Latest news with #RodCaust
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bunnings quietly rolls out 'brilliant' new store feature for EV drivers
As more and more electric cars appear on Australia's roads, drivers will have another, and very familiar, place to recharge their battery-powered vehicles. Retail giant Bunnings Warehouse is rolling out a range of EV chargers in the carparks of selected stores, meaning EV owners can charge up while they shop. Yahoo understands that Bunnings has so far installed chargers at 14 of its store locations in NSW, Victoria and WA, as well as New Zealand. The company currently has two more stores to be equipped with chargers in the coming weeks. Given the retailer has more than 500 stores across Australia and New Zealand, the rollout is currently being hyper targeted to where the retailer believes demand is strongest. Sydney woman Sarah Aubrey who runs a social media business dedicated to developments in electric vehicles, battery technology and electric home appliances described the chargers as "brilliant" after happening upon a 120kW installment at the retail giant's Alexandria store in the city's inner west this week. "You're at Bunnings, you're spending some time here lollygagging, 120 kilowatts, that is very fast," she said in a video sharing the find with her followers. "So you'll be good to go. I am so stoked about that, that is awesome." Bunnings Director of Stores Rod Caust told Yahoo News Australia the early rollout was about "meeting the changing needs" of customers. "As electric vehicles become more common in Australia and New Zealand, we're installing EV charging stations in some of our store car parks so our customers with EVs can charge up while they shop," he said. The Bunnings chargers include a mix of 22kW, 50kW and the super fast 120kW chargers seen in the Alexandria store. Customers will be able to use their chosen EV charging station app to see if their local store has chargers installed with signage and instructions in relevant carparks to help customers. Late last year the mega hardware store began stocking a range of new EV-related products, including Tesla's Powerwall home batteries as the EV trend gained more and more momentum. "We're launching a range of electric vehicle chargers and accessories across selected stores to make it easier for our customers to own and maintain EVs," Bunnings director of merchandise Cam Rist told Yahoo News in November. "The range, which includes wall-mounted EV chargers that can be installed in customers' homes, is currently being rolled out to 40 pilot stores across Australia in a phased approach. We know the EV market is growing rapidly in Australia and we're pleased to be making these products more accessible to customers at an affordable price, which have been traditionally hard to find in retail stores." More than a third of Australians believe misinformation about electric vehicles, while almost half accept the myth battery-powered cars are more likely to catch fire, a study shows. Researchers from the University of Queensland and three German institutions released the findings late on Monday, following surveys of more than 6,300 people in Australia, the United States, Germany and Austria. Their results mirrored concerns in a recent NRMA study, which found misinformation about battery safety was preventing motorists from investing in low-emission cars. The UQ peer-reviewed research, published in the Springer Nature Energy journal, included the results of four surveys, the first of which asked non-electric vehicles drivers for their opinions about false information about the cars. Despite the untruthful claims, more than one in three Australians on average went along with the assertions (35 per cent) - slightly lower than the average across all four nations (36 per cent). Related: Astounding EV detail in Chinese city that's on 'another level' Incorrect statements that EVs were more likely to catch fire than petrol or diesel cars gained the highest acceptance from Australians surveyed (47 per cent), while 44 per cent also believed EV batteries were deliberately non-upgradeable. Other claims about manufacturing outweighing the lower emissions of electric cars (35 per cent) and EV accidents being under-reported (26 per cent) were also concerning, University of Queensland environmental psychologist and co-author Chris Bretter said. "We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport," he added. The findings come days after NRMA released a report, prepared by Ipsos, that found two in three Australians remained concerned about electric vehicle battery fires and safety despite low incident reports. Eight electric vehicle fires have been reported in Australia to November 2024, according to EV Firesafe, including one with an unknown cause. with AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Man reveals secret Bunnings trick to navigate aisles: 'No one knows'
Tradies and home renovators usually go into Bunnings knowing exactly what they want to buy. But actually finding the item in-store is a whole different story — and shoppers usually find themselves grabbing several other unnecessary (but could one day come in handy) products as they go. One jewellery maker recently revealed a secret hack for finding exactly what you're looking for using a tactic usually reserved for Bunnings workers to easily navigate aisles. Jalvi, a jewellery designer, told Yahoo News he was sick of spending ages walking up and down aisles of the hardware giant looking for the tool or item he was hoping to buy. So he asked a worker for advice, and their response left the shopper impressed. Every Bunnings store is set out with aisles and within the aisles are bay numbers, Jalvi, explained. "The left-hand side is odd numbers and the right-hand side is even numbers, just like houses on the street," he said. When looking for a particular product, Bunnings customers can find the relevant aisle and bay using the brand's website or App. And while finding the aisle is pretty straightforward, shoppers often struggle to identify the bay. In a video shared online, he points to a sticker on the side of a shelf with a barcode and set of numbers on it, with every shelf marked with a number. The top three numbers refer to the aisle, and the bottom three numbers refer to the bay number, he believes. Jalvi, who owns the jewellery brand Sailors and Seekers, said it came as a "revelation" to him after learning the hack, which will save him time in the future looking for the specific items he wants to buy. Bunnings Director of Stores Rod Caust told Yahoo News providing the best experience for customers is "really important". "Our layout aims to make shopping straightforward and convenient, for everything they need from the front gate to the back fence," he said. "We love hearing about customer's experience in store, including tricks for finding what they're after. Our website and Bunnings App are popular tools, and of course, our friendly team are always happy to help." The amazing realisation comes after another shopper discovered another "mind blowing" detail inside Bunnings. Property investor Paige Mills recently visited the store 18 times in 11 days while tiling her Ballarat home. She noticed at the two stores she frequents the stores are designed "in the order" of building a house. "It starts with timber, and then we go to plumbing, then flooring, electrical and then paint and landscaping," she said, adding that they are "all in the order that you would do things". 