TWO stores of the iconic DIY chain Homebase are set to shut today leaving shoppers to fear they will miss out on Christmas decorations.
Brits have been shopping at the home improvement and gardening material giant since 1979, but Homebase has recently hit hard times.
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One store in Plymouth and one in Oxford have finally got the chop and have closed today, after originally being meant to shut their doors in November.
Plymouth customers will now have to travel 30 miles east to get to the next closest store in Newton Abbot.
While Banbury shoppers will need to travel 14 miles away to the closest store in Bicester.
Posters in the store and on social media advertising the closure read: “All stock reduced” as “everything must go”.
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The exact reason for the closure has not been released by the retailer and the number of staff affected is unknown.
Shoppers on Facebook said they were saddened to hear the news of the closure.
One user said: “Gutted I love Homebase”
Another said: “So sad for the Homebase staff losing their jobs it’s a real shame”
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“No I love buying my Christmas decorations from there,” claimed a third.
A fourth user asked: “Why can’t we have nice things in Banbury?”
The retailer is also set to pull the plug on its shop at the O2 Centre on Finchley Road in London on December 10.
It comes after the retailer shut its Newport store in South Wales on September 8.
Homebase has closed 93 stores since it was taken over by Hilco Capital in 2018.
Hilco bought the hardware store chain for £1 from Australian firm Wesfarmers, which paid £340million for what has been dubbed one of the “most disastrous takeovers ever seen”.
Wesfarmers is known for its Bunnings chain in Australia. It attempted to transform Homebase into its own DIY brand.
Prior to the Hilco takeover, Homebase had 250 stores at its peak and 12,000 staff.
But Homebase soon returned to profit after it entered a CVA agreement and restructured its business.
The retailer recently launched a huge gardening sale with some items up to 50% off.
Energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and have no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
Boots revealed it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.
On Friday, Oak Furnitureland closed its showroom at Central Six Retail Park in Coventry for good.
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B&M has closed nine of its stores since February this year.
Poundstretcher has closed five stores this year with another due to close by next year.
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