Ok cool, this is good to know, thanks.
I have found some of the stuff I've bought from Bunnings to be of seemingly poor quality. To me they seem to be turning into the wish.com of hardware stores. 😋
I look for commercial suppliers near me. I recently needed 6 bolts - got them at a local supplier for less than the price of one at Bunnings. Most places are happy to sell small quantities (some require cash for non account holders).
If you're after tools, checking out if you have a tool library available near you could be a good option. Obviously that's no use if you're after materials/consumables.
Yeah, I know the tool library near me, but haven't actually needed it just yet!
But yeah, mostly at the moment looking for timber and other consumables - and advice! Which Bunnings has none of in my experience!
If advice is what you're after, then Mitre10 is just as bad. They used to have much better service but they couldn't compete with Bunnings and have been racing them to the bottom. From experience, the Tradie Desk at Bunnings is more knowledgeable but if you want real advice, you're better off finding your nearest Men's Shed.