Life & Garden closes flagship store

With a retail area of around 10 000 ², the two-storey garden centre of the Dutch company Life & Garden in Kerkrade was intended to be the flagship store of the young specialist firm. However, the store, which only opened on 16 March 2005, was forced to file for bankruptcy at the start of April. According to Peter Paul Kleinbussink, the managing director, sales by the store were not enough to cover the high rent and operating costs. The building, which was constructed specially for Life & Garden, belongs to an investment group. Life & Garden is currently considering whether to reopen the garden centre with a reduced retail area of 4 500 m² on just one floor in the same building. Life & Garden operates 16 garden centres in Holland at present. Three new garden centres have recently been added, with two more new openings scheduled for this year.