in the areas that create the greatest value for our customers,” she said.
The company has named the initiative the SSC Future Capability Program. By drawing on Accenture’s expertise and sources, Weckert wrote, the retailer can unlock access to the world-class future capability needed to better support functions, modernise technology and accelerate the use of artificial intelligence. The strategy also focuses on drawing on Accenture’s resources to modernize technology and accelerate the use of artificial intelligence.
Weckert outlined the relocation in an email to staff. “We recognise the impact this has on individuals and our wider team, and these decisions are never made lightly,” she wrote.
When a major retailer like Coles pivots from Australian-based operations to global service centers, it often reshapes its internal culture. The shift toward centralized technology and shared services has become a standard response to maintaining margins in a high-inflation environment, though it frequently faces internal resistance from departments that lose direct oversight of their workflows.
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The AFR’s report said up to 1,000 back-office roles could be transferred through Accenture. A number of those positions are also expected to be handled by the company in Australia. The development comes as Woolworths is pursuing a similar strategy, with hundreds of roles being moved to India and other parts of Southeast Asia.
A Coles spokesman told the AFR that the move is necessary to meet customer expectations for seamless, personalized digital experiences. “Coles needs access to the global skills and resources essential to delivering those experiences,” the spokesman added. The spokesman added that Coles expected to create hundreds of roles as it opens new stores.
The retailer said shop-floor employees would not be part of the changes. This distinction separates the head office restructuring from the retail workforce, which continues to expand alongside store openings. The company also expects to create hundreds of new roles as it opens new stores, though the specific count for support operations remains undisclosed.
The initiative is named the SSC Future Capability Program. The retailer says the changes will be introduced over time as internal processes are moved to Accenture, with most of the work heading to India. Credit: Marlon Trottmann / Shutterstock.com.
The shift toward centralized technology and shared services has become a standard response to maintaining margins in a high-inflation environment, though it frequently faces internal resistance from departments that lose direct oversight of their workflows.
