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Get ready for a March Bestsellers Bonanza
Garden centres are gearing up for a busy time in March with two massive events tempting consumers into stores – Garden Re-Leaf Day (8th) and Mother's Day (10th).
Interest from garden centres across the UK in Garden Re-Leaf is gathering momentum. Hundreds of stores will be hosting speacial events to get the nation gardening again after the winter months – whilst raising money for inspirational gardening charity Greenfingers...
Garden centres are gearing up for a busy time in March with two massive events tempting consumers into stores – Garden Re-Leaf Day (8th) and Mother’s Day (10th).
This is a prime time to entice gardeners and their loved ones into garden centres, and an ideal opportunity to get the growing season off to a flier.
Interest from garden centres across the UK in Garden Re-Leaf Day is gathering momentum. Hundreds of stores will be hosting special events to get the nation gardening again after the winter months – whilst raising money for inspirational gardening charity Greenfingers.
One of the most popular events is the Celebrity Gardening Quiz which is being held by around 100 garden centres across the country. Often combined with additional fundraisers such as coffee mornings, fish and chip suppers and gardening demonstrations, the quiz features questions specially set and recorded by TV and radio gardeners including David Domoney, Christine Walkden, Joe Swift, Toby Buckland, Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Biggs, Peter Seabrook and Bob Flowerdew.
The celebrity questions are recorded and produced on a CD by Garden Radio.
Whitehall Garden Centre are running the quiz and having a special 2 course meal in their restaurant that evening for £9.99 per person with £2.50 of that price going to Greenfingers.
Other Celebrity Garden Re-Leaf Quizzes are taking place at: Alton Garden Centre, Fairweathers, Burleydam, Simpsons, Ruxley Manor, Littleheath, The Lakes, Millbrook, Studley, Hilltop, Aylett Nurseries, Cadbury Garden & Leisure, Endsleigh Garden & Leisure.
Tell us about your Garden Re-Leaf activities be emailing trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
Garden Re-Leaf Day raised £52,341 for Greenfingers last year.
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Flower Council launch Almost-Mother's Day campaign
In an attempt to ‘stretch’ and extend the Mother’s Day event the Flower Council are introducing Almost-Mother’s Day...
Traditionally Mother’s Day is the ultimate occasion to give flowers. For retail this brings a sales peak but also an extra workload.
In an attempt to ‘stretch’ and extend the Mother’s Day event the Flower Council are introducing Almost-Mother’s Day.
“In this campaign we focus on everyone who knows a mother-to-be to surprise her with flowers. Through this campaign we remind the rest of the UK that it’s almost Mother’s Day: an occasion that calls for flowers,” said a Flower Council spokesperson.
The campaign will be communicated through online media and on national radio during the period – February 25 to March 10. Garden Centres who play Garden Radio in-store will also be able to join in the promotion as a follow on from the sucessfull "Christmas Tree Out - Houseplant In" campaign this January.
Free store POS material is available to download from http://www.flowercouncil.co.uk/retail/Calender/Details/almost-mothers-day
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Strong signs of gardening activity
There are encouraging signs of gardening activity in this week’s GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart with lawn care, organic chicken manure pellets, patio cleaning and seed sowing items all showing increases in sales...
There are encouraging signs of gardening activity in this week’s GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart with lawn care, organic chicken manure pellets, patio cleaning and seed sowing items all showing increases in sales.
The highest climber is Westland Earth Matters Chicken Manure Pellets, 7kg, moving up from 19th place to No 2, with their 10kg Organic Chicken Manure Pellets also in the Top 10.
Westland’s Lawn Feed, Weed and Moss Killer, 165 sq m, is a new entry at No 33, while Scotts Evergreen Complete comes back into the chart at No 14.
The highest re-entry accolade goes to Brintons Patio Magic, 2.5 litres, at No 13, and the highest new entry is Phostrogen Plant Food, 80 watering can size plus 50% extra free. It claims No 25 position.
Other new entries are Gardman Premium Unheated Propagator, 42cm, at No 35; Stewart Flower Pot, 8-inch Terracotta at No 44; and Gardman High Dome Seed Tray Lid, pack of 2, at No 49.
Fito Drip Feeder for Orchids retains top spot for another week while their Drip Feeder for Poinsettia & Christmas Cactus re-enters the chart at No 22 after recording a 100% sales rise.
See the full GTN Garden Products Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £120.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
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SnowTime's Fibre Optic Tapestries are bestsellers
SnowTime’s exclusive Fibre Optic Tapestries were a best-selling product in 2012 and they're set to continue the trend with some great additions to the range for 2013...
