The budget retailer expanded has announced ambitious expansion plans after targeting Northern Ireland for openings
Budget favourite Home Bargains has announced the opening of 18 new stores over the last year, with plans to roll out even more branches throughout 2026. The retailer has posted growth in both profits and turnover in its latest annual accounts and has in the last 12 months opened a number of stores – including three in Northern Ireland -Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Enniskillen.
Turnover jumped by 7.9%, rising from £4,209m to £4,541m for the year ending 30 June 2025. The discount chain attributed this revenue boost to the launch of new stores during the period, shop relocations, as well as improved trading from existing locations.
Operating profit climbed sharply from £434m to £492m over the same period. The retailer’s estate now stands at 632 stores as of 30 June 2025.
In a message to customers marking the new year, the company said: “From opening 18 new stores to recognising achievements at our Store Managers Conference, it’s been a year of big milestones across the business.
“And there’s more to come, with the Doncaster Distribution Centre on the horizon and 50 years of Home Bargains to celebrate in 2026.”
“A huge thank you to our customers and suppliers for your continued support and we’re proud of our teams and everything they’ve achieved together this year.”
Full list of new stores recently opened
- Shipley
- Coalville 2
- Houghton-Le-Spring
- Sunderland 2
- Newport West
- Cardigan
- Aye 2
- Carrickfergus 2
- Ballymena
- Enniskillen
- Watford
- Whitburn
- Camborne Redruth
- Arbroath
- Hampstead Valley
- Oswaldthistle
- Borehamwood
- Inverness 2
The discount retailer has confirmed its intention to continue expanding its presence across the UK over the next 12 months, with long-term aspirations to grow its store portfolio to somewhere between 800 and 1,000 locations.
The announcement follows Home Bargains’ revelation in November of plans to overhaul its network infrastructure through a new partnership. The retail giant has partnered with Evolve Business Group to roll out a fully managed network solution across its UK stores, designed to enhance security and operational efficiency.
Under the partnership, Evolve will deploy its managed connectivity and secure payment infrastructure to more than 650 stores, with 50 locations already operational.
The new system is understood to consolidate multiple legacy networks, including those for payments and CCTV, into a single managed solution. This offers real-time visibility and faster issue resolution via Evolve’s 24-hour technical support desk.
To reduce disruption, each store will have dual connectivity with automatic failover, ensuring transactions and in-store systems remain operational if a connection fails.
Home Bargains said that configuration updates, including firewall rules and security changes, will be “centrally deployed to all stores simultaneously”. This is designed to simplify management and accelerate the rollout of new features.
In collaboration with Mako Networks, Evolve has integrated several bespoke components to ensure compliance and scalability. These include fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology and secure, PCI-compliant connections to payment and gift card data centres.
Tony Mullen, Home Bargains’ Head of IT Infrastructure and Services, commented: “The partnership with Evolve has simplified our infrastructure and improved resilience, offering value without compromising on service or quality. These upgrades will support our continued expansion as we grow towards 1,000 stores nationwide.”
Alan Stephenson-Brown, Chief Executive of Evolve Business Group, remarked: “Home Bargains is a major British retailer with exceptional growth ambitions. We’re proud to deliver a secure, reliable and future-proof network that supports its success and enhances the customer experience.”
The discount retailer unveiled its “cutting-edge” £400 million one-million square foot automated distribution centre on the outskirts of Liverpool in 2025.
