Bunnings team members are now packing Uber Eats orders. Picture: Bunnings
Bunnings’ new deal with Uber Eats has sparked a war with Mitre 10 after the smaller rival accused the hardware giant of muscling in on the delivery deal and leaving them in the cold.
Mitre 10 has lodged a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to accuse Bunnings of forcing Uber Eats into an exclusive deal that essentially blocked Mitre 10 from any access to the delivery platform.
Bunnings unveiled its Uber Eats partnership last month, spruiking the more than 30,000 products now available for delivery to your door.
Mitre 10 had been using the platform on a trial basis at 19 of its 384 stores across Australia but negotiations to expand the offering fell through in February after Uber Eats walked away from the deal to take up the Bunnings initiative.
Mitre 10, owned by wholesaler Metcash, has accused the Wesfarmers-owned Bunnings of using its “scale and market dominance” to effectively block the smaller hardware chain from accessing Uber Eats as an additional distribution platform.
“They said because they had signed an exclusive deal with Bunnings,” Metcash Total Tools and Hardware chief executive Scott Marshall told The Australian.
Mitre 10 claims Bunnings blocked them from expanding their own Uber Eats expansion.
“We believe that Bunnings has responded to the success of our partnership and used their scale and market dominance in hardware to keep Mitre 10 stores from accessing the platform.
“We certainly have raised our concerns around the potential anti-competitive nature of this and it is important to call out that our agreement with Uber Eats was not exclusive, we are not looking to restrict competition.”
Mitre 10’s accusations follow Bunnings being dragged before the Senate supermarket inquiry in 2024 where it was forced to defend claims of anti-competitive behaviour that were squeezing smaller players out of the market.
A Bunnings spokesman told The Australian exclusivity agreements were common across retail, including at Bunnings and its competitors.
Uber Eats claims the existing Mitre 10 stores available across its platform remain accessible.
BUNNINGS LAUNCHES ON UBER EATS
Bunnings officially launched on Uber Eats to much fanfare in February.
Shoppers can now order over 30,000 products – from nuts and bolts to full-sized lawnmowers – delivered straight to their door in under 60 minutes.
Prices will match in-store, and the staged rollout follows a “successful pilot” in Melbourne, marking the largest retail range currently offered on the platform.
Bunnings chief operating officer Ryan Baker said Uber Eats would provide an alternative for Aussies who didn’t have time to browse the aisles at the local warehouse.
“We know there are times when convenience and speed are the priority,” he said of the deal.
Uber Eats APAC regional general manager Lucas Groeneveld said the app would provide a huge range for customers.
“From last-minute DIY fixes and garden projects, to preparing for a BBQ or keeping a work site moving, this partnership makes it easier than ever for customers to get what they need, delivered on demand, whatever the occasion,” he said.