Inverness Dobbies branch set to close?
It has been reported that the Inverness branch of Dobbies garden centres chain is to close by the end of this year.
According to reports in national media the Inverness store, attached to the Tesco supermarket at Inshes, is one of 17 across the country set to close its doors as part of a restructuring exercise.
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According to the Daily Mirror the firm is to close the "unprofitable” stores in a bid to “address historically uneconomical rent costs and ensure a return to sustainable profitability”.
The Inverness store would be one of 11 “mainline” sites to close along with six "little Dobbies" stores if the restructuring plan is approved.
The Inverness store is the only Scottish putlet on the list reported by the Mirror, which also says that the restructuring plan must be agreed by landlords and ratified by a court and that these types of schemes “have frequently been used by retailers to shutter underperforming shops and win rent concessions from landlords.”
Recent financial results show widening losses of £130 million for Dobbies nationally, with owner Ares Management appointing FTI Consulting to advise on a restructuring plan.
A total of 465 staff are reported to be facing redundancy nationally.
Dobbies representatives have been approached for comment.
