Homebase anyone.

[Mike Ayling]

They're owned by an Australian company, Bunnons, now, not part of the Sainsburys group.

Er no, Bunnings took a bath and sold out to a company that specialises in reconstructions in 2018 for 1 pound!
Doesn't look like the reconstruction has worked.

Mike

 

[PeteXXX]

Er no, Bunnings took a bath and sold out to a company that specialises in reconstructions in 2018 for 1 pound!
Doesn't look like the reconstruction has worked.

Mike

Apologies, yes, they did. They totally misjudged the market they were buying in to and alienated their UK customers.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

They're owned by an Australian company, Bunnons, now, not part of the Sainsburys group.

They aren't. Bunnings withdrew a couple, perhaps 3 years ago. They are now up for sale by Hilco. Meanwhile Homebase is trying to get back to what used to be a very good formula after one of the worst retail fiascos on record.

ETA
I see records have been set straight!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Er no, Bunnings took a bath and sold out to a company that specialises in reconstructions in 2018 for 1 pound!
Doesn't look like the reconstruction has worked.

Mike

I think that they were left with such a bag of baggy stuff that it's been hard to unpick it tbh, but on an experienced but relatively uninformed view, they are going in the right direction. It was worth a billion only a very few years ago, and the market has been very favourable for them.

 

[Drago]

I like Wickes. A shop for real men with plaid shirts, transit vans, and names like Kev and Brian.

 

[Deleted User]

We have stores by us called TFM, which are primarily aimed at Farmers and they really do have 'Man stuff ' in abundance.

I always thought 'Dave' was a proper name as a kid, or 'Steve '.

 

[PaulSB]

In my experience Homebase has always been a real hotch potch of products to the extent there was no point in visiting because one could never be sure what one needed would be available.

Even when Sainsbury's owned it the stores seemed to serve no real purpose. I did have to visit one 3-4 years ago and it was full of tat.

Always a shop to visit as a desperate last resort and never top of the list.

 

[Dave7]

We have stores by us called TFM, which are primarily aimed at Farmers and they really do have 'Man stuff ' in abundance.

I always thought 'Dave' was a proper name as a kid, or 'Steve '.

You are obviously a man of great discernment (is that a real word?)

 

[T4tomo]

It was always a poor mans B&Q. Our local one rebranded to Bunnions, became hugely shite and now the site has been taken over by the The Range.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

It was always a poor mans B&Q. Our local one rebranded to Bunnions, became hugely shite and now the site has been taken over by the The Range.

It's interesting, because Bunnings' proposition was an 'Ultra-B&Q' where you were required to wear tracky bottoms and contractor boots to enter. The British told them to stick it.

Homebase was a completely different animal.

 

[Dec66]

I like Wickes. A shop for real men with plaid shirts, transit vans, and names like Kev and Brian.

I don't, what they sell is dearer than elsewhere, the choice is limited, and the car park is full of Transit vans and blokes with plaid shirts called Kev and Brian.

(Actually, the quality of their own brand paint has improved dramatically recently, I think they now have a tie-up with Dulux as a supplier, which probably also explains why the only alternative they do to their own brand paint is, erm, Dulux )

 

[potsy]

Just spent a few quid in our local Homebase, never been in before so no idea if it's gone downhill or not.
Seemed to have a decent range of stuff.