HOMEBASE has remained silent over the future of its south Belfast unit after a ‘store closing’ sign appeared outside the Boucher Road premises.
Reported by the Andersonstown News, a staff member commented: “We haven’t been told what is happening. We expect to get through Christmas and come out the other end in January but that is about it.”
Earlier this month, it was announced that the DIY chain had been sold in a rescue deal to the retail group CDS (owner of The Range homeware outlets) saving up to 1,600 jobs and 70 stores across the UK and Ireland.
Homebase currently has 125 stores in Britain and 16 on the island of Ireland, including eight in Northern Ireland.
Eleven UK sites are already confirmed for closure, following a deal with Sainsbury’s in September.
This will include Homebase stores in Omagh and Derry’s Crescent Link being turned into supermarkets from next summer.
Teneo has previously said the remaining stores would operate as normal as they tried to find a buyer.
When contacted on Thursday about the Boucher Road site, they made no comment.
Earlier this month, Homebase chief executive Damian McLoughlin said the last three years had been “incredibly challenging” for DIY stores and blamed “a decline in consumer confidence and spending” following the pandemic.
Despite cost-cutting measures, Homebase had also reported a loss of £84.2m last year.
