Bunnings to offer toilet installation

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Bunnings has teamed up with hipages to offer customers, both online and in store, a toilet installation service.

This service is available at all Bunnings stores across Australia, following a successful four week trial in 15 Bunnings stores across Newcastle and the Central Coast earlier this year.

“This is an exciting offer for Bunnings customers and local tradies across Australia, making it easier and more affordable for customers to update their bathroom and connect with local tradies to assist with those jobs that require a licensed tradesperson,” said Michael Schneider, Bunnings managing director.

Customers will be able to add a hipages toilet installation voucher at checkout, in store or online, and can then organise a time with a hipages plumber to install the suite.

This toilet installation service will cost $275, plus cost of selected toilet suite, and includes full disposal of the old unit and cleaning of the area once installation is complete.

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“We’re thrilled to partner with Bunnings, and to help more Australians experience the benefit and ease of being able to instantly book a qualified, local tradie online,” said David Vitek, hipages CEO.

The move comes a week after Bunnings signaled its intention to further expand its e-commerce offer after successfully introducing transactions to its website for the first time.

“A strong physical presence that’s complemented with an increasing e-commerce platform will help us develop a winning offer,” Schneider told analysts and shareholders at parent Wesfarmers’ annual strategy day last week.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that [click and collect] is where we will end up, that’s the reality of the world we live in now.”

Wesfarmers complete withdrawal from UK

Meanwhile,  Wesfarmers’ withdrawal from the UK home improvement sector has been completed.

The sale of the Homebase hardware chain to UK-based turnaround specialist Hilco Capital, announced in May, will result in a loss of between

£200 million and £230 million ($352 million and $404 million) in Wesfarmers’ full year results.

The company purchased the UK chain for $705 million in 2016 with the intention of converting the stores into Bunnings outlets, but pulled out after having burned almost $1.5 billion.

“There was an underestimation of the competitive environment and there was also arguably an overly optimistic outlook in terms of the growth opportunity and the capital investment that was required,” said Rob Scott, Wesfarmers managing director.

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