The Glee New Product Showcase provides a one-stop-shop for all the latest innovations from around the show. Each year 11 products are selected as winners by a panel made up of leading industry figures and gardening experts. Six months have now passed since the 2018 winners were crowned, making it the perfect time to catch up with some of the brands to find out how the award has helped grow business, and to see what 2019 has in store. 

Glee is always a key event in the calendar for Westland Horticulture. Not only is a prime opportunity to speak to existing retailers while recruiting new stockists, it is also the chance to showcase new products and unveil months of product development for the first time.  At the 2018 exhibition, the company launched two new products - the Squirrel Proof Suet Pellets from Peckish and the New Rodenticides Range from Deadfast, both of which were awarded best new product awards in their individual categories.

The Deadfast range won the New Product Showcase award for “Best Garden Care – Chemicals, Fertilisers and Growing Media”. The win comes following a new partnership where Deadfast has joined forces with Victor, which is an expert in the pest control field.  This has led to the new rodent repellers and traps which were showcased at Glee. In addition to this, the rodenticides also have a developed formula which contains Difethialone, an exclusive ingredient in the UK with no known resistance in rodents. GFK reports that Westland sales have grown to 21% market share in its first year of sale for Deadfast and Glee activity helped to secure this position.

Peckish used the show to launch a variety of new products, as well as new packaging and messaging. The Squirrel Proof Suet Pellets received the New Product Showcase award in the “Best Wildlife and Pets” category. The wild birdcare sector has had substantial growth which, combined with the product win, has allowed Westland to catapult Peckish to success in 2019 and further establish the brand’s position as the fastest growing name in the wild bird care market.

Both product wins provided a fantastic platform to launch and sell in ranges to both independent and mass retailers, and Westland has noticed a spike in interest from stockists since the show – not just for these products but for the entire product range from both brands.

This success is anticipated to continue throughout 2019, and the show and the award wins are key contributing factors towards this. Jo Wilkinson, Head of Communications and Insight at Westland, commented: “There are so many products for people to take in at Glee that it can be hard for retailers to know who to listen to and which products are going to bring them the most success. Fortunately for Westland the awards for our new products made them stand out from the crowd which has led to a significant increase of outlets stocking our ranges, and then the ongoing continued uplift in sales too.”

Another award winner was Block Blitz, who scooped the 2018 Glee New Product Showcase Best Tools & Machinery award for its Block Blitz Big Blitz, a super-sized dustpan and brush which also doubles as a light weight shovel. This was the company’s third Glee award, and its third attendance at Glee, coinciding with the company’s biggest stand and product range to date and as ever the team were delighted to win.

Dave Moore, Block Blitz Managing Director, said: “Our product range is expanding, and our business is gathering pace, with exciting plans imminent in terms of manufacturing and business development. Glee Awards are recognised in the industry and bring business opportunities and recognition within the sector, since the exhibition we’ve had a great response to Block Blitz across the board.

“Since Glee we have been incredibly busy launching new lines and building on our success from our first two years in business. This year, we’re planning to expand our range into builders’ merchants introducing larger pack sizes for professional use. Also, in the pipe line this year are some exciting developments that will see Block Blitz service providers offering Block Blitz treatment services in their local areas, and with our growing supply chain we’re confident that 2019 will be a busy year!

“Glee awards have no doubt played an integral part in our fast growth and we’re looking forward to another successful Glee this year, spreading the word again and of course we hope to come away with maybe another award and even more new stockists.”

Tilnar Art’s relationship with wildlife watercolour artist, Meg Hawkins, continues to bloom after having won ‘Best New Product’ in the Home, Gift & Clothing Category at Glee 2018 for the Meg Hawkins Recycled Aluminium Collection. This has helped Tilnar Art to continue to promote fair trade and how important the environmental impact we have as consumers is.

To this end Tilnar used Spring Fair to launch even more ‘New for 2019’ Meg Hawkins designs which included bees, hares, daffodils and many other wonderful designs, which adorn Tilnar’s signature range of fair-trade recycled and handmade food safe aluminium bowls, coasters and dishes.  Each product also comes in a superb presentation box making a perfect gift.

Tilnar Art prides itself on being ahead of the curve as all the ranges are handmade, fair trade and recycled, offering a viable alternative as consumers begin to move away from plastic items. The Handmade Soapstone Collection has less than 1% environmental impact in terms of production and disposal compared to equivalent plastic or resin-based products. A zero-plastic product, the new Unicorns and Dinosaurs in this range are a must for this season.

Winners of the ‘Best of British’ award within the 2018 Glee New Product Showcase were Bloomin’ Amazing. Nick Finding from Bloomin’ Amazing said: “The first deliveries of Bloomin’ Amazing were made in early March 2018 following a long and careful product development process. This included very significant investment in dedicated packing and filling equipment, installed adjacent to the anaerobic digester from which Bloomin Amazing is produced.

“So, it is extremely exciting to be now delivering full lorry loads to over 80 garden centres across the UK, only 12 months after the first bags were produced. We must credit some of our success to the publicity we enjoyed after winning the GIMA Seed Corn Fund and the Best of British awards at Glee in September 2019. These two awards certainly raised the profile of Bloomin Amazing and led to many more enquiries from customers.”

2018 also proved to be a fabulous year for Primeur with the team securing a win at the GIMA awards for ‘Landscaping Product of the Year’. They also achieved accolades at Glee 2018 winning ‘Best New Product’ in the landscaping category as well as the coveted award for ‘Best New Product at Glee’ for its Medallion Recycled Rubber Stepping Stone.

James Keighley, Managing Director, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted.  It has been a roller-coaster ride, but in a great way!  The success of the awards has really helped to bring awareness of our products to more and more customers. Since Glee we have begun trading with many new garden centres and online retailers across the country. We are also working with a team of agents who are expanding our ranges into their existing customers. 

“Our new doormat range ‘Mighty Mats’ was also launched during Glee 2018 and has grown in momentum since the show. We have carefully chosen a range that offers our customers doormats quality and designs that they are not currently available. In a competitive and challenging market, innovation and product development is key to creating new and exciting ranges that customers want to buy, giving garden centres something new and a point of difference in a core category.”