After working constructively with the landlords, Dobbies has confirmed that its Antrim store will now no longer close at the end of 2024 as previously stated. 

The Antrim store has remained open since Dobbies launched a Restructuring Plan (“RP”) in September 2024 and they have confirmed this will now continue, with all colleagues being retained. 

The team remains committed to bringing a range of gardening and homewares, plus the restaurant and coffee shop, to its customers, and building their role within the local community.

A Dobbies spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm that with the support of Lotus Property and Tristan Capital, our Antrim store will no longer close at the end of December as part of our Restructuring Plan. 

“We are pleased to be able to retain our team, look forward to continuing to welcome customers into our store, and building our role in the local community. Thank you to our colleagues for their hard work and commitment as we have navigated this process.”

Alastair Coulson, MD at Lotus Property said: "Dobbies continuing to trade at The Junction is fantastic news for Antrim, not least because of the number of local people the site employs. The Junction is one of Northern Ireland's leading retail and leisure parks, and I’m pleased to see the strong working relationship between landlord and tenant, as well as the commitment of our excellent centre management team and the Dobbies’ colleagues here in Antrim." 

The RP was launched to address historically uneconomical rent costs and to create a strong platform to return Dobbies to profitability, access future investment, and to ensure a sustainable, long-term future. The other Dobbies stores identified for closure as part of the RP will continue as planned, subject to the restructuring plan being approved by the courts on 9 December 2024.