A string of Waitrose concessions inside Dobbies Garden Centres are at risk after the chain announced a wave of closures.
More than half a dozen Waitrose concessions inside Dobbies Garden Centres are at risk after the closures were announced as part of a restructuring plan.
Waitrose concessions affected by the closures include Gloucester, Gosforth, Harlestone Heath, Huntingdon, Reading and Stratford Upon Avon.
Waitrose partnered with Dobbies in 2022 and supplies over 2,000 food items for 47 of its stores.
Dobbies first launched its food hall in July 2020, partnering with Sainsbury’s to supply over 50 stores. It later replaced the big four grocers with Waitrose
A spokeswoman for Waitrose said: ‘These are proposed closures at this stage so we continue to supply the Dobbies food halls where Waitrose products are offered.’
Dobbies
Little Dobbies
Dobbies Garden Centres – the largest garden centre operator in the UK with some 77 stores and nearly 1,000 staff – is shuttering 17 sites.
The move, according to the 159-year-old business, is to return to ‘sustainable profitability’.
Adverse weather, stubborn inflation and the cost of living crisis dealt a double blow to Dobbies last year, as it racked up £130 million in losses.
Of the 17 stores closing leading trading by the end of the year, they include all six Little Dobbies branches which specialise in houseplants.
Overall this will bring the number of Dobbies to 60 nationwide.
There’s a sliver of a chance that the branches could be saved as Dobbies bosses work with advisers at FTI Consulting for a reconstructing plan.
Though given that none of the 11 mainline sites and six Little Dobies stores are profitable, maybe don’t hold out on that.
Four-hundred and sixty five members of staff will be affected.
All shops marked for closure will operate as normal.
Rent was a key gripe for Dobbies, with the plan hoping to ‘address historically uneconomical rent costs and ensure a return to sustainable profitability’.
Dobbies’ announcement comes just weeks after Homebase announced 10 stores will close their doors one final time. The sites have been sold to Sainsbury’s.
Six stores across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will close before Christmas, with four believed to shut down shortly afterwards.
British Garden Centres development and project manager Amy Stubbs told Retail Gazette the entire gardening sector has taken a hit.
‘It almost feels like any time it’s had a chance to start, the weather has then ruined it and it’s gone backwards again. It’s just been very stop-start,’ she said.
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