Garden centres push ahead of last year after record May
Sales of plants and garden furniture soared as May sales made up for earlier months. Gift sales, however, fell. Read more
Garden centres push ahead of last year after record May
Sales of plants and garden furniture soared as May sales made up for earlier months. Gift sales, however, fell. Read more
Notcutts’ £45m redevelopment plan should silence sale rumours
The New CEO of Notcutts has unveiled a £45m strategy to re-establish Notcutts as a pre-eminent name in garden centre retail. Read more
Fallen Fruits aims to double turnover with new showroom
Fallen Fruits has opened a permanent demonstration showroom and introduces the ‘Potting Shed’ shop within shop display. Read more
Home and Garden swoop on Leighton Buzzard
The Home and Garden Group led by chairman Paul Chessum will take control of Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre next Monday (June 13). Read more
Leicestershire centre changes hands
Sharnford Garden Shop and Nursery has been sold for an undisclosed sum by Alexander Mackie Associates. Read more
B&M adds 74 stores and hits £2bn
B&M European Value Retail has continued its rapid growth building its total of UK stores to 500. Read more
HTA move creates opportunity for horticultural hub
The HTA will move to new offices at Chilton in Oxfordshire this autumn having outgrown Theale near Reading. It has also a new website and new domain name. Read more
Contract signed for sale of Bayer Garden as Bayer bids for Monsanto
The deal to sell Bayer Garden to SBM Developpement has been signed and should complete in October. Meanwhile Bayer has launched a bid for Monsanto. Read more
Whitehall wins permission for massive expansion
Wiltshire’s Whitehall Garden Centre has received planning permission to expand to become one of the country’s largest garden centres. Read more
Results just published show 2015 was a record year for Blue Diamond
Blue Diamond sales jumped 18% in 2015, net profits jumped 47%, to £6.6m, due in part to the acquisitions of Trelawney and Newbridge garden centres. Read more
Westfarmers axes Homebase senior personnel
Reports circulating in the media suggest that Westfarmers, the new owners of Homebase, is cutting a swathe through Homebase’s senior personnel as it seeks to transform the business under the Bunnings brand following its purchase from the Home Retail Group earlier this year. Read more
Battery power offers a new opportunity for garden centres
Until now, many garden centres have shied away from selling powered gardening tools, leaving them to the DIY sheds. A visit to the Stihl factories in Europe shows the next generation of battery-powered tools should be perfect for garden centres. Read more
Fire silences Speyside Heather Centre
‘We'll be quiet in social media for a while but don't forget us…’ says Speyside Heather Centre, after it was destroyed by fire. Read more
Union threatens strike action at Marshalls
Marshalls says it is disappointed at a threated strike by drivers that would disrupt paving deliveries to builders merchants such as Travis Perkins and Jewson. Read more
Digger blaze at Westland plant
A digger fire temporarily halted all vehicle movements at Westland Horticulture’s Ellsemere plant earlier this week Read more
Grange to open new DC to link with new Polish factory
Grange is to increase capacity with a new distribution centre in the South East to link with a new factory being built in Poland by its parent company, Stelmet. Read more
Sale means Dobbies will stay Scottish and independent
Tesco has sold Dobbies Garden Centres to a group of investors led by Midlothian Capital Partners and Hattington Capital. Read more
Klondyke falters in poor 2015 spring weather
Latest results show profits halved at Klondyke in 2015 despite a positive trading performance from its restaurants. Read more
Marshalls drivers stage 24 hour strike
Marshalls’ delivery drivers are holding a 24-hour strike today in their long-running dispute over overtime pay. Read more
Scotland makes it 10 for Hillview
Hillview nurseries led by ceo Boyd J Douglas-Davies has acquired its tenth centre with the purchase of Scotland Nurseries in Derbyshire. Read more
Bidding hots up for Dobbies
It has been reported that Philip Day, the millionaire owner of Edinburgh Wollen Mill, has put in a surprise bid for the 35-strong Dobbies garden centre chain. Read more
Maple Ridge Garden Centre, formerly Aylings, is in administration
Eco Warrior Resorts, trading as Maple Ridge Garden Centre has gone into administration. It will continue to trade while a buyer is sought. Read more
Another Green Belt garden centre gets permission to expand
Tong Garden Centre, another Green Belt garden centre, obtains permission for one of the largest play areas in the country. Read more
Bridgford wins unprecedented approval for Green Belt expansion
Pleydell Smithyman has achieved planning approval to turn Bridgford Garden Centre, which lies in greenbelt near Nottingham, into one of the largest destination garden centres in the country. Read more
Roper promises to make Harlow one of the UK’s finest
Blue Diamond has completed its acquisition of Harlow Garden Centre and promises to turn it into one of the finest destination garden centres in the UK. Read more
Mitchel Montgomery opens first Procook concession in a garden centre
Former Wyevale concession expert, John Siese, has opened a new agency and is introducing new retailers to garden centres Read more
Wyevale’s new management team
Wyevale’s management team has a very new look with four new board directors, including CEO Roger Mclaughlan. Read more
Wyevale reshuffle continues as two more directors depart
Dan Zinner and Tim Patten are leaving Wyevale as two former Homebase directors are recruited, bringing more garden sector knowledge to the group.
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Frosts open new furniture showroom at Woburn Sands
This bank holiday Frosts are holding the official opening of their half million pound furniture showroom at their Woburn Sands garden centre. Read more
May deadline for Dobbies bidders
It looks as if there are 4 and possibly 6 bidders in the competition for Dobbies Garden Centres, which can be viewed as a must win for Wyevale. Read more
