Woof woof! It’s me, GTN Newshound! It’s getting a bit niffy around here again but look…I was reprimanded last week for “going all cryptic” on you, so I’ll play it straight, get right to the point, go for the bullseye, tell it like it is…or like it might be. Perhaps. Reportedly. Or so they tell me…

As you know, I’m staying close to the hems and turnups of the suits involved in the so-called anticipated Sale of the Century (you know…Tesco selling Dobbies to Wyevale Garden Centres?). Will they, won’t they? The trail is warm…

But this week, another interesting aroma wafted across the yard. You might have known Wyevale were on one end of it….but the other? A source I would regard as impeccable dropped an aromatic little nugget that had me scurrying to fetch my strongest magnifying glass from the bric-a-brac drawer and follow its scent, hopefully to the source.

Where did it lead, my curious reader? Not to Tesco. Or Dobbies. No! To the unexpected HQ of another garden centre group that is almost a household name. Possibly family-owned. Done deal, said the source.

I can visualise a dozen hands going up all over the land protesting “Not us.” So who?  If this one turns out to be genuine, you’re all in for a big surprise.

Concise and to the point, eh? Woof woof! There ain’t nothing but a hound dog…(sorry Elvis).

trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

• Garden Products - up 51%
• Veg-2-Gro - up 18%
• Growing Media - up 58%
• All Items Index - up 42%

Planning guru Malcolm Scott says his company’s merger with leading Midlands property consultancy Harris Lamb “has put a spring in everybody’s step”.

Malcolm Scott Consultants joined Harris Lamb last Monday after a deal that will see them move into the new owner’s Worcester office in the near future. Harris Lamb, who are to keep the Malcolm Scott name and the services of Scott and his fellow director Chris Primett, also has offices in Birmingham and Stoke on Trent.

Scott told GTN Xtra that the deal, which followed an initial approach by Harris Lamb, suited the plans and ambitions of both parties. “For some time we have wanted to break into a different part of planning and they have wanted to do more in the garden centre sector,” he said. “They have a big planning team and their offices in Worcester are just around the corner, so it made a lot of sense. It has put as spring in everybody’s step.”

Scott says the merger will keep the business ahead of the game as the garden industry becomes more corporate. “It gives us more access to corporate clients and to a lot of experience in that area.”

He said a number of garden centre groups and larger independents were now drawing on services like those offered by Harris Lamb, beyond the industry’s boundaries, in order to meet their owner’s business needs. He cited issues like investment and exit strategies, property management, sale and leaseback opportunities and high covenant strength concessions.

As garden centres were getting bigger and more valuable and planning legislation more complex, the industry needed innovative planning and development advice that reflected best thinking in the wider retail and leisure fields, as well as specific garden centre operational knowledge.

“I look forward to the future with great enthusiasm,” Scott said in a statement. “The new team is even stronger with experience in depth of retail, commercial and property advice. Perfectly matched to add to our well known garden centre consultancy. We will continue to serve large and small clients to the very best of our ability.”

The Gardenex export federation has secured UKTI grant funding for eligible British firms exhibiting in the federation’s group at spoga+gafa in 2016, details of which can be obtained by contacting Gardenex. 

Spoga+gafa is one of the world’s largest international garden and leisure trade exhibitions, and has resulted in lucrative repeat export orders for many British firms that have participated in the Gardenex-organised group.

Spoga+gafa 2016 will take place in Cologne on September 4-6. This major trade fair has been a regular highlight of the federation’s overseas initiatives for over 40 years.

 In 2015, the British group that exhibited met with buyers from countries across Europe, and also leading distributors and retailers from markets such as the USA, Canada, Dubai, Chine, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.

The UKTI government cash grants available for 2016 will help support the cost of stand space and fitting.   In addition, British firms will find that exhibiting in the Gardenex group will simplify the whole process of organising their participation.  

The Federation’s comprehensive package of support delivered to every exhibitor encompasses stand build and practical advice, together with valuable help in preparing for the show.  In addition, a focussed programme of pre-promotion to international buyers and to Europe's trade press will be implemented by the federation.  

During the show, the experienced Gardenex team will be manning a British garden industry information stand in the group pavilion, from where it will provide support and assistance to UK exhibitors in addition to offering a popular product sourcing service to overseas buyers.

