In This Issue
"Every single thing we do is driven at the moment by trying to manage the risk to customers and staff"
Four tips to maximise your garden centre on a budget
Hillier to Open New Garden Centre at Syon Park Estate
British nurseries are amongst the most eco-friendly on the planet, not that you’d know from watching Gardeners’ World
Restaurant gets star billing at redeveloped centre
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards are back!
Change at the top for family-run Highfield Garden World
Sales jump by 20% to record mid-November levels
Plants are selling at record levels during Lockdown 2
Container issues continue to escalate at UK ports 
HTA launches Sustainability Roadmap to guide UK horticulture towards leading edge of sustainable business practice
The Most Jumperful Time of the Year Fundraiser starts tomorrow!
Work starts on site for largest Dobbies in South West
Possible Christmas tree shortage due to Danish mink cull
Henry Bell clinches deal with Future Marketing Group
Janssens Greenhouses – over 70 years of heritage
Garden centre gets new appearance thanks to Smiemans
GTN November issue now on-line
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Garden centre customers find happiness in houseplants in October
Two-thirds more gardening this Autumn – Wow!
End of season pot bargains and houseplant care star
HTA reacts to new December tier arrangements
Gonks fly through tills as Christmas sales jump up
A Christmas feast for your garden birds
The best of last week's
A Perfect Storm Hits the Garden Market
Sales fall by 5.5% in Lockdown 2
“The Smart Show must go on…line!”
Five creative ways to enhance your takeaway service during lockdown
Profits up at Notcutts in year to February 2020
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Back to business for industry exhibitions
Tong donates stock to South Yorkshire dog rescue charity
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Profits up at Notcutts in year to February 2020

Notcutts have announced another year of profit growth in the year ending February 2020 with operating profit up 13.5% to £1.72m.  This followed a 52.5% increase in operating profit on the prior year. Gross margin improved by 1.4% points to 48.9%.

 

Total sales of £76.1m were up 1.9% despite significant disruption to normal trading patterns as Notcutts continued with its progressive redevelopment and garden centre improvement programme.

 

Capital expenditure was £9.2m in the year. Restaurant redevelopments were completed at Woodbridge, Cranleigh and Ashton Park. Full centre redevelopments, covering both retail environments and restaurants were completed at Booker, St Albans and Garden Pride (Ditchling). In each of these schemes Notcutts’ trade mark show gardens were included as part of the developments. Two further show gardens were added in Maidstone and Victoria (Pontefract) and a woodland heritage walkway was opened for customers in Woodbridge.

 

Commenting on these results Chief Executive, Nick Burrows said: “We are pleased with our progress during a year in which we were able to deliver further growth in operating profit. A continued focus on margin and a successful cost efficiency programme helped underpin this achievement. This during a year when we completed further exciting projects to bring customers ever improving experiences in our garden centres. In addition the investment we made in our e-commerce platform has put us in a good position to serve customers through this growing sales channel.”

 

Nick Burrows was also pleased to have secured planning permissions for future improvement projects at Notcutts’ Oxford, Tunbridge Wells and Solihull garden centres. “We are now well through our planned programme of improvements” he said. “Whilst we have now paused our development programme for a period as we navigate the new challenges of the current coronavirus situation, we hope to recommence further projects when this passes”. Burrows also added “Like others, we have made a number of adjustments to our business model to reflect the current unprecedented situation. We believe these will place us in a good position to gear up again quickly when more normal trading conditions return”.

 

Notcutts introduced further show gardens and a stunning woodland nature walk in the year. Caroline Notcutt, Vice Chairman, hosted events for customers, partners and local communities at a number of grand opening events. She commented: These additions continue to showcase Notcutts’ horticultural and design credentials which extend back almost 125 years. They are real wellbeing spaces and as society becomes increasingly conscious of the enriching positive benefits of gardening and being outside with nature we see these as essential elements of our customer experience.” Caroline Notcutt added “We have also continued our work with Thrive to support training for Social Therapeutic Horticulture through the Charles Notcutt bursary”.

 

During the year Bridget McIntyre joined Notcutts as Chairman. Upon her appointment in January 2020 she commented “Living in Suffolk, I have always been a customer of and admired Notcutts. I am delighted to be able to join the board and work with the team of this great family business.”

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