Homebase
This coverage examines Homebase’s performance and strategy within the UK retail sector, focusing on store operations, product ranges, supply chain innovations, and online-offline integration. Reporting explores leadership decisions, financial outcomes, and competitive positioning, offering insights for retail executives, category managers, and professionals in home improvement and DIY retail.
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Oct- 2025 -10 OctoberHigh Street
Wilko owner returns to profit as revenues rise 13.5%
Norton Group Holdings, owner of retail brands including Wilko, The Range and Homebase, has returned to profit, reporting pre-tax profits of £10.5m for the 53-week period ended 2 February 2025. Group revenue also rose 13.5% to £1.47bn, up from £1.3bn the previous year. The £176m increase was driven by growth…
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7 OctoberSupermarkets
M&S to close 11 cafes as part of estate overhaul
Marks and Spencer is to close 11 cafés across its smaller food stores as part of an ongoing restructuring of its retail estate.The company said the move aims to create more space for its range of M&S food products. According to The Independent, no jobs will be lost, and all…
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Sep- 2025 -30 SeptemberDIY
Tapi Carpets FY profits almost double to £15.9m
Tapi Carpets has reported that its operating profits rose to £15.9m in the year to 28 December 2024, almost double the £8.1m posted a year earlier, owing to new store openings and the acquisition of former Carpetright outlets. During the period sales increased by 33% to £227m, which was supported…
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12 SeptemberClothing & Shoes
B&Q eyes plans to cut 650 jobs to ‘simplify’ structure
B&Q is reportedly considering plans to cut around 650 jobs in order to “simplify” its structure. According to media reports first revealed by Retail Week, the DIY retailer is looking to reduce the number of trading manager, deputy manager and team leader roles. B&Q said it is in consultation with…
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10 SeptemberDIY
Wickes HY PBT rises 17% to £27.3m
Wickes has revealed that its adjusted profit-before-tax rose 16.7% to £27.3m for the half-year ended 28 June 2025, up from £23.4m in the same period last year. Alongside this, the retailer posted total revenues of £847.9m for the period, an increase of 5.6% from the £803.2m it posted in the…
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Aug- 2025 -27 AugustComment
Is M&S signalling a structural shift in property strategy?
Mainstream retailers are increasingly treading on the discounters’ turf – and it appears that out-of-town retail parks are now the prime battleground. Few recent examples demonstrate this as clearly as Marks & Spencer’s strategy, which is pivoting its food hall rollout toward retail park sites in order to compete directly…
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21 AugustSupermarkets
M&S to invest £340m as it doubles food business
Marks and Spencer (M&S) will open a new food hub after announcing a £340m investment in its food supply chain, the largest in its history. This multi-year investment will fund the development of an automated National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Northamptonshire as the group looks to double the size of…
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Jul- 2025 -29 JulyFeatures
Claire’s on the brink: can the chain avoid another collapse?
For decades, Claire’s has been the go-to destination for sparkly earrings, scrunchies and ear piercings – a rite of passage for generations of teenagers. But the glitter is starting to fade. The jewellery and accessories retailer, which operates nearly 300 shops in the UK and more than 2,300 worldwide, has…
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24 JulyDIY
Wickes hits record market share as H1 sales rise 5.6%
Wickes has “gone from strength to strength” in the first half of the year, with sales up by 5.6% year-on-year to £847.9m, as the group also hit a “record” market share. Over the period, volume-led growth momentum was reported across all areas of the business, and retail sales rose by…
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Jun- 2025 -6 JuneDIY
Wickes enters FTSE 250 amid strong sales
Wickes has been promoted to the FTSE 250 index following a strong start to the year. David Wood, chief executive of the Wickes Group stated that it was a “fantastic recognition for all the hard work of its colleagues who do such a great job serving customers and helping the…
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