A garden centre company, which has a branch in Swindon, has announced the closure of 17 of its sites.

Dobbies has confirmed that the selection of their “unprofitable” branches will be closed by the end of the year, in a move that will impact 465 of their 3,600 employees.

The Swindon location, in Stratton St Margaret, opened in 2019 after it bought the Swindon Garden Centre along with 30 other sites to become Europe's largest garden centre chain.

The Hyde Road shop is not part of the company's list of 17 'unprofitable' stores, which includes 11 of their normal stores, and six 'Little Dobbies' sites.

Dobbies will also work with landlords to secure temporary rent reductions at nine further stores.

In August 2024, Dobbies revealed they were planning a financial overhaul in an attempt to return the business to profit and warned of closures to reduce its rent bill.

The garden centre chain, which was bought by investment firm Ares Management last year, fell to a £105.2 million pre-tax loss in the year to March 2023, against a £7 million loss a year earlier, according to its most recently filed company accounts.

Dobbies said that all shops will continue to operate as normal until closure.