Hardware price wars rage as Build It faces backlash
A price comparison across four major hardware retailers in October found Pupkewitz Megabuild held the lowest total basket cost at 7,174 Namibian dollars for the third straight month. The chain undercut Ark Trading by 619 dollars and Build It by 723 dollars while maintaining unchanged prices since August.
Pupkewitz achieved its advantage primarily through lower costs on aluminum products, selling sliding doors at 2,628 dollars compared with 3,082 dollars at Buco. Build It recorded the highest prices on common construction materials, charging 3.78 dollars per 7MPA brick against 2.61 dollars at Ark Trading. Build It also led in ceiling board, lock sets and paint costs, with the latter reaching 1,111 dollars.
Cement prices varied minimally among suppliers, with all four stores pricing 32.5 and 42.5-grade products within a five-dollar range. Ark Trading offered the best copper tube pricing at 584 dollars. Buco and Build It remained at the upper end of the spectrum with basket totals of 7,890 dollars and 7,898 dollars respectively. The survey suggests consumers can realize substantial savings by comparing prices across retailers, particularly for aluminum components and bulk material purchases.
