Dobbies to shut two Scottish garden centre sites as part of major restructure hitting 465 jobs

“Thereafter, Dobbies will operate 60 stores and continue to play a key role in the market”

Dobbies, the Scottish-founded garden centre group, has revealed plans to shut 17 stores, including two in Scotland, in a move that will impact a total of 465 jobs.

The firm said the proposed closures are part of a restructuring plan to help return the business to profit and reduce its rent bill. The plans, which require approval by creditors, would see the company shut 11 larger Dobbies sites, including one in Inverness, and six Little Dobbies outlets, including its site in the popular Edinburgh suburb of Stockbridge, by the end of the year. The Stockbridge branch was only opened about four years ago.

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Sites will continue to operate as normal until the restructuring process is given the green light, the firm stressed.

Dobbies, which was founded by James Dobbie in Renfrew in 1865, will continue to operate 60 stores across the UK after the move.Dobbies, which was founded by James Dobbie in Renfrew in 1865, will continue to operate 60 stores across the UK after the move.
Dobbies, which was founded by James Dobbie in Renfrew in 1865, will continue to operate 60 stores across the UK after the move.

The group said the closure will affect 465 workers, of which 82 are full-time, of the company's roughly 3,600-strong workforce. Dobbies, which was bought by investment firm Ares Management last year, will also work with landlords in order to secure temporary rent reductions at nine further stores.

The garden centre business fell to a hefty £105.2 million pre-tax loss in the year to March 2023 , against a £7m deficit a year earlier, according to its most-recently filed company accounts.

Dobbies, which was founded by James Dobbie in Renfrew in 1865 and has grown to become a major UK-wide operator, said: “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, securing its long-term future and allowing access to future investment.

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“Thereafter, 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 is based.”

The group, which was at one time listed on the London Stock Exchange before being acquired by Tesco, stressed that the restructuring process will not affect its suppliers.

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