WHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG

Wesfarmers sacked the Homebase management team and brought in Australians with no UK retail market experience.

It increased stock in shops by 40pc, with shelves piled high, leaving shoppers saying that stores looked like charity shops.

Popular concessions Habitat, Argos and Laura Ashley were stripped from stores.

Customers were confused when they couldn’t find heaters in the winter and bathroom and kitchen suites were ditched, along with duvets and cushions. Instead shoppers got hot tubs, £500 olive trees and disposable boiler suits.

Click and collect was axed and the shopping website went offline for weeks.

Wesfarmers got rid of the familiar Homebase name and brand, replacing it with Bunnings, which is popular in Australia but unheard of in the UK.