Dobbies, the largest garden centre chain in the UK and a company that’s been around for over 150 years, is closing even more of its branches.
Known as much for its selection of outside furniture and seasonal decorations as it is for its plants and gardening tools, a Dobbies is handy to have nearby. The brand intends to shutter ‘unprofitable stores’ as part of a restructuring plan. Sixteen ‘mainline’ and ‘Little’ Dobbies shut in 2024, then eight more closures were announced at the start of this year.
Now, three more Dobbie’s are getting the axe. Here’s everything you need to know about which Dobbies garden centres are set to close in the coming weeks.
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Which Dobbies are closing down and when?
Here are all the Dobbies outposts that are closing in 2025, and when
- Rugby – closed January 19
- Morpeth – closed January 19
- Stapleton - closed January 19
- Havant – closed January 19
- Hare Hatch - closed January 31
- Leicester - February 14
- Aylesbury - February 28
- Northampton - March 2 (to be taken over by British Garden Centres)
These Dobbies closed in 2024.
- Bristol
- Richmond
- Cheltenham
- Edinburgh Stockbridge
- Chiswick
- Westbourne Grove
- Gloucester
- King’s Lynn
- Pennine
- Altrincham
- Harlestone Heath
- Gosforth
- Inverness
- Reading
- Stratford-upon-Avon on
- Huntingdon
Separate to these are closures of branches in Morpeth and Stapleton. However, these will move to other garden centre operators.
How many jobs could be lost?
The closures are set to impact over 400 Dobbies employees, out of a total of 3,600.
Who has taken over Dobbies Garden Centre?
No one has taken over Dobbies Garden Centre – well, not recently, anyway. The chain was acquired by investor Ares Management in in February 2023.
The restructuring plan has been put together by Ares Management, Dobbies and FTI Consulting.
Why is the garden centre chain closing down?
Dobbies says that the 16 stores slated for closure are ‘unprofitable’. It says that the restructuring plan intends to ‘address historically uneconomical rent costs and ensure a return to sustainable profitability’.
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