To me, Homebase was never a garden centre. B&M, Home Bargains, supermarkets are not garden centres. The easy way to find out whether a shop selling plants is a garden centre. . . is to look at the plants. If the plants are dried out and dying, you are not in a garden centre. Simple.

Hi Andrew — thank you for such a thoughtful piece. Homebase’s story is a vivid reminder that the UK DIY and garden-related sectors are at a pivotal moment: consumer expectations are evolving faster than many traditional formats can keep up. Over the past decade we’ve tracked three powerful shifts: Hands-on is now hybrid. Digital tutorials and peer-to-peer advice have become the first port of call for novice decorators, yet confidence still peaks when people can handle product, ask questions, and see the finish in-store. Blending those worlds coherently is the new baseline. Trust has local accents. Younger homeowners treat local independents, specialist staff and authentic brand narratives as the real “influencers”. The store badge on the polo shirt often matters more than the logo on the pack. Skills are the new loyalty card. Retailers that teach — not just sell — embed themselves in a customer’s life-stage journey, turning a one-off project into a relationship that spans rooms, gardens and years. That’s why the gap left by Homebase is larger than square footage alone. It’s an emotional white space that can be owned by: Manufacturers prepared to become mentors, supplying bite-sized skills content and in-store demo kits, not just pallets. Chain retailers ready to replace “race-to-basket” promotions with destination zones where people learn, tinker and come back with friends. Independent DIY & hardware stores able to pivot quickly, curate tighter ranges, and wrap every sale in face-to-face guidance. Garden Centres whose diversification journeys are crying out for a coherent “home-making” narrative that links plants, paint, and power tools.

I worked for Texas in their early years, Homecharm/Texas Decor/Texas Homecare, in those days customer service was king! Knowledge of the product was everything along with add on sales, but over the years these DIY stores have lived up to their name, if you want to know anything you, the customer, has to read the detail on the product and work it out for yourself! Yes there are indeed some good folk within the stores that have product & practical knowledge but are few and far between. The other big issue is that every generation that leaves school and starts their house ownership journey have very little practical skills & understanding. perhaps those that are left in the industry could undertake visiting schools or vice versa and teaching these young folk how to paint, how to put up wallpaper, how to hold & use a power screwdriver etc etc. I was taught by my peers while at work, at 17 I could paint and wallpaper, I understood the basics and even today I use what I was taught and have learned since to complete a job to a high standard. More recently I have taught 16 year olds how to hold a pair of secateurs and how & why to prune roses, it's not difficult to teach young people life skills, it is in fact very rewarding for both parties but alas it seems to be missing in today's world?

What an insightful read that was. We supplied Homebase with plants in the early days, always sad to see a famous brand disappear.