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Hardware franchises in Australia

We currently don’t have any listings under this category but we have put together concise industry analysis below to help you make an informed franchising decision.

Alternatively, you can check out our franchises home page to search for a particular franchise or similar category that may match your search requirements.


Franchise Spotlight: Hardware

A resilient segment in an otherwise struggling bricks-and-mortar retail market.

Hardware businesses provide tools and materials for DIY projects and tradespeople alike.

Sometimes referred to as DIY stores, they sell a wide range of products, including screws, hinges, locks, paint, hand and power tools, building supplies, housewares and garden products, among many other things.

Serving the retail and trade sectors somewhat spreads their risk exposure to negative industry trends – for instance, falling trade revenues were partially offset by a surge in DIY demand during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The $24bn hardware and building supplies market had an average annual industry growth rate of 1.9% between 2015–2020, according to statistics from market research firm IBISWorld. It should also benefit as discretionary incomes and construction activity rebound post-pandemic.

Franchise market analysis

The two biggest players in the ‘franchise’ sector (although neither describe themselves as franchises) are both owned by the same company, Australian consumer goods wholesaler Metcash.

The conglomerate’s financial clout and buying power gives franchisees of either brand an edge over independent counterparts when it comes to securing capacious retail space in prime locations, and offering a wide range of goods at low prices.

One of the brands, Home Timber & Hardware, is Australia’s third largest retail hardware chain with around 350 stores – some of which operate as Thrifty-Link Hardware and Hardings Hardware – and has a wholesale arm too.

The company says its store-floor staff, many of whom come from trade backgrounds, have enough in-depth knowledge to provide invaluable advice for a variety of DIY projects.

Founded in 1959, Mitre 10 comprises more than 300 Mitre 10 and True Value stores where it says customers can get practical DIY advice that is easy to understand and can save them time and money.

Nevertheless, it adds that serving tradespeople, ranging from local handymen to the country’s largest residential building firms, is “the very core of its business”.