Spoga+gafa facts:

• Based in Cologne, spoga+gafa attracts all of the major buyers from the German market, which is the largest market for garden products in Europe. The German garden trade association, IVG, reports that gardening sales in the country last year were €18.3 billion, an increase of 1.5 per cent year-on-year.
• Spoga+gafa also attracts buyers from around the world. The attending buyers represent garden centres, landscapers, DIY stores, mail order and online sales companies, department stores, super markets, discounters and other general retailers.

 For more information of the Government grants available in 2016, to obtain more information on the Gardenex support package or to book space at spoga+gafa contact Theresa Swann on +44 (0) 44 1959 565995, email: theresa@gardenex.com or visit the Gardenex website on www.gardenex.com

A survey by Glee has revealed that garden landscaping category sales grew by 8% increase last year, with overall garden retail sales appearing to be extremely positive. The rise is believed to be partly fuelled by homeowners who realise that landscaping the garden can add from 5-10% to the value of their house.

Research also suggests UK households spend an average of £123 a year on their gardens, with keener gardeners spending up to £30,000 over their lifetime on a variety of garden products

So, what landscaping trends do we need to watch out for during the rest of 2016?

A key ongoing theme is easy maintenance. When time they can spend caring for their gardens is limited, consumers want gardens that are easy to maintain, whilst still being pleasant and relaxing places as well as a place to entertain family and friends.

Cost- and energy-efficient LED lighting is increasingly popular, and many people now use automatic irrigation systems to keep plants in good condition.

Colour will become more of an important focus, with greens and dark blues featuring on fences and garden structures to create foils for plants as well as blending with the garden. Large, elegant structures such as contemporary arches are providing a modern take on a traditional idea. The move towards greater entertaining at home is also set to become more evident, with pergolas and terraces forecast to be popular additions to patios and decking. 

Immaculately-manicured lawns, however, are losing popularity as a more naturalistic, rustic approach to gardens takes over. Some home owners are opting to remove front lawns altogether to replace with gravel, stonework, brick and paving. The amount of lawn space in back gardens is also declining, with decking, gravel and paving now a more common alternative.

Consumers are becoming more savvy about how they use their outdoor space. The concept of ‘outdoor rooms’ involves the use of eye-catching garden features to help ‘zone’ different areas according to mood, whether for relaxing, entertaining or storage. Leading garden structures and fencing company, Grange, offers an extensive range of on-trend collections with which to separate these ‘zones’, including timber planters, screens and pergolas.

Meanwhile, UK consumers are now spending around £5 billion a year on plants - more than the nation spends on chocolate!

 ‘Grow your own’ remains a popular trend, and 2016 can expect to see more innovative ways to grow vegetables. Where space is limited, planters and window boxes are also ideal, especially when placed near the kitchen, and container gardening, whether flowers or vegetables, will continue to thrive.  Portable gardening, particularly in urban and city areas, will prosper, as more people are living in homes without gardens and more people are renting, so it is anticipated there will be an increase in sales with high impact big planted containers and hanging baskets.

A brief survey of garden centres by GTN Xtra this week failed to find evidence of so-called ‘brandalism’ by activists campaigning for a ban on glyphosate-based weedkillers.

The action group Global Justice Now has been urging its website users to order from them dummy Roundup labels carrying a “probably causes cancer” warning and apply them to stock in their local garden centre or supermarket. The labels also claim the product “degrades farmers’ powers so corporations can grow”. The website claims “hundreds” have been ordered from “all over the UK”.

The group wants the European Commission to abandon plans to reissue the licence for glyphosate later in May, following opposition from MEPs and research claiming the active ingredient probably causes cancer. The manufacturers, Monsanto, and the European Food Safety Authority, dispute the findings and say glyphosate is one of the safest weed controls.

Garden centres approached by GTN Xtra said there had been no instances of 'brandalism' to date. None agreed to be named in case they then became targets.
"Our garden care fixtures are pretty well monitored most of the time because the information desk is nearby," said one leading operator. "So the chances of somebody  getting away with sticking labels on stuff without us seeing is remote. We're on good terms with the local police so we'd have them sorted out in no time." He said he had no plans to remove Roundup from sale because of the alleged health issues. "They've spent millions on testing the stuff to get it approved in the first place so as far as I'm concerned, the dangers are tiny. But as with all chemicals, you've got to use it properly. As it says, read the label!"  

