I’m pretty confident that no-one is going to lose any sleep over the loss of Homebase from a consumer POV – there’s a B&Q at spitting distance from it, Wickes other side of town, Colour Supplies and probably a number of other local hardware/DIY stores people could go to if they wanted to.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a crap time for the staff losing their jobs smack right before Christmas – seems to be a lot of job losses lately.