Homebase to close two more branches in latest blow for DIY retailer

Two more Homebase stores have been earmarked for closure after 33 were confirmed earlier this month.

The sites, which will close imminently, follow the casualty of one site already this February after several shut their doors for good last month.

In January, 13 Homebase stores ceased trading including those in Bradford, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Oldbury, Romford and Wolverhampton.

Now, the struggling DIY chain has unveiled an enormous clearance event at its Easlea Road, Bury St Edmunds establishment. The shop will permanently close on Friday, February 28.

Prominent signs have peppered the store’s front, declaring: “Store Closing. Everything Must Go!”

Teneo Financial Advisory was appointed as joint administrator of Homebase in November 2023 and continues to manage the process.

Despite widespread closures, the company assured: “All employee wages and benefits will be paid for their period of employment.” They added that a key focus is to “work closely with government agencies to provide support to affected employees.”

The Bury St Edmund’s branch closure comes swiftly after the shop in Selby, North Yorkshire, closed for good. It’s joined by another Homebase shop in Maidenhead, which is also luring customers with a going-out-of-business sale.

Shoppers have found discounts as steep as 90% in-store. However, the final day for this outlet remains undetermined.

After Homebase’s disastrous fall into administration in November, billionaire Chris Dawson, head of The Range and Wilko, stepped in to salvage parts of the business.

His involvement created a lifeline for “up to” 70 stores and the protection of 1,600 jobs, along with the Homebase brand, yet still left 74 outlets and approximately 2,000 workers hanging in the balance.

These were swiftly put up for sale by Teneo with a deadline of November 29 for potential buyers to acquire the branches. However, not all were saved.

Several sites, including those in Morecambe, Winchester, Selby, and Derby Kingsway, displayed unexpected closure notices in recent months, despite never having been listed for sale.