Millbrook Garden Centres are carrying out a Public Consultation about a proposal to build houses on an old redundant nursery site in Crowborough.

Details are on display in the Crowborough Millbrook Garden Centre and the following information has been sent to Crowborough Life in answer to local residents questions:

Tim Allen, Director of Lanndia, is dealing with the process on our behalf alongside Peter Brett Associates and says: 

"I am pleased to provide a response on behalf of Lanndia, who are appointed by the landowner to promote the site on their behalf.

"The site is still in the ownership of the family that own and operate the Millbrook Garden Centres, and has not been sold or changed hands in recent years.  The site is now surplus to requirements as the ability to grow plants in a small nursery is uneconomic in the face of large scale commercial growing operations.  Therefore, we have been investigating options for alternative uses for the site, the first step of which was to regularise the planning status with an application for a lawful use certificate.  This was granted at the end of last year, and shows that the site comprises a combination of the nursery and commercial land uses related to office, manufacturing and assembly and distribution activities.

"The proposals for housing on the site recognise that the area is predominantly residential in nature, and that this type of use would be more sympathetic in terms of activity and the type of traffic that may be generated compared with the potential uses from the lawful use if the site were sold on as it stands.  The illustrative masterplan was presented at the public exhibition and then left available to view in the Garden Centre for a further week, and we have been pleased to receive a number of feedback forms and comments on the proposals as shown, which we are now considering.

"The access is one of the key issues that needs to be considered, and a Transport Statement will be submitted with the planning application in due course which will address the issues around when traffic is generated and what type of traffic.  This will consider the historic use of the site, what it could be used for as it stands and the effects of a change of use to residential development.  However, a residential land use is likely to result in cars and light vehicles compared to the heavier vehicles that could be generated by the lawful uses if these were to be continued perhaps with a different owner of the site.  We would look at improvements to the configuration of the access to the site.

"We anticipate that an outline application will be lodged in the summer this year, and we would be pleased to receive comments with respect to the future of the site at the Treblers Road email address (Treblersroad@peterbrett.com).  There will, of course, be further opportunity for local people to comment on the proposals as they are developed further and go through the planning application process."

Relatively new to the garden market, Creative Landscape Products is supplying a unique hand-made range of decorative Yorkshire stone garden products.

Quarried in Yorkshire the products carry a very distinct and natural look to them compared to some of the cast stone/concrete products currently available.

Nigel Thompson, consultant to Creative Landscape Products, said: “When I first saw this range I knew it was different to the current market offer. The business is doing well and from a standing start two years ago we now have over 100 garden centres on board.”

The business has recently found ways of improving manufacture and has agreed to pass these savings back to consumers via retailers. Contact the company for details of Spring Promos available for May and June.

Contact Nigel Thompson by email nigel@nigel-thompson.com or call 0777 1976125.

Insiders at Homebase told GTN Xtra this week that the new owners appear to be wasting no time in establishing a new senior management team ahead of re-branding the business later this year.

The Australian Wesfarmers group aims to trade the group under the brand name of Bunnings, a household name in Ausralia and New Zealand.

The proposed new trading team is reported to consist of a general manager, nine category managers and 22 buyers and their assistants. It is thought that none of Homebase’s existing trading directors will have survived the clear-out by the end of the summer.

Although details of possible redundancies are hard to come by, two insiders confirmed reports that the new owners are using a points system to evaluate the workforce. People who do not wish to take up newly-assigned roles in the new team will lose points.

In all, it is hoped that as many as 10 million packs will bear the Red Tractor / Napoleon Grills ‘Win a BBQ Everyday’ promotional label, as each day for eight weeks a Triumph 410 gas grill will be given away as the prize.

Napoleon Grills UK Sales Manager Martin Sobey, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of the brand during our key selling season. We are keen to support Red Tractor and to add value to any campaign that reminds shoppers to Trust The Tractor, at the same time it gets our name out to a much wider audience which will be of real benefit to our stockists.”

The promotion will be supported by Napoleon Grills and Red Tractor with consumer PR, online marketing and social media campaigns. As well as carrying the competition label on pack, food retailers, brand owners and foodservice operators will be able to get behind it by featuring the promotion on websites, in-store radio and across other marketing materials.

