Masters no more

Went in the Hawthorn store today. I saw a couple of people holding closing down sale sign at the freeway exit. In side the store it was busy, but it wasn't packed like a real closing down sale though. Saw a can of Bulls eye Shellac that was made in 2016 Feb (After I read an article on how to decode the Zinsser manufacture coding) so I bought that and a few other things that is nice to have like a Bessey clamp, a japanese pull saw blade and a Kobalt plane blade. I notice on the receipts that trade discount no longer applies. Agree that I've seen nobody buying up big while I was there.

A family member works there now to fire all the staff. They have 800mil worth of stock theyre looking to sell for 600mill.

So dont expect huge discounts along the whole stock range.

One stores usually turns over 300k a week and is over 1mill already. So the stock is going its just not crazy cheap yet.

Also there is no defined end date. Its just when each store clears enough stock to close. Them the stock moves to one of the busier stores.

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Originally Posted by Bebbo

A family member works there now to fire all the staff. They have 800mil worth of stock theyre looking to sell for 600mill.

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Ha! Good luck with that.

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Originally Posted by Bebbo

Then the stock moves to one of the busier stores.

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I didn't know there were any....

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Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

I didn't know there were any....

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Hahaha apparently so

The clan and I passed a Masters on the way to Sunday brunch today, and on all the corners they had young staff standing holding a shutting down sale sign.

The poor buggers looked so morose, and while a lot of times in jobs you have to do things you may not enjoy or like, I thought it was particularly distasteful and demeaning to the staff especially given the circumstances.

Just really put me off even considering going to Masters for anything!

cheers, Ian

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Originally Posted by aarggh

The clan and I passed a Masters on the way to Sunday brunch today, and on all the corners they had young staff standing holding a shutting down sale sign.

The poor buggers looked so morose, and while a lot of times in jobs you have to do things you may not enjoy or like, I thought it was particularly distasteful and demeaning to the staff especially given the circumstances.

Just really put me off even considering going to Masters for anything!

cheers, Ian

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Yes, I think it's the ways of the organisation brought in to close them down. The large banners on the stores saying "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS" don't attract customers as much as "CLEARANCE SALE" would.

But 10% off doesn't qualify as a "CLEARANCE SALE" so they were in fact being truthful.

I wandered around Masters last Saturday. I don't consider 10% really that good a deal unless you are in need of 1000's of dollars worth of equipment. The 30% discount was only on fixings such as screws etc. Bunnings appears to have a better selection for fixings but it seems to me that both stock inferior quality screws etc. I can't tell you how many times I have torn the head off a screw I bought from Bunnings...Zenith brand usually, they must make them out of pig iron. They do stock some quality power tools, but again, 10% is not a great deal unless you are buying some really expensive stuff and are in dire need of such a tool.

As to Masters vs Bunnings - I have always had a love hate relationship - I love hardware, but I hate going to either store. I have only recently discovered Timbecon (also began life in WA like Bunnings) - I got great service there (phone, email and in-store!). I purchased a drill press and the guy threw in some drill bits - you won't get that at Bunnings!

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Originally Posted by Bebbo

They have 800mil worth of stock theyre looking to sell for 600mill.

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Is the 800 million at full retail price? They won't be getting anything like 75% of retail for most stuff. Especially not towards the end when it's all the crap left.

800 million doesn't actually sound that bad compared to dick Smith. They apparently had 100 million in EXTRA stock before they went broke.

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Originally Posted by Geebung

I wandered around Masters last Saturday. I don't consider 10% really that good a deal unless you are in need of 1000's of dollars worth of equipment. The 30% discount was only on fixings such as screws etc. Bunnings appears to have a better selection for fixings but it seems to me that both stock inferior quality screws etc. I can't tell you how many times I have torn the head off a screw I bought from Bunnings...Zenith brand usually, they must make them out of pig iron. They do stock some quality power tools, but again, 10% is not a great deal unless you are buying some really expensive stuff and are in dire need of such a tool.

As to Masters vs Bunnings - I have always had a love hate relationship - I love hardware, but I hate going to either store. I have only recently discovered Timbecon (also began life in WA like Bunnings) - I got great service there (phone, email and in-store!). I purchased a drill press and the guy threw in some drill bits - you won't get that at Bunnings!

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Bunnings is an expensive place to buy fixings from anyway. 30% would still be more then i pay for off several fastener mobs anyway

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Where do you get your fixings from Bebbo?

Just got back from masters. I screenshot prices of some dar primed timber earlier in the week. It was less than half price. Go to the store today and it was about 30% more expensive than advertised. Apparently prices are updated every Wednesday. I was extremely off. It wasn't much money but the principle. They can die a painful death as far as I am concerned.

