Well looks like what we all thought is finally happening, expects closing sales soon I guess.
http://www.woolworthslimited.com.au/page/The_Newsroom/Press_…
Woolworths Pulling out of Home Improvement Sector, No More Masters?
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I might be able to buy the nut and bolt section of one store :)
UK DIY chain Homebase has been sold by its owner Home Retail Group to Australian retail giant Wesfarmers for £340m (A$705m; $485.2m).
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35340384
In the mean time Wesfarmers pushing into UK?
The 265 UK Homebase sites will be rebranded under the Bunnings banner over the next three to five years
What a shame. I've always found the best gear at the best prices at Masters. Perfect example is tool/bit storage boxes, masters have a massive range but bunnings have hardly anything.
Amazing co-incidence that Woolworths announce Masters "demise" on the same day that Wesfarmers agree takeover deal (subject to shareholders) of second largest DIY chain in the UK. Courtesy of BBC:
UK DIY chain Homebase has been sold by its owner Home Retail Group to Australian retail giant Wesfarmers for £340m (A$705m; $485.2m).
Wesfarmers already owns Bunnings - one of Australia's largest suppliers of outdoor living and DIY products.
The 265 UK Homebase sites will be rebranded under the Bunnings banner over the next three to five years.
Wesfarmers said it would spend a further £500m on upgrading the UK stores.
The deal is expected to be wrapped up in the first three months of this year provided shareholders of Home Retail Group agree to the purchase.
Wesfarmers, which owns one of Australia's biggest supermarket chains, Coles, has estimated that the UK's home improvement and garden market is worth £38bn. The market leader is Kingfisher's B&Q chain.
I "am" surprised two companies this size have put all the massive amount of planning and work into setting up this chain, and haven't the plan to adjust strategy, and/or stamina to grow into a competitive market.
I'll bet Ikea or Aldi's had some learning to fit into Ozzie life to succeed.Yeah, there's the thing they've been complaining of massive losses for years and yet outwardly there has been no visible change in strategy.
If the problem really is decor and atmosphere surely a hardware store could manage a bit of redecorating. Methinks the problem begins at the top.I think because Ikea and Aldi are private companies they have more time and freedom to adjust to local markets as they don't need to report to public shareholders regularly.
Ikea did struggle at first. They had that store in Moorabbin which closed down before we even knew the Springvale one was coming.
The only thing Woolworths has ever been good at is piss, food and pokies (ALH Group). The good news is people will always get pissed, always gamble, and they will always need to eat. You should focus on your strengths. Hardware never was and never will be a strength. Woolworths is in the same position as Coles was years ago, they need to re-focus on the core. Then, Big W is a dog compared to Target or Kmart and the last CEO was and is a stooge. It isn't difficult to figure out.
Crude but true. lol
Even Woolies is not doing well with supermarket, rude staff, unorganised, worthless Woolies dollar card. Like I said I wouldn't even shop there if they don't have opal top ups. Recently they also made Opal top ups not included with promotional purchases or value included when you need to spend $50 for tiny returns next shop. So be it. They also have racial profiling against Asians in particular cancelling their online orders when the customers are local aussie patents. They also have rude staff having a go at Asian looking customers at the baby formula aisle even when they are just looking and not buying. The only thing left is the entertainment book 95% gift card offer. Without that they can go to hell.
i got to robina woolworths at 5:01 on sunday, to get milk…. manager wouldnt le in, even though was people still shopping…. prick was so rude, he even said for me to complain to head office….
drove to coles and arrived 5:09, same closing times, and thry let me run in….
i now take my 200 a week to coles cos of this penciled neck 22 year old wanna store manager…
and woolworths click and collect is great if they put the right products in…. got 350g of spinsch, they put some other crap in my bag…. when return in can only find 2x150 g bags of spinach…the chick refunds 6 dollars and charges 2x 4, and says 2 dollars please….i said "sure ill pay more for less, just give me my 6 dollars please"….
The supermarkets close at 5.00 ?
