When Wesfarmers‘ acquired Homebase, Habitat wasn‘t invited to the party. But is this the opportunity it needs to start out on its own two feet again?
When the deal was struck between Wesfarmers, one of Australia‘s largest companies, and Homebase, the agreement specifically excluded Argos and home furnishing brands Habitat and Schreiber.
Homebase will disappear from the UK market, to be replaced by Wesfarmers‘ Bunnings brand. Retail Gazette can reveal that Mini Habitat concessions are not part of Bunning‘s ongoing business strategy, and as such Mini Habitat concessions will be coming out of Homebase stores in 2016.
Bunnings has confirmed that all Habitat concession store colleagues will be offered a role within the Bunnings business.
Habitat remains buoyant about the change in ownership, saying that the “core Habitat business remains fundamentally unaffected”. In a statement released by the retailer, Habitat said that investment will continue to be made into developing a “best-in-class transactional website” and a network of smaller customer touch-points in Argos stores nationwide.
Habitat is already in the development phase for a flagship store on London‘s Tottenham Court Road and is understood to be exploring new regional opportunities for over the coming months.
