By Claire Reilly

SYDNEY, NSW: Woolworths Limited’s new home improvement venture, Masters, is set to open in Melbourne next month, offering consumers a variety of hardware and electrical products including a dedicated appliance range.

In addition to stores that will be rolled out across Queensland, Victoria and the ACT, and the 150 property sites that Masters plans to secure within the next 5 years, the retail chain is set to establish an online offering to sell directly to consumers.

Speaking about the current state of the home improvement retail sector, Woolworths Limited corporate communications manager Clare Buchanan said the new store would be a positive addition to the marketplace.

“People are just really keen to welcome a new competitor into the space,” she said. “We think there’s room in the market for everybody and we believe that wholeheartedly.”

One store that Masters will be competing against in the market is Bunnings, with the new Braybrook Masters store set to open between two existing Bunnings shopfronts in the Melbourne suburbs of Sunshine and Maribyrnong.

Current.com.au spoke to Bunnings managing director John Gillam to ask how this new player in the marketplace is expected to affect business.

“Bunnings currently operates in a highly fragmented $36 billion home improvement and outdoor living market of which it has a 16 per cent share,” said Gillam. “We’ve been competing with a wide spectrum of retailers across a broad range of categories and products for many decades.”

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“We constantly expand and innovate our product offer to meet changing customer needs and expectations and have launched several new categories over the past five years including carpets, landscaping and pool fencing, and more recently, kitchens and appliances,” Gillam added.

“The continuing evolution of our offer has provided ongoing opportunities for growth in the sector and has brought new products into the market for customers.”

As reported last week, Bunnings' online store offers information and specifications for individual appliances, but many products cannot be purchased through the site and are listed as “available in store”.

Speaking about Bunnings’ online offering, Gillam said the website was designed to adapt to consumer needs and product trends.

“Our website is tailored to meet our customers’ needs and offers detailed product information and pricing along with a comprehensive selection of free, D.I.Y. tools such as brochures, booklets and videos,” he said.

“Additional applications include QR codes [barcode-like images that can be read by a smartphone to access information], iPhone apps and the recent introduction of social media platforms which encourage customers to share their home improvement designs via Twitter or Facebook.

“We are very much aware of the dynamic nature of the online and digital worlds and we will continue to evolve our offer in anticipation of shifting trends," he added.

“We’ve been helping Australian families with their home improvement and outdoor living needs for many years by offering the lowest prices, widest range and the best service to customers and we are looking forward to continuing to do this in all of our Australian stores.”