Wesfarmers : Second Bunnings Warehouse store in the UK opens for trading

A new Bunnings Warehouse store opened its doors to customers on Wednesday 12 April on Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire.

The second pilot store in the UK and Ireland continues the momentum of establishing the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK's £38billion-a-year home improvement and garden market.

Over 50 new jobs have been created, in addition to 30 new positions at the first Bunnings Warehouse store in Griffiths Way, which opened in February.

The company, part of Australia's Wesfarmers Group, plans to invest up to £500million rolling out the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK and Ireland over three to five years.

The Hatfield Road Bunnings Warehouse is 40,000 square feet and stocks more than 24,000 different home improvement and garden products. The store also features timber cutting, a garden centre, a new tool shop offering world leading brands including Ryobi and DeWalt, a 'colour wall' with over 3,000 colour tiles - as well as paint mixing from Johnstone's Trade, Crown and Dulux offering an unlimited paint colour choice to customers.

England rugby union legend, Kyran Bracken also joined team members to celebrate the opening.

Emma Wimble, Bunnings Warehouse Hatfield Road Complex Manager, said: 'Our team members have worked really hard to prepare the store for opening and we are looking forward to helping customers and the community with their home and garden projects.

'We have already helped Sandridge School by tidying up an unused area of land by repainting flower beds and creating vegetable patches so the children can set up a gardening club. And we look forward to doing more with groups in the local area in the future.'

Total size: More than 40,000 square feet (3,700 square metres)
Address: The Courtyard Alban Park, Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL4 0JJ
Opening hours: 7am-9pm (Monday to Friday), 7am-8pm (Saturday), 10am-4pm (Sunday)
Store features: Indoor children's playground, café, timber cutting, garden centre, colour wall and engraving and key cutting services
New jobs created: 53 new full and part-time roles created
(taking the total to 71)
Expertise: Over 90 leading brands supported the store team by delivering 'in the aisle' interactive product knowledge training
Activity Organiser: Dedicated Team Member responsible for Community Involvement activity and in store workshop programme
Community Involvement: Engaged with three community groups prior to the store opening; Sandridge School, Earthworks and Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club
Range: Over 24,000 lines
Brands: Introduction of leading brands including DeWalt, Ryobi, Irwin Tools and Johnstone's Trade, as well as Purdy and Harris