BGC Harrogate, Squires Badshot Lea, Cooks, Birkacre, Pugh’s Radyr, Barton Grange and Busy Bee have picked up Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Team golds in GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards, presented at Spring Fair on Monday. Kaemingk walked away with The Greatest Christmas Supplier gold.

Here are all the winners:

The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team

GOLD AWARD: Haskins Snowhill

SILVER AWARD: Newquay

BRONZE AWARD: BGC Studley 

FINALISTS: BGC Studley, BGC Tring, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Brimsmore Gardens, Dobbies Brighton, Dobbies Edinburgh, Dobbies Richmond, Gates, Haskins Snowhill, Klondyke High Legh, Newquay, Perrywood Tiptree, Whitehall Lacock

The Greatest Outdoor Plant & Christmas Tree Team

GOLD AWARD: Old Railway Line

SILVER AWARD: Pugh’s Radyr

BRONZE AWARD: Coolings, Rushmore Hill

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Planters Tamworth

FINALISTS: BGC Bournville, BGC Playhatch, BGC Winnerash, Brimsmore Gardens, Coolings, Rushmore Hill, Garsons Titchfield, Haskins Snowhill, Jacksons Boutique, Klondyke Astbury Meadow, Klondyke Mortonhall, Old Railway Line, Pengelly, Perrywood Sudbury, Planters Tamworth, Pugh's Radyr, Squires Badshot Lea, St Peters Worcester, Tong

The Greatest Gardening Gifts Sales Team

GOLD AWARD: Gates

SILVER AWARD: Blue Diamond Newbridge

BRONZE AWARD: Newquay

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Pugh’s Wenvoe

FINALISTS: BGC Bournville, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Castle Gardens Sherbourne, Fron Goch, Garsons Titchfield, Gates, Newquay, Pugh's Wenvoe

The Greatest Wild Bird Care & Pet Team

GOLD AWARD: Barton Grange

SILVER AWARD: Bents

BRONZE AWARD: Old Railway Line

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bents, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Garsons Esher, Garsons Titchfield, Groves Bridport, Old Railway Line

The Greatest Festive Retail Food Hall Team

GOLD AWARD: Pugh’s Radyr

SILVER AWARD: Garsons Esher, Old Railway Line

BRONZE AWARD: Barton Grange

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bents, Chessington, Garsons Esher, Klondyke Mortonhall, Longacres Bagshot, Old Railway Line, Pugh's Radyr, St Peters Worcester, Whitehall Lacock

The Greatest Festive Outdoor Living Team

‘The SOLEX Sizzle’

GOLD AWARD: Polhill

SILVER AWARD: Alton

BRONZE AWARD: Cambridge Home & Garden

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Newquay

FINALISTS: Alton, Cambridge Home & Garden, Chessington, Newquay, Old Railway Line, Polhill

The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team

GOLD AWARD: Woodlands, Kent

SILVER AWARD: Bents

BRONZE AWARD: Pughs Wenvoe & The Garden Kitchen

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Dobbies Tewkesbury, Haskins Snowhill

FINALISTS: Bents, Dobbies Tewkesbury, Haskins Snowhill, Holt, Jacksons Boutique, Munros Nurseries, Newquay, Pengelly, Pugh's Wenvoe, Squires Badshot Lea, The Garden Kitchen By Pugh's, Woodlands, Kent

The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team

GOLD AWARD: Barton Grange

SILVER AWARD: Pugh’s

BRONZE AWARD: Gates

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bosworths, