Inside one of Australia's biggest Bunnings as new Frenchs Forest store set to open
One of Australia's biggest Bunnings is set to open its doors on Sydney’s northern beaches featuring the first three-level retail format in NSW - with five storeys all up - and a giant rooftop plant nursery.
Do-it-yourselfers rejoice and raise your hammers in homage.
One of the biggest Bunnings Warehouse outlets in Australia is set to open its doors on the northern beaches.
Early on Monday, December 1, the $48m 5-storey hardware and building trades complex will welcome its first customers at its French Forest site.
The opening comes close to four years after work first began — the demolition of an Australia Post distribution centre at the corner of Allambie and Warringah roads.
Bunnings boasts its new 20,000 sqm outlet is the first in NSW with three levels of retail including a giant outdoor rooftop plant nursery as well as a cafe and kids’ playground.
Tradies will be excited to learn that it also has the biggest enclosed timber and trades yards in Australia on its ground floor, with five lanes for pick-ups. There are also six aisles devoted to tools.
The warehouse, which is provided about 120 local jobs, joins another 285 large warehouse stores, 68 smaller format stores and 29 trade centres across the country.
Those working at Frenchs Forest range in age from 15 to 82 years old.
The new outlet is also offering a new kitchen design centre and the first Beaumont Tiles “store within-store’ concept as well as parking for more than 400 cars.
Bunnings Frenchs Forest complex manager, Paul Burgess, who previously managed the Balgowlah outlet, said the new store represented a major investment in the local
community.
“We’re so proud to be opening one of the country’s largest and most advanced Bunnings stores right here in Frenchs Forest,” Mr Burgess said.
“It’s been designed to deliver the very best experience for our customers, whether they’re trade professionals or weekend DIYers,” Paul said.
“The team can’t wait to welcome everyone through the doors and showcase all the new features, from the rooftop nursery to our new kitchen design centre.”
Mr Burgess said in the lead-up to the opening, he has been regularly stopped in the street, because he’s wearing his distinctive Bunnings red shirt and apron, and asked when the store was going to open.
“When I go over to the shops to get a sandwich, people are always wanting to know when they can make a visit. It’s been amazing.”
New recruit, 19-year-old Ruby-Jayne Kelly, of Frenchs Forest, who joined the store’s lifestyles team two months ago, said the store was a “really great place to work”.
“Everyone is so much fun,” Ruby-Jayne said.
Kitchen specialist Anya Raj, of Chatswood, said the new outlet had “so much space”.
“And our new kitchen design store is so beautiful.”
To help the community celebrate, Bunnings Frenchs Forest will host a grand opening weekend on December 13 and 14, featuring family-friendly entertainment, activities and giveaways.
As a result of the new opening, the Bunnings at Warringah Mall and its trade centre at Cromer have now closed.
For more information about the store click here.
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Originally published as Inside one of Australia's biggest Bunnings as new Frenchs Forest store set to open
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