All Homebase articles
Homebase is a British home improvement retailer and garden centre. It was originally founded by grocer Sainsbury’s and Belgian conglomerate GB-Inno-BM in 1979 and was owned by Home Retail Group from 2006 to 2016. Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers attempted to rebrand Homebase under its Australian counterpart Bunnings but was forced to sell the business for £1 in 2018 when the attempt ended in financial disaster. Owners Hilco Capital have been restructuring the business, launching a CVA in 2018 to shift loss-making stores. The retailer operates more than 150 stores across the UK and Ireland. In-store concessions include Tapi, Silentnight and Ponden Home. The acquisition of Bathstore in 2019 strengthened Homebase’s bathroom proposition.
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News
Warm bank holiday weather boosts sales at Homebase
Homebase says warm weather over the bank holiday weekend has resulted in its biggest sales week since Easter last year.
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Analysis
Analysis: John Roberts on putting spark back into AO, price pledges and third-party deals
AO boss John Roberts tells Retail Week how he plans to turn the business around with a new streamlined, profit-centric strategy
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Opinion
‘As CD&R rescues McColl’s, it’s time to change the narrative on private equity’
After a wretched few days, today finally brought some much-needed certainty for McColl’s 16,000 employees and the 2,000 members of its two pension schemes.
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News
Homebase teams up with Tesco to launch shop-in-shop concept
Homebase has formed a partnership with Tesco to add its DIY products to the supermarket.
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Opinion
‘RIP John Sainsbury – one of Britain’s greatest ever retailers’
Following the death of legendary retailer Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover, Shore Capital’s Clive Black pays tribute to a man who changed the grocery and retail landscape
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Analysis
Retail 2022: 59 CEOs reveal strategy for the year ahead
Leaders from Gymshark, Currys, Pets at Home, Levi’s and Beauty Pie are among 59 chief executives that have spoken to Retail Week in-depth about their 2022 strategy as part of a major new report
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Prospect Analysis
Homebase (SWOT)
Homebase is a key player in the home and general merchandise market, although its market share will have fallen back somewhat following the disruption caused by the rebranding to Bunnings, and the subsequent closure of more than a third of its stores.
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Prospect Analysis
Homebase (Strategy)
Home and DIY retailer Homebase, which has been owned by turnaround specialist Hilco since 2018, emerged from a major turnaround plan at the end of 2020, spearheaded by CEO Damian McGloughlin. It is now moving forward with a 3-year plan for growth and is seeking a potential new investor to accelerate the agenda.
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Prospect Analysis
Homebase (People)
Damian McGloughlin, former B&Q retail director, has led the turnaround at Homebase since becoming CEO in 2018.
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Prospect Analysis
Stores at Homebase
Homebase shuttered 42 loss-making stores from late 2018 to reduce its store network. Recently it has been trialling smaller store concepts, including Decorate by Homebase and Bathstore and Kitchens by Homebase.
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Prospect Analysis
Technology strategy at Homebase
Hilco has been investing in digital infrastructure to support the turnaround of the brand and launched a new website in March 2021.
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Prospect Analysis
Homebase (Overview)
Home and DIY retailer Homebase, which has been owned by turnaround specialist Hilco since 2018, has emerged from a major turnaround plan, spearheaded by CEO Damian McGloughlin, and has now embarked on a 3-year growth plan.
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Prospect Analysis
Homebase (Financials)
Homebase group sales edged down 0.5% to £788.2m in the year to December 2021 compared to £792.3m in 2020. Having moved back into profitability in 2020, marking the end of the turnaround programme under Hilco and the beginning of a 3-year growth plan, margins remain robust. While operating margin fell back to 7.0% in 2021, down from 8.0%, pre-tax profit margin increased from 5.9% to 7.1%.
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Prospect Analysis
Ecommerce at Homebase
Homebase signed a 10-year partnership with THG Ingenuity platform to ‘fast-forward’ its digital plans in 2020 and launched its new website, complete with a host of new features, in March 2021.
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Prospect Analysis
Customer and marketing at Homebase
Continuing to expand the product range with leading brand partnerships to make Homebase a single destination for home and garden products has been set as a key tenet in the group’s three-year plan for growth that was outlined at the end of 2020.
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Prospect Analysis
Supply chain at Homebase
Homebase has entered into a partnership with Relex Solutions to automate and optimise its supply chain processes from April 2022.
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News
Theo Paphitis and Damian McGloughlin join Stores Week line-up
Theo Paphitis and Homebase boss Damian McGloughlin have joined the growing list of speakers for Retail Week’s Stores Week.
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Gallery
Store gallery: Homebase opens first small-format high street shop
As Homebase seeks to trial new high street formats, it has opened its first-ever small-format store in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.
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Prospect Analysis
Homebase (Outlook)
Homebase has made serious strides in its much-needed turnaround and invested in areas to support future growth including the product offer, digital development and the customer experience.