The Triumph 410 was selected by RTA marketing Manager, Andy Thompson to be the daily prize, he commented: “We needed a really aspirational product to help Red Tractor products fly off the shelves and in Napoleon Grills we found barbecues that had both the quality and kudos we needed.”

To find out more visit www.napoleongrills.co.uk on 01676 522788 or email info@napoleongrills.co.uk

• Team leadership skills are essential as is the ability to communicate well with customers delivering excellent standards of customer care. Working in a busy retail team environment means you will have to have a hands-on approach to all duties within this department.
• Candidates must have a background in retail, be able to merchandise and manage rapidly changing stock.
• Knowledge of garden products and garden chemicals etc. would also be an advantage but additional training can be given.
• If you are passionate about Garden Sundries and would enjoy sharing this enthusiasm with our client's customers, we would love to hear from you.

To apply for this role click here

• Sales to the existing customer base and potential clients.
• Expansion of market position of the company.
• Expansion of the range of products in the sales areas.
• Support of the customer base in the culture and technical business area as a reliable partner.

• Affinity with the Amenity, Local Authority and Landscaping sectors, ideally with a proven track-record of selling into these sectors.
• Good knowledge of trees, shrubs and nursery stock is desirable.
• Commercially strong, performance driven.
• Good communication skills and the ability to develop lasting relationships.
• Present sales objectives and meet targets.
• Willing to travel
• The successful candidate can be based from home and this can be anywhere within the South of England from Birmingham down.

• Gardman Watergel 15g Sachet was the highest re-entry, returning to the chart at No 6.
• The highest new entry was Scotts Miracle-Gro All Purpose Soluble Plant Food 500g, taking up No 34 position.
• Premier Decorations Coloured LED Pull Light & Bulb was the highest climber, moving up 39 places to No 3.
• Smart Solar Eureka! Lightbulb Lantern returns to top spot.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

• Quantil Grafted Cucumber Derby 10cm was the highest new entry at No 15.
• Grafted Cucumber Baby Rocky 10cm was the highest climber, jumping 22 places to No 26.
• The highest re-entry was Bridgen Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis 1-litre at No 14.
• Tomato Sweet Million took over the No 1 spot.

• Arthur Bowers Multipurpose Compost (50 litres) was the highest climber, moving up 22 places to No 16.
• GroWise Organic Garden Compost (50 litres) was the highest re-entry at No 20.
• The only new entry in the Top 50 was Westland Gro-Sure Easy Containers Compost (50 litres) at No 49.

Neudorff is launching its consumer sunflower competition again this year, with point of sale options available for retailers from now onwards.

Above: Photograph from a previous winner of the Neudorff sunflower competition.

Consumers are being encouraged to grow sunflower seeds, available free from participating garden centres, and take photos of their sunflowers for a chance to win a range of Neudorff prizes.

The free sunflower competition packs include trays of Neudorff branded packets of seeds attached to entry cards for consumers to pick up and take away. They can be displayed alongside other Neudorff products or at the till.

Jude Beharall, Neudorff UK sales director said last years’ competition had been successful in raising brand awareness and supporting Neudorff product sales. “Customers of all ages obviously had fun sowing the seeds, and the competition is a great way to draw their attention to sustainable gardening,” he added.

Information: from your Neudorff representative or 0121 767 1821.
OR the website

A Squire’s Garden Centres recent survey of almost 2,000 people found that a massive 98% of people enjoy watching wildlife in their garden.

Some 78% would leave (or have already left) and area of their garden “wild” to attract wildlife, and 32% spend over £50 each year feeding or caring for wildlife in their garden.

• Who will buy Dobbies? Spotlight on the leading contenders.
• Preview of Chelsea Flower Show - Spotlight on new plant varieties.
• Garden tools that make life easier.
• GTN's Greatest Awards - how to enter.
• The case for EPoS - a great opportunity unity to communicate with target consumers.

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

With less than a month to go, the HTA is reminding poptential delegates to sign up for the HTA Catering Conference, exhibition and dinner, which takes place on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 June at The Belfry Hotel and Resort, near Sutton Coldfield.

With garden centre catering worth around £200 million and over half of garden retail businesses having a café or restaurant, this two day event, sponsored by Vision Commercial Kitchens, provides garden centre caterers with inspiration and ideas to take their outlet forward.

