Editing Homebase (section)

===Schroder Ventures ownership===
[[File:Axis-Centre-Longford-2007.jpg|thumb|A branch of Homebase in [[Longford]], Ireland.]]On 22 December 2000, Sainsbury's sold the Homebase chain in a two-part deal worth £969&nbsp;million: in March 2001, the sale of the chain of 283 stores to venture capitalist [[Permira|Schroder Ventures]]<ref>{{cite press release|title=Homebase sale completed |publisher=J Sainsbury plc |date=2 March 2001 |url=http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=424&subsection=&Year=2001&NewsID=109 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927035222/http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=424&subsection=&Year=2001&NewsID=109 |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2007 |access-date=21 November 2006 }}</ref> generated £750&nbsp;million, and the sale of 28&nbsp;development sites to [[Kingfisher plc]], parent of Homebase rival [[B&Q]], generated £219&nbsp;million. At the time, the chain had 13% of the market in the United Kingdom, with 283 stores and 17,000 employees, behind B&Q and [[Focus DIY|Focus Do It All]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1082731.stm |title=Sainsbury's sells Homebase |work=BBC News |access-date=30 September 2013 |date=22 December 2000}}</ref>