Are Garden Centres the new department stores?

well Dobbies garden centres are closing 17 of there stores. was in the news yesterday

Freya5

I do so hope they don't. Can't think of anything worse.
My local one, family owned since the 1700, grow their own plants and haven't gone the way of clothing, it's my haven, lovely cafe, outside plenty of well stocked healthy plants and all things gardening, both in and out. They do put on a lovely Christmas display too. Always a popular meeting place for old and the young, staffed by local people, and I hope it stays that way.

I think there's a distinct difference between the often smaller nursery-garden centre which usually only sells goods like locally-sourced foodstuff (eggs, honey, etc) and maybe a small range of other items (ours sells soap-bars, mugs, yogurt, sweets)... and the huge commercial garden-centres selling just about everything else.

I too hope the latter doesn't crowd-out the former. We need family-run / small, local businesses employing local people otherwise our small towns and villages will just become enclaves of houses with no shops or small cafes nearby resulting in everyone having to travel miles and miles to find a commercial outlet. And for those without a car, there's usually little-to-no public transport, so they are stuck and isolated.

It’s evidence that humans like nothing better than be in the company of others. And we do not like High Streets or any other town centres any longer. Do not serve our changing tastes. Garden centres offer a more relaxed environment. They are now a social hub. One near me was pretty small and a bit tatty. It’s being redesigned and rebuild to quite industrial proportions. Not sure it’s wise. Being a fickle lot we will soon fall out of love with them.

I have 4-5 garden centres near me and they are my favourite places to go for lunch with a friend.
I’m an avid gardener too so like to time some visits with times in the gardening year…

I'm not sure, Dobbies have announce they are closing 17 stores.

Romola

Interesting about Hilliers, M0nica. Here, it's much as it's ever been.

It has been completely rebuilt and revamped in the last 2 years.

Interesting about Hilliers, M0nica. Here, it's much as it's ever been.

Apparently, Dobbies are to shut 17 of their outlets by the end of the year because they are no longer profitable.

I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come.

This thread has been rather topical today , Dobbies have just announced the closure of 17 of their sites so perhaps the bubble has burst.

Well I hope not as there isn’t one I can visit without a car not even on a bus route so it’s probably a couple of years since I ve even seen one !!!

Garden centres are always magical places, especially if they have fish

Romola

Hillier's seems to have resisted this trend, but our next nearest garden centre is huge and sells clothes, homeware, gifts, warehouse, cards, you name it.
I have to admit, I do quite like it.

Our local Hilliers was one of the huge garden centres we visited last weekend.

I regularly go to a huge garden centre with more space allocated to other goods but I always ignore all of that and just look at the plants and gardening stuff.
There is a smaller locally owned garden centre nearer to me with good quality plants but the car park is tiny and cramped and once in it's often very difficult to get out. Sometimes even if I get there at opening time it's impossible to park, such a shame unable to support a local business.

Hillier's seems to have resisted this trend, but our next nearest garden centre is huge and sells clothes, homeware, gifts, warehouse, cards, you name it.
I have to admit, I do quite like it.

In my city/suburbs there is a long time family owned chain of “garden centers” which is very popular. I would guess that half of the surrounding population shop there throughout the seasons.

They are geared and massively stocked with seeds, bedding plants (also indoor), flowers, shrubbery, trees and all implements needed plus fertilizers, rocks/mulch, etc. spread half outside and half inside. Also indoors is home decorative seasonal accessories to complement your nursery purchases.

Everything changes with each season and it’s so lovely - a winter 🎄wonderland (thousands of fresh cut trees), a spring 🌷gardener’s paradise, a blooming 🌼 summer stroll, autumnal 🍁 splendor. They really figured out the right formula, catering to sprawling estates to indoor apartments. There is no eatery/food, clothing, health or beauty aids, misc sold there. If you don’t have a green thumb, you can find dried and artificial substitutes. Nothing more than a centric garden greenery experience.

This is the store that if you can’t find what you want, you don’t need it.

Yes, I think they are! After visiting a fairly local one recently I have decided to go and do all my Christmas shopping there!

I took a part time job in our local garden centre when I had to leave my previous employment due to stress. I had planned to stay there for around six months as gardening is a passion of mine but ten years later I was still there!
It was the nicest job I’ve ever had, a lovely small team of dedicated staff and regular customers who mostly came in for a good natter and to get advice and help re-potting their orchids and other gardening dilemmas.
It was only minimum wage but I simply loved going to work there every day.
Christmas was always a magical time of year, decorating the trees and seeing the faces of wonderment on the children.
Sadly it has now closed down and I knew things would never be the same when I un-packed a box one day to find a frying pan and other assorted kitchen untensils???
Yes, some garden centres have changed so seek out those which have healthy plants tended lovingly by knowledgeable staff and you can’t go far wrong.

For me (a non-gardener) a garden centre stands and falls by the quality of its cafe. DH is the gardener and he likes a proper nursery for plants. A review in our local newspaper recently described a local garden centre as a "nice afternoon out with an elderly relative".

We must be lucky because Dobbies and the like have barely penetrated Wales. All the garden centres within 30 miles of where I live are independent. I think unless they are very specialised and people travel for miles to get to them, plant nurseries are very hard to keep profitable, that’s why nurseries have morphed into garden centres - they probably make more money on the cafe than they do on the plants.

gosh,, I like this thread, why? cos it will now give me space to moan about what little there is to do for some of us older people! (joke!) I live in Swindon, and there is so little to do here... yes, Chinese Tat! it amazes me how much there is of this.. and I think of the shipping... oh my! I miss the "old fashioned" tea rooms, where I live, you have to have a car to get anywhere.. even the bus services don`t connect up.

all the nurseries of past years have disappeared from here..

Just like department stores, we all get what we want from them, but seek out specialist stores when we are looking for something particular.

Whenever I go serious plant shopping with DD and/or my granddaughters, we start off with a trip to the two plant nurseries about 20 minutes away then, having filled the car boot, we end up at our local GC for coffee, cake and some serious pot envy!!

They’re a great place for last minute Christmas and birthday presents and I cannot resist the starter pots (4 for £10) in the houseplant section. I don’t think I’ve ever been in the clothes or shoe outlets because that’s not what I go for.

The large one near me is a day out destination particularly for older people. Although I admit to going there, I actually don't think it's very fair that they should be allowed to sell such a wide range of goods as this must affect the small shopkeepers in our small market town. And, of course, the parking is free. So much is under cover, it's nice and warm. I can see the attraction. Ours even sells cakes.

I never go to them for plants they are too expensive and usually not home grown and as pampered glass house specimens do not thrive well in my hands , always go to a plant nursery or local market for my garden needs. I do often go to buy birthday cards or to visit the clothes outlets or pet dept. Other stuff is usually overpriced I think,

There are big garden centres like that some distance away from me and only accessible by car, so do not replace department stores for me. The big centres are more like Homebase and B&Q, though less accessible.

There were local family run traditional garden centres where I bought plants but sadly there is only one tiny one left with little choice. I now usually buy plants in the supermarket - Lidl is best.