SnowTime’s exclusive Fibre Optic Tapestries were a best-selling product in 2012 and they're set to continue the trend with some great additions to the range for 2013.
The new designs, unveiled at the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Show last month, capture more of the Christmas festivities illustrated in the artist Thomas Kinkade's famous paintings.
The range also includes exclusive, original designs from artists Nicky Boehme and Dona Gelsinger.
SnowTime Tapestries are the perfect choice for retailers as they make eye-catching displays and complement SnowTime’s range of Christmas essentials.
GTN Xtra would like to point out that the picture (above), which was featured in the current issue of Garden Trade News, was in fact the new range from SnowTime, and not Kaemingk as originally captioned.
Cakes and breakfasts reap rewards for Highfield
Highfield Garden World in Gloucestershire have reported a 10% rise in their restaurant sales over the past year...
Highfield Garden World in Gloucestershire have reported a 10% rise in their restaurant sales over the past year.
There has long been a successful restaurant on-site serving food throughout the day, but Highfield is attributing the rise predominantly to sales of cakes and breakfasts to satisfied customers who are spreading the word and coming back for more.
In particular, cakes sales have increased by over 16% since Highfield employed a dedicated cake maker. And as their home-cooked breakfasts have also increased so much in popularity, the business is considering extending their restaurant serving times to open earlier in the day and catch the ‘early birds’.
Director Tim Greenway said: “It would seem that whilst the recession and weather has diversely affected many areas in the leisure industry, consumers are still keen to treat themselves to the more affordable, less weather-dependent pleasures in life."
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Meat-free gains momentum at The Natural Food Show 2013
The meat-free market, which continues to gain sales at a rapid rate, will be the main focus of this year’s Natural Food Trade Show, which returns to London’s Olympia on April 7-8...
Whether it’s down to cost, health, animal welfare, environmental factors, or, more recently, labelling and contamination concerns, the meat-free market is continuing to gain sales as more and more consumers regularly reduce their meat intake.
Retailers and buyers wishing to take advantage of this growing trend will find a host of innovative new vegan and vegetarian products for their customers at this year’s Natural Food Trade Show, which returns to London’s Olympia on April 7-8
Spurred on by celebrity chef endorsements, greater menu choice when eating out, more new product developments and better visibility in supermarket aisles, there has been a notable shift in consumer attitudes towards going meat-free (if not wholly then in part) and an increased awareness of the benefits that following a more vegetable-based diet can offer.
Ongoing revelations about the UK’s food supply chain aside, a 2012 study by research company Mintel estimated that the meat-free market in the UK, currently worth £634m, will reach £800m by 2017.
To cater for this demand, the search for natural alternatives to meat, poultry and fish products – as well as eggs, dairy, cheese and honey for vegans – remain a priority for many of the thousands of professional food and drink buyers that visit The Natural Food Show annually.
“Exciting, delicious and nutritious – good vegan-friendly food appeals to just about any customer, which is a key reason why the meat-free sector is so dynamic,” comments Paul Philbrow, trademark & business development officer at The Vegan Society, which will once again be hosting a pavilion at the event.
“Over half of British shoppers now consciously choose meat-free meals. The sector is innovating with inspiring world cuisines, and healthy, sustainable fruits and vegetables will find increasingly wide and diverse audiences in the years to come.”
The Natural Food Show features over 300 natural and organic exhibitors from all over the world; including a wealth of vegan, vegetarian and free-from producers (some of whom are also Halal and Kosher certified).
This year’s attendees will benefit from seeing a host of returning big names like 100% vegan Redwood Wholefood Company, with its gourmet burgers, pizza, pasties, ‘fish’ cakes, and Parmesan-style cheese; vegetarian convenience food specialist Amy’s Kitchen; Essential Trading Co-operative – suppliers of brands like Dragonfly Foods’ 100% organic beany burgers; Gourmet Raw; and Zest Foods; specialist wholesalers Suma – home to 3000+ lines of vegan products including Cresson Creative Foods’ handmade watercress burgers, pure dairy free, Fry's Vegetarian UK, and Free & Easy ready meals; and Germany’s TOPAS Klaus Gaiser, founders of the popular Wheaty brand, who’ll be exhibiting within the show’s Vegan Society Pavilion.
The event is free to attend for pre-registered trade visitors and relevant press representatives. To register please visit www.naturalfoodshow.co.uk quoting priority code NPE1328.
