Second Northampton Dobbies store to close with huge family-run garden centre company set to take over

In a surprise announcement on Tuesday (February 11), British Garden Centres said it was ‘excited’ to reveal that it is taking over the Dobbies Northampton site in Newport Pagnell Road, Wootton.

The Newport Pagnell Road store had not previously been earmarked for closure by Dobbies which announced a number of units would close down – including the one in Harlestone.

The acquisition of the The Newport Pagnell Road store will see British Garden Centres, the UK's largest family-run garden centre group, expand its portfolio to 72 stores, with the takeover expected to be completed in March.

Northampton Garden Centre will temporarily close for rebranding and restocking.

British Garden Centres said it will ‘retain the existing team and work with them to refurbish the site, to ensure the centre's future growth and position as a community hub.’

Charles Stubbs, Founder and Director of British Garden Centres said: “We're thrilled to welcome Northampton Garden Centre to the British Garden Centres family. The acquisition next month will give us a fantastic opportunity to transform and revitalise this site, creating a destination the community will love.

"We're committed to working with the existing team to achieve this and bring new jobs to Northampton.

"We can’t wait to get started and looking forward to welcoming customers, old and new back to the store.”

British Garden Centres also revealed there will be jobs up for grabs to drive the ongoing development of the site in both the garden centre and restaurant.

The company is the UK’s largest family-owned garden centre group with 72 centres around the country.

The group is owned and led by The Stubbs family, who also own and operate Woodthorpe Leisure Park in Lincolnshire. BGC was launched in 1987 with the opening of Woodthorpe Garden Centre by brothers Charles and Robert Stubbs. Since 2018 it has expanded rapidly with the acquisition of 50 garden centres allowing it to grow from its heartland to the business it is now with 72 garden centres spread from Carmarthen to Ramsgate, Wimborne to East Durham.

The group has a team of 3,000 colleagues working across the garden centres, restaurants, growing nurseries, distribution centres, Woodthorpe Leisure Park, and Woody’s Restaurant & Bar.