Homebase featured on our High Streets (or more often Retail Parks) for over 40 years, but the name has now disappeared. The BBC Radio 4 programme: Toast covered Homebase recently: Sliced Bread – Toast – Homebase – BBC Sounds
AMSR can track the Homebase story clearly from the 1990s onwards using TGI data held within the Archive. And we can supplement the Radio 4 programme with detail on numbers of shoppers by gender, other demographics and use of competitive outlets, following the story of the brand’s rise and fall over its lifetime.
The brand launched as Sainsbury’s Homebase in 1981, and by 1992 we can see had 5 million shoppers. That placed it fourth among DIY and Gardening stores behind market leader B&Q, Texas Homecare and Do-It-All.
Homebase grew its user numbers between 1992 and 2002 – the only one of the larger chains to do so – assisted by the acquisition of Texas Homecare in 1995. By 2002 it had changed hands itself, ending up as part of the Argos/Home Retail Group, and was second in the market.
The ‘Noughties’ was a golden age. The sector was in vogue – TV schedules seemed to be packed with home improvement and gardening programmes. Homebase grew from 6 million to 10 million shoppers in the five years between 2002 and 2007; B&Q also did well over the same period.
Shopper numbers remained high for ten years, but Homebase then went into decline. The Australian retailer Wesfarmers acquired the business in 2016, planning to convert the stores to its Bunnings Warehouse format, but this wasn’t a success. By 2022 shopper numbers had halved. Further attempts to revive the business failed, and Homebase went into administration in 2024.
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Over its lifetime Homebase had success in appealing to female shoppers. It grew its female profile from 48% in 1992 to a peak of 54% in 2007. B&Q’s profile shows a similar trend; Wickes shoppers are more male-biased, with its female profile remaining close to 40% before an uptick in 2022.
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Continuous survey data held within AMSR, such as from TGI, can shed light on trends in consumer attitudes, product purchasing and brand popularity.
Source:
TGI (Target Group Index) is a continuous survey which has been carried out in Great Britain since 1969, based on 25,000 adults per annum, who provide information on their use of all major products, brands and services. Media exposure, attitudinal and demographic data are also included. Kantar, who own and operate TGI, have made major donations of data to AMSR. To explore the TGI archive within AMSR, click here: Target Group Index – The AMSR Online Archive (oclc.org)
All data copyright © Kantar Media UK Limited 2025. All use of TGI Data is subject to Kantar Media UK Limited’s terms and conditions.
Contributed by Geoff Wicken
Date posted: 10th October 2025
Photo: Barry Birdsall Photograhy / Shutterstock.com