Home Retail Group Plc (LON:HOME) is a home and general merchandise retailer and is the parent company of Argos and Homebase.
Home Retail Group Plc has three divisions: Argos, Homebase and Financial Services. Argos is a general merchandise retailer, whereas Homebase trades within the DIY and home enhancement market offering a range of home improvement products. Home Retail’s Financial Services business works in conjunction with Argos and Homebase to provide its customers with the credit offers to drive product sales.
Home Retail’s own brands also include Bush and Alba in consumer electronics, Chad Valley in toys, as well as Schreiber and Hygena brands in furniture. The company offers 67,000 products in 1,073 Argos and Homebase stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and employs 48,000 people.
Home Retail Group is headquartered in Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.
In 1998, home shopping giant GUS Plc purchased Argos, which at the time was primarily a single-channel retailer with a chain of 435 stores. GUS acquired DIY retailer Homebase in 2002. Home Retail Group was launched in 2006, following its demerger from GUS.