Page 6 - HW September 2019

editorial
NZ Made Day
21st November 2019
buynz.org.nz/nzmadeday
NZ Hardware Journal is published 11 times per year (monthly except for January)
Group editor Steve Bohling steveb@mpm.nz
ddi 09 304 2705
Account manager Susan Kennedy susank@mpm.nz
ddi 09 304 2706
Account manager Karen Condon karenc@mpm.nz
ddi 09 304 2707
Studio manager Rachel Walker rachelw@mpm.nz
ddi 09 304 2709
Event manager Nic McCord awards@mpm.nz
mob 021 828 142
Publisher Simon Little simonl@mpm.nz
ddi 09 304 2703
Subscription enquiries
subs@mpm.nz
Contributors to this issue
Ronnie Tan, Andy Kerr
Printing
Image Centre
Phone 09 375 3097, Fax 09 309 0583 Lower Ground Level, 83 Mt Eden Road Grafton, Auckland 1023
PO Box 28372, Remuera, Auckland www.hardwarejournal.co.nz
The opinions and materials published in New Zealand Hardware Journal are not those of the publisher except where specifically stated. The contents must not be published in any form without the permission of the publisher.
© Copyright 2019 Marketplace Media
2456 • 30/9/2018 www.abc.org.nz
What’s wrong
with the word
“solid”?
FOR SOME REASON, despite delivering on its recent promises, Fletcher Building’s latest result was poo-pooed by a few analysts.
Why? Australia apart (sorry Dean Fradgley!), FBU’s FY2019 involved
“a solid NZ performance, a return to profitability, and successful execution
of the first year of its five-year strategy aimed to refocus and grow the business”.
As contributors to this “solid” outcome, PlaceMakers and Mico fared well and you can read more about matters specifically related to PlaceMakers on page 6 of
this magazine, where I talk with Bruce McEwen about some of the innovations and changes that the Distribution division has both in hand and that may be just over the horizon...
Attracting rather less negative comment, Wesfarmers too recently announced its own “solid” year end, with
Bunnings ANZ faring well, despite the caveat of “moderation” in sales growth and the warning that “moderated trading conditions” are expected to continue across the ditch where the housing market has well and truly tanked.
We’ll need to wait to find out more about the NZ specific numbers so, in the meantime, check out the Australasian picture for now (see page 40).
In other overseas news this month, The Home Depot saw fit to specifically warn of the potential impact on its business of President Trump’s China tariffs (see page 40 of this issue).
Following the announcement from this long-time bellweather of the wider US economy, across the Atlantic, Kingfisher Group’s share price was “hammered”, according to The Times...
In the last couple of months I’ve been lucky enough to attend ITM, PlaceMakers and BuildLink’s awards functions. And,
in just a few weeks, as if you didn’t need reminding, next up are the 2019 Hardware Awards.
Seriously, don’t leave it too late to book your seat or table at the industry event
of the year (3 October at the Cordis Auckland) because they’re selling fast!
Steve Bohling, editor steveb@mpm.nz
4 NZHJ | SEPTEMBER 2019
MORE AT www.hardwarejournal.co.nz