Wyevale Garden Centres, the UK’s biggest garden centre operator, last week announced the sale of five garden centres to individual buyers.

The centres are: Brooks; Nailsworth; Aldridge; Keynsham and Shirley.

Brooks in Bude (above) has been sold to Homeleigh Garden Centre from Launceston and Nailsworth (below) to Blue Diamond.  They are the only two that will continue to operate as garden centres.

Roger Mclaughlan, Chief Executive of Wyevale Garden Centres, said: “We are pleased to have agreed the sale of five of our garden centres. In the case of those centres which have been sold for alternative use, we are very pleased to honour our commitments to our colleagues and partners and will seek to redeploy our excellent colleagues in our other garden centres wherever possible in coming months. We would like to thank our great colleagues at these centres, who have been central to our turnaround in the past few years.”

Aldridge, Keynsham and Shirley have been sold in separate transactions to purchasers who are expected to develop the sites for alternative use. These centres were previously identified for potential redevelopment as part of the company’s active portfolio management strategy.

Aldridge and Keynsham are expected to continue to operate as garden centres for up to 6 months after completion of the sale.

Anthony Jones, Chief Financial Officer of Wyevale Garden Centres, said: “These sales reflect our continued pursuit of positive outcomes for our colleagues, concession partners, suppliers and customers as part of the ongoing sale process. We are very grateful for the dedication and commitment of the teams at these centres, and we’ll continue to support them through the transition.”

Nailsworth was designed by Alan Roper, who was MD and Investor, in 1994 and opened in spring 1995.  Alan explained to GTN Xtra: "It was private equity financed back then and sold 3 years later for treble the investment. I founded my AB1 and point of difference mantra on that business which was the concept I took to Blue Diamond 20 years ago."

"I am delighted to have bought it back, it has great potential and there is a great customer demographic in the area," he added.

Wyevale Garden Centres has received a significant number of offers for all or part of the remaining Wyevale Garden Centres business from national, regional and financial operators as well as local entrepreneurs.