Dobbies, the garden centre specialist, has submitted plans along with grocery retail giant Tesco, for a major redevelopment of a site in King‘s Lynn, Norfolk.
Tesco‘s plans with the garden centre company outline the construction of an 80,000 sq ft Extra store and a 50,000 sq ft Dobbies.
This destination shopping site which was once home to a Campbell‘s factory will feature a restaurant in Dobbies with the capacity to seat 350 diners and a specialist Farm Food Hall offering the opportunity for customers to choose from a range of locally sourced produce.
Dobbies became part of the Tesco group back in 2008, making them a leading retailer for both the home and garden sector.
Stuart Wright, Property Director at Dobbies, commented: “Following the success of adjacent Tesco and Dobbies stores in Gillingham, we have taken a decision to have the two stores under one roof.
“The success of our Gillingham store highlights that families are increasingly visiting the garden centre while they do the weekly shopping and we believe that customers in Kings Lynn will relish the opportunity to visit our new destination as part of the weekly routine.”
Not only will shoppers be able to spend on groceries and surplus gardening equipment but there has been space made for a hotel, car showroom and pub, designing it with an optimum shopping experience in mind.
This collaborative venture in King‘s Lynn promises to be a fruitful one for the local community as Tesco and Dobbies will eventually supply 420 of the 1,000 new jobs set to be created by the construction.
Last week it was reported that Tesco‘s like-for-like (LFL) trading figures for its first quarter period of this financial year fell by 4.1 per cent year-on-year.
Louise Gosling, Corporate Affairs Manager for Tesco, said: “By building a Tesco and Dobbies under one roof we will provide a unique shopping experience for our customers.
“Dobbies is the leading garden centre in the UK, and offering its specialist products on-site at a Tesco store will be of great value to the local community.”
