Bye Bye Bunnings, Now Bring On The Revolution.
Bunnings have sold their UK business for £1.
I’m not surprised.
Years ago I worked on the rebranding of Focus DIY, who were at one point the second largest DIY chain in the country. They bought Do It All from Boots, Great Mills, Wickes and even considered buying Homebase.
They kept Wickes separate, which was a smart move. But integrating the other stores just didn’t work. DIY stores have a slow turnover of stock compared to other retailers, so trying to get rid of Great Mills, Do It All and other assorted tins of paint and screws took ages and made the stores look confusing and old. People go into DIY stores to make their homes look better. But their stores looked more like their homes did now. Focus DIY felt cluttered, old and had packaging with the logo from 3 different stores.
Recently we went to the Grand Designs exhibition and the National Build Centre in Swindon. These places were full of inspiring people, advice, and workshops. They looked like how you wanted your home to look. They looked like the pictures you see in magazines, not what you see 3 doors down the street.
Why aren’t DIY stores like that? Ikea is, with room set after room set.
What if DIY stores had playgrounds with equipment that kids can use (at their own risk) which you can also buy? What if they cooked on the BBQs they sell, demonstrating how they work and sell the food. What if they link-up with RIBA or Grand Designs and their ilk, offering advice and tips from architects (or bring ‘Architect Your Home’ into store). What if they brought in companies that can convert your loft, gave advice from estate agents on how to add value, had DIY theatres (Bunnings have some great videos on their Australian site about how to use things).
Garden centres do it. They are often genuinely nice places to be. One near us even offers theatre performances in the evening. It’s a day out (and the food is good). When we had our baby, John Lewis gave us a free 4-hour advice session with free tea and cake on what you need when you have a baby. It was brilliant, informative and inspiring, not hard sell. It made us fall in love with John Lewis.
What if DIY stores offered decluttering seminars? They sell lots of storage boxes, why not go further? How about not having vending machines that steal your money because they don’t work while trying to get an overpriced, out of date chocolate bar? How about not having someone accost me selling rubbish plastic, bog standard double glazing when I leave the store? Why not sell or at least advertise really beautiful windows that are right for your building.
Drive the trends, don’t just offer people everything in white or fake plastic wood. Where are your Tesco Finest, high end, higher margin, inspirational products in store? Inspire me, show me how I make my home look like the pictures in the magazines.
We were at the FAB Forum at Googles offices last week about the future of retail. DIY stores feel very old fashioned all of a sudden.
What if Homebase had an inspirational app, like Houzz, offering an online community? A YouTube Channel is a must. Why can’t DIY stores be more like a Pinterest board in-store. Wickes sponsors ‘Homes on 4’ but there isn’t much online and it’s confusing and doesn’t come across in store. I want them to show me how to make that revolving TV stand.
Be eco-friendly, sell me solar panels (Ikea do), heat pumps, inform me, enthuse me, make me want to save the planet. Put the solar panels on your roof and tell everyone how much they are generating. Sell power, allow Ecotricity or Evo into your stores and sell products like Tesla Powerwalls.
Do you want your homes to be automated? Why can’t you get all this in your local Homebase? HOMEbase. Not DIY base. The place you get things you don’t find anywhere else to make your house a home, for today.
On that front, perhaps there is a fit with Maplin in a new rejuvenated Homebase. They offered up to the minute home gadgets and wiring. Our homes are now full of tech. Why not add Maplin into Homebase stores? It’s a recognisable brand and could add credibility if they created a store within the store, offering targeted advice.
By shedding stores and rediscovering their purpose, perhaps Homebase can emerge from the carnage created by Bunnings ill-fated, poorly thought through and bungled takeover. They need to rediscover their ‘why’. But it takes time. Amazon didn’t make a profit for years. neither did Ocado. How big is Tesla as a company? Have they made a profit yet? No. To change a sector, it takes time, investment, nerve and vision.
Revolutions don’t happen overnight, can Homebase bring it home?
