HTA Garden Futures.png

Book TODAY

In This Issue
Are you ready to embrace change?
The Changing Consumer
Scanning the Horizon
Adapting to change
Ecomony Matters
Small Business - Big Ideas!
Rising to the Challenge
HTA Futures is the venue for The Greatest Garden Centre Team Awards 2015
HTA Futures at Heythrop Park
Plantarea Manager - South West
Garden Centre Sales Agents Wanted
Gifts and Homeware Team Leader
Assistant Manager - West Midlands
Commercial Sales Estimator
Contracts Manager
Sundries Assistant - Hampshire
Plant Area Supervisor - Hampshire
Sunday trading proposals will boost the rural economy and benefit consumers, says HTA
Save the Date: HTA Marketing Forum 2015 – Tuesday 10 November
APL win Gold at Harrogate Autumn Flower Show
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Situations Vacant
Plantarea Manager - South West
Shaw Trust Palmer Gardens
Read more»
Garden Centre Sales Agents Wanted
Bonnington Plastics Ltd
Read more»
Gifts and Homeware Team Leader
Read more»
Assistant Manager - West Midlands
 
Read more»
Commercial Sales Estimator
Competitive salary
Read more»
Contracts Manager
£30,000 dependent on experience
Read more»
Sundries Assistant - Hampshire
£18k - £20k per annum
Read more»
Plant Area Supervisor - Hampshire
£18k - £20k per annum
Read more»
Send us your news and great ideas

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

Awards Logo 2015 CMYK v2.jpg
Sponsored by:

 





HTA-Colour.jpg

In Association with:



HTA Garden Futures.png

HTACAT~1.jpg

NPS Logo.jpg

 


Sunday trading proposals will boost the rural economy and benefit consumers, says HTA


The Horticultural Trades Association this week set out its strong support for the Government’s proposals to devolve power over Sunday trading rules, arguing that a relaxation of the rules would deliver significant economic benefits for garden centres and wider social benefits to families and hobby gardeners.

The HTA has long argued that garden centres should be allowed to open for more than six hours on a Sunday, and therefore welcomed this proposal that would take steps towards achieving this. Sundays are by far the busiest day of the week for garden centres, typically making 20-25% of weekly sales. The HTA estimates that Sunday trading restrictions in England and Wales currently cost the industry an estimated £75 million per annum in lost sales.

In its response to the consultation, which closed yesterday, the HTA argued that it is vital that every community is given the freedom to choose whether to relax Sunday trading rules, saying that in most cases a local debate on the issue is long overdue. It also set out the positive impact that any eventual relaxation of Sunday trading rules at the local level would have on its membership – the garden centres, growers, manufacturers and suppliers which currently account for more than 29,000 businesses and employ more than 280,000 workers.

Allowing garden centres to trade for longer on a Sunday would allow members to make significant productivity gains and increase sales, boosting the competitiveness of an important sector which currently contributes £9 billion to the UK economy. It would particularly benefit the HTA’s SME members – around 95% of its membership - which will be able to compete on more of a level playing field against online retailers able to trade 24/7.

All of this will in turn provide a significant shot in the arm for the rural economy, as the majority of the HTA’s garden centre members and the commercial growers that supply them are based in rural communities.

Carol Paris, Chief Executive of the HTA, commented: “Whilst we believe there is a strong case to be made for relaxing Sunday trading rules across the board, we believe that – in the case of garden centres – the argument is beyond doubt.

"We feel that our member businesses, most of which are SMEs, are unfairly hampered by trading restrictions which customers don’t understand anyway in this modern age of 24/7 online retail and Sunday is rapidly becoming the favourite shopping day.

"We urge the Government not to miss this golden opportunity to relax Sunday trading to the significant benefit of garden centres, their customers, staff and suppliers.”

Pictured: HTA Chief Executive Carol Paris seen here with Adam Wigglesworth from Aylett Nurseries, who was appointed as President of the Association, taking over the role from Stan Green of Growforth.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Del.icio.us Digg
Newsletter Marketing Powered by Newsweaver