Homebase

Homebase was a British home improvement and garden centre retailer that operated across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was founded by British supermarket chain Sainsbury's and Belgian retailer GB-Inno-BM in March 1981, as Sainsbury's Homebase. By the end of the 1980s, it opened its fiftieth store, making it the UK's fourth biggest home improvement retailer. The retailer purchased rival Texas Homecare in January 1995, which helped grow its market share to third place, behind B&Q and Focus-Wickes. In 1999, it was renamed to Homebase, and then sold to Schroder Ventures in December 2000. In November 2002, it was sold to Argos Retail Group, which later became Home Retail Group in October 2006. In January 2016, Wesfarmers purchased Homebase in a botched attempt to convert the stores to its Bunnings Warehouse format, ultimately losing £1 billion in total. In August 2018, Homebase was sold to restructuring firm Hilco for £1. Subsequently, Hilco announced that it would close 42 of the chain's stores, and cut 1,500 jobs through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), in an attempt to return it to profitability. By February 2020, Homebase had 164 outlets and had returned to profitability earlier than expected, with Hilco listing the retailer for sale in November 2020. In November 2024, Hilco placed Homebase into administration with 3,446 jobs and 135 stores at risk. CDS Superstores acquired the Homebase website, brand and 49 of its stores to convert as The Range. B&Q acquired eight stores in the UK and Ireland, as well as Wickes acquiring four UK stores. At midnight on 21 January 2025, Homebase's website was re-established by CDS Superstores, and the final four original Homebase stores closed down on 22 March 2025.