Full list of 74 Homebase stores up for sale with major brands among potential buyers
Marks & Spencer (M&S) and B&Q are among two companies considering buying up dozens of Homebase stores after the DIY chain went into administration earlier this month.
M&S and Kingfisher, who own B&Q, have emerged as the top two competitors vying to snap up around 20-25 Homebase stores each, ahead of a deadline for offers on Friday.
Homebase announced they were closing 74 stores nationwide earlier this month, which means up to 2,000 jobs could be saved if the deal goes through.
Property industry sources said Home Bargains, the privately owned homewares retailer, is also interested acquiring a small number of Homebase sites.
Hilco Capital, which bought Homebase for £1 in 2018, has been trying to balance the books for years. Before being taken over, the chain had 250 stores and some 11,50 staff.
Losses were blamed on more ‘cautious’ customers amid the cost of living crisis.
The Range, founded by Chris Dawson, has also taken on around 1,600 Homebase employees.
Full list of Homebase stores up for sale:
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Alnwick, Northumberland
Altrincham Retail Park, Manchester
Junction One Retail Park, Antrim, Northern Ireland
Barnstaple, Devon
Basildon, Essex
Basingstoke, Hampshire
Shane Park, Belfast
Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland
Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
Battery Retail Park, Birmingham
Bishop Auckland, County Durham
Bracknell, Berkshire
Enterprise Five Retail Park, Bradford
Branksome, Poole
Bridgend Retail Park, Bridgend, Wales
Broadstairs, Kent
Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk
The Orbital Retail Centre, Cannock, Staffordshire
Horsted Retail Park, Chatham, Kent
Cheltenham
Greyhound Retail Park, Chester
Discovery Park, Chichester
Colchester Stanway, Colchester
Gallagher Retail Park, Coventry
Rushmore Retail Park, Craigavon
Daventry, Northamptonshire
Wyvern Retail Park, Derby
Dumfries, Scotland
Halbeath Retail Park, Dunfermline, Scotland
Farnham Retail Park, Farnham
Folkestone, Kent
Drumkeen Complex, Belfast
Retail World, Gateshead
Gloucester
Hamilton, Scotland
Hanworth, Feltham, London
Harlow, Essex
Eddington Business Park, Herne Bay, Kent
Tyne Valley Retail Park, Hexham
Heath Retail Park, Honiton
Hove, Brighton & Hove
Hull
Leamington Spa
Ledbury, Herefordshire
Moor Allerton Centre, Leeds
Letterkenny, Republic of Ireland
Lewes, East Sussex
London Catford
London Streatham Vale
Luton
South Aylesford Retail Park, Maidstone
Milton Keynes
Navan Retail Park, Republic of Ireland
Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire
Norwich Hall Road
Norwich Sprowston
Madford Retail Park, Nottingham
Oban, Scotland
Oldbury, West Midlands
Wyndham Retail Park, Portishead
Romford, Essex
Saffron Walden, Essex
Sleaford, Lincolnshire
St Albans
Sudbury, Suffolk
Wrekin Retail Park, Telford
Truro, Cornwall
Tunbridge Wells
Upton, Wirral
Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire
Waterford, Republic of Ireland
Wolverhampton
Worcester
The Range owner Chris Dawson, branded the ‘Del Boy Billionaire’, told The Telegraph: ‘We are delighted to be able to save so many stores and jobs, and look forward to adding the Homebase brand and subsidiaries to the expanding Range group of companies.’
But this leaves some 2,000 jobs still in limp. Buyers have a deadline of November 26 to snag any of the remaining branches.
Between years of austerity, a worldwide pandemic and a cost of living crisis, it hasn’t been the best time recently to be a high-street retailer.
As one Metro.co.uk columnist asked in 2013: ‘Is the death of the high street inevitable?’
According to the Centre for Retail Research, 25 businesses have failed this year, affecting 760 stores and nearly 15,400 employees.
The Post Office only today revealed 115 branches may shutter, joining WHSmith, Wetherspoons and Marks and Spencer in closing stores.
This article was first published on November 13
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