A behemoth of a structure started sprouting just off South Road at St Marys - I turned and said to my husband I bet that'll be a hardware shop. Well, yes of course it is - the Stratco Big Shed, but I would have named it the 'Red Shed' because it's red but that's too obvious and not 'manly' enough I suppose.
And BIG it is - containing a well-laid out hardware component that has enough stock to have the other red shirts a bit concerned, as well as the bonus feature of not having a separate tool department with it's own register (my husband's bugbear!). It also has a beautifully set out display area for all the stuff that has made the Stratco name famous in South Australia, namely sheds, pergolas, verandahs and fences.
It also appears the outside kitchen must-do renos are still going strong and yet another selling point to buy even more stuff - is an outdoor bathroom! All we need now is the outdoor toilet - hang on that's already been done, oh well, everything old is new again remember - and an outside boudoirs!
The Stratco Espresso Cafe is a great option if the sausage sizzle doesn't cut it (but who can ever resist?), and the range of goods within appears to be expansive. The only area where the red boys down the road have it over The Big Shed is in the Garden department, where the range of stock isn't there and navigation is tight. Oh, and I didn't see any flat tray trolleys either - lifting a few bags of cow poo into the shopping trolley was a struggle but not compared to lifting them out again, another job for hubby. Still, the staff were just as friendly as the other red shirts and let's hope the car park is adequate as well.
Overall, this is a good addition to those in the inner south bitten by the reno rescue bug and don't want to drive round in circles or fighting over car parks over at the red shirts territory. read more