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global eyes
Big push for
Aussie timber framing
THE TIMBER FRAMING Collective has been responsible for the marketing of softwood timber framing in Australia for a number of years.
Currently financially supported by Australian sawmills, timber importers, industry associations and peak bodies, building products and treatment suppliers, its mission is “to promote, establish and consolidate ‘Timber Framing – The Ultimate Renewable’ as the leading building materials brand in Australia for residential construction.”
Now, armed with new branding courtesy of Brisbane-based agency Engine Group, Timber Framing Collective Spokesperson Marita Pierce- Indugula says: “While competitor building materials may have deeper pockets than ours in terms of advertising media spend, what we have is a supply chain that is unrivalled in size.
“Within that supply chain are people that are passionate about timber and
are chomping at the bit to work with us to promote the many benefits of timber framing over other building materials.
“Timber has no equal when it comes to its environmental credentials. While other building materials add to carbon emissions, the timber framing industry is working with a natural sustainable product that stores carbon.
“Wood also has the lowest embodied energy of all common building materials.”
A series of campaigns will be released over the coming months.
www.timberframingcollective.com.au
Bunnings OK to buy
Beaumont Tiles
At the end of September, the ACCC announced that it would not oppose
the proposed acquisition of specialist
tile retailer Beaumont Tiles by Bunnings, finding that the transaction was not likely to substantially lessen competition.
“At first glance, Bunnings taking over a major tile retailer appears concerning, but our investigation found that Bunnings is not a strong competitor in tile sales.
“This is not a case of a close competitor buying up its rival,” says ACCC Chair Rod Sims.
Interesting however that ACCC should add the caveat that this decision was “based on the specific circumstances and should not be read as any indication that the ACCC will reach the same conclusion in relation to future possible acquisitions by Bunnings.”
“The way in which Bunnings is competitively constrained by specialised retailers, and the potential impact on customers and manufacturers, varies depending on the product and market circumstances.
“Any future expansion by Bunnings into more specialist retailing categories through acquisition of existing competitors will be very carefully considered by the ACCC.”
In this case the ACCC found that specialist tile retailers compete much more closely with each other than with Bunnings and that the proposed acquisition “may pose challenges for some tile retailers, but it is unlikely
to lead to a substantial lessening of competition in this market.”
www.beaumont-tiles.com.au
Home Depot first with Walmart GoLocal
THE HOME DEPOT is the first retailer to partner up with Walmart GoLocal, which uses Walmart’s expansive network to deliver products for other businesses.
A new service which was started in August 2021, using Walmart GoLocal, Home Depot customers can receive same-day or next-day delivery on a variety of home improvement products.
“The Home Depot is continuously working to give customers the most convenient shopping experience in
home improvement, and that includes providing a wide range of fast and reliable delivery options,” says Stephanie Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for The Home Depot.
“This partnership brings us even closer to our goal of offering same day or next day delivery to 90% of the US population.”
Walmart GoLocal drivers are now delivering orders from some of Home Depot’s 2,300 retail stores and the
company plans to expand the service across the country by the end of the year.
Customers shopping on HomeDepot. com can see which products are eligible for delivery through Walmart GoLocal (and other same-day or next-day delivery partners) by looking for the Scheduled Delivery shipping option.
Providing a variety of delivery and pickup options has never been more important for The Home Depot.
In fiscal 2020, The Home Depot’s sales from digital platforms increased 86%, with more than half of online orders fulfilled through stores.
That’s as may be but savvy commentators in the US are already asking whether this collaboration between the two massive retailers presages some closer cooperation in time to come...
www.homedepot.com
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OCTOBER 2021 | NZHJ 45