It's price baiting. Probably not illegal but very disrespectful. No store having a closing date sale should be raising prices.

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Originally Posted by chris0375

Just got back from masters. I screenshot prices of some dar primed timber earlier in the week. It was less than half price. Go to the store today and it was about 30% more expensive than advertised. Apparently prices are updated every Wednesday. I was extremely off. It wasn't much money but the principle. They can die a painful death as far as I am concerned.

It's price baiting. Probably not illegal but very disrespectful. No store having a closing date sale should be raising prices.

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Haha whoever is in charge of administration is a fool. They're going to sit on stock forever while having to keep staff on the books, then eventually drop the price to the level they should have started with anyway.

Just a side issue on Masters Closing Down....

Today I dropped in to see an old mate who works there and while I was waiting for him to finish serving a customer I asked the lass on the counter how she was and how things have been going with the sale.
Well I'd spoken with this lass before and she's quite a good kid but what she said nearly floored me.
The customers have been taking there frustrations about masters and the close down on the staff giving them some awful grief and in some cases abuse.
I was discussed and could only chat with her trying to encourage her.

PLEASE folk, don't take out frustration upon staff who are more than likely loosing the jobs.
Cheers, crowie

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Originally Posted by bueller

Haha whoever is in charge of administration is a fool. They're going to sit on stock forever while having to keep staff on the books, then eventually drop the price to the level they should have started with anyway.

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As per usual I reckon you'll find the "fools in charge" will receive their bonuses and golden payouts regardless of any outcome!

I went into Mornington Masters last week. Attracted by tv ad declari g massive savings blah blah. The only things reduced more than 10% was the exorbitantly priced imported American red oak and poplar. I never saw anything else priced less than 10% off. And they were still dearer than Bunnings. I commented on this to a staff member and he said discounts would increase as closure in December got nearer. Yeah, right! When only useless crap is left. Like plastic brush n pan sets.

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Originally Posted by rrich

I got a giggle out of the video.

There was a comment that was notable:

Lowes didn't understand the Australian market. The comment about snow shovels in summer was hysterical. Lowes is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The fact that your seasons and our seasons are reversed was lost on Lowes.

Remember with all of their training, a Lowes manager can manage anyone, anywhere, anytime without having to know what they are managing. I can substitute several company names for Lowes based upon personal experience. LOL!

Here in the US, Sears attempted to move into the home center business. Sears acquired Orchard Supply Hardware, a small supply house oriented about the wine industry in the Napa Valley and in reality a very good hardware chain. Sears changed the name to OSH and acquired a lot of sites. Sears headquartered in Chicago managed the stock and the store layout including shelf space arrangements.

SWMBO wanted to walk through the OSH in Huntington Beach when the store first opened. As we were walking through the store, she starts giggling. I asked her, "What are you laughing at?" SWMBO points and says, "Those are sump pumps, aren't they?" Yes, there was about 2 M of shelf space dedicated to displaying 6 or 8 different models of sump pumps. Her astute observation was, "They aren't going to stay in business very long."

In Huntington Beach, except for a few multistory commercial buildings, there are probably less than 10 basements in the city. All the houses are built on either a slab or a half meter crawl space. In my neighborhood the water table is 1.5 M which makes a basement almost impossible.

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I worked in a Timber and hardware retail outlet in the early 1980s just when DIY was taking off in a big way. If anyone with a brain and some commonsense at Woolworths would listen i could tell them where they went so seriously wrong. I watched, from day one, the slide to oblivion. Everythong from staff, product knowledge, product range, pricing, service and location. It was all wrong. Im not surprised they failed.

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First time i walked into a Masters, was impressed with how 'showy' it was, but disappointed to overhear two staff conversations bitching about bosses. Went away thinking 'something's wrong here????

I guess success and failure start at the top. If you can't motivate staff you will never succeed.

I always found the staff at the Keysborough branch really good, but I never liked going there as it felt like walking into a morgue. Always dead and barely a person in sight any time I went.

I passed one last week and needed some concrete, so thought I'd pull in, but it seemed everyone else in Melb had the same idea, not a parking spot to be seen. So I drove out and went to Bunnings.

Speaking of possible warranty issues. Went to Masters Ellenbrook yesterday and noticed about eight 600mm Bessey K-body parallel clamps - given all the other stores I've visited last week this was a surprise as most Besey clamps had been cleaned out. Was all set to grab a few (more) when I notice two were missing the protection pads... then I noticed two were pretty scuffed up. Turns out every one of them had some sort of damage. Perhaps Masters are dumping returned stock/seconds now. :?

