Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has struck a deal with Homebase to acquire its Aberdeenshire store.
Sainsbury’s will take on the lease for the Homebase unit in Inverurie.
Homebase confirmed its shop will close next year before being turned into a supermarket.
It will put Sainsbury’s in direct competition with Lidl, which has a neighbouring unit at Inverurie Retail Park.
Homebase closure
Inverurie is one of 10 Homebase shops being acquired by Sainsbury’s. The transaction is expected to be completed early next month.
The gross investment value of the acquisition, including cost of leases, acquisition premium and fit-out costs, is expected to be approximately £130 million.
Each of the new Sainsbury’s will employ an average of around 100 staff.
Homebase did not confirm the number of staff it employs in Inverurie.
A spokesperson said: “Our store in Inverurie will close in 2025. All team members in the store will be offered the chance to interview for Sainsbury’s.”
Sainsbury’s plans for Inverurie supermarket
Sainsbury’s said the new shops will mean nearly 400,000 more people will be within a 10-minute drive of a Sainsbury’s supermarket.
It said the stores will “offer with a refreshed, innovative look and feel and excellent sustainability credentials”.
It said the first of the new shops will open next summer, with all turned into a Sainsbury’s by the end of 2025.
Sainsbury’s also confirmed it will guarantee an interview for any Homebase worker placed at risk of redundancy.
Simon Roberts, chief executive officer of Sainsbury’s, said: “We have the best combination of value and quality in the market and that’s winning us customers from all our key competitors and driving consistent growth in volume market share.
“We want to build on this momentum which is why we are growing our supermarket footprint.
“Our ambition is to be customers’ first choice for food and these new stores will showcase some of the best that Sainsbury’s supermarkets have to offer to even more communities around the country.”
Homebase was established at the end of the 1970s as part of a joint venture by Sainsbury’s and Belgian retail group GB-Inno-BM.
In 2001, Sainsbury’s sold Homebase to focus on its main supermarket business.
According to reports last month, current owner Hilco Capital has been in talks with The Range about selling the DIY retailer.
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