Expansion garden centre Longacres (UK)

Restaurant Longacres expansion Smiemans

Enlargement sales area and restaurant

A significantly expanded garden centre that increases retail capacity, improves customer flow and enhances the overall visitor experience for the UK’s largest independent garden centre.

For Longacres Bagshot, the objective was to create more space for a wider plant assortment and a more comfortable, attractive destination for customers, while strengthening its position as a leading garden centre in the UK. Smiemans delivered a wide-span extension that supports higher visitor volumes, improves retail presentation and adds a more spacious hospitality environment.

Enlarged retail space

The work for the largest independent garden centre in the UK includes the expansion of both the garden centre's cold sales area and restaurant. The enlarged retail space allows for a broader range of plants and garden products, improving merchandising opportunities and seasonal flexibility.

Upgraded restaurant increases capacity and comfort

The upgraded restaurant increases capacity and comfort, creating a more inviting space for visitors and supporting Longacres’ role as a full-day retail destination. The structure is designed for efficiency, light transmission and uninterrupted customer experience during construction, ensuring minimal disruption to daily operations.

A restaurant as a key driver for dwell time and visitor attraction.

Integrating a restaurant within the garden centre or commercial environment significantly increases dwell time, encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore more of the site. It transforms the location from a functional retail visit into a full-day destination, strengthening customer engagement and directly contributing to higher conversion and repeat visits. At the same time, the hospitality element acts as a strong crowd puller, attracting new visitor segments and increasing overall footfall throughout the year.

Restaurant Longacres garden centre expansion Smiemans

Expansion to increase comfort and capacity

The wide-span structure will be constructed with high-quality polycarbonate and insulating sandwich panels on the roof and insulating glass in the facades to increase comfort and capacity. Work is expected to be completed before the start of spring, with minimal disruption to the garden centre's daily operations.

Longacres Bagshot is the largest independent garden centre in the south of England and the flagship of the six Longacres locations. This garden centre covers a nine-acre site and was founded in 1979 by Peter and Mary Long.