http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to change?

Theo

Theo Markettos wrote:

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

what else they're planning to change?

Turn them into Argos or Habitat stores?

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 1:12:19 PM UTC+1, Theo Markettos wrote:
http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed



"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged

financial model."



I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to change?



Theo

Surely that's a buzzword-encoded statement that just means they have too many stores for the number of customers, and it's costing too much !
Homebase is nobodies first choice for DIY or Homewares, and always quite empty when I go there.

Simon.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 05:28:38 -0700, sm_jamieson wrote:

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to
change?

Surely that's a buzzword-encoded statement that just means they have too
many stores for the number of customers, and it's costing too much !

*Ding*

Large estate - shedloads of space
low sales densities - people aren't buying enough
challenged financial model - we're losing money hand-over-fist

TMH will be SO disappointed.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 1:26:40 PM UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:



http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed



what else they're planning to change?



Turn them into Argos or Habitat stores?

Remember Habitat ? All that sort of stuff is cheaper in Ikea now - although their prices have started to creep up.
Simon.

In article ,
Theo Markettos writes:
http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to change?

On the radio, they cited as one of the reasons that new home
owners nowadays are neither capable, nor interested in DIY.

There is a homebase I occasionally visit, and for the last 10
years it's had so few customers in there I never expected it
to last as long as it has. The main thing I have used it for
is its lighting section (although they stopped stocking some
of the items a couple of years ago which I used to buy), and
I occasionally buy their cacti/succulants/venus fly traps.

20-30 years ago, I would buy plumbing, electrical and timber
there too, but the range/price became too small/high.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Theo Markettos wrote:

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy,
so we can make no money."

It is a shame that they have gone this way, but it is quite some
time since I even considered looking there, whereas I was once a
regular shopper.

Can't say I will miss their passing.

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY. Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

On 22/10/2014 13:30, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 05:28:38 -0700, sm_jamieson wrote:

Large estate - shedloads of space

Shedloads of sheds.

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY. Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

Combined effect of (a) parents who did less DIY than their parents, (b)
less hands-on experience at school, (c) scare stories from the safety
lobbies, encouraging (d) the perception that it's not allowed (eg all
the erroenous warnings that anything to do with gas "must be fitted by a
GASAFE fitter" and that "the electrical connections must be carried out
by a qualified electrician"?

--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

sm_jamieson wrote:
On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 1:12:19 PM UTC+1, Theo Markettos wrote:
http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed



"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged

financial model."



I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to change?



Theo

Surely that's a buzzword-encoded statement that just means they have too many stores for the number of customers, and it's costing too much !
Homebase is nobodies first choice for DIY or Homewares, and always quite empty when I go there.

I sometimes nip in because there's one very close to us, and I'm usually
going past it on the way to elsewhere. But I usually find that they
don't have what I want. Half the time, it isn't that they don't sell it
- just that they've run out.

Simon.

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to
change?

Theo


Ah, good! More opportunities for pound shops to to pick up cheap leases.

Mike

On 22/10/2014 13:12, Theo Markettos wrote:
http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to change?

They will close the least profitable stores first and then spiral
downwards from there. A rerun of Comet's decline I would guess.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Wednesday, 22 October 2014 13:38:30 UTC+1, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:



"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy,
so we can make no money."



There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY.

Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to become householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd to do any major DIY.
Well you could chnage a plug on a lead if they weren't all moulted.
Most things can be brought cheaper than it'd cost to build something similar.


Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

Both I'd have thought.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 06:08:48 -0700, whisky-dave wrote:

Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to become
householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd to do any
major DIY.
Well you could chnage a plug on a lead if they weren't all moulted.

Living up to your name again?

On 22/10/14 13:38, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy,
so we can make no money."

It is a shame that they have gone this way, but it is quite some
time since I even considered looking there, whereas I was once a
regular shopper.

Can't say I will miss their passing.

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY. Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

People I think are busier - and more scared because of the perception of
more regulations.

And we've lost the post war "mend and make do" generation.

sm_jamieson wrote:
On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 1:12:19 PM UTC+1, Theo Markettos wrote:

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to change?

Surely that's a buzzword-encoded statement that just means they have too
many stores for the number of customers, and it's costing too much !
Homebase is nobodies first choice for DIY or Homewares, and always quite
empty when I go there.

If stuff isn't selling well, what are they going to replace it with? I
can't quite read which way they're going. Does that mean 'our top seller is
scatter cushions, let's get rid of all those pesky tools' or 'what we need
is more angle grinders'?

Theo

In article ,
whisky-dave wrote:
There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY.

Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to become
householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd to do any
major DIY.

Good point. It never occurred to me. Although many landlords don't mind a
bit of decoration if it's done well.

