Home Bargains or Home and Bargain; the correct name for the popular retailer has long been a light-hearted source of debate among Scousers. However, the ECHO has uncovered evidence of a little-known third name which rarely gets a mention.
Generational Differences in Naming
Generational differences in what shoppers call the brand are easy to explain and many are aware of the subtle name change that took place when the chain adopted its red-and-blue branding in the 1990s. Older customers are more likely to remember the original name - Home and Bargain - while younger shoppers have grown up knowing it simply as Home Bargains.
The Brief Appearance of 'Habs'
But a third option was briefly on the cards which could have seen a whole different name on the high street. Before the company settled on its current branding, signs displaying the name 'Habs' briefly appeared at Bootle Strand.
Home Bargains has not confirmed exactly when the signage was installed, but the ECHO understands it was displayed for a short period before the 1995 rebrand. That places it sometime between the company's launch in 1976 and its transition to Home Bargains. Perhaps some Bootle shoppers still remember seeing it.
Informal Use of the Nickname
Although the signage disappeared decades ago, the Habs name is not entirely forgotten. According to some Reddit users, the nickname is still used in parts of the country, albeit informally rather than as an official brand name. The nickname may be more familiar to shoppers outside Merseyside, but it points to one thing: Home Bargains has become such a household name that customers have naturally found ways to personalise it.
50th Anniversary Celebrations
As the retailer celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, many Liverpool shoppers who remember its early days may be pleased to see its original identity honoured. This week, the Bold Street store temporarily reverted to the black-and-white Home and Bargain logo that once adorned its shops.
Despite the nostalgic celebration, Home Bargains looks very different from its humble beginnings as a single store in Old Swan in 1976. With the red pinafores once worn by staff long gone, Home Bargains itself has grown exponentially and is today a multi-billion-pound retailer with more than 600 stores nationwide. With many changes in 50 years, including three different names, who knows what the next half-century might bring.
