Latest news with #Homebase
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Swedish giants Ikea makes Cheshire West planning application
On April 1 this year, the worldwide furniture giants confirmed it will be occupying the former Homebase unit at the Greyhound Retail Park. Plans submitted last week are for the installation of three internally-illuminated fascia signs as well as a three non-illuminated flags and an advertisement banner. However, the business said that an opening date is yet-to-be confirmed. A covering letter with the application stated: 'Consent is sought for various new fascia signs which would replace existing signage. 'IKEA have recently acquired several former Homebase units in established retail parks to roll out a new small-format store concept across the UK. 'The new format stores provide the typical, renowned IKEA experience on a small scale.' It added: 'The site is located within the established Greyhound Retail Park, located one mile from the centre of Chester. 'It is home to a wide range of convenience and comparison retail brands including Asda, Boots and Home Bargains. 'The main entrance to the unit faces Greyhound Park Road, with customer car parking surrounding the unit to the north, east and west. 'An external display area for a garden centre is located to the south of the unit, and is enclosed by a three-metre in height fence. 'Four fascia signs prevail on the unit, one on each façade. 'The site is not allocated for any particular use in the Development Plan, nor is it designated as, or located within the setting of, a heritage asset. OTHER NEWS: 'It is within the defined settlement boundary of Chester and within an aerodrome safeguarded area, as is the entirety of the retail park, due to its proximity to Hawarden Airport.' Previously, Ikea said it was looking forward to coming to Chester. Peter Jelkeby, IKEA UK and Ireland chief executive officer, said: 'We know many people want to shop with IKEA but in some instances are just too far away. 'That's why we are strategically expanding our UK footprint, with the aim of showing up in convenient, accessible locations for our customers. 'In Chester we've been looking for the perfect location for many years. 'The site on the Greyhound Retail Park ensures visitors from across Cheshire, North Wales and surrounding areas have more convenient access to a local IKEA store.'
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
New Home Bargains store opens in Newport to huge crowds
The one-stop shop, which is a family favourite, invested around £6 million into the new store on Docks Way, which opened at 8am on Saturday. We were there a hundreds of people queued for hours to get into the store with the car park full. Even though the store had opened at 8am, by the time we arrived at around lunchtime, cars were backed out onto the main road in a queue to get into the car park - we even ended up waiting around 20 minutes for a space, and it was very much one in, one out in the car parking spaces. Once inside, it was almost like being in a sardine tin, with shoppers lining each the aisles offering everything from garden furniture, to Father's Day gifts to popular everyday cupboard fillers including biscuits, milk and cereal. (Image: NQ) Home Bargains very much feels like an expanded supermarket, with a variety of items on sale that you perhaps wouldn't expect to see in a supermarket, including bedding, candles, toiletries such as make-up, and even barbecues. One of the biggest selling points of the new store was the 'Garden World' section, set at the far side of the store in a greenhouse and giving a varied selection of plants and gardening equipment that could rival even Homebase or Webbs. The other major key selling point was the café, and given how busy the shop was, we didn't stop, but it was clear why the café was so popular on what was a very warm spring weekend. Most items were on the menu for less than £2, encouraging many to stop to refuel or refresh during their shop, something that many did given the length of the queues for the tills. The smell of freshly baked cakes and coffee could be smelt from halfway down the aisle approaching the café, with many people taking the opportunity to be encouraged to take a break. In fact the queues for the tills reached right down the shop aisles, with people filling their trolleys to the brim with all the 'special buys' and cheap home essentials on offer. Most people simply could not get up to the tills given the size of the queues and were simply forced to wait in their aisles to pay for their shopping - with queues reaching a minimum of at least half an aisle back on multiple occasions. We were inside for only around an hour, and it quickly became apparent that what seemed like all of Newport had turned out to visit the new store, as just as quickly as we left, another hoard of customers went inside, and the car park never seemed to empty. Image NQ (Image: NQ) The shop has the usual shopping choices of branded goods at affordable prices, but this store also has an in-store bakery, café, and garden centre. The bakery could rival Lidl, with offers of fresh bread, cookies, pastries and more on offer each day. (Image: NQ) The branch's new store manager, Luke Price, said: "I hope it will be at the heart of the community, a place for all to visit and have a great experience. "With a fresh new bakery, a fantastic garden centre offering everything you need, and a place to refresh in our café, it truly is a one-stop shop for all."
Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
B&Q opens three new stores in Ireland
B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher reported a 1.8% rise in first-quarter same-store sales for Ireland and the UK after good weather boosted sales of garden furniture and barbecues. The FTSE-100 listed group, which also owns Castorama and Brico Depot in France and other markets, said it was sticking with its full-year forecast for adjusted pre-tax profit of £480m (€572m) to £540m (€643m). The group, which trades from over 1,900 stores, said like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland rose 5.9% in the three months to April 30 but were down 3.2% in both France and Poland. However, Kingfisher said it won market share in all of those countries. "Our UK banners performed particularly well, driven by strong seasonal sales and growth in trade and e-commerce," chief executive Thierry Garnier said. Sunny weather boosted overall retail sales in April and households grew cheerier this month, according to figures published last week that suggested consumer spending might be a bright spot in an otherwise drab outlook for the economy. However, in France, data showed consumer confidence hit a five-month low this month on growing worries about the economy and unemployment. Kingfisher noted that in the UK and Ireland, sales of seasonal products, such as garden furniture, barbecues and plants, jumped 28.3% year-on-year, largely due to better weather. But it cautioned that some of this growth was likely to have been pulled forward from the second quarter. In Ireland, B&Q opened three new stores at locations in Navan, Waterford and Letterkenny. The store openings follow the acquisition by B&Q of three leasehold stores, formerly trading as Homebase, for a purchase price of £3.2m (€3.79m). Collectively, the three will employ 109 staff, 51 of whom transferred from Homebase. Following a revamp and rebranding programme, the first of the new stores opened in Navan Retail Park. B&Q Waterford will open on Friday, followed by B&Q Letterkenny on Saturday. The acquisitions build on B&Q's existing network and bring to 11 its portfolio of stores in the Republic of Ireland. John Eason, B&Q Retail Director, Ireland said: 'This is a landmark moment for B&Q and is indicative of the confidence we have in the Irish market. Opening three new stores builds on the success of our existing eight stores in Ireland and the continuous and growing demand for home improvement products and services nationwide. 'We are so pleased that so many former Homebase colleagues have joined the B&Q family, and we look forward to working with them - alongside our 58 new team members – as we build an even stronger presence in the Irish market. We are also looking forward to welcoming DIY enthusiasts together with home improvement and trade professionals to our new stores, which is for everyone, whatever their home improvement needs.' Additional reporting Reuters Read More Bulmers owner C&C Group reports minimal impact from tariffs
RTÉ News
28-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
B&Q Ireland opening new stores in Navan, Waterford and Letterkenny
B&Q Ireland is opening three new stores this week at locations in Navan in Co Meath, Waterford and Letterkenny in Co Donegal. The store openings follow the purchase by B&Q of three former Homebase stores for about €3.79m late last year. The three new stores will employ 109 workers, 51 of whom transferred from Homebase. After a revamp and rebranding programme, the first of the new stores opened in Navan Retail Park today. B&Q Waterford will open its doors on 29 May, followed by B&Q Letterkenny on 30 May. B&Q said the acquisitions build on its existing network and bring to 11 its portfolio of stores in the Republic of Ireland. B&Q is part of home improvement company Kingfisher which operates more than 2,000 stores in eight countries across Europe. John Eason, B&Q Retail Director, Ireland said the opening of the new stores was indicative of the confidence the retailer has in the Irish market. "Opening three new stores builds on the success of our existing eight stores in Ireland and the continuous and growing demand for home improvement products and services nationwide," he said. B&Q first launched in Ireland in 2002 and now has 11 stores around the country - Galway, Athlone, Limerick, Naas, Cork and three Dublin stores in Swords, Tallaght, Liffey Valley and now Navan, Waterford and Letterkenny. B&Q owner's first quarter sales up by 1.8% Meanwhile, Kingfisher has today reported a 1.8% rise in first quarter same store sales, with a strong performance in Britain, helped by favourable weather, partially offset by continued weakness in France. The FTSE-100 listed group, which owns B&Q and Screwfix in Ireland, the UK and Castorama and Brico Depot in France and other markets, said it was sticking with its full-year forecast for adjusted pretax profit of £480-540m compared to £528m in 2024/25. Kingfisher said like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland rose 5.9% in the three months to April 30 but were down 3.2% in both France and Poland. However, the group said it won market share in all of those markets. "Our UK banners performed particularly well, driven by strong seasonal sales and growth in trade and e-commerce," chief executive Thierry Garnier said. Sunny weather boosted overall British retail sales in April and households grew cheerier this month, according to figures published last week that suggested consumers might be a bright spot in an otherwise drab outlook for the economy. But in France, data showed consumer confidence hit a five-month low this month as concerns about the economy and unemployment surged.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
M&S to open its largest standalone food store yet in English town
Marks & Spencer (M&S) plans to open 12 new food stores on former Homebase sites across England, creating over 550 jobs. The expansion includes ten food stores and two full-line stores this year, with a 22k square foot food hall in Godalming set to be its largest standalone food store to date. The new food stores will feature a full range of M&S Food products, market-style fruit and vegetables, bakeries, and Click & Collect counters. M&S aims to have 420 bigger, fresher Food stores and 180 Full Line stores by 2027/28 through its store rotation and renewal program. This expansion follows a recent cyber attack that cost M&S £300 million, with the Metropolitan Police investigating the incident.