--
*Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 1:55:14 PM UTC+1, Robin wrote:

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY. Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

Combined effect of (a) parents who did less DIY than their parents, (b)
less hands-on experience at school, (c) scare stories from the safety
lobbies, encouraging (d) the perception that it's not allowed (eg all
the erroenous warnings that anything to do with gas "must be fitted by a
GASAFE fitter" and that "the electrical connections must be carried out
by a qualified electrician"?

Plus delusions of being a rock star, plus an upbringing based in computers & phones not practical physical stuff, plus a complete inability to realise that ith the right strategy they can make several x as much per hr doing diy as they can doing overtime. Plus inability to understand and deal with life's risks. Oh, plus expecting everything given to them on a plate.


NT

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 2:08:48 PM UTC+1, whisky-dave wrote:
On Wednesday, 22 October 2014 13:38:30 UTC+1, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:
"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy,
so we can make no money."
There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY.
Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to become householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd to do any major DIY.
Well you could chnage a plug on a lead if they weren't all moulted.

I've not had any plugs moulting, guess its the wrong time of year for it

Most things can be brought cheaper than it'd cost to build something similar.

yeah, that too. Only customised stuff is worth making now.


NT

Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?
Both I'd have thought.

On 22/10/2014 13:28, sm_jamieson wrote:
....
Homebase is nobodies first choice for DIY or Homewares, and always quite empty when I go there.

They give Nectar points, which usually makes them my first choice.


--
Colin Bignell

On Wednesday, 22 October 2014 14:23:03 UTC+1, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 06:08:48 -0700, whisky-dave wrote:



Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to become

householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd to do any

major DIY.

Well you could chnage a plug on a lead if they weren't all moulted.



Living up to your name again?

Yes are you ?

In article ,
Nightjar \cpb\@ insert my surname here wrote:
On 22/10/2014 13:28, sm_jamieson wrote:
...
Homebase is nobodies first choice for DIY or Homewares, and always
quite empty when I go there.

They give Nectar points, which usually makes them my first choice.

Are you certain the Nectar points make up for the high prices? I'd be
surprised if they did. Of course it also depends on how much it costs you
to get to an alternative.

--
*Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 22/10/2014 13:30, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 05:28:38 -0700, sm_jamieson wrote:

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to
change?

Surely that's a buzzword-encoded statement that just means they have too
many stores for the number of customers, and it's costing too much !

*Ding*

Large estate - shedloads of space
low sales densities - people aren't buying enough
challenged financial model - we're losing money hand-over-fist

TMH will be SO disappointed.

sits in corner, sobbing

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 22/10/2014 13:38, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy,
so we can make no money."

It is a shame that they have gone this way, but it is quite some
time since I even considered looking there, whereas I was once a
regular shopper.

Can't say I will miss their passing.

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY. Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

Chris

I find thirty somethings have no DIY skills whatsoever. Not complaining.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 22/10/2014 14:08, whisky-dave wrote:
On Wednesday, 22 October 2014 13:38:30 UTC+1, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:



"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy, so
we can make no money."



There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY.

Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to
become householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd
to do any major DIY. Well you could chnage a plug on a lead if they
weren't all moulted. Most things can be brought cheaper than it'd
cost to build something similar.

Most can't even assemble flatpack.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:12:52 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

I find thirty somethings have no DIY skills whatsoever. Not
complaining.

Most can't even assemble flatpack.

Have you considered that the 30-somethings you meet professionally might
not be representative of EVERY 30-something?

That age is often the peak of career progression, mixed in with having a
social life and/or small children - so often cash-rich/time-poor. Not
exactly a combination that encourages even the DIY-competent if there's
the option of a cheap and low-hassle tradesman (that's you) flopping a
flyer through the letterbox.

In article ,
says...

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to
change?

Theo


Ah, good! More opportunities for pound shops to to pick up cheap leases.

I'm pretty sure they'll cost more than that.


--
Sam

On 22/10/2014 18:12, The Medway Handyman wrote:

I find thirty somethings have no DIY skills whatsoever. Not complaining.

I think you should google sample bias.

On 22/10/2014 13:12, Theo Markettos wrote:
http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to change?

Theo

Which of our two Homebases are they going to close? Or will it be both
of them? We have them both, with an Argos in-between, on what is more or
less one road. Visits to them, always low, have fallen year by year for us.

If precedent means anything, Focus became Matalan.

--
Rod

On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:22:58 +0000 (UTC), Adrian
wrote:

On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 06:08:48 -0700, whisky-dave wrote:

Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to become
householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd to do any
major DIY.
Well you could chnage a plug on a lead if they weren't all moulted.

Living up to your name again?

It _does_ look like it. :-)
--
J B Good

On 22/10/14 18:12, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 22/10/2014 13:38, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed


"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy,
so we can make no money."

It is a shame that they have gone this way, but it is quite some
time since I even considered looking there, whereas I was once a
regular shopper.

Can't say I will miss their passing.

