Dobbies Garden Centres has confirmed it will close its large superstore at The Junction Retail and Leisure Park in Antrim, Northern Ireland, at the end of October 2026, with around 120 full- and part-time staff affected. The closure comes after the retailer went through a major restructuring programme in 2024 and 2025.
Restructuring background
In 2024, Dobbies announced plans to close 17 stores – 11 larger garden centres and six Little Dobbies outlets – affecting 465 employees. The restructuring was intended to tackle “historically uneconomical rent costs” and return the business to sustainable profitability. A further eight Dobbies stores closed during 2025 as part of the wider restructuring programme.
However, the closure of the Antrim store is separate from those earlier restructuring closures. Dobbies said it is shutting the site following a decision by its new landlord, Frasers Group, to redevelop The Junction for new retail and leisure uses.
Antrim store details
The Antrim store opened in 2023 following a £10m investment and had become an established part of The Junction's retail offering. Dobbies said it was proud of what had been achieved at the store and thanked customers and the local community for their support. The closure will come just three years after the store opened and will be another blow for Dobbies, which has already closed 24 locations as part of its recent restructuring.
Merseyside stores unaffected
For Dobbies customers across Liverpool and the wider Merseyside region, however, there is no need to worry about a local closure. The ECHO can confirm that Dobbies' two Merseyside stores – in Speke and Southport – are set to remain open and are unaffected by the latest round of closures. The Speke store, which serves customers across Liverpool and surrounding areas, will therefore continue trading alongside the Southport site despite the latest changes to Dobbies' wider store estate.
