In This Issue
Has Nicholas Marshall left Dobbies?
Scotts appoint Mark Portman as UK & Ireland General Manager as it's confirmed that Sheila Hill has left the company
Pennells acquires Four Seasons Garden Centre
Snow wreaks havoc for garden centre stores
Langlands donates food to Hull homeless
Staff take up curling at North Walsham, Bobsleigh at Lakeside Plant Centre and get Reindeer pulling sleighs at Richardsons Garden Centre
With Spring on hold make the most of Garden Re-Leaf Day
Last chance to sign up to Garden Re-Leaf Day!
Plant sales slow ahead of Big Freeze
New additions to successful GroZone range
Greenfingers and HTA collaborate on gifting initiatives
New look website for National Children’s Gardening Week
RHS ranking reveals pests and diseases rife in UK gardens
Tong's Orchid advice and MOT day hailed a success
Plant Show success for Klondyke
Snowy success for Garden Press Event
New HTA Chairman and Matthew Bent on BBC Radio 4 Consumer programme
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
David Domoney teams up with Kent & Stowe
Preparing for the Big Freeze
Young veg plants and herbs start to sell through but onion sets dominate
Will growing media momentum continue?
Wild Bird Care sales down by 30% but set to grow
Keukenhof - Meteorological spring has started
Looking for Christmas Ideas for 2018?
The best of last week's
"I will FIX this issue" Gardman CEO updates GTN Xtra on delivery issues
Wyevale unveils its first Garden Trends Report
Squire’s Garden Centre in Woking now open
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
Casual Dining brings new innovations and attracts record crowds
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



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Snow wreaks havoc for garden centre stores

The unique mix of "The Beast from the East" and Storm Emma wreaked havoc across UK garden centres this week with reports of many store closures, frozen pipes and heroic efforts to keep trading.

 

Centre closures started on Tuesday in Kent and East Sussex and then spread north across the country during the week causing the second business interruption for snow this winter in many places.  Then the weather even hit the normally snow free West Country at the end of the week.

 

Neil Gow from Fresh@Burcot Garden Centre in the MIdlands tells us: "We have managed to remain open throughout despite 10ft snow drifts on the road outside.

 

"Trade has been about 1/5 of what it should have been with fuels, bird food and catering being the winners. The consolation is that at least it was this weekend rather than next when it is Mothers Day! We have a clear car park thanks to the team, who have battled their way through to work each day, motivated to walk up to 3 miles to help keep us open. It must be great to enjoy your work so much!

 

"Gardman have at last delivered an order to us, 4 weeks late, but most of what we need we have been getting from Stax – another Great Team at their centre at Birmingham!

 

Please add your comments about the effect of the Big Freeze on your business using the link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk.  We'd particularly like to hear of your hero's who kept services open for customers, how you plan to make up the lost business when the thaw gets underway and any risks you have of flooding when the snow melts away.

 

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