Dobbies unveils new 'Little Dobbies' format - with first store to open in Edinburgh

Garden centre chain Dobbies has unveiled a new small-format store concept named “Little Dobbies” – with the first branch set to open in Edinburgh next month.

Little Dobbies’ offering will include houseplants and pots, while there will also be a coffee shop. Picture: contributed.

The firm, headquartered in Lasswade on the outskirts of the Scottish capital, said the new site would be located on Raeburn Place in Stockbridge. It joins its network of nearly 70 garden centres across the UK.

Little Dobbies’ offering will be "horticulturally focused” with what Dobbies describes as convenience gardening products. This will be complemented by the likes of house plants and pots, gifts, and seasonal ranges. For opening, shoppers will be able to get their hands on Christmas items such as decorations, wreaths and hampers. There will also be a coffee shop, including takeaway food.

Dobbies chief executive Graeme Jenkins said: “This is an exciting new venture for our team as we launch the first Little Dobbies. The store will feature gardening essentials for city-centre residents and will showcase some of the extensive ranges available at our larger stores and at dobbies.com. We can’t wait to open the doors of Little Dobbies in November.”

The business can trace its roots back to 1865 when James Dobbie launched Dobbie & Co, selling seeds. Milestones since include its ownership by Tesco that ended in 2016, and its acquisition last year of 37 garden centres – more than doubling its national footprint.

Earlier this year it announced a tie-up with Sainsbury’s, enabling thousands of the supermarket’s products to be stocked in its garden centres. Dobbies says its outlets “are much more than a shopping destination; they exist to enrich people’s lives and nurture connections between people, the community and the environment”.

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