Keynote speakers, Fred Sirieix and Henry Dimbleby, will be joined by a host of speakers from inside and outside the industry. ‘Strategy and Operations’ is the theme for day one and a ‘Focus on Food’ on day two, the programme covers many topics impacting on garden centre catering operations.

Speakers and topics include:

Session welcome - Pippa McKean, Director of McKean Consulting.

Mark Harris, Proprietor of Harris Restaurant Consultants, will speak behalf of headline partner, Vision Commercial Kitchens. Mark will give an overview of garden centre catering and will explore the latest trends to take note of and look forward to what can be expected in the future.  Mark will touch on operations, menu planning, marketing and promotion, guest retention and much more.

Melanie Sewell, Catering Director at Fron Goch Garden Centre, winners of the 2015 Greatest Front of House Team Gold Award, will talk about how she inspires her catering team to deliver great customer service and how she engenders that spirit across both front and back of house teams.

Fred Sirieix, General Manager of Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin at Windows on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, will discuss the principles of customer service and why excellent customer service is absolutely critical in catering-based operations.  As well as being a General Manager, Fred co-hosted with Michel Roux Jr. in the BBC2 series about service and hospitality, "Michel Roux's Service". Fred is also recognised for his role as the host and charismatic Maitre d'H in the much-loved BAFTA winning “First Dates” series on Channel 4.

Anthony Hester, Head of Restaurants, Dobbies will be looking at opportunities to grow sales. Anthony will share his views on the customer experience, the best of baking, the growing popularity of afternoon tea and offering tips on how to improve the speed of service and the hot food offer.

Co-owner Mark Farnsworth and Commercial Manager Sharon McNair, from Tong Garden Centre will talk about their catering journey over the last 12 months and the importance it plays in their growing business.

Dan Segal from Matthew Algie will look at the way in which consumer research can inform  your coffee and catering offer.

Session welcome – Neville Stein, Managing Director, Ovation Business Coaching and Consultancy

Henry Dimbleby, Co-Founder of the popular, award-winning, high-street chain of Leon Restaurants, will explain the concept behind Leon. How they source their ingredients and manage their suppliers, how they develop their menus and how they engage with their customers.

Mike Lind, Managing Director and Denis Guileman, Catering Operations Manager from Monkton Elm Garden Centre will talk about sustainability and provenance.

Rob Owen from Creed will talk about nutrition and balanced choices on your menu and the benefits of using nutritional software.

There will be panel sessions on both days chaired by Boyd Douglas-Davies, Hillview Garden Centres. Panellists include Mike Burks, The Gardens Group and Malcolm Scott from Malcolm Scott Consultants.

This year’s conference and exhibition features a formal dinner, which allows delegates plenty of time and opportunities to meet with a range of key catering suppliers.

The dinner, held on the evening of Tuesday 7 June, will feature the Garden Trade News ‘Greatest Catering Awards’ and an engaging after-dinner speaker.

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Nisbets PLC has taken a controlling stake in Space Catering (UK) Ltd, the holding company of Space Catering Equipment, Space Interior Contracts, and Holmes Catering Equipment Solutions, the company announced this week.

Ian Bidmead (pictured above), MD since 2012 will continue in his post along with Louise Chuter and all of the senior management team.

Mike Mellor, founder of the business in 2000, will leave in the summer this year.

Mike, who suffered with health problems in 2013 and has taken more of a back seat role since then, commented: "I am delighted that Nisbets have invested in Space and taken over my shareholding; I cannot think of a more perfect partner to support Ian and the team to take the business forward.

"After thirty years in the catering equipment industry, it is the right time for me to exit and I leave the company in great shape, in good hands and with the backing of one of the industry's leading companies."

The last 4 years have been transformational for Space, with the addition of a manufacturing and interior fit out capability to complement its catering and furniture businesses. Over the past four years, Space’s turnover has doubled as it has grown into one of the UK’s leading turnkey design and build companies.

Ian Bidmead said: "It will be largely 'business as usual' for customers, staff and suppliers alike, as this is an 'arms length' acquisition, but we are fortunate to have the backing of such a large and respected organisation as Nisbets behind us, and all of the team are extremely positive about the change.”