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Seed potatoes and onion sets sell well
Seed potatoes and onion sets are still dominating sales, according to the GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart, although garlic and carrot varieties have shown good sales gains too...
Seed potatoes and onion sets are still dominating sales, according to the GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart, although garlic and carrot varieties have shown good sales gains too.
Unwins Seed Potatoes Rocket, 2kg, has taken over the top spot from Taylors Onion Sets Stuttgarter, although the latter company still have six other onion sets in the Top 20.
Taylors have the highest re-entry this week, as their French Garlic Cristo jumps into the chart at No 19. They also can claim the highest new entry in Seed Potatoes Sarpo Axona at No 23.
Thompson & Morgan Carrot Fly Away F1 has jumped 23 places to No 21 and is the highest climber in the chart, while their Carrot Early Nantes 2 is a re-entry at No 26.
There is one other new entry this week – Suttons Speedy Seeds Dwarf Bean at No 45.
Another notable chart mover is Allensmore Rhubarb Timperly Early, which is steadily moving up the chart and is currently holding on to No 8 spot.
See the full GTN Christmas Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £120.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
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Paul Bevington is new LOFA chairman
Kettler Managing director Paul Bevington has been made chairman of Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association following the retirement of Eric Hopper.
Kettler Managing director Paul Bevington has been made chairman of the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association following the retirement of Eric Hopper.
Paul has served on the Council of LOFA for more than 10 years and has been in the industry for 25 years.
As MD of Kettler he is involved in a number of other industries – sports, toys and bicycles – but has a particular allegiance to the LOFA businesses.
“I am continually inspired by the dedication, passion and sheer resilience of the suppliers and customers in our industry," said Paul. "I hope LOFA and SOLEX can continue to act as a platform to strengthen those partnerships.”
In addition to the chairmanship, Paul also oversees the LOFA finance and legal issues.
Chris McCormack (above), the longest serving member of Council, has been appointed vice-chairman. The managing director of LeisurePlan, he has previously been chairman on three separate occasions.
Chris, who enjoys walking and tennis, brings a wealth of experience to the role, and will be providing guidance and planning for the annual LOFA Conference and other social events.
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Gardeners are starting to get their veg plots and borders into good shape with farmyard manure at the top of their growing media list.
Arthur Bowers Blended Farm Manure, 50 litres, is the highest climber in this week’s Growing Media chart, moving 18 places to No 3.
The highest new entry is also from the same category as Westland Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure, 50 litres, jumps into the chart at No 17.
Westland have two other new entries – Gro-Sure Vermiculite, 10 litre pouch, at No 19, and Multipurpose Compost + John Innes, 20 litres, at No 31.
See the full GTN Growing Media Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £120.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
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GIMA is looking to recruit 11 new Council Members at its annual meeting in April...
Ahead of the meeting on April 10, the message from GIMA is "do something useful. This is your chance to give a little back to the industry that feeds you."
GIMA is run by its Council, drawn from members, so becoming a Council Member brings with it a big responsibility.
"If you talk to some of the existing members they will tell you of the opportunity to influence decisions, promote your business and raise your profile in the industry – all for a little bit of your time and energy," said GIMA director Neil Gow.
Click here to read about it and to see how you or a colleague can do something useful.
Full details of the Day Conference that accompanies the annual meeting will be circulated shortly. It will take place at Hollybush Garden Centre and Aquaria, Staffordshire.
£1.5m luxury lodges plan for St Ishmaels Garden Centre
A £1.5m project that will boost the economy of a rural Pembrokeshire community is being planned by two local business families...
A £1.5m project that will boost the economy of a rural Pembrokeshire community is being planned by two local business families.
It aims to return St Ishmaels Garden Centre to the centre of the economy of the Dale peninsula village, with a development of 18 luxury holiday lodges close by.
Planning permission is currently being sought for the scheme, which would see demolition of the garden centre’s large glass houses and portable buildings, replacement of the garden centre buildings and creation of the landscaped park for the timber-clad lodges.
“There is huge local support for the project, and it will not only create new jobs but would result in environmental improvements on the site and would breathe some life back into the village of St Ishmaels,” said one of the applicants, Jonathan Boot.
Mr Boot and his wife Wendy, who own grounds maintenance company Boot of Lydstep, and Rowland and Wendy Sturdy, of Lydstep Garden Centre, bought the long-established garden centre five years ago.
“The garden centre is in desperate need of updating, but cannot survive in its present form,” said Mr Boot.
