Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Wyevale Garden Centres (WGC) has announced the sale of four of its garden centres – Croydon Purley Way, Sidmouth, Solihull and Windsor – to individual buyers.
Croydon Purley Way has been sold to Ultratown Limited, a party related to the existing landlord, and is expected to continue to operate as a garden centre for up to two months.
Sidmouth and Solihull have been sold to fellow garden centre operators Kings Garden and Leisure Limited and Rosebourne Limited respectively, who are expected to continue to run them as garden centres.
Windsor will continue to operate as a Wyevale Garden Centre whilst its new owner Wates Developments Limited progresses longer term redevelopment opportunities.
WGC chief executive Roger Mclaughlan said: “We are pleased to have agreed the sale of four more of our garden centres. Across all four centres we would like to thank our great colleagues, who have been central to our turnaround in the past few years.
“In the case of Windsor we will continue to operate as a Wyevale Garden Centre with no immediate impact. For those centres being sold to garden centre operators [Sidmouth and Solihull] we would like to wish our colleagues well under the new ownership. And in the case of Croydon Purley Way, which has been sold for alternative use, we are very pleased to honour our commitments to our colleagues and partners and will seek to redeploy our excellent colleagues to our other garden centres wherever possible.”
WGC chief financial officer Anthony Jones added: “The centres sold to date had been highlighted as ‘non-core’ as part of our ongoing portfolio review, which pre-dated the sale process. The sale of these centres reflects our continued pursuit of positive outcomes for our colleagues, concession partners, suppliers and customers. We are very grateful for the dedication and commitment of the teams at these centres, and we’ll continue to support them through the transition.”
WGC said it has received “a significant number” of offers for all or part of the remaining WGC business “from national, regional and financial operators as well as local entrepreneurs”.
On September 4, WGC announced the sale of four garden centres – World of Pets and Leisure (WOPAL), Codicote, Sudbury and Oxford – to individual buyers.
WOPAL and Codicote have been sold in separate transactions to purchasers who are expected to develop the sites for alternative use. WOPAL has been bought by Harlex (RLP Timperley) LLP, while Codicote has been sold to Taylor Wimpey UK Limited. WOPAL has already been closed and Codicote is expected to continue to operate as a garden centre until early 2019.
Sudbury and Oxford have been sold to operators who are expected to continue to run them as garden centres. Sudbury has been sold to Perrywood Sudbury Limited and Oxford has been sold to Adrian White Building Supplies Ltd, which is an existing concession on site.
On August 30 WGC announced the sale of five garden centres – Brooks; Nailsworth; Aldridge; Keynsham and Shirley- to individual buyers. Brooks and Nailsworth were sold to unnamed operators who are expected to continue to run them as garden centres. Aldridge, Keynsham and Shirley were sold to purchasers who are expected to develop the sites for alternative use.
On July 25, WGC announced the sale of eight garden centres – Bicester, Cadbury, Cardiff, Endsleigh, Melbicks, Percy Throwers, Sanders and Weybridge – to Blue Diamond.
