Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Wyevale Garden Centres (WGC) has announced the sale of Bridgemere Garden Centre and Bridgemere Nursery to Blue Diamond Garden Centres, and Cheltenham Garden Centre to Webbs Garden Centres.
The acquisition of Bridgemere Garden Centre and Bridgemere Nursery at Nantwich in Cheshire increases the footprint of the Blue Diamond brand to 37 centres – and brings the total number of garden centres bought by Blue Diamond during the WGC sale process to 16. The site will continue to operate as a garden centre and nursery.
Webbs Garden Centres’ purchase of Cheltenham Garden Centre in Gloucestershire increases the Midlands-based operation’s portfolio to three centres: it joins one at Wychbold in Worcestershire and another at West Hagley in Stourbridge. This new site will also continue to operate as a garden centre.
Both sales are expected to complete by mid-September.
WGC chief operating officer Anthony Jones said: “Alan [Roper, managing director of Blue Diamond] and his team’s decision to acquire Bridgemere centre and nursery demonstrates the strength and potential of this historic garden centre.
“I’m also delighted Cheltenham will be under new ownership with the respected garden centre operator Webbs. I would like to thank all of our colleagues at these centres for their skills and hard work and wish them the very best under the new ownership.”
Alan added: “As a horticulturalist, I’m personally so pleased to be acquiring Bridgemere centre and nursery, which I have known since the 1980s. I look forward to focusing on its original virtues and working with our new colleagues. I would like to thank the team at WGC for their support and professionalism throughout this process.”
Edward Webb, chairman of Webbs Garden Centres, said: “We are delighted to welcome Cheltenham to the Webbs family of stores. We are an independent, family-owned garden centre operator with over 150 years of horticultural roots in the Midlands.
“Cheltenham will be our third centre and is the perfect fit, giving us a very natural extension to our existing and long-established customer base. We look forward to welcoming the team on board and continuing to develop Cheltenham into a store that embraces the local community.”
