Masters Home Improvement
Encyclopedia
Masters Home Improvement is the trading name of an Australian Home Improvement chain, operated by a joint venture between Australian Retailer Woolworths Limited
and Mooresville, North Carolina
(United States) based hardware chain, Lowe's
. Masters was created as a way for Woolworths Limited to crack into the hardware retail space, which has been historically dominated by Bunnings Warehouse
, which is owned by arch rival Wesfarmers
. The two companies already compete with each other with groceries and general merchandise.
The brand name was announced on the 2nd of May, 2011, coinciding with the launch of a website at masters.com.au. Hans Hulsbosch
, who has designed brand identities for Woolworths & Qantas designed the Masters brand and logo.
The first outlet, located in Braybrook, Victoria
, opened to tradies
on 31 August 2011, and the general public on 1 September 2011.
. In the Sydney Morning Herald, CEO Don Stallings is attributed as saying that staff will be trained for at least 100 hours, and the stores will offer over 35,000 products. Ways in which Masters will differentiate from its competitors include stores which are more brightly lit, more colourful with polished concrete, large colour signage and store displays, it aims to place more emphases on attracting female shoppers, buzzers scattered around the store which when pressed, will send a nearby staff member to that location to help out a customer, pagers handed to customers which enables them to continue shopping while their paint is tinted, selling more 'non hardware' lines such as whitegoods as well as having McDonald's
restaurants and McCafé
s in selected stores.
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
and Mooresville, North Carolina
Mooresville, North Carolina
Mooresville is a large suburban town in southern Iredell County, North Carolina, USA. It is in the Metrolina metro area. The population was 32,133 at the 2010 United States Census...
(United States) based hardware chain, Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
. Masters was created as a way for Woolworths Limited to crack into the hardware retail space, which has been historically dominated by Bunnings Warehouse
Bunnings Warehouse
Bunnings Warehouse is Australia's largest hardware chain with stores in Australia and New Zealand. The chain is owned by Wesfarmers Limited.-History:-Pre 1900s:...
, which is owned by arch rival Wesfarmers
Wesfarmers
Wesfarmers Limited is one of Australia’s largest public companies and one of Australia's largest retailers. Its headquarters are in Perth, Western Australia....
. The two companies already compete with each other with groceries and general merchandise.
The brand name was announced on the 2nd of May, 2011, coinciding with the launch of a website at masters.com.au. Hans Hulsbosch
Hans Hulsbosch
Hans Hulsbosch is an Australian designer, responsible for the development of many of Australia's leading brand identities including Qantas and Woolworths.- History :...
, who has designed brand identities for Woolworths & Qantas designed the Masters brand and logo.
The first outlet, located in Braybrook, Victoria
Braybrook, Victoria
Braybrook is a suburb 9 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Braybrook had a population of 6940....
, opened to tradies
Tradesman
This article is about the skilled manual worker meaning of the term; for other uses see Tradesperson .A tradesman is a skilled manual worker in a particular trade or craft. Economically and socially, a tradesman's status is considered between a laborer and a professional, with a high degree of both...
on 31 August 2011, and the general public on 1 September 2011.
. In the Sydney Morning Herald, CEO Don Stallings is attributed as saying that staff will be trained for at least 100 hours, and the stores will offer over 35,000 products. Ways in which Masters will differentiate from its competitors include stores which are more brightly lit, more colourful with polished concrete, large colour signage and store displays, it aims to place more emphases on attracting female shoppers, buzzers scattered around the store which when pressed, will send a nearby staff member to that location to help out a customer, pagers handed to customers which enables them to continue shopping while their paint is tinted, selling more 'non hardware' lines such as whitegoods as well as having McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurants and McCafé
McCafé
McCafé is a coffee-house-style food and drink chain, owned by McDonald's. Created and launched in Melbourne, Australia in 1993 by McDonald's Licensee Ann Brown, the chain reflects a consumer trend towards espresso coffees....
s in selected stores.