British Garden Centres has acquired several Dobbies stores – insisting the sites have “great opportunities” – and it said it looks forward to opening them in the near future
Several branches of the Dobbies garden centre have been saved from shutting their doors forever – see if your local store has been spared.
Green thumbed Brits were dealt a serious blow earlier this week after the company prepared to close down three more stores in the next few weeks. the gardening chain was said to be shutting its Leicester store on Valentines Day with another branch in Aylesbury set to shut up ship by the end of the month.
Another Northampton store was also set to close down on March 2. But four closures that were set to happen are no longer going ahead after they were bought out by British Gardening Centres (BGC).
Development and Project Manager Amy Stubbs, who is part of the family that owns BGC, told the Daily Star that six of the stores have been bought. She told the outlet: “British Garden Centres are very excited about these latest acquisitions reaffirming its position as the largest family-owned garden centre group in the UK.
“These sites have great opportunities, and we look forward to opening them in the coming weeks, with amazing deals. Gosforth Garden Centre will be the first one to reopen on the February 22. We’re committed to keeping these sites thriving and keep them as key local gardening hubs in the area and save jobs.”
What branches have been bought by BGC?
- Northampton (to be completed by March)
Dobbies Garden Centres faced a difficult financial spell with a staggering drop in sales that culminated to a £105.2 million pre-tax loss for the year ending March 2023. This represented a gulf in difference compared to the £7million loss on the previous year. Dobbies is now looking to cut back on the number of stores after being bought by investment giant Ares Management in 2024.
“Dobbies will operate 60 stores and continue to play a key role in the market, working constructively with stakeholders and suppliers, and having an active and committed role in the communities in which it’s based,” a spokesperson said following the announcement of a store closure in October.
