A MAJOR retailer is to close 12 of its sites for good before Christmas.
Dobbies Garden Center announced back in September that it would be closing down a number of its locations as part of a major restructuring plan.
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Dobbies closes 12 sites before Christmas Credit: Alamy
However, the process needed to be approved by the courts and bosses were yesterday given the green light to go ahead with the closure.
A total of 10 venues will now close, with an eleventh venue in Antrim originally slated for closure saved.
It added that talks with landlords over rent reductions meant two additional garden centers in Morpeth and Stapleton would be transferred to other garden center operators.
In a statement, the company said the move would allow Dobbies to return to “sustainable profitability and unlock access to “future investment”.
A spokesman for Dobbies added: “We are pleased to have worked constructively with the landlords on the restructuring plan (RP).
“The approval of RP means we can now focus on the future, building a strong platform to return to sustainable profitability in our stores across the UK.”
“Thank you to all our colleagues, customers and suppliers who have supported us throughout this process.”
Last month, the company closed six of its smaller Little Dobbes locations.
This includes:
- Little Dobbies – Bristol
- Little Dobbies – Richmond
- Little Dobbies – Cheltenham
- Little Dobbies – Edinburgh Stockbridge
- Little Dobbies – Chiswick
- Little Dobbies – Westbourne Grove
Homebase will close ten of its stores, which will soon be taken over by a large supermarket chain
Come December, the next 10 locations will close for good.
- Altrincham – 17th December
- Gloucester – 15 December
- Gosforth – 19th December
- Harlestone Heath – 17th December
- Huntingdon TB
- Inverness 23 December
- King’s Lynn – 15th December
- Pennine – 15 December
- Reading – December 23
- Stratford-upon-Avon 23 December
Dobbies will continue to operate with around 60 stores across the UK.
TROUBLE FOR DIY AND GARDEN STORES
High inflation combined with pressure on consumer finances means people have less money to spend in shops.
Garden centers and home improvement businesses also boomed during the pandemic when shoppers were stuck at home.
But shoppers have since been forced to cut back on spending due to high inflation and a national cash crunch.
This led to the collapse of well-known chains.
Late last month, Homebase said it would put 74 sites up for sale after falling into administration.
However, its administrators managed to strike a deal to sell the business to retail group CDS, which owns the budget chains The Range and Wilko.
This ensured jobs for 1,600 employees and 70 stores – all of which will be renamed The Range stores.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS are feeling the pressure from the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the rising cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and the post-pandemic shift to online shopping are also taking their toll, with many high-street shops struggling to stay open.
Main Street has seen a whole slew of closures over the past year, with more to come.
The number of job losses in British retail fell last year, but 120,000 people still lost their jobs, figures show.
Figures from the Center for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 stores were last closed during 2023, with 119,405 jobs lost in the sector.
That was fewer stores than had been lost in several years and a reduction from the 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement was “less bad” than good.
While there have been big name losses, including Wilko, many big businesses have already failed before 2022, the center said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost of living crisis, inflation and rising interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spending,” Professor Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered rising energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after widespread store closures during the pandemic extremely difficult.”
Along with Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, the biggest failures in 2023 included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Center for Retail Research said most of the store closures were due to companies trying to reorganize and cut costs, rather than a downturn in business.
However, experts have warned that more defaults are likely this year as consumers tighten their belts and borrowing costs for businesses rise.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names that have already fallen into administration this year.
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