Dobbies confirms flagship Antrim store at The Junction is to remain open
Dobbies has announced that its flagship store in Antrim, which had been earmarked for closure, is to remain open.
When the 110,000 sq ft store at The Junction Retail and Leisure Park opened just over a year ago, it was heralded as the UK-wide garden centre retailer’s largest ever store.
In September of this year, the company indicated the Antrim store was to shut as one of 17 impacted by a restructuring plan.
However, in a statement on Friday (November 22), Dobbies Garden Centres Limited said “it has been working constructively with landlords” and its Antrim store “will now no longer close at the end of 2024 as previously stated”.
The Antrim outlet, which has remained open since the restructuring announcement, will now continue with all staff being retained.
A Dobbies spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm that with the support of Lotus Property and Tristan Capital, our Antrim store will no longer close at the end of December as part of our restructuring plan.
"We are pleased to be able to retain our team, look forward to continuing to welcome customers into our store, and building our role in the local community. Thank you to our colleagues for their hard work and commitment as we have navigated this process.”
In the statement carried on the The Junction website, Alastair Coulson, MD at Lotus Property, said: “Dobbies continuing to trade at The Junction is fantastic news for Antrim, not least because of the number of local people the site employs.
"The Junction is one of Northern Ireland’s leading retail and leisure parks, and I’m pleased to see the strong working relationship between landlord and tenant, as well as the commitment of our excellent centre management team and the Dobbies’ colleagues here in Antrim.”
The restructuring plan, Dobbies explained, was launched to address historically uneconomical rent costs and to create a strong platform to return to profitability, access future investment, and to ensure a sustainable, long-term future.
The other stores identified for closure as part of the restructuring will continue as planned, subject to the proposal being approved by the courts on 9 December 2024, Dobbies added.
The retention of the Antrim store has been welcomed locally.
In a social media post, The Junction said: “We are delighted to share the great news that Dobbies Antrim will remain open.
“We can’t wait to welcome you in storeWith the festive season just around the corner, Dobbies are here to help make your Christmas magical. From beautiful decorations to unique gifts.
Antrim SDLP Councillor Roisin Lynch said: “There was much concern locally when news broke that Dobbies was set to close its doors at the end of this year. This store is a major employer in this area and it would have left a huge site vacant at The Junction.
“I’m delighted that talks have been constructive and this decision has now been reversed. I and many other local representatives engaged with the company following news of the planned closure and I’m glad there was a positive outcome.
“This announcement will be warmly welcomed by everyone in this area and I’m particularly happy that all staff will be retained and no longer face the difficult prospect of losing their jobs at this time of year. I look forward to many more years of Dobbies at The Junction and this is a real good news story.”