QD to grow Cherry Lane Garden Centres to 20 sites

QD Stores has announced proposals to double the number of garden centre sites operated by its Cherry Lane subsidiary by 2015.

The Norwich-base value retailer expanded its portfolio this week to a total of nine with the acquisition of a new build site at Towcester in Northamptonshire. Towcester is the third new site opening for Cherry Lane. The group acquired the freehold and assets of Croft Nurseries & Garden Centre in East Yorkshire in April following purchase of a new build garden centre site at Cromford, Derbyshire in February.

Additional site and land acquisitions located within a 100-mile radius of QD’s Snetterton distribution centre are now proposed, says QD Stores group managing director Justin Farrington Smith. “Our strategy remains focussed on developing our garden centre business organically and through acquisition and we welcome approaches from successful businesses looking to exit the market,” he says.

Norwich-based independent QD operates over 40 retail outlets under the QD, Buyright, Lathams and Cherry Lane Garden Centre brands, in locations extending from the East of England and Home Counties to Doncaster and Wrexham. Cherry Lane Garden Centres are also located at Long Melford and Pulham Market in Suffolk, Fritton in Norfolk, Braintree in Essex, and Tickhill in South Yorkshire.

Former Garden Centre Manager at Frosts’ Woburn Sands, Mike Ryan has been appointed Gardening Category Manager at QD Stores to oversee the Cherry Lane expansion programme. Specialist garden centre agents Quinton Edwards have also been appointed to assist with site acquisitions.

www.cherry-lane.co.uk

Source : Believe UK Ltd (on behalf of QD Stores Group)