Opening of 300th store

Between March and June the British DIY chain Homebase recorded sales down by one per cent on the corresponding four months of the previous year. The company, which is part of the GUS trading group, announced a five per cent loss in like-for-like terms. According to the announcement, the kitchen and furniture business recorded strong growth, whereas the DIY and décor ranges continued to develop sluggishly. Homebase opened three new locations during the latest quarter, which means that it had a total of more than 300 DIY stores on 30 June.