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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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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May- 2025 -28 MayPeople Moves
M&S appoints ex-Coles exec Thinus Keeves as retail director
M&S has announced it has appointed former Coles executive Thinus Keeves to the newly created role of retail director. Keeves, who will start on 6 June, will report to operations director Sacha Berendji. Berendji will continue to have overall accountability for Retail, Property, Security and Business Continuity. Keeves joins the…
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28 MayDIY
Kingfisher sales rise 2.2% to £3.3bn in Q1
Kingfisher, which operates DIY brands Screwfix and B&Q, has reported that total sales rose 2.2% to £3.3bn in the first quarter ended 30 April. It comes as like-for-like sales grew 1.8% during the period, with the group noting a 2.7% boost in underlying growth, thanks to customers making more large…
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27 MaySupermarkets
M&S to open 12 new stores in former Homebase sites
Marks and Spencer is set to open 12 brand new food stores on former Homebase sites across England, in a move that will create over 550 new jobs. The openings form part of M&S’s store rotation and renewal programme, which aims to create 420 “bigger, fresher” food stores and transform…
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14 MayDIY
Wickes revenues up almost 7% in Q1
Wickes has announced that its group revenues have risen 6.9% to £533.1m during the 17 weeks ended 26 April 2025. This came after strong volume-led sales growth within its retail arm which saw its revenue grow 9.6% to £396.7m in the period. Wickes stated that it increased its market share…
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7 MayNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-7/5/25
Asda has appointed Rachel Eyre as its new chief customer officer, replacing David Hills. Eyre joins from Morrisons, where she served as chief customer and marketing officer, overseeing brand strategy, digital, and PR. With prior experience at Sainsbury’s and Barclays, she aims to reinforce Asda’s position as the UK’s lowest-priced…
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7 MayHigh Street
The Range unveils new set of format stores amid Homebase acquisition
CDS Superstores, parent company of The Range and Wilko, has confirmed the next raft of openings for its new-format superstores, following the acquisition of the Homebase brand and up to 70 of its stores. Building on earlier plans to convert 45 former Homebase stores across the country as The Range…
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Mar- 2025 -24 MarchNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-24/3/25
Harrods is nearing the finalisation of compensation payments for victims of sexual abuse by its former owner, Mohamed al Fayed, who died in 2023. According to draft terms seen by Sky News, some claimants could receive over £300k, depending on whether they opt for a psychiatric assessment. Those choosing the…
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