An inescapable name on the nation's high streets, it's incredible to look back at the humble origins of the Liverpool store considering its phenomenal success.
In 1976 a 21-year old entrepreneur by the name of Tom Morris opened his first store in Old Swan. Now 68-years old, Morris and his family - according to the Sunday Times Rich List in May 2021 - are said to be worth £4.36bn.
The son of a Scotty Road shop keeper, Morris' first store had takings of less than £100 per week. Back then, of course, the shop was known as Home And Bargain, a name that has still stuck with people in the city.
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But Morris persevered and it wasn’t long before customers came flocking, enticed by the prospect of buying brands they recognised from adverts on TV being sold at a much lower price than other stores. Now, 46-years on from the opening of that first shop, it's the largest employer in Merseyside with 539 stores nationwide, employing around 27,500 staff, and recorded a turnover of £3.3bn in the 12 months to June 30, 2021.
An early advocate of the retailers ethos was comedian Ken Dodd who would often make the trip from his home in Knotty Ash to stock up on life’s essentials. Legend has it he would often rummage to the bottom of the toilet roll basket to make sure he got the biggest roll for his money.
With Tom Morris remaining notoriously publicity shy, it is his brother Joe, one of three other Morris siblings, who is usually found speaking in public on the Home Bargains founder’s behalf. In a story in the Liverpool Echo in 2016, Joe is quoted as saying of his brother: "[He] has a real sense of smell for the retail business. He knows what is going on.
"The key is good buying. He has an incredible reputation for it.
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"If you get the buying right you can make money even if the stores are not perfect. You can have perfect stores but if you don’t have the product you will fail."
One of the biggest changes for the company happened in 1995 when it switched its name from Home And Bargain to Home Bargains. A new blue and red corporate identity was set up by another member of the Morris family, Anton - a renowned graphic designer in his own right.
And while the shop has always been a haven for Merseysiders on a budget, kids wanting pocket money toys or students stocking up their larder with noodles, it has only been in the past 15-years that the world beyond Merseyside has got to experience a Home Bargains shop for themselves.
Now one of the UK's fastest-growing retailers, the company has opened a number of new stores across Merseyside over the last few years, including shops with their own café, bakery and even a garden centre. In 2019, the chain made a bigger profit than London flagship store Harrods, boasting £184 million after tax.
Does this story awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
But wherever the retailer may expand next, Home Bargains will never forget where its heart is. As Joe Morris once said: "I think there would be a revolution on Merseyside if we closed."
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