Garden centres business to focus on larger outlets
Wyevale Garden Centres is to sell 31 of its non-core properties as it focuses on larger shops selling a wider range of goods and products.

The majority of the sites being sold are in the South, along with several in the West Midlands and stretching to Halifax in the North.

The specialist garden centre division at retail property agent Hammond Phillips has been instructed to handle the sale. Sixteen of the garden centres are freehold, with the remainder being leasehold.

'Refocusing the group on bigger sites will help us to better position Wyevale for the future,' said Wyevale chief executive Gary Favell. 'These 31 sites do not fit in with our future strategy. Larger sites will offer a better return for our shareholders and allow us to implement our strategy to build a stronger business and a better retail proposition.'

Hammond Phillips director Mike Gilbert added: 'While these garden centres do not fit Wyevale's new strategy, they are good centres and many will be of interest to independent garden centre operators and the smaller garden centre groups.'

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