A major garden centre chain has closed a number of stores this year as part of a major restructuring plan aimed at securing the company’s long-term future. Dobbies Garden Centres closed eight of its garden centres between January and March.
The closures were sites in Rugby, Morpeth, Stapleton, Havant, Hare Hatch, Leicester, Aylesbury and Northampton. This came after a turbulent period for the company, which has been reassessing its nationwide portfolio amid rising operational costs and shifting consumer behaviour.
In a statement, a Dobbies spokesperson said the decision formed part of a strategic plan to strengthen the business and improve its profitability.
“The restructuring plan and other strategic initiatives are expected to return Dobbies to sustainable profitability through site rationalisations, rent reductions, and other tangible cost savings,” the spokesperson said.
They added: “These measures will secure Dobbies’ long-term future and allow access to future investment.”
However, not all of the locations will be lost to the gardening public. The Northampton branch, which closed in early March, was immediately taken over by British Garden Centres and continues to operate under its new ownership.
The closures mark a period of significant change within the UK’s garden retail industry. Many operators have faced challenges linked to rising rents, energy costs, and the lingering effects of inflation on consumer spending.
Despite the closures, Dobbies remains one of the largest garden centre operators in the country, and the company insists its restructuring plan will place it on a more sustainable footing for the future.
The 76 Dobbies garden centres still open
Inverness
Gloucester
Lisburn
Perth
Moreton Park
Hungerford
Thornbury
Boston
Chesterfield
Atherstone
Peterborough
Altrincham
Keston
Galton
Richmond
Aylesbury
Carlisle
Stockbridge
Tewkesbury
Milngavie
Cirencester
York
Northampton
Hare Hatch
Dunfermline
Birtley
Stirling
Southport
Braehead
Woodcote Green
Liverpool
Ashford
Gosforth
Brighton
Ponteland
Marple
Royston
Leicester
Rugby
Westbourne Grove
Telford
Gillingham
Beaconsfield
Havant
Livingston
Shepton Mallet
Sandyholm
Milton Keynes
Stapleton
Swansea
Gailey
Derby
Aberdeen
Woodbridge
Kings Lynn
Shrewsbury
Clifton
Huntingdon
Antrim
Bury St Edmunds
Ayr
Lelant
Andover
Shenstone
Reading
Swindon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Harlestone Heath
Chiswick
Preston
Stockton
Edinburgh
Dundee
Morpeth
Cadnam
Pennine
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