GTN Xtra were the first to break the news of GCA chairman Will Armitage selling his stores to Wyevale Garden Centres on Thursday after revealing the deal was imminent last weekend. Here we publish in full the announcement from Wyevale, whose portfolio now stands at 149 garden centres.

Wyevale Garden Centres (WGC) today (Thursday) announced it has acquired Armitage’s Pennine and Birchencliffe garden centres from William, Diana and Alistair Armitage.

Pennine garden centre, located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has a total floor space of 16,027 square feet. Birchencliffe, also located in Huddersfield, accounts for an additional 11,155 square feet. Both garden centres will complement WGC’s existing offer in the region and bring the size of the WGC estate to 149 centres.
 
Kevin Bradshaw, Chief Executive of Wyevale Garden Centres, said: “With a strong heritage dating back to 1842, the garden centres at Pennine and Birchencliffe are renowned for their high quality plants alongside garden and gift products, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff and welcoming family atmosphere. These acquisitions support our strategy to grow our business by acquiring exceptionally high-quality garden centres, and we are delighted to welcome these centres to the Group.”
 
Both garden centres offer attractive positioning near Huddersfield and benefit from strong customer bases and popular restaurants.
 
William, Diana and Alistair Armitage said: “Wyevale Garden Centres shares our commitment to fantastic customer experience, passionate employees, and giving back to the community.  We are pleased that our employees and customers will be able to take advantage of the opportunities a larger retailer can provide, while still enjoying the experience and strong local roots we have in built in Huddersfield.”

The question now circulating around the garden industry is: Who will make it No 150 for Wyevale Garden Centres?

Link to GTN Xtra Issue 37 Breaking News