From humble beginnings in the Torres Strait, CEQ has grown to operate 28 remote retail locations and a corporate office located in Cairns. Throughout our journey, CEQ has maintained a focus on Indigenous employment and training.

The majority of our workforce are frontline retail team working in our community supermarkets and other retail enterprises throughout the Torres Strait, NPA and North Queensland. Our supermarkets are a key source of local employment in many communities, and CEQ offers nationally recognised, on-the-job training.

CEQ employs around 385 team members across our retail stores including IBIS, ABIS, Col Jones, Mona’s Bazaar & Thursday Island Mitre 10.

CEQ continues to invest in infrastructure, process & people ensuring the ongoing capacity building & real economic outcomes for the communities we serve.

Our stores are not just a place to buy groceries and essential items, they are our training centres offering opportunities to learn while building a career in retail.

Our Indigenous Management Model is a key contributor to our success in many communities, particularly in the Torres Strait where the program has been incredibly successful. 16 of our 28 locations are managed and operated by local Indigenous employees.

Within CEQ, we have Indigenous managers and supervisors with nationally recognised qualifications, 24 attained their qualification while at CEQ. The qualifications include Certificate III and IV in Retail and WH&S.