Major UK garden centre chain Dobbies is set to close three stores in 2025 with the first shutting for good this Friday.
The popular gardening retailer is axing its Leicester store tomorrow, Friday, February 14, while its Aylesbury branch will close by February 28, and its Northampton outlet will shut its doors for good on March 2. The Northampton branch will be taken over by British Garden Centres instead.
The new closures round out a list of eight Dobbies garden centres which have either closed or changed hands in 2025, adding to 10 Dobbies stores and six smaller Little Dobbies which were lost in 2024.
A spokesperson for Dobbies said: “Dobbies Garden Centres confirms that its Northampton store will close. We are engaging directly with colleagues at the store on what the closure will mean for them.
“This follows approval of Dobbies’ restructuring plan in December 2024, which allows the business to focus on returning to sustainable profitability, unlock access to future investment and deliver a strong and well capitalised platform for the business going forward.”
The full list of stores which have closed or are set to close are:
- Rugby – closed January 19
- Morpeth – closed January 19
- Stapleton – closed January 19
- Havant – closed January 19
- Hare Hatch – closed January 31
- Leicester– closed tomorrow, February 14
- Northampton – closing March 2
- Aylesbury – closing by March
In 2024, the Dobbies and Little Dobbies closed were:
- Altrincham – December 17
- Stratford-upon-Avon – December 23
- Gloucester – December 15
- Gosforth – December 19
- Huntingdon
- Harlestone Heath – December 17
- Inverness – December 23
- King’s Lynn – December 15
- Pennine – December 15
- Reading – December 23
- Bristol Little Dobbies
- Richmond Little Dobbies
- Cheltenham Little Dobbies
- Edinburgh Stocksbridge Little Dobbies
- Chiswick Little Dobbies
- Westbourne Grove Little Dobbies
After the announcement of store closures in October, a spokesperson said: “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.”