The UK’s largest garden centre chain, Dobbies, is gearing up for a return to the stock market after posting a jump in sales.
Sales were up by 12 per cent to £166 million in the year to the end of February on the back of six new stores while like-for-like sales rose by 5 per cent. Underlying earnings grew by 35 per cent to £7.4 million.
Andrew Bracey, the chairman of Dobbies, said the stock market is the “natural place” for the business and it will look to float “in a year or so”.
Dobbies was founded in 1865 by James Dobbie who started a seed business called Dobbie & Co. Up until 1984 the company operated as a seed merchant before opening its