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Originally Posted by Mike B

Speaking of possible warranty issues. Went to Masters Ellenbrook yesterday and noticed about eight 600mm Bessey K-body parallel clamps - given all the other stores I've visited last week this was a surprise as most Besey clamps had been cleaned out. Was all set to grab a few (more) when I notice two were missing the protection pads... then I noticed two were pretty scuffed up. Turns out every one of them had some sort of damage. Perhaps Masters are dumping returned stock/seconds now. :?

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Did you buy them mate because i happen to have two pair of protection pads. I sold my K Body clamps a few years ago (stupidly) and at the time couldnt find the pads for 2 of them. Found them recently. Yours if you want them.
Cheers
Mike

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Originally Posted by Shedhand

Did you buy them mate because i happen to have two pair of protection pads. I sold my K Body clamps a few years ago (stupidly) and at the time couldnt find the pads for 2 of them. Found them recently. Yours if you want them.
Cheers
Mike

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Thanks for the kind offer but I'm all good.:thyel:
I didn't get them and the ones with missing pads were I suspect sacrificed to better condition clamps previously. They were also either bent in the shaft, cracked or the angle of the jaws was off.

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Originally Posted by Mike B

Thanks for the kind offer but I'm all good.:thyel:
I didn't get them and the ones with missing pads were I suspect sacrificed to better condition clamps previously. They were also either bent in the shaft, cracked or the angle of the jaws was off.

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Cant understand why on earth the obviously damaged k bodies were back on sale. I thought they would have gone back to Bessey. Weird.

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Originally Posted by Shedhand

Did you buy them mate because i happen to have two pair of protection pads. I sold my K Body clamps a few years ago (stupidly) and at the time couldnt find the pads for 2 of them. Found them recently. Yours if you want them.
Cheers
Mike

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Hi Mike,

I would welcome them if they are still up for offer. My kids have played hide and seek with mine.

cheers damien

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Originally Posted by Damienol

Hi Mike,

I would welcome them if they are still up for offer. My kids have played hide and seek with mine.

cheers damien

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Pm me your address Damo and I'll post them off next chance i get.
Cheers
Mike.
Ps. Train your kids better.😎

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Originally Posted by Geebung

Where do you get your fixings from Bebbo?

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Ozbuild. Brisbane fasteners, bayside fasteners, tradetools.

Tradetools nails are great. 50% off senco/airco nails at masters was still more expensive then tradetools brand :)

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Seen at the West Gosford Masters today. Private security guards checking women's' hand bags. Things must be getting bad.

TT

Looking for terrorists more like it. Fools! I'll tell you something after I've got my bargains it'll be the last time I ever go near anything owned by Woolworths. I hope the whole lot go down the drain with the thousands of poker machines they blight our landscape with.

I was in the Masters at North Mead earlier this week and the prices at the so called 10, 20,% etc off were more than the shelf price when they were "in business". Anyone buying at Masters at the moment has rocks in their head and this was confirmed by the savvy shoppers (lookers) that I spoke to.

Hey, you've plagiarised my motto mate. Prepare to be sued. What tools do you have in your shed? 🤔

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Originally Posted by rwbuild

I was in the Masters at North Mead earlier this week and the prices at the so called 10, 20,% etc off were more than the shelf price when they were "in business". Anyone buying at Masters at the moment has rocks in their head and this was confirmed by the savvy shoppers (lookers) that I spoke to.

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Always wise to check what other people are selling it for. That's what I did with almost everything I've picked up from Masters in the last few weeks which has been almost a couple of $Gorillas worth.

As an example, I needed four rolls of 900mm x 30m birdwire for the vege garden. Masters starting price was less than anywhere I could find, including Gumtree & eBay, so I was happy to take it at 10% off. There were only five rolls left, so I wasn't going to take a risk on waiting for 20% or more. Just saw it at the local Home Hardware this week for a much higher starting price (like 25-30% more).

Seems to me that (under normal circumstances) all these retailers are more expensive on some lines, and less on others. Promote the cheap stuff in the hope of catching people out on other stuff, so they make up the lost profit, or at a minimum bank on people not being bothered to go to other places once they are in the shop ("might as well get it here for a few dollars more now that I'm here").

Called "Loss Leader". Get you in on a cheap price and make it up on other items.
One hardware store proclaims "Lower prices are the beginning", but they are not always the cheapest, and they need to actually stock the item you want. The idea is to get you in the store and relieve you of as much hard earned as possible.
Most people do not have the desire to spend a day trying to price items to work out where it is cheapest to perhaps save a couple of dollars. For me convenience can save me time which equals dollars.

