The Garden Centre Group has announced the appointment of Steve Masters as Estates Director, effective from Monday (27 January).

Steve joins from Gap Inc. where he has worked most recently as Vice President International Real Estate, Store Development and Strategic Alliances.

Prior to that, Steve worked at ASDA Wal-Mart as Director of Retail Development, and has previously undertaken a number of senior roles across other well-known retailers including Thresher Group, Polo Ralph Lauren, The Walt Disney Company and Burton Group, in each case, having had responsibility for managing and developing a broad portfolio of retail sites.

Kevin Bradshaw, CEO of The Garden Centre Group, said: “Steve has an excellent track record and will be a great addition to The Garden Centre Group as we continue to expand our estate and invest in our existing centres.

"I believe we start 2014 with a very experienced and capable senior leadership team and I am excited about our ambitious plans for the year ahead.”

There are 139 garden centres in The Garden Centre Group, including Blooms Garden Centres, Country Gardens and Wyevale Garden Centres, all of which are located throughout the country.

Last week, GTN Xtra exclsuively reported that TGCG's centres were now closing at 5pm instead of 6pm, which caused dismay through the industry. If you missed the story read it by clicking here.