What sort of backwater place is this ?Or is this some sort of parody post.
saturday arvo, must have been 5:30 or sunday 6:00… either way 1 past the closing time
100% true
I feel for you in that situation but consider that for security/management reasons he has been told to absolutely let no one in past closing time or face disciplinary action. (nevermind that he and other staff may now be off the clock and wanting to get home)
Also.. Keep in mind next time you just need milk that I think the Coles /woolies servos sell it cheap.
@Stitchy: i didnt exactly walk in with a gun… i once got refused service at taco bell in the states at 2am cos i had no car when i walked through the drive through… said it was health risk…. ffs the world is spastic…so i walked to macdonalds and they were cool with it
@unclesnake: The brand new WW in my area, was refusing entry 15 minutes before closing. Even when people were promising they just wanted to get milk etc. I was disgusted that they would inconvenience people like that.
The supermarkets close at 5.00 ?
What sort of backwater place is this ?Queensland!!!
@tonka:
I was in 7 mins before closing, the manager stopped me entering saying the checkout lines were too long or something. I argued and he called a large, rainbow coloured mohawk clad security guard to argue his case.
I thought it was just a oneoff. It bugged me.
If a shop advertises a closing time. People may drive 20 minutes to get there early, and find it closed.
It shouldn't happen unless the power goes out or something.It's some law in QLD. Most supermarkets have to close at 5pm on Saturday.
In Brisbane, a glorious exception is the Coles in New Farm -
https://www.coles.com.au/store-locator/stores/qld/new-farm-4…Some sort of City/Valley Precinct exemption was granted several years ago and they were allowed to open until 7 on Saturdays. That was useful, on occasion.
Now, the novelty of 9PM on both Sat and Sun, but an actual godsend if you are driving back through the city at night and really need something. A five minute detour down through Fortitude Valley.
Luxury.
Sidenote: Last time I was in there, 9 out of every 10 people working in the store were Indian students. If one of those Indian-Australian Bollywood movies isn't set there at some point, I will be very disappointed!
stop being such an entitled jerk
If the store closes at 5 get there before 5. Easy, no?
That "22 year old wannabe store manager" is probably on an abysmal wage and gets no over time
Why should they let you in after close because you can't manage your own time properly?
i guess if you arrive for a jetstar flight 1 second after closing, you wont feel hard done by, for them making you buy a new flight….coz they can..
I just don't get why there is a need to be nasty/name call here. Surely the same point could be conveyed without putting people down.
I bet every day there's folks trying to walk into the supermarket late. Should they let you and everyone in late everyday? Should they do overtime at work everyday for no pay?
I help out people on the street with directions too and I'll pull over to see if someone broken down is ok but it doesn't mean I want to work for nothing on regular and why should I?
I don't even work in retail but you're "it's called customer service!" line is weak.
Get there on time or go somewhere else like you did ;)
@Wiggleh: fair enough, but say you owned a small corner shop as a business, and your 1 and only employee closed the door on a loyal customer… who just wanted milk… now they go to the shop across the road.. your competitor.
would you be saying
a.) your a good employee, doing a minutes overtime (which is lets say 50c), is to much to ask of anyone, i have no problem with you turning away revenue for me, i will give you a payrise for thinking of yourself and not my business.
b.) your a rubbish employee, who wouldn't do 1 minute overtime, and probrably spends 10 minutes a day on the dunny.. and you have now lost me business.
@Wiggleh: no overtime involved they are staffed to finish 30 mins after closing… all they do is put missed stocked away… plus wouldnt a staff member love the overtime
Yet you think it's OK for you to extend multiple Woolworth's employees' shift time just so you can get your precious milk which you could have got from a servo or convenience store for 50 cents more.
@djc926: they work 30 mins over, they get paid per hour…it wouldnt haved slowed them down anymore, as they had loads of trolleys..
ftr it was gluten free bread, not milk, which is why i needed it,
awgfy
@unclesnake:
And how do you know if they even want to work overtime?Stop making assumptions based around what YOU want.
