Paying a trip to the local garden centre was, for many years, the typical British day out, from browsing the extensive plant selection to getting a cake in the café.
But recent months have demonstrated the iconic hubs are in danger, with Dobbies, Homebase and several independent retailers all announcing the closure of stores.
On the surface, garden centres still appear to be as popular as ever, with queues in car parks most weekends. However, plummeting profits have led to many to close their doors.
Family businesses have found it hard to sustain profits after Brexit and Covid, often being replaced by new housing developments, leading to some predicting the ‘death of the garden centre’ as a whole.
Speaking to FEMAIL, experts have revealed that the cost of living, cheaper competition from supermarkets and millennial buyers opting for indoor plants have all played their part in the difficulties faced by garden centres.
And while there’s been a resurgence in Gen Z visiting garden centres as their ‘ideal day out’, it appears they mainly go to ‘sniff candles’ and browse the Jellycat section rather than spending any meaningful cash on plants.
Retail expert Martyn James told FEMAIL: ‘If you’ve visited a garden centre recently then reports of their demise might seem exaggerated. The nation loves a trip to a garden centre, but we also need to buy something there, not just window shop and have a nice tea and a cake.
‘Because of the fluctuating weather in the UK, it may well be that keen gardeners are focusing their spending on very specific times of year and not planting when the weather is too unpredictable.
Paying a trip to the local garden centre was, for many years, the typical British day out, from browsing the extensive plant selection to getting a cake in the café. Pictured: Stock image
‘Costs are clearly high too, as anyone who has considered buying a small tree or bush will know! Finally, garden centres are often sat on prime real estate that may prove too tempting for struggling businesses. But as so often the case, we need to use it or lose it.
‘Garden centres are always rammed. So I guess we have to assume that no-one is actually buying anything!’
Chad Teixeira, a retail and PR Expert, added that the preference of online shopping and competition from large supermarkets such as Aldi offering competitive prices mean that garden centres are not always the most convenient option.
In addition, Gen Z and millennials living in cities would not have space for many of the products offered by garden centres, looking for ‘low maintenance’ solutions such as indoor plants and balcony gardening instead.
Chad said: ‘Garden centres typically require large premises and seasonal stock, making them expensive to run.
‘Rising rents, energy costs, and staffing expenses have put pressure on profitability, leading many businesses to reconsider their viability.’
In October, garden centre chain Dobbies announced it would be closing 17 stores by the end of the year – with nearly 500 employees affected. In December, a further announcement said it would relinquish the leases of ten branches with two further stores in Morpeth, Northumberland and Stapleton, Leicestershire to other garden centre operators.
The chain was formerly the biggest garden store operator in the UK, having been owned by Tesco from 2007 to 2016.
Gen Z have been paying more visits to garden centres, branding it their ‘ideal day out’
Gen Z seem to prefer to go to the café, smell the candles and browse the Jellycat selection
In October, garden centre chain Dobbies announced it would be closing 17 stores by the end of the year (stock image)
Meanwhile, Homebase is set to permanently close 13 stores this month after the retailer launched a huge closing down sale. Pictured: Homebase in Upton
The decision came following pre-tax losses plunging to £131million in 2023, down from a £21million loss the year before.
The retailer had blamed the drop on unseasonable weather, the cost-of-living crisis, high inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Homebase is set to permanently close 13 stores this month after the retailer launched a huge closing down sale.
The home improvement retailer and garden centre put 74 stores up for sale in November last year after the DIY chain fell into administration.
Management blamed weaker consumer confidence and spending after the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis for profit losses.
Retailers have been ‘diversifying’ their offerings to increase traffic as a ‘one-stop shop’, adding a wide selection of gifts as well as plants.
Writing for BBC Gardeners’ World, Flo Headlam said there had been an ‘explosion of gardening’ with millennials seeking indoor plants and aesthetic goods.
On TikTok, Gen Z and millennials have been posting their trips to garden centres, mainly consisting of an afternoon of browsing Jellycat toys, sniffing candles and going to the café.
Garden centres have recently tried to diversify their range with an extensive gift selection to attract more customers
Liz and Loz said they were in their ‘granny era’, enjoying nothing more in their 20s than spending a weekend at the local garden centre and getting tea and cake
Garden centres have even tried to lure customers in by showing off their Jellycat range on TikTok
Liz and Loz said they were in their ‘granny era’, enjoying nothing more in their 20s than spending a weekend at the local garden centre and getting tea and cake.
Beth Redfern also posted her trip to Squires in Twickenham to TikTok, filming the selection of Jellycat toys the shop had on offer.
Posting on the social media platform, Holly Jai said that she likes ‘having a hot chocolate’, ‘smelling candles’ and ‘looking at Jellycat’ soft toys when she visits a garden centre.
But the actual reason behind the stores – the plants – seems to be attracting fewer and fewer customers.
Kevin Pratt, who runs a garden advice business in Stockport, posted a video of an empty garden centre to Instagram in December, revealing that no one was outside in the plant area or buying anything.
Describing what he saw as ‘the death of the garden centre’, he wrote: ‘At this city Garden centre the inside is packed with people and queueing to get into the cafeteria at 12:00 noon.
‘But outside in the plant area there’s not a single person. No one buying trees, bulbs, bedding, Christmas flowers. Nothing, nobody buying plants.’
Kevin Pratt, who runs a garden advice business in Stockport, posted a video of an empty garden centre to Instagram in December, revealing that no one was outside in the plant area or buying anything
Kate Hardcastle MBE, also known as ‘The Customer Whisperer’, said that consumers have been cutting back on making expensive purchases at garden centres due to tight budgets.
She said: ‘Garden centres were ahead of their time in creating spaces where shopping became an experience—offering displays, inspiration, and even restaurants. But the formula has stayed largely the same, while consumer expectations have bloomed!
‘With time now a precious commodity, fewer people see a trip to the garden centre as a priority, especially when other leisure options compete for their attention.
‘Gardening is often considered a leisure activity rather than a necessity, so when budgets are tight, it’s one of the first areas people cut back on.
‘Economic pressures mean fewer customers are willing to spend on large gardening projects, furniture, or even casual visits to garden centres for dining or browsing.’