“By tying it in with the holiday lodge development, the project becomes economically viable. With extra visitor numbers, the local community will also benefit from increased spending generated by more holidaymakers, plus new income from jobs created.
"If successful, it is planned to introduce a village shop and post office - two facililites which were lost to the community in 2008.
“While we are well aware of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s policy over further development of holiday accommodation, we firmly believe that our scheme satisfies the criteria of ‘exceptional’ circumstances because of the economic and environmental benefits,” added Mr Boot.
The application is due to be considered by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s development management committee on Wednesday (February 20).
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Already a top-seller within weeks of the launch of Thompson & Morgan’s Spring Catalogue, Penstemon ‘Orchestra Mixed’ is rapidly becoming one of this summer’s must-have plants, thanks to its suggested new use as a ‘bedding penstemon’.
Although far from traditional, the idea of using penstemon in bedding schemes is bound to catch on.
The long-flowering performance of penstemon is just what’s needed for colourful beds, as plants will keep blooming right up until the frosts and are remarkably resilient and weather-tolerant. Additionally, plants won’t
become blighted by rust, a curse which can spoil the appearance of snapdragons and could inhibit flowering.
Penstemon ‘Orchestra Mixed’ is bred by Thompson & Morgan.
In recent years, the quality of foxglove breeding has improved greatly. The pick of the bunch is Digitalis ‘Dalmatian Mixed’. This quick-to-flower variety can be grown as an annual, making another ideal candidate for bedding schemes.
Unlike traditional foxgloves which make a fleeting flowering appearance in May, ‘Dalmatian’ will flower throughout the summer, producing plenty of secondary blooms once the main spike has faded.
Michael Perry, New Product Development Manager, said: “In the UK, we can sometimes get caught in a bit of a bedding ‘rut’, habitually planting up lack lustre marigolds which don’t really ever give us the display we hope for. By thinking differently about what we plant, we can create easier-to-care for, longer-lasting, more robust bedding displays.”
For more information visit www.thompson-morgan.com
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OATA battle to keep pond product on shop shelves
A popular product sold to control algae growth in ponds will have to be taken off the shelves in the autumn if OATA’s fight to get it removed from the new Biocides Regulation is not successful...
A popular product sold to control algae growth in ponds will have to be taken off the shelves in the autumn if OATA’s fight to get it removed from the new Biocides Regulation is not successful.
Pouches of barley straw or bottles of extract are due to come under the full force of the EU regulation from September. This is despite assurances from officials in the European Commission to OATA, received as far back as 2005, that the organic substance would not be included.
The trade association says its inclusion in the Regulation is ‘frankly bonkers’ because tonnes of barley straw are put into water reservoirs every year to control algae and this practise will not be covered by the new law.
When barley straw is sold as a product to control algae in ponds it will be classed as a biocide and will cost manufacturers thousands of pounds to prove it is safe to use, making it just too expensive to continue producing. But if they do not do this it will be illegal for retailers like garden centres and aquatic shops to sell the product so it will have to come off the shelves.
“It just seems frankly bonkers that tonnes of barley straw can be put into the water that eventually comes out of our taps to drink but we’ll no longer be able to put a small pouch of it into our garden ponds,” said OATA Chief Executive Keith Davenport.
“We couldn’t believe it when we saw barley straw had been included in the new regulation because during discussions in 2005 officials in the European Commission said barley straw would be excluded when the new law was drawn up. But this hasn’t happened and it’s not even included in Annex 1 which lists products where a simplified authorisation procedure might be used.
“Manufacturers face a mountain of paperwork to prove this product is safe to use in a garden pond. It’s going to be just too expensive to do that which means from September it’ll be illegal to sell it. Yet the water companies can continue to put tonnes of barley straw into water reservoirs because they buy straw direct from farmers who are not selling it as a way to control algae. That simply doesn’t make sense.”
With just a small window of opportunity to get the product removed before it becomes law OATA is lobbying the Health and Safety Executive, which has responsibility for enforcing the regulation. But with the summer approaching the trade association is worried there is not much time to mobilise support.
“We have asked our members to write to their MPs and we are also lobbying the Health and Safety Executive and the Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills. Including barley straw in this regulation is effectively strangling this product to death with red tape and it adds nothing to public safety, which is after all the intent behind the regulation.”
When organic matter rots in water it produces chemicals which, when exposed to light, help to slow down the growth of algae which can choke up ponds and reservoirs. This process happens naturally in every body of water across the country but adding barley straw helps to speed up the process.
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