Your definition of society seems to be a world where everyone has to cater to you and your tardiness and where you keep tabs of your good deeds. Kind of analogous to an oppressive society in itself.
Woolworths and their ilk are pretty dodgy and simply won't pay overtime because they know they can get away with it. Sure it's illegal…but most workers don't know their rights and when they do, it's seldom seen that they try and enforce them.
Sometimes, people just want to go home on time man…that's why retail workers loathe the customers trying to duck in at closing time.
@docholliday: woolworths use time clocks so they do pay you overtime, the shift is rounded up to the nearest fifteen minutes
@docholliday: so this morning as i was driving my garbage truck, old man running down driveway forgot to put bin out… listening to your advice, i said to myself, why should i do 10 seconds o/t…… so i drove off…. im so proud
I didn't give any advice. I used to work for Woolworths in Night-fill when I was a uni student. Each department manager diddles the hours even if they don't match up with the finger-scan. They liked to call it 'flexing up'. They would sneakily take out 30 mins from each persons pay, usually after 12 so they didn't have to hit the penalties. With day staff they would just roster adjust so the extra 15-30 mins isn't paid anyway.
If you think Woolworths or Coles are transparent because they have the finger scan (timeclock like you call it) then you have no idea how insidious Woolworths are, they do it because they take the gamble knowing that no-one will kick up a fuss because they're usually screwing over kids. Another thing they loved to do… if someone worked over 40 hours in a week. They would cap that persons pay at 40 hours, reduce their hours the next week and then tack on the extra hours they didn't pay the week before to avoid the penalty rates. That's what Woolworths does and maybe now you can understand why the people there don't want to stay back. That manager also is on a salary no overtime for him. Which Woolworths always exploit. It took many months for me to get what was owed to me because I chose to take it to fair work. You think most people have the patience to do that?
It doesn't really bother me how you choose to do your job, but keep letting the world know how much of a good citizen you are and how you uphold the values of society because you like to gloat and keep tabs of all your good deeds and how society must be in decay because it doesn't return the favour when you want to buy your milk. Thinking the world owes you something because you ponder to help some old guy with his bin whilst you're on the clock. How noble. At least you'd have a better chance of receiving the overtime you're entitled to. I'm sure he would've been fine if he forgot to put his bin out that week.
Sorry for gloating but I chose not to do over time at Woolworths because I had my volunteer placements at legal clinics and animal shelters to attend the next morning and they were more worthy of my time and I couldn't risk being fatigued lest I see professional misconduct or negligence coming my way. Giving FREE advice and attending court for old people that can't afford to pay their parking tickets or who are being extorted with dubious fines can hardly be synonymous with keeping the store open to let someone buy some frozen pizzas and toilet paper.
Keep thinking the way you do and people will be wary of you. You're a favour for a favour sounding guy. Not too far off from how organised crime works.
@docholliday: dude i needed one item, there was a bird with 2 trolleys lining up…. i could have got my bread, which was 10 meters from the door, paid for it through the smoke shop, and left in less than 30 seconds, causing no extra overtime to any staff member. The man who told me No and 3 tobacco specialists were standing talking. They cost their employer money, that would have incurred no cost to them, they were there anyway. I didn't delay any single employee, nor would have.
I didn't go in there wanting to take my time doing my groceries, delaying the closure of the front door. There was no one else in sight, so as to make them say Yes to multiple people.
If people chose to work for an employee that underpays them, or juggles there working hours to avoid penalties they have a choice to accept it, fight it, or leave.
Unfortunately people don't keep there word. Why'd they trust some guys word only wanting 1 item and then possibly seeing them at the checkout with a basket. That's why they don't make concessions for people. Sure you only wanted 1 item, but they're only going to take that at face value.
@docholliday: and no i help people because I enjoy it, not because I need a favour… it makes me feel like a better person, society would be nicer if more people were helpful for nothing in return.
