Major UK retailer with 77 sites to shut swathe of stores - see the full list of affected locations

ok.co.uk:

A major retailer is planning to close down a swathe of its 117 UK stores before the end of the year because they are unprofitable.

Dobbies Garden Centre wants to shut 11 of its larger sites and six of the smaller Little Dobbies stores and has named the locations that are facing the chop if the plan is approved.The move is part of a restructuring overhaul that was first launched in August to tackle "historically uneconomical rent costs", with the business also seeking temporary rent reductions at nine of its sites around the country.

After the closures there would still be 60 branches of Dobbies operating the the UK. Some fans of the chain, which employs 3,700 people, spoke about their unhappiness at the possibility of losing their Dobbies - famous for its colourful flower logo - with one calling it "very sad" and another saying they couldn't believe their local store was set to be shuttered.

Dobbies, which is based in Scotland, dates back to 1875 and is the biggest garden centre operator in the UK.The chain, which was owned by Tesco between 2007 and 2016, are often important centres for their local communities, with many including restaurants or cafes and operating a calendar of events.The restructuring plan must be agreed by the landlords and ratified by a court before going ahead.