Klondyke to return to the acquisition trail

At the recent GIMA meeting Bob Hewitt, outlined the future for Klondyke and the industry, including suggesting that Wyevale may not be the only suitor for Dobbies. Read more - members only

Wilmslow

Turnaround at T&M with a promise of more for 2016

T&M is crediting better customer service and a shift towards online trading for its improved profits performance in 2014/15 and promises further significant progress. Read more - members only

Bryan Magrath

Dobbies sale speculation mounts - UPDATED

Speculation is spreading that Tesco will hang a ’For Sale’ sign on the doors of Dobbies Garden Centres.  But no mention was made in Wednesday's preliminary results. Read more - members only

Success for Green digit, first winner of Seed Corn Funding from GIMA

“Winning the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund has opened doors for us that we never imagined.”  Launched in July 15, Green Digit’s Seedcell has over 175 stockists across the country. Multiple-retailers such as Homebase and B&Q will follow soon. Read more - members only

Unofficially it’s the world’s biggest spade

In spades, Cardiff Wyevale is bigger than Percy Thrower in Shrewsbury and the official Guinness World Record holder in Texas. Read more - members only

Kingfisher gets ready for Bunnings

Kingfisher is following Bunnings’ plans closely and has given more information about One Kingfisher and how it will rationalise the number of suppliers and SKUs with bathrooms and garden being first. Read more - members only

Council threatens Hare Hatch Sheeplands with an injunction

Wokingham Borough Council has threatened Hare Hatch Sheeplands with court action despite a planning appeal being scheduled for September and a local petition signed by 8500 supporters. Read more - members only

Rob Scott with Andrea Burlingham with some of the animals the centre needs to find homes for because

Garden Centre Retail decides not to repeat Future Lines again next year

Eljays44, publisher of Garden Centre Retail, asks the people who preregistered for the Future Lines trade show why they didn’t attend. Read more - members only

Customers hit by sickness at Old Railway Line GC on Mothers’ Day

40 people became unwell after visiting Old Railway Line Garden Centre on Mothers’ Day. The source of the outbreak is not yet known, but Norovirus could be the cause. Read more - members only

Grower calls for quarantine system to prevent Xylella entering the UK

The MD of Barcham Trees warns, "Xylella is not in the UK yet, but if plant material keeps coming across from the continent without any thought to bio-security it is only a matter of time before this menace becomes a reality.” Read more - members only

Mike Glover, MD Barcham Trees

Tillington tops £200m

The Tillington Group that pools the buying power of some of the country’s top garden centres has broken into the £200m turnover band. Read more - members only

Wesfarmers takes control of Homebase

John Gillam, MD of Bunnings looks at the next 3 – 5 years for Homebase, adopting a measured approach that will start with getting ‘wider assortments and stronger stock weighting into the existing network’. Read more - members only

Brantano shoe concessions saved

28 of the 29 Brantano concessions within garden centres have been saved as the shoe chain is bought back by the company that put it into administration. Read more - members only

Hands holds talks about selling Wyevale

The Sunday Times reports that Guy Hands is considering launching an auction for Wyevale Garden Centres having received takeover approaches. Read more - members only

Rosebourne appoints experienced horticultural buyer

Rosebourne starts a recruitment drive before opening its first site in August, promising a new benchmark in garden centres. Read more - members only

Adam Dorber

Blue Diamond will make it 18 with Harlow

The Blue Diamond group is close to completing the purchase of Harlow Garden Centre and says the site has bags of potential. Read more - members only

Stylish new look at Squire’s in Long Ditton

Squire’s Garden Centre in Long Ditton has a stylish new look, following a £700,000 investment to make it bigger and better than before! Read more - members only

Plant area with a new canopy

Customers praise Trentham’s £1m new look

Blue Diamond completed a £1m refurbishment of Trentham Garden Centre at the end of March, winning the approval of its Staffordshire customers. Read more - members only

Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre is to close in the autumn

The owners of Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre have decided it will close in the autumn having failed to find a buyer. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond celebrates

Blue Diamond rolled out the red carpet on Wednesday, 16th March, hosting their 6th Annual Blue Diamond Awards, with Newbridge Nurseries taking the top award. Read more - open to all

Garden Centre of the Year - Newbridge Nurseries

Jail warning for woman who stole £166,000 from a garden centre

Lynda Whalley helped herself to almost £166,000 over 9 years by falsifying the accounts at ACW garden centre in Bradford. Read more - members only

Grovewell buys MacFarlanes, near Folkestone

Grovewell Garden Centre has added a third garden centre to its group with the acquisition of MacFarlanes at Hawkinge. Read more - members only

Edward Boult

Plans to redevelop Maple Ridge Garden Centre, formerly Aylings, are withdrawn

The new owners of Aylings Garden centre, now called Maple Ridge have withdrawn an application to redevelop the site as a tourist centre and local hub. Read more - members only

Kevin Bradshaw to leave Wyevale

Terra Firma has appointed Toys “R” Us MD, Roger Mclaughlan, to succeed Kevin Bradshaw who is to move on from being CEO of Wyevale. Read more - members only

Roger McLaughlan

Wyevale’s Ashford GC faces possible closure

A proposed Junction 10a on the M20 in Kent could see the closure of Wyevale’s Ashford garden centre. Read more - members only

HTA launches Garden Centre Sales Benchmarking

HTA’s new Garden Centre Benchmarking service will get data flowing through garden retail, with the promise of predicting sales patterns based on the forecast weather. Read more - members only

Telegraph opens online Garden Shop

Hayloft Plants has beaten bigger rivals to run The Telegraph online Garden Shop and is looking to add product. Read more - members only

Ingatestone garden centre ceases trading

Ingatestone Garden Centre in Billericay, Essex has been closed by its owner saying the business was no longer financially viable. Read more - members only

Consent for potential new Blue Diamond GC at Leeds

Consent has been granted for a Le Friquet style garden centre at Leeds, making it potentially the 18th garden centre for Blue Diamond. Read more - members only

Le Friquet

Poundland launches £1 gardening range by Charlie Dimmock

Poundland has just introduced the Charlie Dimmock gardening range with a wide variety of gardening essentials, both practical and decorative, all at its famous £1 price point. Read more - members only

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