In a move reflecting changing shopping and highstreet fashion trends. Dobbies Garden Centre have announced their latest Little Dobbies store, taking over the former Top Shop retail location in premium highstreet hotspot Richmond, London.
Little Dobbies – which launched its first store in a similar premium spot in Edinburgh last year – is Dobbies' spin-off 'urban garden centre' concept, aimed at putting all things green and gardening within the reach of shoppers more used to grabbing garments than getting their hands dirty.
The Richmond store will be the fifth in the chain with branches in Clifton, Bristol, and two further London stores already on the way. And the concept is set to grow, with plans for 10 Little Dobbies a year with premier sites being eyed for takeover via top property agents Savills. Keep an eye on an upmarket high street new you…
Cameron Bell, Retail Director at Savills, said: “The Little Dobbies concept continues to prove successful and its latest store in Richmond is the perfect next step for the brand. The store will be located in a highly desirable retail pitch, at the centre of a prime suburban town, and the change of use for the site from fashion to lifestyle, reflects the trends we’re seeing within the wider market.”
And the Dobbies expansion continues, not just in new stores and concepts. Alongside this urban move, residents in communities all across the UK are being asked to vote for their favourite local community gardening project with the most popular set to receive help from Dobbies.
Helping Your Community Grow launched in early 2021 and is Dobbies’ community support initiative working with existing groups to create brand new or refreshed green spaces all over the UK.
Residents in communities across the UK are being asked to vote for their favourite local community gardening project – from a shortlist compiled by Dobbies – to receive support, products and equipment from their local Dobbies store, to help them create a green space that the local community can be proud of.
Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies, said: “Through Helping Your Community Grow, we are delighted to be supporting so many gardening projects in the areas around our stores. It’s a landmark initiative for us and we are proud to be helping so many community projects across the country create green spaces that benefit their local areas."
"We’re very much looking forward to seeing the results of the public vote, and we’re excited to help the winning projects achieve their aims in the months to come.”
There's just a few days to vote as the public vote is now live and will close on 29 August. The winners will be announced in September.