Builders Warehouse

Builders Warehouse (commonly referred to as Builders in South Africa), is a South African construction equipment and home improvement retail chain.^[4][7]

Builders Warehouse

The entrance to a Builders Warehouse store in Kirstenhof, Cape Town
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retail
Founded	2003; 22 years ago (2003)[1]
Headquarters	Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa[2]
Number of locations	117[3]
Area served	Southern Africa East Africa[4]
Key people	Llewellyn Walters (CEO)[5]
Products	Construction equipment Building materials Home improvement supplies Plants
Operating income	R1.18 billion (2022)[6]
Owner	Massmart (subsidiary of Walmart) [6]
Website	www.builders.co.za

Aisles Near the entrance of a Builders Warehouse store, in Kirstenhof, Cape Town

Founded in 2003,^[1] it is a wholly owned subsidiary of holding company Massmart (who itself is a wholly owned subsidiary of retail corporation Walmart), which, through its Massbuild division, operates various kinds of stores, including Builders Warehouse, Builders Express (small-format stores), Builders Trade Depot (focused specifically on construction entrepreneurs), and Builders Superstore.^[8][6][9]

Operations

Builders Warehouse patio section

Builders Warehouse operates 117^[3] stores in 4 countries across Southern and East Africa; South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia.^[4] It also provides an online shopping service.^[10]

Some Builders Warehouse stores offer services such as tool hire, pool water analysis, and car key programming, and have partnered with local coffee chain Vida e Caffè.^[11][12]

History

Builders Warehouse paint display

Massmart began its acquisitions of the Builders brand when it acquired five Builders Warehouse stores operating in Johannesburg and Pretoria, in 2003.^[2]

In May of 2011, retail corporation Walmart acquired 51% of parent company Massmart Group's stock, at a value of R17 million (approximately US$2.54 billion or £1.54 billion), after receiving regulatory approval from the South African Competition Tribunal. By November of 2020, Walmart had finalized the purchase of the remaining 49% of shares, making Massmart a wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart.^[13]

In 2017, the company revealed its first store that is in part powered by renewable energy. Located in Northriding, Johannesburg, the store uses 400 roof-mounted photovoltaic panels to provide 16% of its annual energy consumption. According to Massmart Group's sustainability manager Alex Haw, serves to reduce the company's greenhouse gas emissions.^[14]

In 2019, Builders Warehouse revealed a new store prototype in Boksburg, Gauteng, offering, among other things, 3D printing; flatpack furniture; and a smart home hub for digital, in-store shopping and retrieving product information. The store was to serve as a benchmark for all future new store builds and renovations.^[12]