Retail was the ideal fit for Tom Morris. The Liverpudlian is the third generation of his family to go into the trade, and he wasted little time doing so: in 1976, aged just 21, he opened a single store under the name Home and Bargain, reportedly financed by a bank overdraft. Steady expansion followed, and by 1995 – with the business rebranded as Home Bargains – it had gone national.

Fifty years on, the group operates more than 650 stores across the UK and employs around 27,000 people, with ambitions to reach 1,000 stores and a headcount of 40,000. Its latest financial statements suggest this objective is more than aspirational: for the year to 30 June 2025, sales rose 7.9 per cent to £4.5bn.

Analysts point to the breadth of Home Bargains’ offer as a factor. More than 30 stores now have cafés, and 75 include garden centres. A technology overhaul announced last November, covering payment security and legacy systems, shows a business investing in its next phase of growth.

Morris himself remains the majority owner of TJ Morris, the group's parent company, and is famously reluctant to appear in the public eye, despite being Liverpool's richest son. In a discount sector where rivals such as Poundland have struggled, Home Bargains continues to gain ground – a testament, perhaps, to the value of steady, sustainable growth.