// Wyevale sells another six of its garden centres to Blue Diamond as it continues to slim down its estate
// The stores affected are Blooms Worcester, Canterbury Chartham, Hereford, Lower Morden, Rake and Tunbridge Wells
// Wyevale has now sold off at least 104 stores since it started the process in May last year
Wyevale has announce the sale of another six of its garden centres to Blue Diamond, almost a year after the latter acquired nine other Wyevale stores.
Wyevale said it offloaded its Blooms Worcester, Canterbury Chartham, Hereford, Lower Morden, Rake and Tunbridge Wells garden centres and that they will continue to operate as such under the Blue Diamond branding.
The sales are expected to complete mid-September and no job cuts are expected.
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The latest transaction means Wyevale has now offloaded at least 104 of its stores to various businesses – mostly gardening retailers – since it first announced plans to do so last year in May, after a huge investment scheme saw it return to profitability.
“[Blue Diamond’s] decision to take on six more sites is testament to both the strength of our garden centres and the level of trust and confidence that has developed between the [Wyevale] and Blue Diamond teams through this sale process,” Wyevale chief operating officer Anthony Jones said.
“I would like to say a big thank you to colleagues across these six centres for their passion, expertise and hard work and wish them the very best for the future under new ownership.”
The addition of six Wyevale stores to its estate means Blue Diamond’s portfolio increases to 36 garden centres.
It comes after Blue Diamond acquired eight Wyevale stores in July and another one in August last year.
“I went back to Wyevale Garden Centres to look for only a couple more centres and came out with six,” Blue Diamond managing director Alan Roper said.
“Geographically all the centres are a perfect fit and enable us to deliver our full Blue Diamond proposition.
“We look forward to working with our new colleagues across the centres and welcoming them into the Blue Diamond family.
“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Anthony and the team at Wyevale Garden Centres who during all acquisitions have been supportive, thoughtful and professional throughout.”
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