Scottish garden centre group Dobbies proves festive winner as sales grow

Garden centre chain Dobbies has hailed a 6 per cent rise in festive sales as “very encouraging”.

The Midlothian-headquartered company now has an estate comprising 69 stores. Picture: Stewart Attwood

The Lasswade-based group, which has 69 centres across the UK, said total sales were 44 per cent higher in the nine weeks to 29 December, compared with the year before. The headline number will have been boosted by acquisitions.

On a like-for-like basis, sales were 6 per cent higher year-on-year compared to 2018 and 9 per cent higher than in 2017.

Chairman Andrew Bracey said: “Dobbies Christmas performance with sales up 44 per cent and like-for-like growth of 6 per cent is very encouraging.

“This important trading period followed the acquisition and successful integration of 31 new garden centres last year, seeing Dobbies double in size.”

Chief executive Graeme Jenkins added: “Christmas trading continued to reflect the positive momentum we have delivered this year.”