In This Issue
GTN Bestsellers Garden Re-Leaf Day Subscription Offer
Trading update from this weekend
GTN Bestsellers EPoS data analysis: It’s good news for gardening
Best week of the year so far for Primula
Peat-free compost sales on the up
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Shoots of growth for garden product sales
Young strawberry plant sales on the rise
Upward trend for Wild Bird Care
Situations Vacant
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
 

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts...

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Contact us with your news.  Email neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk, or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 01733 775700

 


 
GTN Bestsellers Garden Re-Leaf Day Subscription Offer

As we approach trading times that are uncertain now is a good time to access information that could help with managing sales and expectations during what could be a slow Spring.

 

Over the coming weeks we’ll be keeping GTN Bestsellers subscribers as informed as possible about what sold when during March, April and May of 2018 and 2013, when we also had slow starts to the season.

 

Take out a subscription this morning and we'll donate money to Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day too...


As we approach trading times that are uncertain as a result of the Covid-19 Virus pandemic now is a good time to access information that could help with managing sales and expectations during what could be a slow Spring.

 

GTN Bestsellers has been recording and analysing garden centre EPoS data for over 10 years so we’ve got history of how garden centres have traded through slow Spring seasons in the past.

 

Over the coming weeks we’ll be using that analysis to keep our GTN Bestsellers subscribers as informed as possible about what sold when during March, April and May of 2018 and 2013.

 

To receive that information along with our weekly printed Top 50 chart updates of what is actually selling well this year all you have to do is take out a subscription to GTN Bestsellers which costs just £145.00.

 

And to add to the funds of Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day, for every new subscription purchased before 12:00 noon on Wednesday 18th March 2020 we’ll send £10 to the Greenfingers Charity.

 

To buy your subscription on-line use this link or the button below:

 

 

Thank you for subscribing and helping Greenfingers too.  If you have any questions about GTN Bestsellers please e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 07973 504214.

 

The GTN Bestsellers weekly EPOS analysis combines data from a pool of independent garden centres whose annual turnover is around £100m.  Data from the same centres is received every week which makes the week on week and year on year comparisons particularly useful and great indicators of trends as and when they happen.  By subscribing to GTN Bestsellers you don’t have to wait until the end of the season and next year to see if a new product or a new sector of products are selling well.

 

GTN Bestsellers subscribers stay ahead of the game.  Buy your subscription today.

 
Trading update from this weekend

As garden centres trade through the first weekend after the move to the Delay Phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, GTN Xtra has been asking garden centre managers and owners how trading has been this weekend and about their thoughts for the coming weeks...


As garden centres trade through the first weekend after the move to the Delay phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, GTN Xtra has been asking garden centre managers and owners how trading has been this weekend and about their thoughts for the coming weeks.

 

Martin Stewart told GTN Xtra that the two supermarkets close to their Christchurch centre had been busy all weekend with shelves cleared out as customers stocked up.  "It's just like pre-Christmas food shopping here but we still had a fantastic day yesterday.  With the rain today if the situation was normal we would be saying the weather is deterring people.

 

"At Abbey where there are no supermarkets nearby we were 30% up last week.

 

"I have one wish that is places like us are able to keep trading, we can cope with a spring that is 10% down but we don't want the panic of all shops being closed down. We can run our business leanly if need be and hopefully garden centres will continue to be seen as safe places to be."

 

Sam Bosworth in the midlands reports: "Trade is still down on 2019, but up on 2018. Trade year to date to the end of week 10 in 2020 is 22% up on 2018, but 5% down on 2019. 

 

"The weather is still currently a bigger influence than COVID-19, it is raining as I look outside now at a quiet car park, but the virus is really big long term issue to us and the trade. We have spent this morning looking at scenarios and trying to make plans. These include for total closure to retail businesses, closure of restaurants, or just a significant reduction in trade.

 

"Trade is still OK, coffee shops ticking along, but a noticeable difference in demographics. Our Elton store has a significantly older demographic and has already seen catering trade drop off significantly in the week, whereas Burton Latimer has held up better with a younger demograhic."

 

James Ducker at Langlands said: "Trade has been pretty normal over the weekend. The Farm Shop has been really busy and people are spending as usual in the Garden Centre and Coffee Shops."

 

At GCA Garden Centre of the Year, Fron Goch, Justin Williams says: "The situation seems very fluid with public opinion changing quickly. We are seeing the supermarkets being very very busy with people stocking up at the moment.

 

"Last week we did manage to match last year. But yesterday the restaurant was approx 25% down on transaction numbers against last weekend and it looks like today could be between 40-50% down transaction numbers wise in the restaurant against last year."

 

It was a different picture at Poplars in Toddington where Alastair Jackson commented: "Our restaurant was busy this weekend and footfall in general was excellent but lots of those people were just browsing or whiling away time. I think its all this talk of a possible lockdown.  People want to get out while they think they still can!"

 

Across the big groups, Blue Diamond's Alan Roper said: "I was concerned because it felt quiet in the centres especially on budget day. However I've had some numbers in for Monday to Friday for some of the sites and they are up."

 

British Garden Centres said they had a slow start yesterday morning but the day picked up well by lunchtime and at Dobbies, CEO Graeme Jenkins has reported: "Trade has been very good, with strong like-for-likes across plants, gardening, food hall and pet categories in particular."

