When Wesfarmers snapped up Homebase last year, the Australian retail group said the cushions and garden furniture-heavy fascia was on the way out.
Wesfarmers’ new UK arm planned to convert the bulk of Homebase’s 265-strong store estate into Bunnings outlets, with UK managing director PJ Davis appointed to lead the charge.
However, 15 months and two Bunnings store openings later, Davis has drafted in Wesfarmers bedfellow David Haydon to oversee the Homebase division of the business.
Haydon, who will join the business next month from Officeworks and has stints at DIY giants Kingfisher and Wickes under his belt, will be seen as a safe pair of hands for Davis as he turns his full attention to the roll-out of Bunnings pilot stores.
However, after kicking off its assault on the UK last year, Haydon’s appointment could indicate that the DIY retailer is having a tougher time adjusting to the market that originally anticipated.
It was another eventful day for retail appointments as Ikea unveiled plans to bolster its UK workforce with 1,300 new jobs by next year.
And acquisition-hungry The Hut Group is understood to be eyeing web-hosting first UK2 to speed up its international ecommerce roll out.
Quote of the day
“People who’ve worked with me both at Country Gardens and Wyvale have now joined me, and so it’s been one long party since we got here.”
– Dobbies boss Nicholas Marshall
Today in numbers
8.5%
The increase in Spar’s full-year UK sales to £2.84bn
£50m
The amount that The Hut Group is expected to offer private equity firm LDC to acquire UK2 – although the figure could be higher
Thursday’s agenda
Look out for a flurry of updates tomorrow including Asda’s first-quarter results and Mothercare and Burberry’s full-years.
Grace Bowden, reporter
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