@docholliday: He could have got the bread himself if he didnt trust me, it was $5 even. He just wanted to be nasty in my opinion, maybe his first day in charge…. the manager at coles down the road let me in, 8 minutes later on
I assume negative comments will come from this… but the team probably finish at a certain time, let in every single person that arrives at closing time and you could be there all night. I close at 9 (in liquor) and am constantly abused as we exit at 9:15 for not allowing people in. We have trading hours, and we have people to get home. I have to get home. While 5 seems like a very early closing time I assume that it is common in the area for businesses to close at 5. So 1 past 5 or 10 past 5 is after trade. The people in their shopping were obviously in there prior to close, as such the team are already going to be there beyond 5, who knows for how long. How much milk does it take to make up $20+ an hour per team member
1 minute past needing one item, i think its a bit rediculous….
my point being coles let me in, woolies didnt… it was literally 1 minute late….
To add another perspective.. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy at the door would get a lot of daggers from his collegues if he lets people thru past closing.. he may end up off-side from his whole team who he has to work with day in/day out.. and who he expects to have his back when he needs help.
Also, being the weekend and after-hours perhaps penalty rates are applying to all staff and his manager has gone autocratic on him and said no one is allowed to enter.
Nevermind, another 10 years and you'll order milk on your smart-phone and a solar/battery powered drone will fly to the nearest dairy farm, attach it's 'sucker' to a cow, and pasturise it's milk on the flight back to your house an hour later :)
@Stitchy: Aw , I really want a replicator by then…….and a matter transporter…….and a skinny+muscle pill……….and working wrinkle cream
9:15 is 15 minutes late not 1… i say to people if this was your own business what would you do, or want your staff to do… treat your job like its your business and one day you may own some of it
@unclesnake: Pretty easy to own a part of Woolworths or Coles without having to let people in after clearly published trading hours.
@westical: One minute is ridiculous. There is obviously no tolerance to the mines they state. Common sense would suggest to air on the side of good customer service and let someone in that is one minute late. What says the store clock is incorrect and the customers time is correct? It would be better policy for all to have a more generous tolerance with the closing time.
Sounds exactly like selfish people who park illegally and inconvenience others. And they whinge when they get fined. They usually say "it was literally for one minute"
@unclesnake:
Of course. I think you have done enough to prove that you will whinge at anything.How about I also whinge at people who finish their sentences with …..
What about starting sentences with low case letters? Lol
You get the drift. You are only making a fool out of yourself.
Based on your posts, you make numerous grammatical errors so let's not get too picky and get back to how selfish you are to expect people to work late to suit your circumstances (ie. Needing your precious gluten free bread)@djc926:
Y'know I think Unclesnake's point was only ever that it wouldn't have hurt the staff to help him out with something that was obviously important to him.
We don't know the circumstances, I do know it is not always possible to be somewhere on time.
It's not outrageous to ask a store manager to help you out.
If he says the manager was rude to him well that's plenty of reason to be grumpy, and I'm fine to believe him, we all know post teen uppity store managers are way too common.
I know that I'd be grumpy if train was late and someone wouldn't give me a 30 second chance to grab bread for kids if you could see it wouldn't be any hassle.
As someone pointed out he could have gone somewhere else to begin with, which was simply the point he was trying to make.You mean 'ridiculous'?
Your spelling is really ordinary for someone who whinges about people starting their sentences with 'And' lolI know exactly what he's talking about, which is why I think he's a selfish and self entitled customer.
Have you thought about the possibility that there may be staff that made plans based around finishing their shift without delays due to customers like him. Maybe it will mean someone misses their bus or train home? If this was a corner store, it's fair enough to expect some flexibility but not from a big supermarket that takes many staff to close up.
@djc926: this is goin no where…. i needed one item, i would have gone in snd out before thry other people eith mammoth trolleys have got served…. snyway some tag team bullying going on here… for snyone who is going to get cut working 1 minute extra, there work attitude sucks…..be grateful you have a job
@westical: one dsy you will be late by 1 minute to something, a flight, shop, parking center…. i hope when you ask for forgiveness, you remember this
@djc926: Mate, it's not the end of the world if someone gets to the grocery store a bit late.
