The outlet was run by one family for 42 years
Sturmer Garden Centre, located near Haverhill, is on the market(Image: Streetview)
A well-known garden centre on the Essex – Suffolk border has been listed for sale at £2 million after falling into financial difficulties. Sturmer Garden Centre, situated in Sturmer near Haverhill, has been placed on the market following financial troubles linked to a significant supply chain issue.
Sturmer Garden Centre, which spans approximately 2.76 acres on the Essex-Suffolk border, remained under the same family ownership from 1982 until 2024. The site is now being marketed by property agents Christie & Co, who say it presents an attractive opportunity for both established garden centre operators looking to expand their portfolio and owner-operators keen to acquire a long-standing, reputable business.
The news comes in the wake of several high-profile closures across the industry. Dobbies Garden Centres shut eight of its sites between January and March last year, with closures affecting Rugby, Morpeth, Stapleton, Havant, Hare Hatch, Leicester, Aylesbury and Northampton. The closures followed a turbulent period for the company, which had been reviewing its nationwide portfolio amid soaring operational costs and changing consumer habits.
In an official statement, a Dobbies spokesperson confirmed the closures were part of a wider strategic plan aimed at bolstering the business and improving its financial performance. “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.
The Sturmer site features a substantial glasshouse and a former retail unit, both of which present opportunities to extend retail operations or bring in new concessions. The centre is managed by proprietors who assumed control in 2024, with a team of 13 full-time employees and six additional weekend workers for the bistro.
A spokesman for the garden centre explained that financial losses stemming from a supply chain disruption last year proved insurmountable. A spokesman for the garden centre said: “It obviously hit us very hard and so the decision to go on the market was made.”, reports the Express.
The supply chain difficulties left them without essential stock during last year’s peak growing season, their “most vital trading period”, resulting in substantial financial setbacks.
Following the announcement of these losses to customers earlier this year, the garden centre set up a crowdfunding initiative, which had been strongly urged by visitors and online supporters.
The spokesman also pointed to economic pressures and rising fuel costs as factors behind the decision to list the property, though they emphasised the current proprietors would prefer to remain if circumstances allowed.
The complete property listing is available at rightmove.co.uk/properties/730878848967760.
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