Tradies are moving towards cordless tools, as they quickly become the most convenient, cost-effective, and safest way to operate on worksites.

Bunnings has signalled the growing demand of these tools, amidst a spike in home renovations during the lockdown, and a backlog of construction jobs after the sector was halted during the pandemic.

“For a number of years now, we’ve seen an increase in the demand for cordless power tools, with more tradies opting for the battery-powered varieties over the traditional corded range,” Bunnings director of merchandising Jen Tucker told the AFR.

“The products are now lasting longer and rivalling their corded equivalents when it comes to power and efficiency.

“There is a safety advantage too, with a lot of worksites aiming to move away from cords.”

Bunnings’ purchase of Adelaide Tools in 2020, and the planned rebranding to Tool Kit Depot is a savvy move for the retail group. It opened four Tool Kit Depot stores last year, with plans to open three more by the end of June.

Bunnings was named Australia’s strongest brand in January in Brand Finance Australia’s annual analyst.

Techtronic, who owns Ryobi and makes 90 per cent of its profits from power tools, reported in its recent financials that, in Australia and New Zealand, sales grew by 32 per cent overall last year, with battery-powered tools jumping 71 per cent. It plans to bring 70 new powerless tools to market in 2022.

However, this growth may see a few bumps in the road.

These tools rely upon lithium-ion battery packs, which in turn need battery-grade nickel.

Russia is a major player in producing battery-grade nickel, with one single Russian company Norilsk responsible for 20 per cent of the world’s supply.

Since February 25, the price of nickel has quadrupled, peaking at US$100,000, before the London Metal Exchange paused trading.

While this may slow short term growth, it’s unlikely to halt the overall trend towards greener, safer power tools.