Sure I think he's being idealistic expecting any sort of help from supermarket staff but I really don't get the hating on this guy for being disappointed.
Thoughts about staff catching trains or overtime and such was all conjecture. I simply take at face value what a fellow Ozbargainer said, that it would have made no difference to their closing and that the manager was rude.
Whether it's a corner store or a big supermarket I think it's equally nice to help someone out in need.@unclesnake: > there (sic) work attitude sucks…..be grateful you have a job
Echoes of Domino's - absolutely hopeless. Get a better attitude - or go operate a garbage truck for a living!
@Baysew: completely agree with the post…
anyone who is against me on this forum that's fine, but in your next job interview please say this prior to leaving
"just to let you know, i wont work a minutes overtime to allow one of your customers to get a product to make you some revenue as I am against overtime, why should i work it, i dont care about the customer, as I actually hate my job, so once my shift is over I am out of here"
and for the records garbage truck drivers earn more than you think
@djc926: For the record, my wife suffers from celiacs disease, she is far from precious, she actually can't eat wheat, along with dairy and nuts, not a lifestyle choice she chooses, a lifestyle she is forced to partake it, or she ends up very sick and sometimes in hospital. She would love to try a zinger burger or Macdonalds. We were hosting a bbq and me being the forgetful husband, forgot to get her bread, so I went back as didn't want her to miss out.
Seems you are a person who likes to make fun of peoples diseases / conditions / disabilities. I would love for you to go up to a bikie with Celiacs disease and tell him he is precious, and then lets see who is precious, or even better come to my house and call my wife precious.
you can even arrive 1 minute late ill still let you in
@unclesnake: I think all your guilty of is asking a valid question that has raised an interesting discussion. With the profits that the supermarkets make each 1/4, I think the expectation of a little increased customer service with the increased profits margins isn't out of the question. maybe djc is a trolley boy who has an imminent fear of a customer removing a trolley from the store at 5.00.01 or maybe a night shift shelf worker. I see both sides of the story - you want some common sense to be extended and other guy wants a reach around.
@fantafox: Went into Woolworths before. 1 checkout open with 5 people lined up, a staff member in self service looking at her toes, to avoid opening a register, 2 people in smoke counter looking dumb avoiding eye contact, clearly aware of the line ups. Only when service manager realizes they get told to go on registers. If people hate doing what their employed to do, then leave.
Last night i went to a coles at ormeau and the staff there were superb.
Here we have it. Talk of bikies and statements that can be construed as threats. Didn't I mention something about organised crime and people being wary of you? No one has even gone down the path of mocking those with disabilities.
over and out
@docholliday: for the record, there was no threat, lets get that clear, i am not involved in organised crime.
im calling a day to this pointless to and fro.@docholliday: Gotta admit you should be able to get some sort of award for managing to deduce someone late to the supermarket is a crimelord. Like wow.
Mate I already know you aren't involved in any organised crime. You reveal so much without realising it. They wouldn't want to associate with you. You're a chat. You'd be easy to find from what you've divulged in this thread alone. Chances are you're a cool bloke but you're taking peoples disagreement way to personally. It's the internet where all topics are hyper analysed. Sure put someone to the test by knuckling up. There's worse ways to ruin someones life. Especially if that person is a public servant making 'bikie' threats.
Anyway 'Bikies with celiacs' honestly sounds like a comedy movie. If I ever meet one with the ailment when I do the rounds at the watchhouse I'll make a few fart jokes or new age diet jokes to lighten the mood. They usually are pretty precious when they're stuck in there and have no-one to talk to but hey times up and other clients need me.
Never made such a deduction, you must be caught up in some sort of jumping to conclusions panic prevalent on here.
I deduced the guy as a selfish individual (probably only perceived on the internet) that makes threats for a sleight only he perceives. Like defending his wife's honour. Its obvious his house invites and bikie talks were euphemisms to market his machismo.
@docholliday: Dude you twice equated his actions with organised crime, don't try and make out it was me who jumped the shark.