'The layout theory applies to the half a dozen stores I frequent across two Victorian towns," she told Yahoo. While not every store follows the same layout, Caust told Yahoo at the time that "natural flow" is what's prioritised to make shopping a more seamless experience. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tradie's cheeky Bunnings act prompts warning: 'Can't support that'
A tradie and his apprentice have started a cheeky trend in Bunnings stores across the country, prompting the hardware giant to weigh in. Describing it as a "bit of harmless fun", Brad, owner of decking and landscaping company HC Urban shared a video encouraging others to play Jenga with a pallet of timber at his local store in Perth. He told Yahoo News that after sharing a video of an apprentice poking a piece of timber out of the middle of the pile and putting it on top, he was inundated with "countless" pictures and videos by people "having a laugh" by following suit. The trend started after an off-the-cuff comment telling his apprentice that the pile of timber looked like a "big Jenga set". "It progressed from that," he told Yahoo. "We've been doing it for a while but thought let's make it [video] and see if everyone else can get around it for a bit of harmless fun," he said. "Knowing that all Bunnings have the same layout, [we thought] hopefully everyone can join in the fun.' Hundreds and thousands of Aussies who have seen the video have reacted to the funny scene, and while some couldn't wait to get to their local hardware store to give it a try, others said they've been told off for being caught doing it. While Bunnings Director of Stores, Rod Caust, said he "loves" to see people having fun in stores, "stacking timber like a giant Jenga tower isn't quite what we had in mind." "The safety of our team and customers is our number one priority, so we can't support anything that puts anyone at risk," he said. "We ask our customers to keep the Jenga battles to the backyard, but if you need timber for a project — or a DIY Jenga tower — our team is always happy to help you stack it safely." 🌱 Tough new rule spotted in Bunnings gardening aisle: '$6,000 fine' 🦺 $7 item helping solo traveller to 'stealth camp' for free 🦘 Unexpected 'visitor' highlights sad tren It was recently suggested Bunnings uses a clever tactic to lay out its stores, with one shopper noticing that some are designed "in the order" of building a house. "It starts with timber, and then we go to plumbing, then flooring, electrical and then paint and landscaping," she said, adding that they are "all in the order that you would do things". Another little-known perk sees Bunnings offer tradies a special breakfast targeted at their most loyal customers. Electrical apprentice Eleanor Gleeson previously told Yahoo News Australia that attending the breakfast is a "rite of passage" for those who work in trades and the merchandise handed out as freebies is "highly sought after". "Trade breakfasts are a morning event where they have free breakfast and coffees for tradies," the New Zealander told Yahoo, adding that it's also a chance to grab some merch and chat with suppliers and other tradies in the industry. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bunnings responds to shopper's 'incredible' realisation about store layouts: 'Blow your mind'
Many avid DIY-ers likely spend their Saturday mornings wandering the aisles of Bunnings — sausage in hand — searching for the right products to fix the lawn or follow a handy home improvement hack. But many likely haven't put much thought into what goes into the perfect store layout. One young Aussie's theory about how the hardware giant designs its giant stores has left thousands astounded and will make navigating just a little easier. Property investor Paige Mills, who loves to DIY said she recently visited the store 18 times in 11 days while tiling her Ballarat home. She noticed at the two stores she frequented a "mind-blowing" detail which she said was confirmed to her after speaking to a staff member. She discovered that stores are designed "in the order" of building a house. "It starts with timber, and then we go to plumbing, then flooring, electrical and then paint and landscaping," she said, adding that they are "all in the order that you would do things". 'The layout theory applies to the half a dozen stores I frequent across two Victorian towns," she told Yahoo. Many Aussies were stunned, while others were left wondering if there is any truth behind it and Bunnings Director of Stores Rod Caust has since cast some light on what is really going on. "Providing the best experience for our customers is really important to us and our layout aims to make shopping straightforward and convenient, whether for a major build or a DIY project," he told Yahoo News. Not every store follows the same layout, but Caust added that "natural flow" is what's prioritised to make shopping a more seamless experience. "Bunnings has everything customers need from the front gate to the back fence of their homes, and while our layout might feel like it follows the process of building a house, it's really about creating a natural flow to make shopping as easy as possible," he said. 🌳 Tradie's 'monster' find in stormwater drain highlights $10,000 issue 🌱 Bunnings worker inspires with 'amazing' $10 garden idea ⛲️ Gardener's incredible backyard transformation highlights 'growing trend' Bulk building products are usually found in the store's drive-through timber yard, which then leads to smaller building materials, tools, decorating then outdoor living and nursery. Key areas like plumbing are grouped with bathroom and kitchen. Flooring and window furnishings are paired alongside one another along with lighting and electrical leads. Yahoo understands there are some exceptions, like paint which sits in the centre of the store because it's a key part of most projects. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
