HAMMER IT HOME

Clennett’s CBD move

A TASMANIAN-OWNED hardware company is taking on interstate competition head-on, with plans to open a new store in Hobart’s CBD. Clennett’s Mitre 10 has signed an agreement to lease a site in Patrick St for a new $2 million store, which it hopes will be open by April next year.

Managing director William Clennett said the development would fill the void left by the demise of K&D, which closed its store in Melville St earlier this year.

Local hardware stores have struggled to survive in recent years with the expansion of national hardware giant Bunnings across the state.

Mr Clennett said customers were becoming more socially and environmentally conscious. “I think buying local is a natural extension of that,” he said.

HOBART is set to get a new inner-city hardware store, which is expected to open in April next year.

Clennett’s Mitre 10 has earmarked a site in Patrick St, between Argyle and Campbell streets, for a $2 million development which will cater for both retail and trade customers.

Managing director William Clennett said he had signed a heads of agreement with the landlord, and hoped to have lease negotiations finalised by the end of this month.

The development still needs to be approved by council, but he’s hopeful the store will open on April 1 next year.

Mr Clennett said the development would fill a void left by the closure of K&D’s city store earlier this year, and would operate in addition to his existing stores in Kingston, Huonville, Glenorchy and Mornington.

It would also provide some fresh, locally-owned competition for major hardware player Bunnings, which has stores at Kingston, Glenorchy and Mornington.

“The Clennett’s business is set up to really dominate within the building products market, but we have also targeted retail categories where we believe we can offer a more specialised service such as power tools, paint, garden and bathroom goods,” Mr Clennett said.

“We’ve also deliberately tried to partner with big brands such as Wattyl paints, Milwaukee, Stihl and Webber, all brands which Bunnings don’t supply.’

“We are really focused on supplying quality products, and I think customers are trending back that way.

“I think the market is changing, and people are becoming more socially and environmentally conscious, and I think buying local is a natural extension of that.’’

He said the city would add a new level of convenience for shoppers living and working in Hobart, while a free home delivery service also gave Mitre 10 a point of difference.

The new site is 3900sqm, with 1000sqm of retail space, a 2000sqm trade centre and off-street parking for 40 cars.

The initial investment will be $2 million, with a further $4 million expected to be spent in the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, Mr Clennett’s Kingston business is undergoing an $800,000 expansion, with a new sand and soil yard being developed on the former Kingston Landscape Centre site in Mertonvale Circuit. It’s about 500m from the existing “fork in the road” hardware store in Huntingfield Drive.

Mr Clennett took ownership of the landscape centre this week, and signed a 20year lease on the site, which is closed for four to eight weeks while existing buildings and amenities are demolished. The expansion aims to ease traffic congestion and provide more space for shoppers.

Mr Clennett also hopes to redevelop a corner of the existing Mitre 10 site in the next couple of years to incorporate bulky goods tenants, which could include automotive, lighting or other specialist offerings to complement services provided by Mitre 10.