Supermarket sampling stand requirements for Coles and Woolworths

Where these rules come from

The rules below come from the sampling standards Coles and Woolworths give their suppliers. They cover the stand itself. For how sampling is booked and the paperwork behind it, see our guide to in-store sampling in supermarkets. Retailers update these documents, so check the current version before you order.

Keep inside the footprint

Coles lists "units which are larger than 1400mm x 570mm" among the unit set-ups it doesn't approve, and says only demonstration tables and units it has approved can be used in its stores. Woolworths' figure of 850 x 510 x 900 mm is the standard table in the sampling packages it runs itself, so treat it as a guide to the space you'll get rather than a hard limit.

Depth is where most tables go wrong. A 600 mm deep top is 30 mm deeper than Coles' limit (600 minus 570) and 90 mm deeper than the Woolworths standard table (600 minus 510). Position counts too: Coles won't accept a unit set up at a store entrance, or in centre management space, without prior approval.

A top that cleans easily and holds spills

Coles wants units with "a recessed top or non-slip surface" and "a smooth, impervious surface to allow for easy cleaning". It also wants them stable, with adjustable leg heights, and says legs must never be propped up with cardboard or paper. Cloths or covers that hang over the edge of the top are not allowed, and nor are card or picnic tables.

Our Presenter tables have melamine-coated MDF tops and the Superlight 1200 an ABS plastic top, both food-safe and easy to wipe clean. The Retail Demonstrator has a thermo-formed ABS top with a raised lip on all four edges, so spills stay on the table.

Storage for stock, but not chilled stock

Coles requires units to "have storage space for selling stock of shelf stable products", and wants that stock on the unit so shoppers can buy straight away. Chilled or frozen selling stock is the opposite: it "must not be stored on or at the demonstration unit". Equipment you aren't using goes under the table, not on a trolley beside it. Coles bans trolleys, whether brought in or borrowed from the store.

Power: tagged, protected and off the floor

Both retailers set rules for anything that plugs in:

• Test and tag. Coles requires power leads, portable electrical tools and safety switches (RCDs) to be tested and tagged to AS 3760. Woolworths says items that need power must have current test and tag.
• No double adaptors. Neither retailer allows them. Woolworths accepts tested and tagged power boards fitted with a circuit breaker. Coles doesn't allow power boards either. It asks for a safety switch (RCD) on a single power source, and fused multi-power outlets where you need more than one.
• No trailing leads. Coles says leads must not hang over the sides of the table, and must sit inside the unit or be taped to its side.
• Tell the store. Woolworths asks for your power needs in the booking, so the store can give you a suitable spot.

If the demonstration doesn't need power, leave it out. It removes a whole set of checks.

Cooking equipment: what's in and what's out

Coles' standards list the appliances you may use: microwave ovens, electric frypans, toasters, toaster ovens, skillets, and kettles or urns. Gas appliances and any open flame are banned, along with wooden chopping boards and spoons, glass bowls or jugs, china and dry ice. Cooking equipment has to be tested and tagged, never left unattended, kept out of children's reach and signed with a warning such as "Hot Surface".

If you plan to cook on a Retail Demonstrator, we recommend a splash guard and a heat diffuser between the appliance and the top. Presenter tables take optional sneeze guards and drop-in trays, and Superlight tables take heat-resistant trays.

Branding and signs the stand must carry

Coles wants units branded with high-quality point of sale that it has approved. Its standards also call for these on the table:

• the product's full ingredient listing, displayed for the whole demonstration
• the product's price, any price promotion and its shelf location
• an allergy sign on prominent display, shown in its example of a well set-up table
• a hot appliance sign, if you're heating anything.

Woolworths says allergen signs "must be present and highly visible on demonstration stands", and warns that a campaign may be cancelled if they aren't. It also reviews demo stand artwork through its brand and legal teams, so allow for approval time.

A printed wrap on the base and a header board above the table carry most of this. On our tables the wrap is printed on banner vinyl and fixed with hook-and-loop tape, so you can change it for the next campaign.

What to leave behind

Coles doesn't approve floor decals, pull-up banners or standees, inflatables, full-size samples, or anything hung from the ceiling or its fixtures. At Coles, keep the branding on the stand itself.

Our demonstration tables against the published sizes

The Retail Demonstrator fits inside both published figures: 800 mm is less than 850 mm and 1,400 mm, and 470 mm is less than 510 mm and 570 mm. Our product page says Woolworths has approved it in advance and that it is in wide use in Coles stores around the country. Both retailers still approve each campaign and its artwork, so confirm the table with them at the same time. It comes with a header board, an internal shelf and a carry bag.

The other three are 600 mm deep. Our product page calls the Presenter 800 the go-to size for supermarket use, but its top is 30 mm deeper than Coles' published limit, so check with the retailer first. The Presenter 1000 is typically considered too large for Coles and Woolworths and suits exhibitions and shopping malls better; the Superlight 1200 is wider again. Our Superlight 800 page notes that 800 mm is the largest standard width stores typically allow. See the full demonstration tables range, or our guide to choosing in-store demo kit.

Allow time for approval

Coles says it aims to approve a campaign strategy within 7 working days, and advises allowing more for new equipment approval and at busy periods. Woolworths asks for 10 days to approve artwork. Our Retail Demonstrator table takes 1.5 weeks to produce from your order and print-ready artwork, plus freight, so order the stands and send the artwork for approval at the same time.

If your demo needs something the catalogue tables can't do, such as a built-in basin or a shape that matches the product, we build custom sales tables and counters to your brief. See our supermarket display work.

Next step

Planning a sampling campaign? Call us on 1300 240 250 with your retailer and store count, or send the details through the enquiry form, and we'll suggest the table that fits.