Compare Home Improvement Stores in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Mitre 10, Bunnings Warehouse, Hammer Hardware and PlaceMakers were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Online Store, Range of Brands, Range of Products, Service & Advice and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Mitre 10 rated number one for customer satisfaction
For many Kiwis, a weekend isn’t a weekend without a visit to a big-box home improvement store. Whether we’re shopping for DIY or garden supplies, we love to browse the aisles, then scoff a charitable sausage outside.
According to Canstar Blue’s latest research, over half of Kiwis (53%) shop at home improvement stores for garden supplies, rather than visit a dedicated garden centre, and 41% always prefer to tackle jobs around the home themselves, rather than paying a tradie. And nearly a third (27%) always participate in a store’s sausage sizzle!
Here in NZ, there are four main chains of home improvement stores, each offering different brands, products and advice. So which to choose? As part of our mission to inform consumers of the best NZ has to offer, this year Canstar Blue canvassed the opinions of 1903 New Zealanders who had made a purchase from a home improvement store in the past 12 months, across a range of categories, to measure and track their satisfaction.
To decide which home improvement store offers the best level of customer satisfaction, each was rated across the following categories:
Coming out on top is Mitre 10, the clear winner of Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers | Home Improvement Stores. This year’s award marks back-to-back wins for Mitre 10, on the back of another very strong performance.
For yet again, Mitre 10 is the only home improvement store in our award ratings to score a perfect 5-Stars for Overall Satisfaction. It’s a reflection of its clean sweep of top ratings across all our categories.
Both earning 4-Star Overall Satisfaction ratings, Bunnings and Hammer Hardware each have one 5-Star rating, for Value for Money and Service & Advice, respectively.
Although many of us have become accustomed to online shopping over the past couple of years, due to repeated lockdowns, it’s clear that DIYers prefer to shop in person.
Our research reveals most of us (59%) prefer to browse in-store, rather than online, and nobody says that their online shopping experiences contribute to their overall satisfaction.
Instead, Service & Advice is the most important factor, followed by Value for Money (28%). The importance of advice is reflected by the fact that 78% say they’ve asked for help and felt that the store staff they encountered were knowledgeable about DIY.
Overall, the main drivers of satisfaction are:
While DIYers don’t enjoy shopping online, they are more accepting of online tutorial videos: Canstar Blue’s survey reveals 38% of people watch online how-to videos for guidance on DIY projects.
And if you’re looking for inspiration and help, as well as great products and service, Mitre 10 has that covered, too. Its YouTube channel has 233,000 followers and features scores of videos offering advice on everything you need to know about renovating your home and keeping in control of your garden.
So if you’ve a DIY job planned and want the best products, service and expert advice, look no further than Mitre 10, yet again the winner of Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers | Home Improvement Stores.
Prefer to browse in store, rather than online: 59%
Visit home improvement stores for garden supplies, rather than a dedicated garden centre: 53%
Prefer to DIY rather than hire a tradie: 41%
Watch online how-to videos for guidance on DIY projects: 38%
Always leave the store with more than intended to buy: 28%
If there is a sausage sizzle outside the store, will usually buy one: 27%
Always finish one DIY project before tackling another: 25%
Feel most store staff understand little about DIY: 22%
DIY projects always throw up unforeseen problems: 12%
Been injured while DIYing: 12%
Regularly redecorate to keep up with interior design trends: 8%
Have regretted a DIY project: 7%
Have had to call in a tradie to fix a DIY mistake: 4%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2522 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had made a purchase from a home improvement store in the past 12 months. In this case, 1903 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
2020
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2018
