The chain was an offshoot of BBC Hardware, which was owned by Burns Philp and then Howard Smith Limited, and had stores in Australia and New Zealand.

Before Hardwarehouse was absorbed into Bunnings in 2001, it was the largest corporately owned home improvement retailer in Australia and New Zealand with 62 stores and over 5,000 employees, as it traded under the BBC Hardware name.

[1] In July 1994, Howard Smith Limited bought BBC Hardware from Burns Philp and the chain was rebranded as Hardwarehouse.

[2] On 13 June 2001, Howard Smith Limited, owner of BBC Hardware and Hardwarehouse, was bought by Wesfarmers.

ACT: Fyshwick, Phillip NSW: Artarmon, Ashfield, Bankstown, Bella Vista, Belrose, Blacktown, Bonnyrigg, Campbelltown, Caringbah, Coffs Harbour, Crossroads, Glendale, Kotara, Lidcombe, Lismore, Mascot, Minchinbury, North Parramatta, Penrith, Rockdale, Shellharbour, Tamworth, Thornleigh, Tuggerah, Tweed Heads, Villawood, Wagga Wagga, West Gosford, Wallsend and Wollongong Qld: Booval, Burleigh Heads, Cairns, Capalaba, Caboolture, Everton Park, Harbour Town, Indooroopilly, Maroochydore, Mount Gravatt, Oxley, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Townsville and Underwood Tas: Kings Meadows and Moonah Vic: Bayswater, Doveton, Maribyrnong, Moorabbin, Notting Hill, Nunawading, Thomastown and Wendouree WA: Cannington, Innaloo, Morley, O'Connor and Whitfords Auckland: Burswood, Manukau and Rosedale