In This Issue
All eyes will be on how Wyevale GCs plans to replace 'unsustainable' growth strategy with core business focus
Historic exhibition and new branding for Dobbies
The 'huddles' that aim to make Wyevale GCs a better place to work
Irish nursery enters the UK garden retail market
Poor quality peat substitutes could damage growing media reputation warns Westland
Legal action taken against travellers at Dobbies in Peterborough
GIMA Buyer Connect declared a great success
Retail Lab @ Glee: Creative Director Romeo Sommers gives his verdict
Retail Lab @ Glee: Interview with WGSN’s Lisa White
Dobbies Christmas Revealed in Botanic Garden
Blake Morgan advises on Bloomin Marvellous deal for plant and flower growing group
Castle Gardens flourishes at The Greatest Awards
PhaB Christmas Opening at Baytree
Who will be The Greatest Garden Centre Teams of 2017?
Nicholas Marshall joins HTA Garden Futures Conference 2017 line-up
Changing customer behaviour, demographics, technology and not losing touch with nature are lead presentations
Countryfile presenter to speak at Garden Futures
Cross-category merchandising, lifestyle trends and Xylella fastidiosa will be hot topics
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Chris Buck joins the Elho team
Cassie King moves to Hornby Whitefoot PR
Planters from Derby go big in Belgium
Dare to be different! HTA Marketing Forum speakers announced
DJ Turfcare launches new RHS range
All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
lunch! reports ExCeL-lent turnout for 2017
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


All eyes will be on how Wyevale GCs plans to replace 'unsustainable' growth strategy with core business focus

Wyevale Garden Centres’ results published last week suggest that the problems facing parent Terra Firma as it strives to turn the 149-centre business around ahead of a planned sale are even greater that most people feared.

WGC announced losses of £122.4m for 2016 – a garden centre industry record – most of it sustained in the first half of the year, on revenues of £328.3m, up 5.5% on 2015. The losses were mainly due to a £51.3 impairment of fixed assets and a £20m write-off of old stock.

A process of transition is under way, with new leadership, new ERP and EPoS systems, a new supply chain strategy and a shake-up in employee relations, all now backed up with £141.5m of re-financing to oil the works. Sources believe the current year’s performance is more encouraging and CEO Roger Mclaughlan, who took over in spring last year, says he is happy with a pattern of like-for-like growth.

WGC’s lack lustre past performance is at odds with the increased profits being reported by other leading garden centres in mixed weather year.

The Garden Centre Association’s barometer of trade in September showed year-to-date growth of 4% for members who submitted figures, despite mixed weather, prompting Gary Carvosso, MD at Coolings Garden Centre, to declare that “overall so far 2017 is shaping up to be a great year for core gardening and catering yet again”.

The most revealing aspect of the annual report is the admission by the CEO that the previous management team’s approach to growth – largely prioritising acquisitions – was “ultimately unsustainable”.  As a consequence, WGC now says it will not be going shopping for more centres just yet, although it may re-join the acquisition trail when the business is back on track. That news will disappoint a few key independent garden centres about to post ‘for sale’ notices - but all eyes will be on the WGC measures designed to make a difference on the shop floor where it matters most.

Instead, Mclaughlan, who has visited more than 100 of the group’s centres, spoken to around 2,000 employees and listened to hundreds of customers, is keen to re-focus on getting the core the business right.

He says the customer research programme has given him a great insight into what customers value and expect from a Wyevale Garden Centre. “We have already implemented a number of short term actions to improve our customer experience,” he said. “Our customers are commenting positively on these early changes as reflected by the group achieving its highest net promoter score to date, a critical measure of customer satisfaction.”

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Del.icio.us Digg | Comment (1)
Comment
Name:*

Email Address:*

Comment:*


Sort by 
Hamblyn
we run a retail nursery and most customers report very poorly on the local wyevale centre relating to the quality price and selection of the plants, and do not like the 'ikea' style layout where you have to walk past everything to get out.