Top indie garden centre greeting card retailer joins group, as Dobbies changes announced
There’s a lot going in the garden centre world with the big news that Yarnton Home & Garden and its unique Ohh Deer-created greeting card area has been acquired by the Blue Diamond Group.
The Oxfordshire site, which won the Best Garden Centre Retailer Of Greeting Cards Independent at The Retas 2024 Awards under head of creative Celia Leeson-Cox, has undergone significant investment and transformation.
Alan Roper, CEO of The Blue Diamond Group, a frequent finalist in the Best Garden Centre Retailer Of Greeting Cards Multiple category, commented: “Yarnton Home & Garden is a business that’s much loved by its customers. The team there has worked incredibly hard to transform the centre into what it is today, and I look forward to driving the business on into the future and welcoming it into our portfolio.”
The acquisition continues the 48-strong group’s ongoing strategy to expand its portfolio of high-quality garden centres.
Yarnton MD Glen Sheldrake said: “With a strong and entrepreneurial team, we have positioned the centre as a key destination in the area. The time is now right for new ownership, and I am delighted to pass the reins to Alan Roper. Alan is highly respected in the industry and truly understands the best way to take the business forward.”
Meanwhile Dobbies, which has a large greeting card, stationery and gift offer at its garden centres across the UK, has had its Restructuring Plan approved by the Court of Session in Scotland, which sees the company exit the leases on 10 loss-making sites.
As part of the discussions with landlords, agreement was reached for an 11th centre in Antrim to remain open, and two other sites in Morpeth and Stapleton will move to other operators.
A Dobbies spokesperson said: “We’re pleased to have worked constructively with landlords on the Restructuring Plan. The approval of the Restructuring Plan means we can now be focused on the future, building a strong platform for a return to sustainable profitability in our stores across the UK.”
British Garden Centres, the UK’s largest family-run group in the category, has announced it has acquired three Dobbies’ sites in a week, taking its portfolio to 68 stores.
Reading will take the name Shinfield, to better reflect the area and local community, and the company is also taking over the Gloucester and Gosforth sites, taking its reach from Camarthen to Ramsgate and Wimborne to East Durham.
Owned and operated by the Stubbs family since 1987, co-founder Charles Stubbs said: “This marks a significant milestone for the group, as the acquisition of these former Dobbies stores cements us as the largest garden centre group in the UK by stores. We have a clear vision for the growth of these centres and are excited to integrate with the local communities while building on the strong foundations that are already in place.”
He added that the immediate priority is to work closely with the existing team who will all be retained, to restock and reopen the centres as soon as possible, and extra roles at each centre will be posted on the company’s website and social media.
The former Dobbies site at Black Hill, Stratford, has also changed hands, with Stratford Garden Centre entering in to a lease and retaining the existing team, following the centre’s closure.
Stratford Garden Centre MD Helen Lloyd said: “It’s 20 years since we moved into our site at Clifford Chambers, serving Stratford and the North Cotswold area. As a family-owned garden centre we’ve built close links with the local community and are looking forward to establishing a similar presence in the north east of Stratford serving customers from South Warwickshire and further afield along the M40 and A46 corridors.
“We have built a strong team of more than 100 staff at Clifford Chambers and are keen to develop the team at our new site at Warwick Road. We are planning substantial improvements to the site at Warwick Road and, after a closure period while this work is carried out, we plan on a grand re-opening in March.”
