Say G'day to the shop that’s taken over Homebase: Australian giant Bunnings opens its first store today - and promises to be cheaper than any of its rivals
- First Bunnings Warehouse replaces a Homebase in St Albans today
- Homebase shops across the country will be transformed into Bunnings
- 'We want it to be the destination for home improvements', says boss
- Bunnings promises to be cheaper than its competitors
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20170215142213/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/01/21/3CBD981100000578-4181232-image-m-3_1485986195122.jpg)
Homebase stores across the country are to be transformed in an Australian home-improvement invasion which begins today.
The green-and-orange signs of 258 shops are being replaced by the new name of Bunnings Warehouse – an Aussie DIY giant known for its sausage sandwiches and catchy advertising jingle.
Bunnings Warehouse bought Homebase from Home Retail Group in February last year for £340m, as part of an £840m major expansion into the UK.
It unveiled plans to overhaul Homebase stores and hire more staff.
Today its first new store opens in St Albans, Hertfordshire – and brings with it a host of traditions that have made it famous Down Under, including a barbecue stall selling sausage sandwiches.
Bunnings’ UK and Ireland boss PJ Davis, who moved across from Australia to lead the charge, plans to have four or five stores open by June. Another six to eight will be open by the end of the year, before he pushes the button on a nationwide roll-out.
‘We want it to be the destination for home improvements,’ said Davis, 57.
‘One of our biggest customer segments is the growing family. People who have had their first child, bought their first home and want to improve their lifestyle.’
The new stores have 40 per cent more stock than their predecessors and a larger garden department. They also have almost double the number of staff.
Pest control, rolls of artificial turf and £500 olive trees are lined up with concrete tiles, paint and screws. Bunnings has stripped out furniture and home furnishings, and concessions Habitat and Argos have been removed – after being sold to Sainsbury’s.
Much of the range is similar to what is on offer in its Australian stores, although there are some significant differences.
‘We will have a much bigger range of bird feed than in Australia,’ said Davis. ‘We’ll have four stacks of shelves full of it – that is a big deal.’
The unpredictable British summer has meant there is less of a focus on outdoor living, but there is, of course, a vast range of barbecues, from small coal-fuelled cookers to full outdoor kitchens complete with a sink.
Bunnings promises to be cheaper than its competitors – a pledge which is bound to pile pressure on rivals B&Q and ScrewFix.
If a customer finds a product in one of their main competitors that is cheaper they’ll refund the difference plus 10 per cent.
It has also agreed to pay all staff, including those under 25, the national living wage of at least £7.20 an hour.
![Homebase has become a stalwart of retail parks up and down the UK](http://web.archive.org./web/20170215142213/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/02/08/0902F8F3000005DC-4181232-image-a-1_1486023587872.jpg)
Homebase has become a stalwart of retail parks up and down the UK
While the retailer is new to the UK, it is a household name in Australia, where it has built up a loyal following of DIY amateurs.
Its website is the sixth most visited in Australia, despite not selling anything. That’s because it has uploaded hundreds of videos and how-to guides on basic home improvement methods, such as ‘how to make a pegboard shelf’, or ‘how to prepare for a power outage’.
Davis, who has moved to Hampstead with his wife Ellen, said: ‘We encourage people to get involved in home improvement.
‘Partners expect their partners to be able to do things around the house. Now they can take their iPad with them out into their yard to do some home improvement.’
It will also hold workshops and classes in stores providing lessons on painting doors, fitting shelves and other household DIY.
Unlike Australia – where shipping can be a problem – UK shoppers will be able to buy Bunnings goods online.
But the biggest challenge the new shops face, according to Davis, is getting people to spend money on their homes instead of going out for dinner. He added: ‘We’re getting to those customers by getting them excited by the choice of products.’
-
How £9,000 pension turned out to be worth NOTHING:...
-
House prices go potty! They're falling or stagnant in...
-
How that cheap Airbnb villa could be a fake: Even this...
-
Rolls-Royce crashes to its biggest ever loss of £4.6bn...
-
House prices rose by £1,250 a month in 2016, official...
-
Land Rover’s brand new Discovery officially hits the road...
-
UK savers see their deposits dwindle as inflation at 1.8%...
-
Vauxhall and Opel could be sold to Citroen and...
-
ASK TONY: Sky charged us £80 per month for our old TV...
-
Amazon spared taxes that threaten High St: Online giant's...
-
FTSE CLOSE: Footsie back in the red in a topsy-turvy...
-
INVESTMENT CLINIC: I bought shares in Aberdeen Asset...
-
Would you trust Harrods with your savings? It's among the...
-
What's love got to do with it? Two unloved investments...
-
DAN HYDE: A wake-up call for NS&I;'s new chief... it's...
-
Lloyds Banking Group plans to turn Berlin branch into...
-
Hope for investors who lost £7.5m in failed Secured...
-
Fears for UK jobs as French eye Vauxhall: Peugeot in...