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY. Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

Chris

I find thirty somethings have no DIY skills whatsoever. Not complaining.



My italian colleagues seem to have much more of a have-a-go approach to
DIY

On 22/10/14 18:15, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 22/10/2014 14:08, whisky-dave wrote:
On Wednesday, 22 October 2014 13:38:30 UTC+1, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Theo Markettos wrote:



"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy, so
we can make no money."



There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY.

Young houueholders a few in number because they can;t afford to
become householders. If you end up renting yuo arent; realyl allowd
to do any major DIY. Well you could chnage a plug on a lead if they
weren't all moulted. Most things can be brought cheaper than it'd
cost to build something similar.

Most can't even assemble flatpack.



My chinese niece-in-law can do all that stuff...

On 22/10/2014 17:32, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Nightjar \cpb\@ insert my surname here wrote:
On 22/10/2014 13:28, sm_jamieson wrote:
...
Homebase is nobodies first choice for DIY or Homewares, and always
quite empty when I go there.

They give Nectar points, which usually makes them my first choice.

Are you certain the Nectar points make up for the high prices?...

Undoubtedly - they go on my partner's card, which makes her happy.


--
Colin Bignell

In article , polygonum
wrote:
On 22/10/2014 13:12, Theo Markettos wrote:
http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there, and what else they're planning to
change?

Theo

Which of our two Homebases are they going to close? Or will it be both
of them? We have them both, with an Argos in-between, on what is more or
less one road. Visits to them, always low, have fallen year by year for
us.

If precedent means anything, Focus became Matalan.

we have one Homebase with an Argo two doors away in the same retail park.
Argos is fairly new there, They have had an in town site for years.

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

In message , Robin writes
There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on
DIY. Is this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of
increasing bureaucratic control?

Combined effect of (a) parents who did less DIY than their parents, (b)
less hands-on experience at school, (c) scare stories from the safety
lobbies, encouraging (d) the perception that it's not allowed (eg all
the erroenous warnings that anything to do with gas "must be fitted by a
GASAFE fitter" and that "the electrical connections must be carried out
by a qualified electrician"?

(e) In some parts of the country, younger people can no longer afford to
buy their own homes, so they are renting. You don't do much DIY in
rented property.
--
Ian

Theo Markettos wrote

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that
result in a challenged financial model."

I wonder what they're on about there,

That those Homebases don’t sell much of their crap.

and what else they're planning to change?

"Chris J Dixon" wrote in message
...
Theo Markettos wrote:

http://news.sky.com/story/1357846/ho...s-to-be-closed

"a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged
financial model."

"We have large stores full of rubbish that nobody wants to buy,
so we can make no money."

It is a shame that they have gone this way, but it is quite some
time since I even considered looking there, whereas I was once a
regular shopper.

Can't say I will miss their passing.

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on DIY.

It would be interesting to see some real stats on that.

Is this because they can afford not to,

Unlikely given how the **** hit the fan in 2008

or a reflection of increasing bureaucratic control?

Unlikely given that there is very little bureaucratic
control over much of that even now.

If they are less keen, it may just be because
they don't need to do as much given that
stuff does last rather longer than it used to
with so much of the basic house structure
and detail is concerned.

Presumably as real living standards have
increased, just like with say cars, you see
a lot less DIY that we did when so many
had to keep DIYing their old bombs
because that was all they could afford to do.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:44:54 +0100, polygonum wrote:

If precedent means anything, Focus became Matalan.

IIRC Focus Penrith became Wickes.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Robin wrote

There was a suggestion that younger householders are less keen on DIY. Is
this because they can afford not to, or a reflection of increasing
bureaucratic control?

Combined effect of (a) parents who did less DIY than their parents,

I actually did a lot more than mine did. They did quite a bit of DIY
renovation of a house that had been built before they were born,
but I built one from scratch doing almost all the work myself.

(b) less hands-on experience at school,

None of what I did at school was any use for DIY or building the house.

(c) scare stories from the safety lobbies, encouraging (d) the perception
that it's not allowed (eg all the erroenous warnings that anything to do
with gas "must be fitted by a GASAFE fitter" and that "the electrical
connections must be carried out by a qualified electrician"?

Doesn’t effect DIY like painting the place or making some cupboards etc.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 6:21:58 PM UTC+1, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:12:52 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:
I find thirty somethings have no DIY skills whatsoever. Not
complaining.
Most can't even assemble flatpack.
Have you considered that the 30-somethings you meet professionally might
not be representative of EVERY 30-something?
That age is often the peak of career progression, mixed in with having a
social life and/or small children - so often cash-rich/time-poor. Not
exactly a combination that encourages even the DIY-competent if there's
the option of a cheap and low-hassle tradesman (that's you) flopping a
flyer through the letterbox.

Assemble it with the 5 year old.
And if they're 2... wait 3 years


NT