Dobbies Garden Centre Restructuring Plan will not affect suppliers

Group of violet Petunia plants for sale in a shop

Dobbies Garden Centre has announced a restructuring plan to address high rent costs and restore long-term profitability. As part of this initiative, Dobbies will close 17 unprofitable stores, including 11 main sites and six little Dobbies, by the end of the year. The closures will impact 465 staff members, though all stores will continue operating during the transition.

According to the largest garden centre operator in the UK, the move is due to unseasonable weather, stubborn inflation, and the cost-of-living crisis, which dealt Dobbies a double whammy last year, racking up £130 million in losses.

Rent was a key gripe for Dobbies, with the restructuring plan hoping to ‘address historically uneconomical rent costs and ensure a return to sustainable profitability’.

For plant growers, it’s important to note that this restructuring plan will not affect suppliers. Dobbies intends to maintain business operations and continue working closely with its supply chain, ensuring minimal disruption to clients who rely on the garden centre for business.

Growers can expect a continued partnership with this 159-year-old business while it works towards a more sustainable future. With 60 stores now, Dobbies Garden Centre plans to remain a key player in the garden retail market.

Dobbies Garden Centres closing include:

Altrincham
Antrim
Gloucester
Gosforth
Harlestone Heath
Huntingdon
Inverness
King’s Lynn
Pennine
Reading
Stratford-upon-Avon

Little Dobbies:
Cheltenham
Chiswick
Clifton
Richmond
Stockbridge
Westbourne Grove

Dobbies’ announcement comes only weeks after Homebase announced ten stores will close their doors one final time. The sites have been sold to Sainsbury’s.