Masters going down

[Tonz]

Woolies just announced they will buy Lowes share of Masters chain and then they will try to sell it off, otherwise close it down over time.

Slobface Palmer has just put Queensland Nickel into administration. while I feel no pity for him I trust that it can be salvaged for the Townsville workers.

[russellw]

Not surprising that Masters has bitten the dust. It was always going to be a tough gig breaking in on the established players but it also goes to prove that Woolworths just can't seem to manage anything other than their core business unlike their rivals.

Cheers
Russ

[The Yeti]

I'm not a fan of either to tell the truth, but if I had to pick one that would have the most get the job done stuff I'd pick Bunnings

That said I have purchased my fair share from Masters and well, the chicks are better looking at masters as opposed to Nanna and Grandpa who serve me at Bunnings (don't shoot me thats just how I see it)

[LG17]

Shows how even the 'high and mighty' can get it wrong.
They should have started up at the same time or just after Bunnings and before they got a stranglehold on things.
For mine, Masters is a much cleaner environment and Bunnings is just a ****fight!

[AJ09]

Been in the pipeline for a while now.

Along with Masters they intend to offload the HTH and Plants Plus groups. There are a few company owned HTH stores however most are independently owned, some of them large scale operations and some small.

There are all sorts of rumors going around as usual.

Interesting times ahead...

[Adamz Ghia]

They misread the market badly, if anyone buys it they will need a lot of cash and time to turn it around. Bunnings will be ready to jump on some sites too.

[Yellow_Festiva]

That's right, I'm still on the BBQ waiting list... would be allocated a date before 2016 apparently...

I ordered a gerni from them online saying it was 'available for pick up' only to be called the following day saying that it was a discontinued line and will get a refund.

At least they removed it from the net promptly.

They just spent millions re-fitting some stores to improve their layout. Just got an email about my local one last week, if that was the case this decision to close was only done in the last few days even though many saw it coming.

[Yellow_Festiva]

As for their sites, Costco will be interested as well as they are looking to expand.

[290GTP]

Their building a new site at South Nowra. Not even half completed. I wonder what will become of that.

[BPXR6T]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

As for their sites, Costco will be interested as well as they are looking to expand.

That or a lot of indoor go kart centres are about to open up...

[SYZ]

I'm guessing the closure of Masters was known back in June last year when the "architect" of the chain's financing and marketing strategies, Woolworth's CEO Grant O'Brien, fell on his sword (and who's also expecting a golden handshake of around $10 million in July this year).

There's also talk of Woolworth's new management scrapping O'Brien's failed food and liquor strategy, which has seen them trail Coles on same-store sales growth for the past six years. O'Brien started at Woolies as a shelf-stacker; it seems to prove the adage that people rise through the ranks until they reach a level at which they're incompetent, and there they stay—and continue to under-perform until they get the flick. Or not.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by russellw

Woolworths just can't seem to manage anything other than their core business unlike their rivals.

Not picking on you Russ but Woolies can't even do that at the moment either.

I hate walking into Woolies stores, they just come across as filthy, unorganised and disinterested so for me if I have to it's determine what I want, get in, get out.

[FairmontGS]

Never been in a Masters and looks like I won't get the chance now. They just aren't located very well for anyone who lives inner city.

[BOSS302]

i find them two different type of stores. i quite like Masters if im after something a "bit better" and certainly find their knowledge, willingness to help and customer service better than Bunnings.
that said as a consumer i switch between both depending on what im after and probably spend 50% each way

would be sorry to see them go, i enjoy the freedom of option we have right now

[mik]

bummer , always sad to see business going down the gurgler , i have been threatening to go and visit a masters , never even seen one until i accidentally went past one about 2 weeks ago,
its not hard to see why bunnings does so well just from a mere presence around the burbs , it seems nearly every second suburb has bunnings and they always seem highly visible .

[mac_man_luke]

I found there range lacking, seemed more an appliance / outdoor furniture shop than a hardware store.

Clean yes but if you can't get what you want...

Also generally dearer, at best line ball with bunnings.

Only advantage is my local Buninings is open till 9 every weekday since the masters opened (used to only be till 7 during the winter months)

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by mac_man_luke

I found there range lacking, seemed more an appliance / outdoor furniture shop than a hardware store.

Clean yes but if you can't get what you want...

Also generally dearer, at best line ball with bunnings.

Only advantage is my local Buninings is open till 9 every weekday since the masters opened (used to only be till 7 during the winter months)

I think you hit the nail on the head, Bunnings is more of a general hardware compared to Masters.
Bunnings has more of a variety range selection

[msman]

tried to do too much too quick and paid the price.
stores are larger than bunnings when no need to be
stock is all over the shop, my local masters light fittings are towards one side and the light bulbs are 4 isles away the centre. WTF should at least have the retail merchandising down pat.
its always dead and no atmosphere, sounds stupid but if its busy and there things happening people tend to buy more.
there was even talk of wrong colour scheme which gave people the impression of it not being a 'tradie' store, but that looks like a decision made by lowes, masters lowes stores look identical from my grainy memory of the us trip a while back.

the snap decision was due to lowes exercising contract to sell back its portion to woolies, so woolies were left with no choice but to shut it down.

I do wonder though why they chose it bring a new player to the market and not use home timber/hardware established brand?

[AJ09]

The decision to bring another big box to the marketplace was made before Woolworths got their hands on HTH ( or Danks as it was formerly known ).
Danks was not set up correctly to operate corporate stores at the time, and once Woolworths decided to start operating corporate HTH stores, a totally seperate ops team was employed.

Needless to say, the independent HTH store owners were not impressed as they felt the corporate stores were competing against them and were receiving special treatment...

[greens_tuf]

I like Masters. They offer a good range of different brands and it is much quieter and relaxed than bunnings.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by greens_tuf

I like Masters. They offer a good range of different brands and it is much quieter and relaxed than bunnings.

And has macdonalds... So I tell the missus I'm going to masters and sneak in a quiet feed at the same time

[devilcv8]

Originally Posted by 290GTP

Their building a new site at South Nowra. Not even half completed. I wonder what will become of that.

it's becoming a ghost store.

in other words, not opening as a Masters

[b0son]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

And has macdonalds... So I tell the missus I'm going to masters and sneak in a quiet feed at the same time

Our local Masters lost its McDonalds when they did the store re-model. Was not impressed...

[56L]

i have done a fair few Woolworths refurbishments in the past as a construction foreman and i can tell you that woolies even treat their own store managers like dirt, alot of sub managers sign a salary and have to complete some big hours for no extra pay,on the other hand anything that comes under Westfarmers like Coles and Bunnings is alot better enviroment to work in,

Masters have too much non hardware items like fridges ,vacuum cleaners ,there power tool range and fixings range is crap

[CoupeKing]

Woteva happens....support the small guys, don't be a sheep.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by 290GTP

Their building a new site at South Nowra. Not even half completed. I wonder what will become of that.

It will be completed then sold.

[outback_ute]

I thought this article has some good points in it:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-0...rdware/6450364

[b0son]

Haha... of course the workplace culture at Bunnings is good, no expectation of helping customers..... let's face it, til Masters came along, you could have been on fire in the aisles and they wouldn't p1ss on you, though maybe they'd have said hello.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Masters even dictates how staff park?

What a joke....

[Streets]

So THAT'S why all the cars were parked ***-in when I went there... it was creepy