Still plenty of bargains to be had at Masters if you look carefully.

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Originally Posted by Pearo

Still plenty of bargains to be had at Masters if you look carefully.

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Was at one store at 7am on Saturdayfor no other reason than I am an early riser. There were people lined up at the front door which I thought was unusual. Turns out the were starting to sell their display kitchens at bargain prices. I saw a $21000 kitchen sell for just over $5000. A number of the kitchens sold in the half an hour that I was there.

Tools

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Originally Posted by Tools

Was at one store at 7am on Saturdayfor no other reason than I am an early riser. There were people lined up at the front door which I thought was unusual. Turns out the were starting to sell their display kitchens at bargain prices. I saw a $21000 kitchen sell for just over $5000. A number of the kitchens sold in the half an hour that I was there.

Tools

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The electrical stuff was well priced, but the good stuff is gone now. I picked up a battery powered blue bosch saw cheaper than I could elsewhere and even got a further 10% off when they did an extra round of discounting last week. Not sure about the price of tightbond 3, but I picked up a big bottle of that also based on convenience ( I am sure it was cheaper than carbatec regardless).

I had to buy some pine cover strip today, but all sold out. I noticed that some stuff has been further discounted by 5 or 10% as I was wandering around.

picked up some new secaters for 4.50 each.
No price on the shelf.

They had a huge amount of the plastic garden picnic table folded chairs.
While I was looking some older gentleman was writing a price on them.

He was writing something like:
the original price of 39.99 on it and a 20% discount.
On the back row of the exact same chair there was a sign of:
the original price of 19.99 and 10% discount.
LOL

I had my phone up and camera starting when he removed the back sign.
Missed that opportunity.

Just be careful.

I went in to the garden area 90% mulch was gone.
Plenty of the straw looks like they trying to take advantage of the sell out.
10 bails for $8 each.

Gotta write it felt like I was picking at the carcass of an old friend.

My gardener thought she read an article that woolworths? was going to pay all Masters debts and keep them open.
She claimed it was just a few days ago.
No so sure about that one.

I bought a Triton router, A Hitachi cordless jigsaw and cordless drill driver once the discount dropped to 20% and these items were the last ones on the shelves.
I bought the last 4 Bessey clamps and a litre of Titebond.
I was going to buy these things anyway and a I trust those manufacturers' warranties.

I also bought some FJ pine, a flat board, a power cord and 2 power boards that I need for a project anyway.
I also bought 2 small brackets I needed. The cashier charged me for those but once I got home I found that he didn't put the brackets in the bag. Grrr!! (I can't really blame him. I've been under the cloud of redundancy before and it sucks. Pretty hard to concentrate at the end of a long day in a job that literally has no future. I'll let it go.)

I had a good look at a number of other things but they are not metric so the only extras I bought were the last 2 metric forstner bits.

Probably if they had bigger discounts I would have bought a CSMS and a whole bunch of other things but given that it's not much of a sale I think I'll go elsewhere and get exactly what I want, when I want, with the security of being able to return it.

In fact I've already been back to Bunnings twice because time was short and I needed to know they would have what I was looking for.

I will go back to Masters within the next week or two to buy some moulding that I need to finish a renovation. They have 50% off mouldings.
I'm not in a hurry to rush back to Masters because it isn't really that good a deal.

My big regret is really that Bunnings will have little competition.

Talking of prices and the Masters shutdown I was in Bunnings yesterday to buy some new style LED downlights. We bought some of the HPM branded version a few weeks ago at $33 each and they are awesome, sunglasses needed and they run on 10.5 watts so the mission was to get some more. The price has now risen to $53 each so that put a stop to that. $20 rise in two weeks, really???? I wonder if Masters shutting down has had anything to do with price levels like this. The Osram version is $25 so they got the nod instead. These things are seriously good lights....

https://www.bunnings.com.au/osram-24...light_p4371080

Where we had 5 lights running in the living area now we need two.

grrrr. went in to get auto retractable power reel.
Had 50% off signs everywhere.
Went to purchase and nope.
Not 50% off.
Showed them a pic of the item and the 50% off sign.
Nope not 50% off.

Bait n switch.

Just happened to look at deck lights.
$169 for 10 then 30% off.
No samples so needed to see what they were and how big.

Huge signs everywhere
DO NOT OPEN MERCHANDISE

Quick look anyway.
Super small like a pocket flashlight.
More like a toy.
Another miss.

Don't think I'll be returning.
But all the best in putting a good friend to bed.