In This Issue
"The Best Glee for Years" - Retailers verdict on this years show
Great response to Gold Leaf Gloves' new RHS Collection
Area Sales Manager wanted by History and Heraldry Group
Strong results posted by Notcutts for 2016/17 year
Owners of garden centre face £21,000 bill after selling 'dangerous' items
Adam hands over to Adam at the HTA
Hozelock have sold over 100 million hose connectors
Challenging year for growing media producers
GTN's Greatest Plant Retailing Awards presented at Glee
Barrus celebrates its 100-year anniversary
Glee 2018 relocates to NEC Halls 6, 7, 8, 19-20
Glee 2017 hailed as a great success by organisers
Retail Lab @ Glee is here to stay
Glee New Product Awards winners celebrate
Clean sweep of Glee New Product Awards for I-Glo
Glee Buyers Power List 2017: the winners
JAVADO win Best Plant Display Award
BBC Breakfast broadcasts live from Glee
Woodlodge sky dive for Greenfingers today
Product Merchandisers (Full-Time)
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Writtle University College graduates celebrate their achievements
Darlac’s new Collections Range hailed a success
Dressed as a bag of compost, Lucy gets noticed at Glee
Pure Green: October Houseplants of the Month
National Trust wildlife products launched at Glee
Mexican Day at Squire’s raises money for Princess Alice Hospice
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Situations Vacant
Product Merchandisers (Full-Time)
Salary: £22,500+
 
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Challenging year for growing media producers
Rising costs and a poor harvest have created challenging trading conditions in 2017. Many manufacturers reported having only harvested 60-70% of their budgeted peat volumes. Despite dry weather in spring it has been followed by increasingly wet summer weather during July and August making harvesting more difficult than usual, driving the use of more expensive materials.

Growing Media manufacturers are also facing rising costs of supply at all stages. Production costs rise with labour costs, for example in Ireland costs are going up by 10.4% as the minimum wage increases are implemented.

Cost increases affecting all businesses

Plastic bags have been effected particularly by polymer (Platts) pricing rises, seeing record highs over the past 18 months and forecast to further increase during 2018. Environmental costs are on an upward trajectory with preparation for licencing under way in Ireland with new tougher targets on water quality.

Freight costs, which account for up to 30% of the cost of a bag of compost, are also rising. There is also ongoing uncertainty around Brexit, and weaker sterling is leaving a 22% difference between now and 2015 average Euro rate, and a 13% difference between current rate and the 10-year (0.80/1.25) Euro average.

Sheila Hill, General Manager of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, says, “We have experienced rising costs throughout our business and expect more significant increases in key raw materials for 2018 trading year. Specifically, raw materials such as peat and plastic packaging costs will increase by double digits. This is a significant challenge on top of the impact of currency we have absorbed this season.”

Steve Harper, chair of the Growing Media Association, adds, “Manufacturers are finding themselves under increasing pressure, during a period where costs have risen significantly and millions of pounds have been poured into developing new products and new diluents to reduce the demand for peat.”
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