Homebase

Company Details

Homebase, the DIY and garden retailer, has been around for a long time. Originally, the home improvement specialist started out life as Sainsbury’s Homebase, founded by the UK supermarket in partnership with a Belgian firm. That first Homebase store in 1981 was located at Croydon in Surrey - but the idea for DIY goods sold in a supermarket-style really took off with the British public and the idea soon spread to many other parts of the UK.

Sainsbury’s sold the company at the end of 2000, by which time the chain had grown to more than 200 stores. The Homebase brand is now owned by the Home Retail Group, which is also the parent of another leading retail name in Argos. The company has annual turnover in excess of £1 billion and employs almost 20,000 people in full and part time retail jobs and support roles.

Homebase has been named as one of the Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to work for in recent years, and it is easy to see why.

If you are interested in getting into retail but have little or no previous work experience then you will probably need to start out at store colleague level with Homebase. These full and part time Homebase retail roles include positions as sales assistants, sales advisors, demonstrators and team leaders. The company’s website makes it clear that, for these entry level retail jobs, it isn’t possible to apply online - so you will need to call in to your nearest Homebase outlet to speak to the management there about any vacancies that might be coming up.

There are now over 300 Homebase stores all over the UK & Ireland and you can pinpoint where your nearest in-store retail job opportunities may fall using the store finder on the company’s website. You never know, there could be a Homebase store right in your neck of the woods advertising part time and temporary retail jobs today. And, if you get stuck in and show your strong work ethic to the current management team, you might be asked to move upwards into a more senior role yourself.

Students and graduates in Milton Keynes could also look into any current opportunities at Homebase head office where there are dedicated teams to look after support functions to the retail business such as Finance, HR, Operations, Commercial, Marketing & eCommerce, Information Systems and Distribution.

Explaining which sort of people that succeed at Homebase, and what the company can offer them in return, the company’s website says:

“...what they all share is a commitment to their own development. For some, that means learning to do their current role to the best of their abilities. For the more ambitious, it means seizing every opportunity to progress their careers. If you’re committed to helping us, we’ll be committed to you...”

If Homebase sounds like the sort of place that could be home to a job for you then find out more about the company by visiting their careers website. We’ve also flagged up some of the Homebase social media channels to the left of this page to help you get more of a flavour of what drives the company in their retail business.

For many more job options in the retail world around the UK, you can browse and apply for the latest vacancies now on our page of Student Retail Jobs In The United Kingdom.