For many Australians, Bunnings Warehouse’s familiar green and red is comforting. They represent tools and timber, a cornerstone of the weekend projects and a hub for the community.
It’s a place where the scent of sawdust mingles with friendly banter and where big and small projects take shape. Recently, one tradie’s amusing antics brought smiles and a gentle nudge from its management.
Brad, the owner of HC Urban, a decking and landscaping company, and his apprentice have started a new trend that raises eyebrows across Bunnings stores nationwide.
They called it ‘a bit of harmless fun’ while playing a real-life game of Jenga with the timber pallets stacked in the aisles. The game began innocently enough when Brad remarked to his apprentice that the timber piles resembled ‘a big Jenga set’.
From there, the idea took root, and soon, they were filming themselves carefully removing a piece of timber from the middle of the stack and triumphantly placing it on top.
“Knowing that all Bunnings have the same layout, [we thought] hopefully everyone can join in the fun,’ he said.
The video quickly went viral, inspiring countless others to join the fun and share their attempts at this oversized game. The response has been overwhelming, with hundreds of thousands of Australians reacting to the humorous scene.
While many are eager to try their hand at Bunnings Jenga, others have reported being reprimanded for participating in the trend.
Despite the amusement it has caused, Bunnings’ Director of Stores, Rod Caust, has had to step in with a word of caution.
‘Stacking timber like a giant Jenga tower isn’t quite what we had in mind,’ he said. ‘The safety of our team and customers is our number one priority, so we can’t support anything that puts anyone at risk.’
Caust kindly reminds customers that while Jenga battles are best left for the backyard, Bunnings staff are more than willing to assist with timber for projects—or even a DIY Jenga tower—ensuring it’s stacked safely and securely.
This isn’t the only interesting tidbit about Bunnings that has come to light recently. Shoppers have also noticed that the store layout follows the sequence of building a house, starting with timber and progressing through plumbing, flooring, electrical, paint, and landscaping.
Moreover, Bunnings has cultivated a strong relationship with the trades community, hosting special trade breakfasts as a token of appreciation for their loyal customers.
Electrical apprentice Eleanor Gleeson described these events as a ‘rite of passage’ for tradies. They offer a free meal and coffee and the opportunity to network, snag some coveted merchandise, and chat with suppliers.
Have you ever witnessed playful antics at your local Bunnings or perhaps participated in one of their trade breakfasts? Share your stories in the comments below.
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That tradie video at Bunnings is nothing compared to the short comedic play I had staged recently called Lost and Found in Bunnings, all about two couples who swap partners in the aisles of everyone’s favourite hardware store. It comes from my observation that many older men look similar with the belly, unkempt beard and baggy shorts year-round. Two women mistake other men for their husbands, and after chatting to them, decide that these men are more interesting dags than their own – and the men are more than happy for the swap. People who have seen the play say they will be on their guard next time they shop at Bunnings. Hmm, not sure what they mean by that.
I have noticed that Bunnings “older staff” are being badly treated.
Last week at a north Brisbane store, I was chatting with a long term employee in his late 60’s and he pointed out another ‘older employee, who had been reprimanded – AND DOCKED 15 Minutes pay, for leaving 15 minutes early the day before for a GP appointment.
THIS EMPLOYEE – IS ALWAYS 40 minutes early for his shift, NEVER leaves earlier than 30 AFTER HIS SHIFT – and the LOUSY BOSS docked him for leaving 15 minutes early on one occasion.
There are many a story I could tell about how Bunnings management mistreat their “long term staff!”