Anyone been to a Bunnings yet?

[David]

I've read about how they ditched all the management and the in store franchises, plus kitchens, bathrooms and stuff and just stacked up basic DIY bits and pieces.

They are now in deep trouble and writing down all of the purchase price.

Apart from the reports making them look like a bunch of arrogant idiots, has anyone been in one of the stores?

I've been in Bunnings in Oz and NZ and they seemed O.K., but there was no B&Q, Screwfix, Toolstation, Wickes, Magnet.......well, you probably get the picture. They do have Mitre 10.

{reminiscence}

I found (to my surprise) that for supposedly DIY nations the actual availability of DIY stuff was quite poor.

For example if you go tent camping you need a water proof power lead with a circuit breaker to be allowed to plug into the site electrical supply.

All well and good, but there is a ridiculous mark up.

I could buy almost all the bits (four sockets, outdoor extension lead, circuit breaker) in the same store for less than two thirds the price. The only thing I had to track down was the round pin plug for the site electrics, which I had to buy on TradeMe. I could probably have bought it from an electrical wholesaler but TradeMe was cheaper. In the UK I would just go to ScrewFix.

Just looking back at my postings at the time, they wanted $150 for the lead. I could buy all the bits for around $100.

Much to my surprise the main online reaction was advice to use a qualified sparky. Indicating that Kiwis weren't used to doing their own wiring, nor understanding that waterproof fittings with glands to seal against the cable were how the shop sold stuff was made.

Which may go some way to explain why the Oz firm seems to have completely misunderstood the UK DIY market.

Anyway, I assume that they will have gone mammaries skywards before the rebrand reaches our little store.

Which is a shame because HomeBase has been good as a garden centre and for homewares.

Cheers

Dave R

[Dave Plowman (News)]

One think I will miss is their own brand waterproof ready mixed tiling adhesive. The best I've found - without trying 'brands' at twice the price. Wicks equivalent was hopeless. Took it back for a refund.

[Darren Chapman]

I've been in the Folkestone one (quite a bit) and the Thanet one a couple of times. Quite impressed.

Far better than the B&Q it replaced. Better stuff, better range, better prices.

I like it so far. It's not a Wickes, or toolstation but certainly far far better than Homebase IMO.

Darren

[Andy Burns]

Not surprised, doesn't .au have Part P on steroids?

[Andy Burns]

They knew the stores were in trouble when they bought them, if they had blitzed them all quickly, they might have turned the group around, if they couldn't afford to do that maybe they shouldn't have bothered ...

[Pinnerite]

I went into Homebase yesterday for brown sealant.

'We only do white.'

I didn't bother for the rest of my needs.

I got the lot at Screwfix today.

Shame. I used to like Homebase.

[Peter Parry]

I'd agree, the ones around here (Herts) are far better than the Homebases they replaced.

[Theo]

I was confused because I was looking for the Homebase in Chichester, but the Homebase website claimed they didn't have a store. Eventually I had to go on Google Maps and hunt around for the retail park where I eventually worked out they haven't closed it, it's now a Bunnings. Which is a completely different website. Of course, not being a Homebase that means they didn't have the item I was interested in, and Bunnings don't list their stock online.

Has anyone been to one of these:

(Bournemouth, New Southgate, Peterborough, Bristol, Warrington, Greenock)

Apparently this is where they're dumping all the stock they overbought and isn't selling. Wondering whether there's any bargains, or if it's just random tat.

Theo

[Rob Morley]

I thought it was Homebase they were replacing.

[Rob Morley]

They do seem quite partial to rules and regulations.

[Rob Morley]

The local one wasn't as good as the Do It All that it replaced.

[alan_m]

In the UK they purchased Homebase but probably didn't realise it was it was not used by the average DIY because of prices and the availability of the same items in a multitude of other UK retailers. If it hadn't been for this group I would not have realised that Homebase had changed ownership as they haven't made it known to the general shopping public the are not still the Homebase of old and is perhaps worth a visit.

My local Homebase has changed but prices are still not competitive compared with Screwfix and Toolstation which have outlets five minutes drive away for the Homebase store. Screwfix, Toolstation, B&Q etc. all have regular local leafleting campaigns whereas nothing from Homebase so they remain an anonymous warehouse in a strange part of town for a warehouse outlet.

Over Christmas they did seem to go mad and assume everyone in the town would be buying Christmas decorations from them at prices 4 times higher than the local pound stretcher type store which were also piled high with similar items. They had rather a lot of Christmas stock in January!

It will not be my first choice of store of last resort when I only want something quickly rather than finding the best offer.

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Darren Chapman writes

I haven't been yet to the new one near here (opened a couple of weeks ago). It replaced a Homebase (which was once a Texas). Next door is a Dunelm Mills (opened a couple of years ago, so there was a certain amount of competition with some products). A mile up the road is a B&Q - and not much further on is a Wickes. Another mile further on is a Homebase (somewhat larger than the one that was replaced by the new Bunnings.

[Huge]

They've been struggling with the IT. HRG recently outsourced their IT to Fujitsu and most of the people who knew how anything worked left. Then Bunnings took over and started a huge migration project with a bunch of minimum wage outsourced staff who didn't know anything.

[Theo]

The latter, it seems:

Theo

[DJC]

I've been to the one in Bournemouth, it has much the same pile of tat as the (smaller) Yeovil one I was in today.

I just don't understand why after a year or more they haven't either closed the unwanted/unprofitable stores or, if they have a future, refitted and restocked.

It all just looks a horrible mess.

[Dave Liquorice]

Only used the Hexham Homebase for Distress Purchases. Three builders merchants, CEF and Plumb Centre catered for most things though perhaps not at the best prices. That was until Screwfix opened in Hexham....

I must have slept through that thread. B-)

I can't say I've seen/noticed any change at all at the Hexham or Carlisle Homebase stores. No tell a lie, they don't do Nectar anymore but I thought that was the last dregs of Sainsbury's being removed...

[Darren Chapman]

B&Q Folkestone shutdown, and Bunnings moved in. The Homebase over the road shut a few days earlier (and presumably staff moved? No idea...)

The staff in Bunnings seem far more helpful and motivated than Homebase ever were, but some of that might be a shiny new store making them feel like helping instead of the thoroughly depressing homebase with leaks everywhere.

The Folkestone homebase was particularly run down.

Darren

[Andrew]

There is a large Wickes on that same retail park.

[Brian Reay]

We visited a Bunnings a few weeks back- the Sittingbourne one. We weren't even sure what kind of shop we were looking for- we'd been told they had some large plastic storage boxes my wife wanted. We were expecting perhaps one of the shops which sells cheap plastic goods etc.

In fact it is a huge DIY store, with a far more impressive range of products than the usual DIY sheds. Prices seemed competitive.

I asked the checkout operator about the company and was told the company were Australian and were taking over the Homebase stores.