Lyla Lindsey
Masters Home Improvement was an Australian home improvement chain operated by Woolworths and Lowe's. The first stores opened in Queensland and New South Wales in 2011, with the first stores in Western Australia opening in August 2012. There were nine Masters stores in Western Australia, located in Baldivis, Bayswater, Brighton, Bibra Lake, Ellenbrook, Forrestdale, Joondalup, Landsdale, and Mandurah. However, all Masters stores ceased trading by 11 December 2016, with many of the sites being acquired by Bunnings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Masters stores in Western Australia | 9 |
| Names of Masters stores in Western Australia | Baldivis, Bayswater, Brighton, Bibra Lake, Ellenbrook, Forrestdale, Joondalup, Landsdale, Mandurah |
| Year Masters stores opened in Western Australia | 2012 |
| Year Masters stores closed in Western Australia | 2016 |
| Company that owned Masters stores | Woolworths |
| Number of Masters stores across Australia | 63 |
| Number of Masters stores planned across Australia | 150 |
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What You'll Learn
Masters Home Improvement was an Australian hardware chain
Masters Home Improvement stores were brightly lit and colourful, with polished concrete, large colour signage, and unique store displays. They also sold more 'non-hardware' lines such as white goods and had McDonald's restaurants with McCafés in selected stores. The chain was designed to attract female shoppers, with marketing and store designs that were deliberately portrayed as female-friendly.
However, Masters Home Improvement struggled to compete with Bunnings Warehouse, which already had a dominant network of stores across Australia. Masters had to pay high prices for less desirable sites that had been rejected by Bunnings. The influence of Lowe's was also criticised, as the stores stocked too many products that Australians did not want to buy from hardware stores, such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners.
The joint venture ultimately failed, with losses of over $3.2 billion over seven years, and Woolworths left the hardware market. All Masters Home Improvement stores were closed and sold off by 11 December 2016.
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It was a joint venture between Woolworths and Lowe's
Masters Home Improvement was an Australian home improvement chain that was a joint venture between Woolworths and Lowe's. The partnership was established in 2009 as a way for Woolworths to enter the Australian hardware market, which was historically dominated by Bunnings, owned by competitor Wesfarmers.
The first Masters store opened in Braybrook, Victoria, on 31 August 2011, with the goal of developing 150 stores within five years. The stores were designed to be brightly lit and colourful, using polished concrete and large colour signage. Masters aimed to differentiate itself from competitors by attracting female shoppers and offering a range of non-hardware lines such as white goods.
The joint venture ultimately failed, accumulating losses of over $3 billion across 63 stores before all stores were closed and sold off by 11 December 2016. There were several reasons for the failure, including a lack of product localisation to the Australian market, with product schedules based on Northern Hemisphere seasons. The influence of Lowe's was also criticised, as Masters stocked products that Australians did not typically buy from hardware stores, such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners, alienating tradies who remained loyal to Bunnings.
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The first stores opened in 2011 in Queensland and New South Wales
Masters Home Improvement was an Australian home improvement chain operated by two retailers, Woolworths and Lowe's. The first Masters store opened in Braybrook, an outer-western suburb, on 31 August 2011. The company planned to develop 150 stores within a 5-year period.
The first stores opened in Queensland on 11 October 2011 and in New South Wales on 4 December 2011. The Queensland stores were located in Bundall, Bundamba, Cairns, Everton Park, Mackay, Morayfield, Nerang, North Lakes, Parkinson, Richlands, Robina, Rockhampton, Springfield, Tingalpa, Toowoomba, and Upper Coomera. The New South Wales stores were located in Albion Park, Bathurst, Chullora, Coffs Harbour, Gregory Hills, Heatherbrae, Hoxton Park, Lismore, Marsden Park, Northmead, Penrith, Rouse Hill, Rutherford, St Marys, Taree, Wagga Wagga, and West Gosford.
The stores in Queensland and New South Wales were part of the initial wave of Masters stores, along with those in Victoria. The company aimed to differentiate itself from competitors like Bunnings by offering brightly lit and colourful stores with polished concrete and large colour signage. They also targeted female shoppers by making their stores more female-friendly.
However, despite these initial efforts, Masters struggled to compete with Bunnings, which already had a strong network across Australia. Masters also faced criticism for its product offerings, which included items like washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and gun safes that diluted its hardware focus and alienated tradies. The influence of its American partner, Lowe's, was also cited as a reason for its struggles, with Masters selling seasonal products inappropriate for the Australian market, such as snowmobiles at Christmas.
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The first Western Australia store opened in 2012
Masters Home Improvement was an Australian home improvement chain operated by two retailers, Woolworths and Lowe's. The first Masters store opened in Braybrook, an outer-western suburb, on 31 August 2011, with the Masters brand name being announced on 3 May of that year.
The first Western Australia store opened in August 2012, alongside the first store in South Australia. The Western Australia stores were located in Baldivis, Bayswater, Brighton, Bibra Lake, Ellenbrook, Forrestdale, Joondalup, Landsdale, and Mandurah.
The Masters brand was conceived in 2009, when Woolworths announced its plan to enter the Australian hardware market, which was already dominated by Bunnings, owned by Wesfarmers. The joint venture was ultimately a failure, with Masters accumulating losses of over $3 billion over a seven-year period, and all stores were closed and sold off by 11 December 2016.
The failure of Masters has been attributed to several factors, including a lack of product localisation to the Australian market, selling seasonal products inappropriate for the country, and not providing a compelling reason for customers to switch from Bunnings.
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All Masters stores ceased trading on 11 December 2016
Masters Home Improvement was an Australian home improvement chain operated by two retailers: Woolworths and Lowe's. The first stores opened in Queensland and New South Wales in 2011, with the first store in Western Australia opening in August 2012.
However, the company soon began to struggle, with leadership changes and product-line adjustments failing to keep the company afloat. In January 2016, Woolworths announced its intention to sell or wind up Masters Home Improvement. Following an eight-month review process, it was officially announced on 24 August 2016 that all Masters stores would cease trading on or before 11 December 2016.
The closure of Masters stores was the result of several factors. One key issue was the company's failure to localise products to the Australian market, with product schedules based on Northern Hemisphere seasons. This led to inappropriate product offerings, such as snowmobiles at Christmas. Additionally, Masters struggled to compete with established hardware stores like Bunnings, particularly due to a lack of price competitiveness and an inability to attract tradies, who made up a significant customer base for their competitors.
Masters' stores were also criticised for their locations, with the company paying high prices for sites rejected by Bunnings. The influence of American hardware retailer Lowe's, which held a 33.3% stake in the venture, was also heavily criticised, with Masters stocking too many non-hardware items that diluted their hardware offering.
Despite some positive experiences shared by customers, such as the availability of high-quality tools and supplies at competitive prices, the company's financial situation continued to deteriorate. By December 11, 2016, all Masters stores had ceased trading, with some sites later acquired by Bunnings.
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Frequently asked questions
There were nine Masters stores in Western Australia, located in Baldivis, Bayswater, Brighton, Bibra Lake, Ellenbrook, Forrestdale, Joondalup, Landsdale, and Mandurah.
All Masters stores ceased trading on 11 December 2016. Four of the nine stores in Western Australia were acquired by Bunnings and converted into Bunnings Warehouses.
Masters Home Improvement was an Australian home improvement chain operated by Woolworths and Lowe's. The venture accumulated losses of over $3 billion over a seven-year period due to factors such as inappropriate product offerings for the Australian market, lack of price competitiveness, and failure to attract tradespeople.
Yes, there were 21 development sites across Australia where a Masters store was planned for opening.
