Home Bargains

From 1977, annual growth was already strong at 20–25%.[3] They opened their first warehouse in Prescot in 1979. They then moved to the Rocket Warehouse in 1983. Then, in 1994, they moved to another warehouse, Fallows Way.[3] The retailer gained approval in January 2008 to construct new headquarters in Merseyside, which it estimated would create seven hundred jobs at the Axis business park, Croxteth, as it constructed a ten storey distribution centre and retail training facility.[9]

A £70m distribution centre began construction in October 2013 in Wiltshire, England, as a duplicate of their 700,000 sq ft (65,000 m²) facility that they had opened at its Liverpool headquarters some years prior, in order that their expansion plans could be maintained.[7]

The strap line of the retailer is "Top Brands, Bottom Prices", with operations director Joe Morris explaining their business model of acquiring stock at the same cost price as the larger supermarkets, but selling them to the public at a cheaper price.[7]

In August 2011, Home Bargains opened a website to enable customers to shop with them online.[10]

Home Bargains branch in Morley, West Yorkshire (2010)

Home Bargains branch in Oakwood, Leeds. (2018)

Home Bargains stores have red and blue branding. They can usually be found in major shopping streets, as well as in shopping centres and arcades. Most are centrally located though several are in out of town retail parks. Stores range from small to medium outlets, with the retail park outlets being slightly larger. Store sizes in 2013 were typically between 10,000 sq ft (930 m²) and 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m²).[7]

In January 2009, the retailer acquired fourteen former Woolworths Group stores from the failed chain Woolworths Group.[11] These stores include Cardiff and Port Talbot in Wales. In Fife, Scotland, two former Woolworths stores have been opened in shopping centres in Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy.

The retailer had aspirations to expand in countries outside of England and Wales in 2007, though owner Tom Morris was keen to ensure such expansion was controlled to avoid the risk of over expansion.[12] The retailer announced in October 2008 that preparations are underway to expand into Scotland for the first time, opening their first store in Rutherglen in December 2008.

By March 2009, the company aimed to have six stores within the area of Glasgow, employing more than two hundred people.[13] In February 2010, the company's £25 million Northern Ireland expansion plan was announced, with plans to have opened up to twenty five stores by 2015, to add to their then portfolio of 190 stores.[14]

The retailer has seen strong sales growth over the past few years, with turnover more than doubling in a four year period (2011 to 2015).[15]

In 2009, the firm was aiming to be turning over £1bn a year by 2015, having grown the number of its stores to 350, with the potential for six hundred across the United Kingdom.[16] Their turnover exceeded the £1billion mark in 2013, two years earlier than initially anticipated. The retailer aims to reach the £2billion annual turnover mark by 2020.