Masters to close

Here in Mackay we have a Masters and a Bunnings on opposite corners.

Masters had built first and then Bunnings followed. What has been educational was to see the amount of vehicles in the Bunnings car park as opposed to Masters on any given day. Most days just about double the cars in Bunnings.

One wonders if it was the same elsewhere?

What were the factors that pulled the punters into Bunnings over Masters time and again.

One thing that annoyed the dickens out of me was the lack of masters local branch phone contact. You had to go there to see if something you wanted was available.

On the good side they stocked some better quality products.

Sad to see people losing their jobs.

The only time I went to Masters at the Adelaide Airport they were more or less deserted compared to the same time at any Bunnings. They are part way through the build of the Masters at Noarlunga. Not sure what will happen there now.

John

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Originally Posted by Kuffy

home depot or walmart or similar may buy it. Probably a good buy given the motivated seller :)

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Wesfarmers, owners of Bunnings, have just announced a friendly takeover of Home Depot.

It would be a shame if they shut Masters down. There may be some bargains to be had but a lot of people will loose their jobs.

Please Bunnings, please buy the "Press buzzer for service" buttons from Masters, please.....

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Originally Posted by AlexS

Wesfarmers, owners of Bunnings, have just announced a friendly takeover of Home Depot.

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Not Home Depot in the US, but takeover is for a much much smaller UK outfit called Homebase.

It will be interesting to watch the prices creep up at the West Gosford store now Masters is gone. I find the service there is very good which I can't say for the Masters store. They always seem to be short staffed there.

TT

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Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Please Bunnings, please buy the "Press buzzer for service" buttons from Masters, please.....

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Master Spliter, being from Canberra and experiencing the True Horror of Bunnings here, you know they should be actually called "press here to be ignored" or "press here to magically disapear all staff"

I'd dare say to owners of Sydney Tools, Just Tools, et al are popping the champagne tonight!

Am I surprised, not really. When the store does not stock what you want, or due to faulty products you need to go twice. I have learnt to save my time and just go to the green shed or a smaller hardware store.

I feel for the displaced staff who may end up earning a fraction of what they should.

Evanism, you just don't know how to play the game - I think I cracked it it over the xmas holidays:

1) Enter Bunnings, go straight to the Cafe and buy a coffee.
2) Mooch slowly to the section you are interested in, stopping at gondola ends and dump bin specials and generally taking a long, non-direct path to (say) electrical via pool supplies, power gardening and outdoor furniture.
3) While doing this it is imperative that you don't display any signs of interest in your intended purchase; you must look like you are simply killing time waiting for 'er indoors to finish in the gardening section. Make no attempt move faster than a well greased glacier.
4) Upon entering the electrical aisle, stop and stare at the power points and RCD's while taking sips from your coffee cup, perhaps looking at the 89 cent packets of cable saddles, which are simultaneously too big for 1 or 1.5mm T&E and too small for 2.5mm.
5) Zig-zag slowly up the aisle, stopping and looking at random stuff frequently, while continuing your coffee drinking.
NOTE: At no time should you actually reach out and touch any of the merchandise; if you do that, you will break the incantation and you will have to start all over again. This can get expensive on coffee, and on bladder emptying.
6) If you have performed the zig-zag-mooch rituals correctly, a Bunnings staffer will appear as if from nowhere, and ask if they can be of assistance, expecting a "No, just browsing," response from you. At this moment you strike, and utter those dreaded words "Yes, I'd like 15 meters of 2.5 T&E and 10 meters of twin, thanks, and I'd like to find a LED bulb to replace..."

I practised this extensively in the new, $80 million store in Gungahlin with pretty good results. It helps that the car park there is underground, so you know that your car is not heating up while you stalk your prey.

I have heard a rumour that Bunnings intend to purchase Masters security camera footage and couple it with face recognition cameras. When you attend a Bunnings store they will be able to see whether you have previously darkened Masters doorstep and if, like me, you have not will then be able to offer a 10% discount over and above any discounts already in place. Yee har lucky 'ol me.

With Masters not having a store in Tassie, I've never know the joy of shopping with them. I've had to make do with Bunnings or the local (over priced) Mitre 10.

Unfortunately, they also own the Tait's timber stores (Home Hardware) which are actually pretty good. I hope someone buys that chain as a seperate entity. I will miss them sorely as they stock a good range for builders, and the service is good (no ultra cheap though).
TM

We had a Masters open up just 7 mins away about 12 months ago and it is brilliant. Our closest Bunnings is a PITA to get into as it's on an intersection of 2 major roads with a roundabout. On a Saturday the cars are backed up from the roundabout back onto the major road and takes forever to get in...while the new Masters is closer and a breeze to enter & exit. I will miss them if they close.
Masters staff are friendly and I found a lot of them very knowledgeable about their stock.

If we still had our privetly owned Home Hardware, I wouldn't darken buggerlugs door, however Home having closed down and Buggerlugs here I make a real nuseince of myself there. Love trying to rattle their cage.
Years ago I was escorted from buggerlugs Noarlunga by security...that was exciting