It's like you don't just read between the lines but have inserted whole novels.
I'm not gonna continue a dialog with you because it's seems I'd either be being trolled or would need a tin hat neither of which I feel qualified or eloquent enough to deal with.@tonka:
Where did I submit that he was Infact a criminal or a crime lord. Where's this conspiracy theory your tin hat reference alludes to? Succinct enough?Wow what a drama queen you are.
There was nothing even mentioned about your wife's condition. And suddenly you accuse me of making fun of people's illness? What a leap that was.No, merely pointing out the self-entitled customer who in his own words "dont give a sht if he gets paid overtime or not"
not to mention in every single post after that, he has twisted everything to suit his own needs and circumstances at the time.
When non-sense didn't prevail, he has to use his poor wife as an excuse. grow up…
Yet in another thread, you confess to having been angry because a customer wanted to be served after you closed your checkout and you had to stay back 15-20 minutes. Despite this being a story from when you were young, don't you think you are being extremely hypocritical? You weren't mature enough or compassionate enough to do it willingly for others, but you have a grudge against a "pencil necked 22 year old store manager"
You really are a work of art.
IS BUNNINGS CIRCLEING MASTERS STORES
WILL REBRAND THEM TO BUNNINGS
JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE.
OLD SCREW. HA HA
ITS BEEN WELL KNOWN THAT BUNNINGS HAVE SERIOUS INTEREST IN AROUND 20 MASTERS SITES THAT THEY ARE HAPPY TO TAKE OVER.
NOT SURE WHY WE WRITE IN CAPPS THOUGH!
I wonder if my local council will remove the now pointless traffic lights put in for Masters?
This is the third post about traffic lights and Masters. Where is this place?
LOL, died
I think either Metcash, Burson or Super Cheap Group will buy Masters on the cheap and rebrand them as Home Timber & Hardware as Woolworths also own that business and is part of the sale.
What you think doesn't make sense.
Why would super cheap or Bursons buy sites and rebrand home hardware?
Home hardware are franchise stores, independently owned. Except the ones woollies bought.
It's the methods of killing competition that I find annoying with Bunnings - buying up suitable blocks in towns to keep Masters out etc. I have found the big Masters stores have a good range and I have never had a bad experience at a Masters store. When Masters opened a store in our town (Coffs Harbour) it did seem to cause an improvement in Bunnings service. Competition usually does this. The one thing I find amazing about Bunnings is their lack of awareness of conditions in their stores. Coffs Harbour gets extremely humid, hot and uncomfortable in Summer. Bunnings built a new store - not air conditioned but it had big fans. Masters built a new store - air conditioned for customer comfort. I enquired about air conditioning before the new Bunnings was built and the Manager assured me it would be air conditioned. I visited Bunnings the other day and it looks like they are installing air conditioning finally but I understand it is an evaporative type of air conditioning. In 12 years in Coffs I have not seen an evaporative air conditioner anywhere - because they DON'T WORK in a humid climate. Bunnings has money to spend millions buying blocks of land to keep competition out but can't afford a system to keep staff and customers comfortable??!! It's about time the knobs at Bunning's head office spent a couple of days on the floor in a tropical Bunnings store and then went down the road to Masters to feel the difference. It's sad to see competition die.
Every single time I have gone to a Masters store (3 in my geographical area - Sydney) I have struggled to get decent customer service or even to get someone to tell me if they carry a particular item or not (brand excluded).
Tropical Coffs Harbour? Hope you never go to Darwin or Cairns.
I think Bunnings has improved drastically since having Masters as competition
I think Big W is next after Masters.
Woolworths has removed e-gift card as a payment option for Big W online.
The reasonable explanation for Woolworths to do this is to make the split/winding up process easier.
Good opportunity for Walmart to enter the Australian market
How could this happens? the groupon 7.5% e-gift card is only for bigW instore and online and now is not available. It is fault statement?
Redeemable at BIG W Stores and BIG W Online only.
But will you put your money up?