Welcome to the team, Charlotte

We’re delighted to share the news that we have recruited a new member to the senior team with the appointment of Charlotte Watson as our full-time buying director.

In the new role, Charlotte will lead the buying team across all categories at all seven sites. An experienced buyer and retail consultant, she previously held senior buying roles at ASDA and Wilko, and will oversee key seasonal ranges and represent the business within the Tillington Buying Group. She will also play a central role in shaping the business’s sourcing strategy, developing our teams and supporting long-term commercial growth. Her appointment will also support former commercial director Sharon McNair’s transition into her new role as retail director, with a period of structured handover to ensure continuity across buying and retail functions.

Chalrotte is looking forward to the opportunities her new role presents: “I’m excited about working with the team to improve processes and procedures and working with our supplier base to bring new and exciting products to the Yorkshire Garden Centres’ customers.

“I’ve recently renovated a house, so I can’t wait to spruce up the outside space with lots of lovely Yorkshire Garden Centres’ products this summer.”

“This newly created role reflects our continued focus on strengthening our buying capability and range proposition across the Group,” said our MD, Mark Farnsworth.

“We’d like to thank Sharon McNair, who has led the buying team alongside our retail team for the last 10 years. Sharon has been instrumental in our growth, but it became clear as the business grew that the role needed to be split, and I’m delighted Sharon has chosen to focus on our stores and will work closely with our managers to keep improving our offer.

“Charlotte brings extensive buying and commercial leadership experience across Home, Kitchen, Lifestyle and Seasonal categories, with a strong track record in developing profitable product strategies, driving supplier partnerships, and leading high-performing teams.

“Charlotte’s knowledge and experience will also be vital as we keep developing our business and our team. I’m really looking forward to working with her”.

Outside work, Charlotte enjoys watching her sons play rugby and property renovation.