SYDNEY, March 11, 2026, 10:10 AEDT.
Bunnings, owned by Wesfarmers, plans to boost its automotive offering by 500 new products and expand the section’s floor space by about 30% throughout Australia and New Zealand, according to a March 9 statement. The upgrade, rolling out in March and April, brings the chain’s in-store auto selection to over 1,200 items at more than 300 locations.
Timing is key for Wesfarmers, given Bunnings drives most of the company’s profits. For the half ending Dec. 31, Bunnings pulled in A$10.7 billion in revenue and delivered A$1.47 billion in EBIT, which fed into a 9.3% bump in Wesfarmers’ overall net profit to A$1.6 billion.
Bunnings boss Mike Schneider said there’s “strong demand from customers” and highlighted the “more than 25 million registered vehicles” across Australia and New Zealand. The retailer’s expanded lineup now reaches into car care, 4WD, marine, and cycling accessories. On Bunnings Marketplace, shoppers can browse over 30,000 automotive products online. Bunnings
Bunnings is stepping straight into tougher competition with dedicated auto retailers, beyond its usual hardware opponents. Super Retail Group describes Supercheap Auto as focused on automotive parts and accessories. GPC Asia Pacific, which owns Repco, claims to be the biggest supplier of automotive aftermarket parts across Australia and New Zealand.
Wesfarmers is pressing ahead with its expansion as it faces a patchy consumer environment. Back in February, CEO Rob Scott described demand as “solid” going into the second half, but flagged that rising costs weren’t affecting all shoppers the same way. The company noted Bunnings’ sales over the first six weeks roughly matched the pace set in the first half. Reuters
Wesfarmers climbed 1.47% to A$75.46 Tuesday, outpacing the S&P/ASX 200’s 0.67% gain, according to LSEG figures published by Reuters. The previous month, shares dropped as much as 6.1% on results day, with investors spooked by a slowdown in early second-half sales growth.
Even so, the main auto rollout is colliding with a wobbly consumer climate. Australians leaned pessimistic in a March survey, and business confidence slipped into negative territory in February, according to National Australia Bank, as higher borrowing costs bit. That combination could leave carmakers wrestling for extras if households tighten up again.
Profit’s up at Wesfarmers, with Bunnings, Kmart, and WesCEF doing the heavy lifting this period. Officeworks, though, saw earnings dented by transformation costs. When the group leans on its major units like this, even a move to broaden Bunnings’ categories makes a mark far outside just auto products.
