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Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Sun 23 Feb, 2025 18.41
by Martin Phillp
The Original Factory Shop has been acquired by Modella Capital, making it a parent company to Hobbycraft.
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Mon 24 Feb, 2025 15.30
by WillPS
Martin Phillp wrote: Sun 23 Feb, 2025 18.41
The Original Factory Shop has been acquired by Modella Capital, making it a parent company to Hobbycraft.
Sister company, surely?
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Thu 27 Feb, 2025 20.33
by Alexia
Got a gut feeling after visiting Saino's earlier that it's not long for this world in its present form.
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Thu 27 Feb, 2025 22.42
by GeekyJames
Saino's?!
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Sat 01 Mar, 2025 00.21
by WillPS
Alexia wrote: Thu 27 Feb, 2025 20.33
Got a gut feeling after visiting Saino's earlier that it's not long for this world in its present form.
Fear not.
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Sat 01 Mar, 2025 12.44
by Zimba
I might be in the minority here but is it just me that doesn't understand why The Range is opening Homebase Garden Centre's. There's lot of things I think about Homebase, mostly expensive stuff for people who don't do DIY but definitely not it's gardening side.
Unless you're thinking about overpriced plants which were dead.
It's even more bizarre since Wilko's gardening range was one of it's strong points and one bit that people actually miss. No-one cares about Homebase, let's be honest and if you were going to do something surely it would be the DIY side which is just a muddled mess at The Range right now.
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Mon 03 Mar, 2025 00.15
by Martin Phillp
Zimba wrote: Sat 01 Mar, 2025 12.44
I might be in the minority here but is it just me that doesn't understand why The Range is opening Homebase Garden Centre's. There's lot of things I think about Homebase, mostly expensive stuff for people who don't do DIY but definitely not it's gardening side.
Unless you're thinking about overpriced plants which were dead.
It's even more bizarre since Wilko's gardening range was one of it's strong points and one bit that people actually miss. No-one cares about Homebase, let's be honest and if you were going to do something surely it would be the DIY side which is just a muddled mess at The Range right now.
It seems that because they own the Homebase brand, they'd rather have some continuity of brands at these new Range conversions rather than go full on which also allows them to promote the Homebase website which is what the brand is being largely used for under CDS. I wouldn't be surprised if later they change their strategy and go for Wilko as their garden centre brand as they already do for household goods.
Slight OT, but CDS have relaunched the Wilko website at the end of February.
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2025 10.03
by BBC TV Centre
Is there any brand equity in Homebase? For me it always reminds me of what was a good DIY chain in the 90s ruined by buyouts and private equity. And towards the end of its days was rather overpriced and didn't know what it was doing.
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Thu 06 Mar, 2025 18.54
by WillPS
BBC TV Centre wrote: Tue 04 Mar, 2025 10.03
Is there any brand equity in Homebase? For me it always reminds me of what was a good DIY chain in the 90s ruined by buyouts and private equity. And towards the end of its days was rather overpriced and didn't know what it was doing.
I think most of the 'ruin' was done by HRG rather than private equity. A decade of almost zero investment.
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Thu 06 Mar, 2025 19.44
by Hervert
BBC TV Centre wrote: Tue 04 Mar, 2025 10.03
Is there any brand equity in Homebase? For me it always reminds me of what was a good DIY chain in the 90s ruined by buyouts and private equity. And towards the end of its days was rather overpriced and didn't know what it was doing.
In recent years they have clearly failed to maintain their brand position and have clearly lost their identity
Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Thu 06 Mar, 2025 23.12
by Martin Phillp
PepCo are considering selling Poundland. This doesn't affect Dealz in Ireland.
Again they're blaming the NI increases in April which will "add further pressure" to the UK business.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg8jqw3wx9o