Home Bargains and Evolve: Resilient Retail Connectivity

Discount retailer Home Bargains is strengthening its operations through a partnership with managed network provider Evolve Business Group.

The collaboration is set to deliver secure connectivity and payment infrastructure to more than 650 stores, supporting the retailer’s UK expansion.

The partnership highlights how Home Bargains is using external technology partners to manage the critical infrastructure for its large-scale operations.

Strengthening the logistical backbone

A key objective is consolidating several legacy networks into a single, streamlined system. The move centralises functions like payments and CCTV under a single point of contact.

For the supply chain, this integration means a more unified flow of data from the point of sale, back to head office and distribution centres.

With Evolve’s support desk monitoring the entire network, Home Bargains gains greater visibility into performance and faster resolution times, minimising disruption to in-store operations. This rationalisation of suppliers also reduces administrative burdens and clarifies accountability.

Tony Mullen, Head of IT Infrastructure and Services at Home Bargains, says: "Having started more than 40 years ago in Liverpool, our customers continue to be at the heart of everything we do. We now serve more than seven million people each week and plan to grow our portfolio to 1,000 stores throughout the UK, opening around 50 new stores a year.

"The partnership with Evolve has simplified our infrastructure and improved resilience, offering value without compromising on service and quality. These upgrades will support us and our customers as we continue to expand."

Ensuring uptime and data integrity

The network architecture is designed to maximise uptime, a critical factor for a supply chain that relies on real-time sales data. Evolve has implemented diverse connections into each store, featuring an automatic failover capability.

If a primary connection fails, this system maintains connectivity. This allows store operations from payment processing to stock management systems to continue uninterrupted.

To support rapid and secure adjustments, firewall rules and configuration changes are updated automatically, enabling new features to be rolled out instantly and securely to all locations.

This continuous flow of information is fundamental for accurate demand forecasting and efficient inventory replenishment.

Future-proofing with secure infrastructure

Through its partnership with hardware provider Mako Networks, Evolve has implemented a network that is compliant and prepared for future technological demands.

Technologies such as fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) connectivity help ensure the infrastructure can handle increasing data loads as Home Bargains grows.

Furthermore, the establishment of highly-secure connections to payment data centres and gift card hosts adheres to full PCI compliance. This focus on security is vital for protecting the financial data that flows through the retail supply chain and maintaining operational continuity.

"Home Bargains is a much-loved British brand that has remained true to its roots while achieving incredible growth," adds Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve Business Group. "As another fast-growing North West business, we're proud to support that success with a secure, reliable and efficient network designed exactly to their needs.

"Whatever matters most to our customers, our team is dedicated to going the extra mile to deliver innovative technology and personalised support that enables them to grow with confidence."