Welcome to Blue Diamond Garden Centres
14th Feb 2019 • CLAIRE HARPER
In January 2019 I was appointed as a Non-Executive Director for Blue Diamond Garden Centre Group. Blue Diamond is a very exciting and successful retail business recently acquiring 9 sites from Wyevale. Blue Diamond will soon become the second largest garden centre group in the UK and Channel Islands and is continuing to grow. I flew to Guernsey recently and attended my first Board Meeting. As recently reported in GardenForum.co.uk Blue Diamond has bought in total 11 garden centres in 12 months, bringing the the number of garden centres in the group to 30. The initial focus was on East Bridgford which opened in March. The new build achieved £10m sales in 10 months making it number 1 in the group and giving it an annualised turnover of £11.5m. This had been its year 3 target. In May, Blue Diamond bought Orchard Park in Dorset before buying 9 Wyevale garden centres in the Summer. 2019 will be all about the integration of the 9 Wyevale garden centres. Customers are flocking back to the Wyevale centres and the Wyevale colleagues have really taken ownership of their garden centres, they have been given the tools to succeed and they are stepping up to the plate and embracing the positive changes taking place. Significant investment will take place over the next 3 years and Bicester, Nailsworth and Cadbury will be the first to get the Blue Diamond treatment. Priority is currently being given to Bicester. The footprint is being extended with a new customer flow. There will be 3 restaurants themed as a Book Cafe, Eat and Play for Children and the main Cafe theatre restaurant, similar to those at Redfields and East Bridgford. Other exciting features will include a new canopied area that will fill the gap between the garden centre and the concessions building and a new gin distillery making Blue diamond gin. It is a very positive time to be working with the Board and supporting a clear vision and strategy to create a very exciting brand and customer experience.