Editing Homebase (section)

===Argos / Home Retail Group ownership===
[[File:Homebase_Antrim,_August_2009.JPG|thumb|A branch of Homebase in [[Antrim, County Antrim|Antrim]], Northern Ireland.]]
In November 2002, Homebase was sold to Argos Retail Group (ARG), a subsidiary of [[GUS (retailer)|GUS plc]], for £900&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|title=GUS snaps up Homebase|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2497923.stm|access-date=22 February 2015|work=BBC News|date=21 November 2002}}</ref> In October 2006, GUS [[Demerger|demerged]] [[Experian]] and renamed Argos Retail Group to Home Retail Group.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davidson |first=Ros |date=28 March 2006 |title=GUS to demerge Experian and Argos |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/mar/28/retail.money |access-date=5 December 2024 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In March 2005, Homebase launched a series of new television advertisements created by [[AMV BBDO]], featuring the new slogan "Make a house a home."<ref>{{cite web |title=Homebase unveils first advertising for six years without Neil Morrissey and Leslie Ash |url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/article/463797/homebase-unveils-first-advertising-six-years-without-neil-morrissey-leslie-ash |access-date=30 September 2013 |publisher=BrandRepublic}}</ref> From 2005 to 2008, these adverts used the song "[[Love Machine (Girls Aloud song)|Love Machine]]" by [[Girls Aloud]]. From 2007 to 2008, "[[Orinoco Flow]]" by [[Enya]] was used. From 2009 to 2013, "Young Folks" by [[Peter Bjorn and John]] featuring [[Victoria Bergsman]] was used.

In October 2007,  Home Retail Group agreed the purchase of 27 leasehold properties from [[Focus DIY]], to be bought for £40&nbsp;million in cash. The properties were transferred over the period up to 31 December 2007, and were then refitted to the Homebase fascia over the course of several months.

No other infrastructure, and no merchandise stock were acquired as part of the transaction, although staff in these Focus stores transferred to Homebase.

In May 2009, Homebase discontinued its loyalty programme, the Spend & Save Card, and replaced it with the [[Nectar (loyalty card)|Nectar loyalty card]] scheme,<ref>{{cite press release |title=Homebase Scrap Spend & Save Card and join Nectar |date=16 March 2009 |publisher=Homebase |url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/891004/Homebase-replace-Spend---Save-Nectar-scheme/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH |access-date=16 March 2009}}</ref> the United Kingdom's largest retail loyalty card. The Spend & Save card had been operated by Homebase since 1982, and was believed to be one of the first store loyalty cards in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smithers |first1=Rebecca |date=26 July 2012 |title=How loyal to your reward cards are you? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2012/jul/26/how-loyal-are-you-to-your-reward-cards |access-date=22 February 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

In July 2013, Home Retail Group said the stores in Ireland had not made a profit in the previous five years, and that it intended to close three of the fifteen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0716/462772-examiner-appointed-to-homebase-ireland/|title=Interim examiner appointed to Homebase Ireland|date=16 July 2013|website=RTÉ News|access-date=11 January 2020}}</ref> [[File:Homebase and Argos, Moor Allerton District Centre, Leeds (31st December 2014).JPG|thumb|A branch of Homebase in [[Leeds]], inclusive of an [[Argos (retailer)|Argos]] concession. This hybrid format had been introduced in 2014.]]In April 2013, Homebase faced criticism over a poster in a London store. The poster appeared to highlight the benefits of free labour through work experience, called [[Workfare in the United Kingdom|Workfare]]. The offending poster depicted a number of volunteer staff at the Haringey branch and was captioned: "How the work experience programme can benefit your store. Would 750 hours with no payroll costs help YOUR store?"<ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=Protest at Bristol Homebase over 'workfare' row |url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Protest-Bristol-Homebase-workfare-row/story-18677652-detail/story.html#axzz2PvV1rZlN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415235017/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Protest-Bristol-Homebase-workfare-row/story-18677652-detail/story.html#axzz2PvV1rZlN |archive-date=15 April 2013 |access-date=11 April 2013 |work=The Bristol Post}}</ref> Homebase responded that "Any individual involved in work experience is provided with a training plan to help them understand the different parts of the store operation in order to help them go on to secure a job (either within our business or elsewhere). We ensure they work alongside, not replace, paid colleagues. They are entirely under no obligation to participate, nor will non participation affect any benefits."<ref>{{cite web |title=Homebase denies using work experience staff to cut costs |url=https://www.insightdiy.co.uk/news/homebase-denies-using-work-experience-staff-to-cut-costs/2441.htm |access-date=21 March 2025 |website=www.insightdiy.co.uk}}</ref>

In May 2014, Homebase launched the Homebase ''Design Centres''. The new look stores had a ''Decorating Ideas'' and ''Advice Centre'', offering touch screen technology, to help customers transform the look of rooms in their homes.

Following a review of the business, Home Retail Group announced in October 2014 that it would close around a quarter of Homebase stores by 2019, and that it would increase the number of Argos and [[Habitat (retailer)|Habitat]] concessions within the stores.<ref>{{cite news|title=Homebase to accelerate store closures|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29719512|access-date=22 February 2015|work=BBC News|date=22 October 2014}}</ref> In April 2015, former [[Tesco]] executive Echo Lu succeeded Paul Loft as Managing Director.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tugby |first=Luke |url=http://www.retail-week.com/people/in-the-news-homebases-new-managing-director-echo-lu-profiled/5073160.article |title=In the news: Homebase's new managing director Echo Lu profiled |publisher=Retail Week |date=19 March 2015 |access-date=2 August 2015}}</ref>