Throwback Thursday: Here's The Home Team

It was perhaps the shortest run for a home center in the history of retailing.

The March 12, 1984 issue of National Home Center News, the forerunner of HBSDealer, covered the creation of The Home Team -- a joint venture between 1984 powerhouses Hechinger and Kmart. 

NHCN covered the New York press conference, which brought together the four executives shown above: Stephen Bachand, CEO of the new company; Richard England, chairman of Hechinger; Bernard Fauber, Kmart chairman; John Hechinger, president of Hechinger.

The new venture immediately planned three 80,000 square-foot home improvement warehouse stores in suburban Chicago. "The news took the home center industry completely by surprise," wrote NHCN. "In an industry where rumors seem to spread as quickly as warehouse stores, everyone, even top Hechinger employees were kept in the dark."

Alas, in April the deal was scrapped -- too many points of contention. The three stores that were to become The Home Team stores opened instead under the Kmart banner.

# # #

Did you ever cross paths with Bachand, England, Fauber or John Hechinger? Let us know at [email protected].