RETAIL : HomeClub Readies a Touch of Fanfare as It Changes Names

Would a home improvement store by any other name still be as sweet? Starting this weekend, HomeClub will find out.

The Fullerton-based chain of do-it-yourself centers will change its name to HomeBase on Saturday. To draw attention to the change, the 73-store chain is hiring clowns and planning to give away helium-filled balloons and knickknacks, such as screwdrivers, flashlight key chains and painting caps.

HomeClub is making the change to emphasize that it has done away with its membership policy. But name changes are rife with risk if customers get confused. Osco drugs stores tried to drop the its old name Sav-on, but gave up after more than two years. One reason: Spanish speakers were associating Osco with the word asco , which means sickening. And car dealers complained loudly when Datsun changed its name to Nissan, which was blamed for a slip in sales from which it took years to recover.

HomeClub spokeswoman Carol Elfstrom said the chain is taking measures to minimize confusion. She noted that the only change to the company logo is substitution of the word base for club. The company is using reminders, including the phrase “the only thing that’s changed is our name,” in its advertising.