New focus for Masters

 

mastersMasters will open four new stores in Western Sydney next year as the Woolworths-owned hardware chain turns it focus to metropolitan areas as part of a more strategic rollout.

Masters in investing more than $100 million in the four stores, to be located in Penrith, Marsden Park, Northmead and Rouse Hill, and according to Masters MD, Matt Tyson, the stores are the first of many planned for metropolitan Sydney.

In August, Woolworths said it would dramatically slow the rollout of new outlets  to between 10 to 15 a year, about half as many as originally planned, as losses ballooned to $176 million in 2013/14.

Woolworths also dumped its pledge for Masters to break even and have 90 stores in 2016, with Woolworths CEO, Grant O’Brien, admitting in August the rollout had been flawed, resulting in uneven national store coverage and a less efficient supply chain.

The first store at Rouse Hill is expected to open in early 2015, with Northmead, Marsden Park, and Penrith scheduled to open by the end of 2015.

Masters Penrith will be a new concept store for the brand, offering a variety of big brand appliances, kitchens, and a drive through trade area.

Masters has 10 stores open in NSW at Gregory Hills, Chullora, St Marys, Hoxton Park, Bathurst, Rutherford, Taree, Wagga Wagga, Heatherbrae, and West Gosford, with a further seven stores are under construction Masters will have 17 stores in NSW by the end of 2015.

Masters has opened 49 stores across Australia since first launching as joint venture between Woolworths and US-based hardware chain, Lowes, in 2011.

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