Dunelm Group plc has announced its acquisition of a soft furnishings retailer. The business operates 13 stores in prime locations across the Republic of Ireland and offers online shopping, including home delivery and a 'Click & Reserve' service for in-store collection. Known for its focus on fabrics, the retailer Home Focus specialises in categories like curtains and bedding. Around 140 employees from Home Focus will join the Dunelm team.
Photo: Home Focus.
This acquisition represents a strategic move for Dunelm to expand into a new market, tapping into the Republic of Ireland's homewares sector, valued at over £1 billion. Home Focus' network of smaller stores, each under 10,000 square feet, provides Dunelm with an established presence across Ireland. Dunelm plans to broaden the product range in these stores, aligning them with its smaller-format locations in the UK, thereby offering Irish customers more options for their home needs.
Nick Wilkinson, CEO of Dunelm, comments, 'In Home Focus we have found a high-quality and complementary business, with a shared heritage in home textiles and strong values which stem from family ownership. We've really enjoyed getting to know the team and look forward to welcoming them to the Dunelm family as we work together to further develop and invest in their specialist home proposition. We see a clear opportunity to introduce more choice and value into the offer which Home Focus has built for its customers. With an established national store footprint and expertise in mutual growth areas like Made to Measure, we're confident that Home Focus will help us to continue unlocking our full potential.'
Source: www.investegate.co.uk