Metropol

The store I worked in had a massive all caps Sainsburys logo inside the plant room from when it was a Homebase

Having read a bit more about the proposed takeover, if Wesfarmers are going to go ahead and replicate the Bunnings business model in the UK, then it will likely be more of a direct competitor to B&Q - going back to "traditional DIY", with homewares, duvet covers etc. probably getting shunted out of Homebase:

The Times wrote:Bunnings is the largest DIY chain in Australia, a country that loves home improvement almost as much as rugby and cricket. Its low-cost “big box” stores can be found across the nation, known as either “Bunnings” or “Bunnings Warehouses”, and are famed for their “sausage sizzle” barbecue fundraisers at weekends.

Might be an odd decision, as some analysts think the DIY market in the UK has shrunk - with people doing small, odd jobs, rather paying tradesmen to do anything more substantial. This has previously been cited as one of the reasons for Homebase's current decline, and Kingfisher's own recent change of strategy to close some B&Q sites full of tools, building materials and equipment - choosing to invest more in Click-and-Collect by expanding ScrewFix.

Could be some pressure coming then for B&Q, or a new entrant misreading the UK market. Anyway, it looks like B&Q has already been peeping over at the chain:

Homebase has been sold to Wesfarmers for £340m. All stores will rebrand to Bunnings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35340384

No idea what will happen to the Argos concessions in existing Homebase stores.

Well… that was fast. A bit of a shame if the concessions go since the Argos in my local Homebase has been very handy.

Maybe they'll insist on them staying, it's a way of making money even after they've sold off the company I guess. Something that quite often happens!

Philip wrote:Well… that was fast. A bit of a shame if the concessions go since the Argos in my local Homebase has been very handy.

I popped into my local Argos concession in Homebase for the first time today. Very intimate and excellent service, unlike the traditional stores.

The Homebase at Straiton, Edinburgh closed last year and a "Homebase Decorating Centre" opened within Argos as a replacement.

The staff at Homebase said a new, smaller store would open in the empty unit next to Argos. Will be interesting to see what happens now to the existing set up and whether the new store materialises.

Anyone know of other Homebase Decorating Centre's within Argos stores?

Serco and Abellio give up the Northern Rail franchise to Arriva Rail North on April Fool's Day. However the branding will remain as Northern and purple, albeit with a new logo.

Will they go round changing all the station signs they've replaced with ones in Northern's corporate style over the past decade? They'd have been better off just leaving them as the old British Rail style.

james2001 wrote:Will they go round changing all the station signs they've replaced with ones in Northern's corporate style over the past decade? They'd have been better off just leaving them as the old British Rail style.

Probably.

Given Arriva's record in Wales, they'll end up as a mishmash of British Rail Alphabet with purple stickers, Frutiger and Arial.

I'm just gutted at the prospect of losing the "Northern welcomes you to Blackpool North" sign in Comic Sans