 

In Scotland, Colin Barrie of Caulders told GTN Xtra: "We are concerned as the current situation develops.  The last 3 days have seen a noticeable decline in our coffee shops, yesterday was around 30% down on expected revenue. That said, the weather has also been against us in Scotland.

 

"I think over the coming days we will see older people staying at home as the fear factor and self isolation set in. The garden centre side of the business never gets going in Scotland until the second half of March so it’s difficult to judge where the effect on this is at present.

 

"Without being too pessimistic, I think this will be our most difficult season ahead in our 21 years in business..... hopefully the government will support independent businesses and allow them to survive it!"

 

Meanwhile at Groves in Bridport, Charlie Grove (pictured above) has found stocks of Christmas loo rolls which they have put out on sale to help alleviate that shortage and give customers some light relief too.  "Look what we found in the stockroom to bring out to the shop! Loads of (Christmas) loo roll!" he says on their Facebook page.

 

"Perfect for cheering up your bathroom in an emergency!

 

"Don’t forget you can always phone through orders for local delivery if you find you can't get out so you can stay fully stocked with all of your gardening and pet needs.

 

"Take care everyone."

GTN Bestsellers EPoS data analysis: It’s good news for gardening

Great news for gardening:  when the weather improves people get active in their gardens and in spite of Coronavirus fears they seem happy to visit garden centres...


 

Great news for gardening:  when the weather improves people get active in their gardens and in spite of Coronavirus fears they seem happy to visit garden centres.

 

Sales in the GTN Bestsellers EPoS data were a match with levels for the first week of March in 2018 and up 8% on the same week last year.

 

Judging by the full restaurants we’ve seen at garden centres during this week could it be that garden centres are a haven of tranquillity away from all the doom and gloom in the news.

 

Let’s hope garden Re-Leaf Day, this weekend and Mother's Day next weekend continue the good news!

 

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 10

  • Garden Products Top 50 – down 10% 
  • Growing Media Top 50 – up 21%
  • Wild Bird Care Top 50 – up 22%
  • Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 12% 
  • All Plants index – up 14%

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
Best week of the year so far for Primula

Plant sales recovered at the start of March after 3 weeks of sales being down year on year thanks to the wet and cold weather...


Plant sales recovered at the start of March after 3 weeks of sales being down year on year thanks to the wet and cold weather.  

 

This March started up 14% on last year and on a par with 2018 when we had the first week after the initial blast of The Beast from the East.

  • Primula sales reached their highest volumes for the year so far selling 9 times the volume of the No 2 Bestselling plant: Narcissus.
  • Sempervivum sales had a good week climbing up the GTN chart by 31 places to No 8.
  • Young tomato plants were the highest chart re-entry at No 11.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
Peat-free compost sales on the up

Peat-free compost sales steal the headlines in the year's GTN Bestsellers first Growing Media chart of March. Westland New Horizon All Purpose Compost moves up to No 2, the highest ever ranking for a peat free compost.


The break in the weather prompted a good week for growing media sales, down on the previous week but 20% up on the first week of March 2019.  

 

Peat-free compost sales steal the headlines in the year's first chart of March.  Westland New Horizon All Purpose Compost moves up to No 2, the highest ever ranking for a peat free compost.

  • Westland New Horizon All Plant Compost 20 litres + 33% Extra Free is also a re-entry at No 40.
  • Strulch Organic Straw Mulch 100 litres is a re-entry at No 25.
  •  Evergreen Garden Care Levington Multi Purpose with John Innes 40 litres moves up to No 1.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts...


Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

 

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2018 as well as 2019 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

 

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for this week are here


Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

 

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care Products chart for this week are here

 

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro chart for this week are here

 

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

 

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £120m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 01733 775700.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

 
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra

with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox...





with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox.  The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.

Subscribe for free using this link

 
Shoots of growth for garden product sales

Everything in the garden is growing all of a sudden and that’s reflected in significant shoots of growth in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart...


Everything in the garden is growing all of a sudden and that’s reflected in significant shoots of growth in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart.  

 

Top 50 sales were up week on week by 17% with sales of plant feeds and seed sowing materials among the biggest movers.

  • SBM Toprose 1kg moves back to No 1 for the second week this year.
  • Stewart Premium Seed Tray with Holes 20cm Dark Green climbed 36 places to No 4.
  • Smart Solar Bee Bug Light is the highest new entry at No 22.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
Young strawberry plant sales on the rise

Young veg plants made their first appearance in garden centres last week and strawberry plants in particular sold through well...


Young veg plants made their first appearance in garden centres last week and strawberry plants in particular sold through well.  

 

Perhaps the promise of sweet juicy strawberries this summer is a good diversion from all the Coronavirus concerns.

  • Quantil Strawberry Cambridge Strips are once again the early strawberry plant bestseller.
  • Colour Gro Strawberry Jumbo 6 Pack is a new GTN chart entry at No 5.
  • Farplants Rosemary Common is the highest chart climber, up 26 places to No 14.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
Upward trend for Wild Bird Care

Wild Bird Care sales fared well at the start of March, up on the last week of February and up 22% on the same week last year...


Wild Bird Care sales fared well at the start of March, up on the last week of February and up 22% on the same week last year.  

  • Tom Chambers Suet Treats Triple Pack were the highest chart re-entry at No 19.
  • Westland Peckish Daily Goodness Nuggets Pouch of 100 flew furthest up the chart to No 31.
  • Smart Garden’s 20cm Supreme Seed Feeder is a new entry at No 40.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk