Dobbies Garden Centre, Stirling

	Click the picture to enlarge it.
	This is a large, modern Dobbies. It has an unusually large sales area devoted to clothing, and other non-gardening items. It's a small shopping centre with a relatively unused garden centre tacked on.

This is a totally independent GardenAction opinion of Dobbies Garden Centre in the Stirling area of Scotland. Click any picture to enlarge it.

PLANTS AREA

The outside plants are was laid out in a very uninspiring manner. The paths were straight and long with no variation to provide interest. A significant proportion of the area was under cover and the main pathways were also under cover, good for when it rains.

The quality of the plants was good and they are backed by Dobbies 5 year hardy plant guarantee. There was a good range of plants with no particular specialities.

INDOOR SALES AREA

The size of the indoor sales area was very large. All the gardening items you might ever want were stocked here. As well as gardening goods there was a huge clothing mall, lots of gifts, cards and ornaments. Prices were generally higher than normal.

As shown in the left hand picture there was an excellent Food Hall stocking a wide range of goodies including specialist cheese and meat counters.

CAFE

The cafe was large, modern, clean but totally without any character. The tables and chairs were made of cheapish plastic and the decor was minimal.

Main meals (a choice of two) were served at �7.95. There was a freshly made sandwich counter, a salad bar (�7.95 for a large salad). Coffees, teas and cakes were available as well as a range of snack meals.

The quality of the food can best be described as good mass produced food, definitely not with a homemade flavour. There were two indoors seating areas and an outdoor terrace area.

PET CENTRE
A good range of accessories. It is Dobbies policy not to stock live animals.

AQUATICS
A good sized aquatics centre with a range of cold water and tropical fish.

GARDEN SHEDS / GREENHOUSES
Yes

WATER FEATURES
An excellent range of water features at inflated prices.

SPECIALITIES
The indoor shopping centre!

TOILETS
Modern, clean and functional, ladies gents, baby changing facilities and disabled toilets.

CAR PARKING
Excellent car park with a flat, level tarmac surface.

DIRECTIONS AND CONTACT
The address is:
Dobbies Garden World,
Drip Road,
Craigforth,
Stirling FK9 4UF

Tel: 01786 458860
Email: stirling@dobbies.com
Website: http://www.dobbies.com/milngavie-garden-centre.aspx

A map can be found HERE

Our sat nav got lost. It found Slip Road but the signs and the sat nav did not identify the A84 as Slip Road. We typed in the post code and we were directed to a non-existent road.

DISABLED ACCESS
Excellent in all areas.

OPENING HOURS
Monday 9am to 8pm
Tuesday 9.30am to 8pm
Wednesday to Friday 9am to 8pm
Saturday 9am to 6pm
Sunday 10am to 6pm

SUMMARY
A modern typically soul less Dobbies Garden World. A huge indoor sales area attracts more household goods shoppers than gardeners. A mediocre cafe selling mass-produced food.

STAR RATINGS
The lowest rating is 1 star, the highest rating is 5 stars.

AREA RATED	STAR RATING
Plants
Indoor sales
Cafe
Overall rating

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ONE PERSON HAS LEFT COMMENTS ON THIS PAGE

FROM: ma broon
2 October 2009 On many occasions I have visited this store, I have been left some what shocked, there is a critical lack of staff present, they seem de-motivated uninterested and under pressure, the small shopping complex on the other hand seems to be well staffed.

The cafe is so over staffed and the deployment seems to be in the kitchen rather than customer facing. You have to que at the cake counter it is not very clear who serves what and some of the attitudes of the staff, well enough said, in fairness two them there seems to be supervisors who stand around and watch then scurry through the back out of the road, tables are not cleared quick enough and there is food remains under the glass on some of the tables.

On a recent visit to the under staffed aquatics department there was plenty dead fish and two staff trying to fend off a whole host of questions, the outside plant area was not much better, i could only count two staff one was watering the other sweeping with plants and on trolleys, there also seemed to be a large amount of one type of plant on each tables, very limiting in choice, you can see why they are owned by Tesco's even there plants seem to be like tins of beans.

i was delight when i visited the farm food hall area there were so many staff 5 I think more than I had seen in some areas of the shop, they were very helpful, checkouts had to staff and one of them looked like she was freshly dug up.

I would have complained to the store manager but every time I have been in and seen him there he is constantly on his mobile phone, this does not set out as an enjoyable experience. On leaving the car park i was accustomed by some children begging for money, they had some sort of dog with them, the overall experience was very poor.

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