Dobbies Garden Centres has announced a new partnership with Waves, the country’s largest hand car wash and valeting provider. Five premium car wash facilities are now open at Dobbies stores: Woodcote Green, Ashford, Peterborough, Ponteland and Brighton.
Last year, Dobbies launched an ambitious national store refurbishment programme, designed to broaden product ranges and elevate the in-store experience. As part of this initiative, the team is working hand in hand with concession partners to make the most of every inch of retail space. By listening to customers, it became clear there was strong demand for a convenient car valeting service.
Customers at Dobbies’ Woodcote Green, Ashford, Ponteland, Brighton and Peterborough can now enjoy the added convenience of having their car professionally cleaned while they explore the garden centre, relax in the restaurant, attend an event, visit the soft play area, or simply enjoy all the other reasons to spend time at their local store.
The partnership marks Waves’ first return to the garden centre sector in more than five years, tapping into growing demand for premium car wash services in a market now worth £1.8bn[1]. Early results from the partnership are positive, with more than 7,600
washes undertaken across the five sites.
David Robinson, Dobbies CEO, said: “We’re focused on creating the best possible experiences for our customers, and this partnership with Waves brings a new service directly to our stores. The initial feedback has been extremely positive, and with so many of our sites offering convenient car park space, we see great potential to roll this out further across the UK.”
Joanna Graham, CEO at Waves added: “Partnering with Dobbies allows Waves to bring a convenient, high-quality car wash service to locations that truly suit our customers’ lifestyles. Garden centres are destinations where people can spend time, shop, and enjoy themselves, and we’re excited about the opportunities to grow this partnership across the wider store estate.”
