Dobbies Garden Centres has submitted planning applications to extend its retail offer at its Braehead and Dundee stores.
The company has said the new space would be made available to businesses which will complement the existing Dobbies offer. At the Dundee garden centre at Ethiebeaton Park, the retailer wants to create additional space in the gap between its main garden centre premises and its neighbouring House of Angus retail visitor centre near Monifieth.

At Dobbies Braehead, just outside Glasgow city centre, the proposals are to create new space to the front of the building, as well as reconfiguring current space in the plant sales area at the rear of the building.

A Dobbies spokesperson said: "We are keen to introduce new concepts to our Braehead and Dundee centres to offer an improved experience for our customers. It is envisaged that this new investment will lead to significant economic benefits for the local areas.

"The proposals will create a number of new job opportunities with staff positions created within the new space, and also potential for spin-off benefits for the existing and new businesses by drawing more visitors to the area."

Subject to planning permission, Dobbies targets to open these spaces towards the end of 2014. In December, the company announced that pre-tax profit for the year to February last year fell by 30%. Although, in November, it released joint plans with parent company Tesco for its first new-build in Scotland, in East Kilbride, and in October, the new Dobbies Garden World in Inverness opened on the site of a former Focus DIY store.