Moran & Cato was the largest chain of grocery stores in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The partnership was established in Melbourne on 24 July 1882 when

Frederick John Cato Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederic ...

joined his cousin Thomas Edwin Moran who ran two grocery stores in Fitzroy and

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

. Moran died in 1890 at the age of 39 and was succeeded by his widow. The following years saw expansion into Tasmania and New South Wales and incorporation of the company in 1912. By 1935 the company was employing nearly one thousand people and had about 120 branches in Victoria and Tasmania and 40 in New South Wales. In 1962, it was still the largest independent retail grocery chain and wholesaler in Australia and a competitor to

Coles Supermarkets Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Coles, is an Australian supermarket, retail and consumer services chain, headquartered in Melbourne as part of the Coles Group. Founded in 1914 in Collingwood by George Coles, Coles operates ...

and Woolworths Supermarkets, and had largely converted its stores to the self-service model in 1957–1961. The company was taken over by competitor Permewan Wright Limited in 1969.

References

Defunct retail companies of Australia Retail companies established in 1881 Retail companies disestablished in 1969 Australian grocers Fitzroy, Victoria Australian companies disestablished in 1969 Australian companies established in 1881 Companies based in Melbourne Defunct supermarkets of Australia {{Australia-company-stub