News: COL UPDATE 1-Australia's Coles Group Q3 supermarkets sales up, helped by collectibles campaign

(Adds sales figures, background)

April 29 (Reuters) - Australia's second-biggest grocery chain, Coles Group Ltd (COL) , posted higher quarterly sales at its supermarkets on Monday, as its Fresh Stikeez collectibles promotional campaign kept customers dipping into their purses at checkouts.

The supermarkets segment, which accounts for most of the group's sales, posted sales of A$7.27 billion ($5.1 billion) in the 12 weeks ended March 24, compared with A$7.05 billion a year earlier.

Same-store sales at the supermarket division grew 2.4 percent, as the retailer's promotional campaigns helped combat a dip in consumer spending amid a decline in property prices. The Stickeez campaign offered toy fruit and vegetable characters for customers who spent more than A$30.

In a bid to stretch its lead in online grocery retailing, Coles late last month entered a partnership agreement with British online supermarket pioneer Ocado Group Plc OCDO.L to develop the Coles Online grocery business in Australia.

Coles' total sales, which comprises supermarkets, liquor and fuel and convenience retail businesses, fell to A$8.88 billion from A$9.05 billion last year, with sales at its fuel business slipping.

The drop in the fuel business was largely due to changes to its alliance agreement for fuel sales and a decline in volumes sold, the company said.

($1 = 1.4203 Australian dollars)