Clothing chain Next targets garden centres

Published on 13/08/2012 00:00

CLOTHING chain Next is branching out into the garden centre sector after its pilot outlet in Sussex bore fruit.

Chief executive Lord Wolfson has submitted planning applications for five more sites in the south of England following the success of its Next Home & Garden branch in Shoreham, with a shop opening in Ipswich this summer and another planned for Warrington, Cheshire.

Next is the latest retailer to try its hand at gardening after Tesco bought Midlothian-based chain Dobbies in 2008.

In March, Sir Tom Hunter sold Wyevale-owner Garden Centre Group to Guy Hands’s private equity firm Terra Firma for £276 million.