Bunnings brings 50 new jobs as Hastings enjoys retail revamp Shoppers have three new large-format stores in Hastings in time for Christmas shopping, with Bunnings Warehouse, Briscoes Homeware and Rebel Sports opening the doors to new Hastings stores. Hastings City Business Association General Manager Susan McDade said Hastings was on a roll, with a fourth large-format retailer, Smiths City, opening a branch in February. Bunnings' new store is on the corner of St Aubyn St and Market St North and dramatically bigger than its King St North store which remains open. While it has no customers until next week it is the busiest in Hastings, with staff swarming to stock shelves. Bunnings Hastings Central manager Shane Van de Ven said the new store provided 50 new jobs and gave shoppers "the widest range of home improvement and outdoor living products and the best service", with tradespeople assisting shoppers. "We have a qualified painter/decorator and locksmith in the new Bunnings Hastings Central team who will be on hand to provide local residents with expert advice for their DIY projects," he said.
More than $4 million was invested in the 3900sq m branch of the Australia-owned home-improvement chain which has parking for more than 100 cars. The carpark currently features shipping containers, used to help stock the new store featuring an indoor timber-trade area, building materials and landscape-supplies yard and outdoor nursery.The grand opening is on Friday, December 9 from 4pm to 8pm with family activities including a bouncy castle, face painting, fairy floss, popcorn and games. More family entertainment was planned from 11am to 3pm on Saturday, December 10; Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18. Thanks to a construction boom Bunnings' New Zealand operation has more than doubled annual net profit to $27.2 million to June 30 with more than $1 billion in revenue. Briscoes and Rebel Sports, which have moved their Hastings branched from the eastern fringe of the CBD to The Park Mega Centre, where the former tenants of Bunnings' new store, The Warehouse and The Clearance Shed, have also moved.
Ms McDade said Hastings was at capacity for large-format retailers but said "rumours abound" for who would move into the former homes of Briscoes and Rebel Sports. Both retailers are owned by Briscoe Group, which reported a lift of profit by a third in the half year ended July 31 with $268.36m in sales for the six months. At their grand opening yesterday was Tammy Wells, who has fronted Briscoes' advertising for almost 30 years. With a queue of shoppers waiting to have their photo taken with her, she told Hawke's Bay Today she had previously visited the region to support Briscoes and when supporting the Gisborne store flew into Hawke's Bay "because I don't like small aeroplanes".A Melbourne man has been described a “God damn Australian legend” after flying a drone to pick up a sausage sandwich from Bunnings. Tim from Melbourne, who posted the video of the stunt to Facebook yesterday, told the TODAY Show he got the idea to send a drone shopping after a few beers with mates.
“It was between a couple of us, we bought a drone just having a bit of a muck around and an afternoon beer and we could smell a barbecue a couple of doors down…and we thought we’ll go to Bunnings, get one of their snags, and then one of the blokes said we should send the drone,” he said. Tim said he and his mates contemplated several different methods of safely transporting the snack almost 2 kilometres back to his house on the drone, but in the end settled on a simple sandwich bag and string. “I can’t decide if you’re extremely lazy or extremely innovative, or perhaps both,” host Sylvia Jeffreys said after watching the video. Karl Stefanovic chimed in on the conversation from New York, labelling the Melbourne man a “God damn Australian legend”. “You’ll be gainfully employed over here when Donald Trump builds that wall, you’ll be able to get all sorts of things in and out of Tijuana,” Karl said as he impersonated a drone lowering a hotdog into his hands.
Originally published as First Aussie review of UK Bunnings’ snagsBUNNINGS Seven Hills workers were allegedly robbed at knifepoint while a man was carjacked while shopping in Toongabbie over the weekend.Police allege a 19-year-old Rooty Hill man wheeled a jack hammer towards the front door of Bunnings on Saturday at 5pm.When stopped by workers at the Abbott Rd store, the man allegedly pulled a knife and loaded the jack hammer into the back of his ute.He was arrested at his Woodstock Ave, Rooty Hill, home at 5.45pm and charged were robbery while armed with an offensive weapon and driving while disqualified.The man was refused bail and appeared before Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.media_cameraPolice are hunting a man who assaulted and stole a 51-year-old man’s car on Portico Parade, Toongabbie, on Sunday.Meanwhile, in Toongabbie, a 51-year-old man was shopping on Portico Parade when he was confronted by another man near his white Toyota Corolla on Sunday at 2.30pm.The offender demanded cash and assaulted the 51-year-old man several times before stealing his car keys.