Tesco opened its first Homebase concession last week, following a new partnership between the two retailers.
The 4,500 sq ft Borehamwood location – which was previously home to a Dorothy Perkins – is the first of four in-store concessions which will be selling home and garden products from Tesco Extra stores across the country.
Situated on the first floor of the Tesco Extra store, alongside a Costa and F&F Clothing, the Homebase concession offers “everything customers need to update, refresh, or completely transform their homes and gardens”.
A team of fully-trained Homebase staff, led by manager Rob Wiles, are on hand to help customers with everything from paint mixing to ordering bathrooms and kitchens.
The store offers a condensed version of the best-selling lines across all Homebase categories, with products spanning home decor and accessories, hardware, paint, electricals, garden and more.
Design experts from local Homebase stores are visiting the Borehamwood branch to help with bespoke bathroom and kitchen orders from the small showroom, a service which is already proving popular.
The colour mixing station has also been a point of interest – with space at a premium, the store offers a while-you-wait paint-mixing service to ensure customers have the widest choice possible.
A balanced mix of product across all key categories is available, including paint, power tools, home accessories and hardware, as well as outdoor furniture and garden decorations.
“We’re listening to customer feedback all the time and so that mix is likely to change as time goes on,” says Wiles, who has worked for Homebase for the last 25 years. “We will continue to evolve in response to customer demand.”
While product selection is primarily a condensed version of best-selling lines from across the Homebase portfolio, care has been taken to ensure there’s no clash with Tesco’s own home range.
“Power tools aren’t so much of an issue, but we do keep an eye on the home decor items,” Wiles adds.
For anything that can’t be found in the small-but-perfectly-formed store, a Click and Collect service allows customers to place their order on the Homebase website and collect within one hour.
“Customers can order product to collect if we have it in stock or can order for delivery if we don’t,” says Wiles. “In short, we can do everything a typical Homebase store can do.”
The next two Homebase concessions slated to open next month will be in Tesco Extra stores based Walkden and Woolwich.
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