Christmas arrives at a Staffordshire garden centre - with late night shopping, beautiful baubles and exclusive offers

Dobbies’ Gailey store is opening its highly anticipated Christmas shop tomorrow (Thursday, October 9), giving customers the chance to browse the new festive collections.

And with internet searches for Christmas decorations on dobbies.com up 43% compared to September last year, the garden centre is positive people are getting into the festive spirit early.

To celebrate the opening, the Shrewsbury store is hosting their Christmas Launch Weekend from October 9 to 13, with special late-night shopping on October 9 from 5pm–7pm - which they hope will give customers the chance to shop the full Christmas range in-store and take advantage of exclusive in-store offers across the festive collections. 

This year, Dobbies has expanded its ranges, with 590 new product lines making up almost half of the entire collection. 

From great value décor to seasonal food and drink, this year’s festive shop promises to help customers experience Christmas, in every sense.

A spokesperson for the garden centre said: “At Dobbies, the sights, sounds, scents, touch and tastes of the season come to life. 

“From fragrant pinecones and fresh Christmas trees (available from November) to the sparkle of nearly half a million hanging decorations and baubles, shoppers can enjoy family-friendly events and the taste of Christmas in Dobbies’ Shrewsbury restaurant.”

Dobbies’ Christmas in numbers

20,000 artificial Christmas trees. Stacked one on top of another, they’d stretch for nearly 25 miles into the sky, higher than four Mount Everests!

135,000 boxes of string lights with more than 30 million bulbs in total. That’s enough to light a sparkling path from London all the way to Lapland.

44,000 Christmas characters. From gold and green festive dinosaurs to Highland cows, pigs, frogs and chickens, there are enough of them to fill half of Wembley!

56,000 boxes of Christmas crackers totalling over half a million snaps. That’s enough crackers to stretch from Edinburgh to London if lined up end to end.

470,000 baubles and hanging decorations, that’s enough to decorate on average 10,000 Christmas trees.

Is there anything else festive happening at Dobbies?

In addition to launching its Christmas shop, Dobbies Garden Centres is preparing for a packed schedule of festive events, kicking off on Sunday, November 23 with the eagerly awaited Santa's Arrival. 

Families can enjoy a variety of seasonal experiences, including Santa’s Breakfast, Santa’s Grotto, and Santa Paws, plus, this year’s Christmas Shopping Night, which takes place on Thursday 27 November, in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK. 

Whether it’s meeting Santa, experiencing the magic of the Grotto, or shopping for the perfect gift, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at Dobbies this Christmas.

Dobbies’ Head of Brand, Kirsty Rockey said: “Our Christmas shop is something customers look forward to every year at our Shrewsbury store, and this season we’re delivering a truly immersive experience. 

“With almost 600 new lines, there's fresh inspiration for every home, alongside returning favourites that our customers love.

“We’ve got everything from eye-catching baubles and great value lights to quirky characters and delicious seasonal treats. 

“This year, we’re expecting colourful novelty lights to be a best-seller, tapping into the nostalgia trend that continues to grow in popularity, and quirky homewares like festive cushions and table accessories that bring personality, charm and a playful sense of style to homes. A brand-new stand-out burgundy Christmas tree is also set to be a favourite with our customers, adding a bold statement to their homes this December.”

Dobbies’ 2025 festive collections are now available online, with in-store Christmas shops opening from today. For further information or to shop the full range, visit www.dobbies.com.  

To learn more about the events at Dobbies’ store and make a booking, visit dobbies.com/events.

About Dobbies

Dobbies was founded in 1865 by James Dobbie and is headquartered near Edinburgh.

Dobbies shares its passion for gardens and plants through own brand and branded products, concession partners and services. Fifty-two of 53 stores feature a restaurant or coffee shop, where customers can enjoy refreshments or meals in a relaxed and welcoming environment. 

Dobbies champions garden living all-year-round and offers a calendar of events and experiences that bring people and communities together.