In This Issue
Pennells Garden Centre to continue rapid growth after securing fresh cash injection
GTN’s The Greatest Christmas Awards judges start to choose the winners
Mild December caps record year for sales
Wyevale Garden Centres plan to launch e-commerce website next Spring
Top garden centres sign up for 24 hour ‘Plant-athon’
G Plants set to ‘Bee Friends’ with BeeMat
Gardman help retailers create an eye-catching hanging basket display
Surprise proposal by Santa at Squire's in Windsor
Show Your Colours Award IPM 2016: Plants as a source of emotion and perception
LC Packaging acquires Geerings Horticulture Products
Voting postcards and posters for in-store voting - The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team
Vote for your Greatest Christmas Supplier of the Year
Book your tickets for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Party
Sales Agent - South Wales/West Midlands
Horticultural Trainer - Epsom, Surrey
Bedding Department Head - West Horsley
Plant Area Manager - Surrey
Key Accounts Manager – Outdoor Living
Bedding Department Head - Twickenham
Garden Centre Sundries Team Leader
Head of Sales
Nursery Production/Growing/Technical Manager
Bedding Department Head - Stanmore
Field Sales Support (Vivid Arts Ltd) - ideal location East / South Manchester with access to M60
Garden Centre/Horticultural Manager/Plantarea Manager
Contracts Manager Leeds Area
There’s Christmas cheer from peak houseplant sales
GCA members reminded to enter the Worrall Cup
Have Santa hats gone out of fashion this Christmas?
Outback grows its garden centre sales team
Host of new products from Wildlife World at Spring Fair 2016
Mild weather will continue growth into 2016
Gardeners improved their outdoor spaces in November
Leading firms support Healthy Profits Roadshow
SHOWA gardening gloves awarded a Which? Best Buy
Get ready for the HTA's Plant of the Moment
Big Business entrepreneur and Joy of Plants join HTA Technology Conference Programme
Stewart Garden shares grow your own potato know-how
Grow Your Own still on the rise as seed firm reports strongest ever start to retail year
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Situations Vacant
Sales Agent - South Wales/West Midlands
 
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Horticultural Trainer - Epsom, Surrey
£17,750 + excellent benefits
 
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Bedding Department Head - West Horsley
Competitive salary
 
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Plant Area Manager - Surrey
Competitive Salary
 
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Key Accounts Manager – Outdoor Living
Substantial basic salary, bonus scheme & company car
Read more»
Bedding Department Head - Twickenham
Competitive Salary
 
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Garden Centre Sundries Team Leader
Salary: To attract the best
Read more»
Head of Sales
£40,000 + OTE (up to £60,000)
 
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Nursery Production/Growing/Technical Manager
Salary: £25,000 - £32,000
Read more»
Bedding Department Head - Stanmore
Competitive Salary
 
Read more»
Field Sales Support (Vivid Arts Ltd) - ideal location East / South Manchester with access to M60
OTE £24k
Read more»
Garden Centre/Horticultural Manager/Plantarea Manager
Salary: £18,000 - £24,000
Read more»
Contracts Manager Leeds Area
Salary: £28,000 - £35,000
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


GTN's The Greatest Christmas Awards 2105
are sponsored by:





















Book your tickets for GTN's Greatest Christmas Party on Sunday January 10th 2016 here


Gardeners improved their outdoor spaces in November
 
Gardeners across the country made use of the milder weather during November and worked on improving their outdoor spaces, according to results from the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report.
 
Sales in hard landscaping were up 7.86% but customers were also eating well with Food Hall and Farm Shop sales up 20.07% up compared to the same month last year (2014).
 
Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, explained: “As a country we have had much milder weather than we’re used to for November so it seems people made good use of it and continued to use their outdoor spaces.
 
“Furniture and barbecue sales were also positive through the month at 13.24% up with a Year to Date (YTD) change of 9.38%. Other good performers during the month were clothing at 15.14% with a YTD of 14.2% and catering at 8.39% up with a YTD of 9.27%.”
 
For the month of November the overall garden centre performance was up by 3.93% with a Year to Date change of 6.22%.
 
Christmas sales rose steadily at 4.23% up with a YTD of 7.33%, but they are expected to be much higher in December. Sales in gifts were 0.67% up with a YTD of 3.04%.
 
Iain added: “As expected at this time of year, sales in houseplants were just -0.76% up but with a YTD of 7.11% there is some potential for a healthy increase in the busy December sales period. Outdoor plants were -5.85% and seeds and bulbs -2.06%.”
 
The BoT results are the only official GCA trading figures to be released.
 
Richard Pennell, Managing Director of Pennells Garden Centre in Lincoln, said: “Following recent development of the centre at Lincoln we have seen strong growth in sales of outdoor plants from our new canopy area and indoors from our new food hall. Our restaurant too has seen strong growth. Customers are looking for a wide range of experiences when they visit a modern garden centre.”
 
The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.
 
Matthew Bent (pictured above), Managing Director at Bents Garden and Home, said: “The end of 2015 is proving a busy time for Bents with sales in December already looking good and following what has been a strong November across the industry. Our results support the GCA figures with our clothing and Food Hall departments both significantly up on last year. Both departments are now much bigger and offer a much wider variety of products following our recent expansion and we are happy the results reflect the work that has been put in.

“Catering is also up in line with the industry figures, demonstrating that our more long term and established areas of the business continue to perform very well.”
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