just went to my local hardware store around the corner from me - and he's closing down at the end of the year, a tiny store but been my local for years - bunnings is well 100 times the size but 10 km away- owned by a bunch of corporate shareholders no doubt - who don't sponser my kids local footy team.
so what then, get bunnings to sponser them then? yeh right
so well here's the idea-
let's buy all/some of our christmas presents from small local business's and self employed people for example , your local florist, hardware store !, small market stall holders, bookstore,kite/windsurf shop or cake store selling fine cakes and or chocolates whoever whatever you want to get - just buy it local and buy it from a small business owner not a rich greedy multinational corporation. let's see the money go to individual people, this way more LOCAL people will have a better christmas, and my kids will have their footy team sponser and their trip to Jamberoo water park each year
Same thing happened to a local hardware here too, shut down due to Bunnings and Masters (owned by Woolworths) opening up.
Kind of annoying but it will happen regardless of shopping with locals due to the corporate pi$$ing contest, he who has the biggest wins.
Always do mate!
Self employed for over half of my life now (sad) so I always support local & the 'little-guy' in the hope that many will also.
I usually buy all my hardware from the local hardware store. They know me well now, so they give me a decent discount. I only go to Bunnings when there is something the local place doesn't have, or it is at an odd hour.
I think this is one of the last hardware shops in my area, and 3 have closed down within the last few years.
I stay away from Bunnings as I hate having to compete with all the people that take their kids there and make a day of it. I also shop at odd hours to avoid crowds. Did I mention how anti-social I am? 
