SCOTTISH tycoon Sir Tom Hunter was yesterday said to be preparing an offer worth £30m for one of the UK’s biggest garden centre operators.

His reported plans for a takeover of Blooms of Bressingham will add to Sir Tom’s ownership of rival Wyevale, an 8% stake in Dobbies garden centres and a 29.9% strategic holding in the home shopping company Flying Brands.

As well as being the UK’s biggest garden centre owner, it is thought Sir Tom wants to build the country’s biggest online gardening presence. He is keen to tap into the growing number of so-called “silver surfers” – the cash-rich over-45s who are spending more time and money online.

The tycoon, who set up retail chain Sports Division, has already taken a slice of the “grey pound” after jointly buying McCarthy & Stone, the UK’s biggest retirement home builder.

He is said to be working on the Blooms bid with property entrepreneur Nick Leslau and Icelandic retail investment group Baugur. Blooms, which has nine outlets across central England and one in Wales, said last month that it was in the early stages of takeover talks with a mystery suitor. Speculation immediately linked the firm to Sir Tom.

His consortium is also being tipped to buy Dobbies, having already snapped up Wyevale Garden Centres in a £445.1m deal.

Shares in Dobbies have soared since last summer, leaping by a third to more than 1260p at its height.

source :icwales.icnetwork.co.uk