Page 50 - HW November 2020

then as now
Then as now? November 2010
FUNNY, LOOKING BACK...10 years
ago, hardware and building supplies were still recovering from a recessive economy and the pundits were telling us that it could be another two or three years before we see the market back up to (let alone beyond) 16,000+ new home starts.
Worst of all the retail sectors, August’s hardware retail sales were down 8.2% on 2009, continuing the channel’s patchy form, building consents in
August were negative again after something of a rebound, and even house sales to September continued to slide year on year. The group home builders were telling us their confidence was patchy, like the market. Consents were dropping and were expected to continue falling, with exceptions, according to the
home builders we were talking to.
Population growth and the second home syndrome had
flattened. Net immigration was OK but emigration was making an impact.
“There will be more people per home and demand will continue to outstrip supply for several years,” according to 2010’s official figures.
Indeed, New Zealand was facing a potential shortfall of homes against demand in excess of 14,000 between the next year and 2016 and that this shortfall would decrease but remain for many years.
1
SOME THINGS
NEVER CHANGE...
10 years ago, the Department of Building & Housing had introduced its new CodeMark product certification scheme.
in Mt Wellington (photos 1 & 2).
Expected to be “30% cheaper to run”, lighting, air conditioning,
building management systems and construction techniques had all been reviewed and upgraded to improve energy efficiency.
Indeed Mitre 10 Chief Executive, John Hartmann, said at the time that Mitre 10 had spent more than a year investigating the most energy efficient equipment and systems and the Lunn Av store would become a template for improving the energy efficiency of Mitre 10’s other stores.
With the cooperative set to open 10 more new MEGAs in 2011, taking its store count to more than 120 nationwide, Bunnings meanwhile wasn’t sitting idle either.
Indeed, by the end of the year Bunnings would have cut the ribbon on six new stores since January 2010. Already firing along were the East Tamaki Trade Centre, Wellington Central and Dunedin to be followed by three further stores in Napier, Te Awamutu and Lyall Bay, Wellington.
3
Bunnings had also started work on the new Glenfield Bunnings Warehouse being built on the site of the former 3M buildings and up close and personal, to say the least, with the existing Mitre 10 MEGA (photo 3), while a new Mount Wellington store would take over part of the historic Masport foundry site.
With the 2020 iteration already some days past, October 6th 2010 saw the return
of the Hardware
Awards with some
320+ industry
worthies choosing to celebrate excellence
in hardware retailing
with us at the top
of the Auckland 4 Museum (photo 4).
We said at the time: “People enjoyed themselves; they were pleased to make new acquaintances and refresh old ones. Our lasting impression is of an industry that was happy to be together in a single room for the first time in a while, despite sharpening competition, and a tough marketplace.”
Then as now...
Our November 2010
magazine has this to say: “While
admirable in its intent, the new CodeMark regime of product certification looks certain to raise eyebrows and cause no little discussion within the building materials supply channels.”
James Hardie’s Linea weatherboard was the first product to qualify under this scheme.
Fully 10 years on, with eyebrows still raised, we are still expecting to hear details of major revisions promised following a significant self-examination of product assurance in 2019.
Energy efficiency in big box retail is nothing new. Indeed, 10 years ago, we were reporting on the opening of Raymond and Dennis Yee’s massive new “green” Mitre 10 MEGA on Lunn Av
2
48 NZHJ | NOVEMBER 2020
MORE AT www.hardwarejournal.co.nz