Dobbies: Popular gardening store in Bristol to close down by the end of the year

It follows as the gardening chain announced plans to close 17 Dobbies Garden Centres across the UK.

The closures are part of a restructuring plan to help return the business to profit and reduce its rent bill after the company fell to a £105.2 million pre-tax loss in the year to March 2023, against £7 million loss a year earlier, according to its most-recently filed company accounts.

The sites would continue to operate as normal until the restructuring process is given the green light.

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The company said: "The restructuring plan, and other strategic initiatives, are expected to return Dobbies to sustainable profitability through site rationalisations, rent reductions and other tangible cost savings, securing its long-term future and allowing access to future investment.

"Thereafter, Dobbies will operate 60 stores and continue to play a key role in the market, working constructively with stakeholders and suppliers, and having an active and committed role in the communities in which it's based."

If given the green light, Little Dobbies Clifton on Whiteladies Road would be closing down by the end of the year.

The other stores that would be impacted are:

Larger stores:

-Altrincham, Greater Manchester

-Antrim, Northern Ireland

-Gloucester, Gloucestershire

-Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

-Harlestone Heath, Northamptonshire

-Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

-Inverness, Scotland

-King's Lynn, Norfolk

-Pennine, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

-Reading, Berkshire

-Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

Little Dobbies:

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Chiswick, Greater London

Richmond, Greater London

Stockbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland

Westbourne Grove, Greater London