It’s been a rough year for the UK’s garden retail industry — and Dobbies Garden Centres, one of Britain’s best-known horticultural chains, has found itself at the centre of that shake-up. The company has confirmed it closed eight stores across the UK in early 2025, part of a sweeping restructuring plan designed to “secure its long-term future” amid soaring costs and changing shopper habits.
Dobbies Confirms Eight Garden Centre Closures Across the UK
Between January and March 2025, Dobbies shuttered sites in Rugby, Morpeth, Stapleton, Havant, Hare Hatch, Leicester, Aylesbury, and Northampton. According to company statements, the move was part of a strategic restructuring plan focused on cutting rent costs, consolidating underperforming sites, and freeing up cash for future investment.
A company spokesperson told reporters:
“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. These measures will secure Dobbies’ long-term future and allow access to future investment.”
The decision follows months of speculation about the firm’s financial position, with rising energy bills, higher National Insurance contributions, and softening consumer demand squeezing retail margins across the sector.
| Dobbies Garden Centres Closed in 2025 | Closure Date |
|---|---|
| Rugby | January 19 |
| Morpeth (Heighley Gate) | January 19 |
| Stapleton | January 19 |
| Havant | January 19 |
| Hare Hatch | January 31 |
| Leicester (Rothley/Rowena) | February 14 |
| Aylesbury (World’s End) | February 28 |
| Northampton | March 2 (taken over by British Garden Centres) |
What’s Behind the Closures
Dobbies, founded in 1865 and now operating more than 60 sites, has spent the past two years reassessing its nationwide portfolio. With retail footfall still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels and shoppers tightening budgets, the company has been trimming back its footprint to focus on more profitable locations.
Industry analysts say the chain’s decision mirrors a broader trend in UK retail. Rising rents, supply chain pressures, and higher staff costs have pushed many mid-sized retailers to consolidate. The garden sector has been particularly vulnerable: high heating costs for greenhouses, declining seasonal sales, and a post-lockdown slump in DIY gardening have all hit bottom lines hard.
The Labour Government’s 2025 Budget, which increased employer National Insurance contributions, has further added pressure on labour-intensive industries like horticulture.
Some Sites Get a Second Life
Not all of Dobbies’ sites are disappearing from the map. The Northampton branch, which closed on March 2, was immediately taken over by British Garden Centres, ensuring continued operations under a new banner.
Similarly, several locations that closed in late 2024, including Gloucester, Gosforth, Reading, and Stratford-upon-Avon, have since been acquired and reopened by either Blue Diamond Group or British Garden Centres, two of Dobbies’ biggest competitors.
That trend—major operators snapping up former Dobbies locations—suggests that while the brand itself is scaling back, the UK’s appetite for garden retail remains strong, even if it’s under new ownership.
A Tough Year for Garden Retail
Dobbies isn’t alone. Smaller independents and niche plant retailers have also faced closures this year.
In September 2025, Richard Griffith House Plants Ltd, a North Yorkshire-based specialist retailer, went into administration and ceased trading. The following month, The Place for Plants in East Bergholt, Suffolk—known for its botanical displays and 30-year heritage—also shut its doors, with the premises now set to host an online plant retailer.
“High utility costs and falling discretionary spending are the biggest factors hurting the industry right now,” says retail consultant Sarah Mellor, noting that garden centres face unique challenges balancing retail, hospitality, and horticulture all under one roof.
What’s Next for Dobbies
While 2025 has brought some pain, Dobbies’ management insists the changes are part of a controlled, forward-looking strategy, not a sign of collapse.
The company says the streamlined network will allow it to focus on refurbishing its remaining flagship stores, expanding its online gardening shop, and growing its food hall partnerships with brands like Waitrose.
Privately owned by Aurelius Group, the investment firm that bought Dobbies from Tesco in 2016, the chain is expected to continue exploring new revenue streams—including sustainable gardening products and café expansions—while scaling back in oversaturated regions.
Retail watchers expect that, after the restructuring, Dobbies will remain the UK’s largest garden centre chain by market share, even as rivals like British Garden Centres and Blue Diamond expand aggressively.
FAQs:
Which Dobbies stores closed in 2025?
Eight stores closed—Rugby, Morpeth, Stapleton, Havant, Hare Hatch, Leicester, Aylesbury, and Northampton.
Are other stores affected?
No mass closures are planned beyond those already announced, but further reviews may occur in late 2025.
Why is Dobbies closing stores?
To cut costs, reduce rents, and strengthen profitability amid rising operating expenses.
