Bunnings Toombul: Store to close in August

Bunnings Warehouse will close a north Brisbane store in a prime location just five years after it opened.

The Bunnings outlet at Toombul Shopping Centre in Brisbane’s north will cease trading in just weeks.

Staff are preparing to close the doors on August 15 after five years in operation.

The clever small-format Bunnings offering, accessible from within the shopping centre, was opened in August 2016 and while it could not offer the traditional sausage sizzle out the front it did offer community group cake stalls instead.

Bunnings Toombul manager Jodie Ianna outside the store after it first opened. Picture: Patria Jannides

However regional operations manager Margaret Walford said reviews of the company’s place in the local community revealed the Toombul site was no longer needed.

“As our store portfolio evolves and new investments are made, we continually review our network and our needs in the local areas in which we operate and our stores play an important role as part of that,” Ms Walford said.

“Because our lease expiry was nearing, we’ve made the decision to cease operations at our Toombul smaller format store and service the local community from our nearby stores in Virginia, Newstead and Stafford. Both our Virginia and Newstead Bunnings Warehouses opened in 2019 and offer customers a newer, wider and improved offer.”

A new large format retailer will replace Bunnings at Toombul Shopping Centre when it closes in August.

She said the staff at the Toombul store had “done an incredible job serving customers and the local community... and we thank the team for their commitment”.

She confirmed all staff would be offered transfers to nearby Bunnings stores.

She also said the closure did not affect plans for opening stores in other locations and said news of the closure followed development plans for an expansion of the retailer’s Stafford warehouse.

Bunnings Stafford is set for a huge overhaul. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The significant expansion of the Stafford Rd site was put before Brisbane City Council last year and would include an additional 6000sqm of additional retail space and 180 new car park.

As for what will replace Bunnings at Toombul, a shopping centre spokeswoman said a new “large format” retailer was on its way.

“While we are saddened see [Bunnings] go, we are excited to continue to evolve our retail offer to best meet the ever changing needs of our local community and valued customers,” she said.

“We look forward to welcoming a new large format retailer soon and sharing further announcements as they come.”