Retail update
Stephen Iser receives IHG award
Mt Gambier Mitre 10 makes a move; Byron Bay Mitre 10 closes; and awards for Ponting's Mitre 10 and Margaret River store
Thu Mar 23 2023
Hume & Iser's Stephen Iser has been inducted into Independent Hardware Group's hall of fame. Mr Iser was celebrated by other members at the group's national conference in February. He recently told the Bendigo Advertiser:
My entire family kept it a secret. I had no idea, and I was up there with my wife and our CEO, and my hardware manager and my timber manager.
I was told to go up there because we won the Victorian large format Mitre 10 store so we could be (in the running for) the national large format store of the year too.
It just hit me like a ton of bricks so I was walking up the stairs and my wife (Gail) was behind me and I didn't hear any of what they were announcing. Then Gail said look who is here and it was my son, daughter, daughter-in-law and our five grandchildren.
Mr Iser said the moment was one of the highlights of his long career after working in the family business for 50 years. The store is in its 140th year of operation. He is now enjoying retirement although he remains a part-owner and director.
You just get time back, you've got time to do things without being under the pump. When you're a business owner you're always here seven days a week and on the phone on weekends, you're never away from it.
Looking back, Mr Iser believes change was necessary for business to flourish and if the company did not change over the years, the family would not have had a business. He told the Bendigo Advertiser:
We've changed every year with new initiatives, just different ways to do business and stuff like that. Shows like The Block and Better Homes and Gardens where they show people how you can do a room up for $200, that's just been a boon for us.
Everyone's into DIY and doing their own stuff and, in particular, with the pandemic, that was just unbelievable for us. Everyone was locked up in home and they were doing stuff at home.
He said despite current difficulties with interest rates and the cost of living, he was confident the team would make it through.
Look, I've been here that long that I've seen it come and go, I've been here when interest rates were 20%, that nearly killed us but we got through it.
Mr Iser recalled the 1990 recession that caused sales to drop by 50% overnight. He said:
If we (had not had) some good assets to sell we probably wouldn't be here, it's simple as that. It was very, very tough.
Related: Stephen Iser and his store was featured in a past edition of HI News where he went into detail about its history and challenges over the years.
The wisest Iser - HI News 5.4, December 2019, page 45Mount Gambier
A site located on the corner of Jubilee Highway West and O'Leary Road in Mount Gambier (SA) previously home to a Bunnings store is set to be the new location for Mitre 10 Mount Gambier and a Total Tools store. Both are owned by K&B Timber and Hardware. K&B Mitre 10 general manager Jarrod Spearman spoke to The Border Watch and said:
I think it gives us the opportunity to launch a pretty special store and remind the community there's another hardware store out there. The addition of Total Tools provides us that complementary option for the trade customer as well.
We're well and truly in the planning stages now, but we envision both stores trading by mid-year.
The current Mitre 10 store along Sturt Street will remain open as normal until the new location is ready.
Mr Spearman said the development would provide an additional 15 staff to the current team. He told The Mount Gambier News:
I think anytime you get to reuse a fantastic site like this can only be good for the community, You can see that Mount Gambier is expanding out - and this will absolutely support the new residents and the new businesses that are fuelling that growth
Herbert Commercial sales manager Matt Kain said large-scale developments signalled to investors Mount Gambier was stepping towards the next layer of growth. He said:
It has certainly become evident through a number of our commercial transactions, that here locally, Mount Gambier is being seen. Some of the bigger retail national brands that probably - skip over smaller regional areas - Mount Gambier is stepping into that next calibre of size.
Byron Bay
The Mitre 10 store on Johnston Street in Byron Bay (NSW) has now closed. The announcement was made via a Facebook post.
The store has been owned by James and Lisa Mitchell since 2001, having first opened its doors in 1991. There is a Bunnings Warehouse less than a 10-minute drive away, in Byron Bay's industrial estate.
Reacting to the news of Mitre 10's closure in Byron Bay, store manager Richard Gibson described its closure as "the price of progress", according to Daily Mail Australia.
Over the years the store has played an active role in the local community, reports Byron Shire News. In 2016, the hardware retailer joined forces with Byron Bay's premier annual aquatic event, The Byron Bay Ocean Swim Classic and Mini Swim, by becoming the sponsors of the Mini Swim.
Warrnambool
Ponting's Mitre 10 in regional Victoria was crowned Australia's top store of its size at the IHG awards in Queensland.
Now in its milestone 100th year in business, co-owner Pam Madner (with John Ponting) told The Moyne Gazette:
It's a fabulous award to be getting in our 100th year of trading ... We feel lucky that we've inherited a business that is still surviving today.
We've got fabulous staff. The staff are amazing, and we have a lot of loyal customers, which is really about our relationships.
Started by Walter Ponting and brother Len, it is now a third-generation family-run business. Ms Madner said its switch to Mitre 10 in 2019 was a turning point for the business and helped it achieve the win.
I think it made it a better shopping environment for customers to want to come in. I'm excited to be part of the Mitre 10 team. Since we joined. we've had three of our best trading years.
Award judges said the store's focus on stock management, its dedicated team, a mindset of innovation and challenging the status quo had driven growth across its trade and DIY departments.
The transformation of the next-door site on Raglan Parade into a purpose-built timber storage shed and truck unloading bay in the trade yard had "significantly improved the safety and accessibility" for customers and staff.
The judges said in the DIY department, the team was continually challenging itself on how it could do better and working to improve its offering for customers.
They said the business' growth was underpinned by a strong and well-executed marketing campaign which included eye-catching displays and a sales driving value statement, as well as gaining new online followers on Tik Tok and Meta "making them relevant to a new generation".
It's the second time the business has won the national award, but the 2021 event was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Margaret River
Margaret River's Mitre 10 outlet has won the Western Australian State Store of Year 2023 award which was announced in late 2022. It was deemed the winner based on sales, customer service, store standards, stock availability and community involvement.
The store only took on the Mitre 10 banner in October 2019, after transitioning from the Home Hardware brand. Store manager Paul Brown said it was extra special to receive the award after only being part of the Mitre 10 group for just over three years. He told the Augusta Margaret River Mail:
We're all thrilled to have taken out this prestigious award. Our fantastic team provide our customers with professional and dedicated customer service, always striving towards 100 per cent satisfaction.
