Four Corners: Season 2025, Episode 15

2025 - 15: Hammered – inside the Bunnings machine

We love Bunnings — it's where we go for our weekend sausage sizzle and to fulfill our DIY dreams.  But what if the store Australians trust most is not as benign as it would have us believe?  Bunnings has quietly become one of Australia's most dominant and profitable retailers, with rivals saying its market power matches Coles and Woolworths combined.   Yet it faces none of the scrutiny of the big two supermarkets.  Critics also claim it's a corporate predator systematically picking off independents, shutting down competition and abusing its dominance with suppliers. For its part Bunnings insists it's just another competitor in a crowded field.  Four Corners' Angus Grigg and Emilia Terzon from the ABC business team dig into Bunnings' unchecked dominance, its soaring profits, and whether regulators have turned a blind eye while it reshapes Australian retail.  This is the untold story of how Bunnings became a national icon — and what we lose when one brand dominates the backyard.