Page 43 - HW September 2019

global eyes
More on Homebase,
Bathstore and new
MYOB’s Aussie
Bunnings exclusive
Accounting software provider MYOB recently announced a deal with Bunnings in Australia aimed at simplifying their joint customers’ bill processing.
Common customers can now make use of the feature that allows small businesses to have invoices from participating suppliers sent straight to their MYOB for processing.
Bunnings is “the single biggest invoicer in Australia” MYOB General Manager of Product, Dave Weickhardt, is reported as saying during a recent media briefing, adding: “The number one request from all of our customers was to put Bunnings into the software.”
Also part of the scheme are a strongly trade-orientated list of suppliers including HVAC supplier Actrol, Caltex, HVAC supplier Metalflex, Officeworks, Tradelink and Reece.
www.myob.com
concessions
HOMEBASE HAS APPOINTED experienced former Kingfisher manager Ian Penney as Director of the UK’s largest specialist bathroom retailer Bathstore following its recent acquisition in July (see the last issue).
Part of the Homebase senior leadership team, the new appointment started as
a Supply Chain Analyst with B&Q and comes to Bathstore with 13 years of senior retail experience behind him, most recently as Group Category Director (Kitchens) for arch rivals Kingfisher Group, where he was responsible for the strategic direction of the kitchen business across seven European countries.
Ian Penney will take direct responsibility for all aspects of the Bathstore business, including taking Bathstore concessions (ranging from
just a branded presence to full store-in- stores) into Homebase, Bathstore’s digital offering and the home improvement chain’s bathroom category.
In terms of other concessions soon to appear in Homebase stores, deals have been signed with furniture and flooring specialist, AHF Furniture & Carpets, Denby (ceramics and homeware), and luxury bedding and bathroom brand Bedeck.
This is the latest in a series of concession announcements made
by Homebase over the last year, with partnerships already in place with Ponden
Home (homeware, curtains, bedding and furniture), Tapi (flooring) and Silentnight (beds & bedding).
Homebase CEO, Damian McGloughlin, says of the new concessions: “We have been working tirelessly over the past 12-months to rebuild our range and offer as part of our wide-ranging turnaround plan.
“Reintroducing complementary concessions is a key pillar of our strategy, and we’re delighted to have three new partnerships. All three brands have solid reputations for quality products and are a perfect fit for us as we continue to build our offer.
“We want to be the destination for home and garden improvement projects and working with partners such as Denby, AHF and Bedeck will support our efforts in achieving this goal.”
What’s more, in an interview with the UK’s DIY Week, the Homebase CEO
says it’s looking for more opportunities including testing small-format, high street outlets or even opening new stores in locations where existing Homebase branches have closed.
On top of all this, Homebase, it should be recalled, still has 70 loss-making stores set to close before the year’s end, but has made progress including a recent almost 22% hike in Gross Profit and has pulled back £100 million in cost savings.
www.homebase.co.uk
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SEPTEMBER 2019 | NZHJ 41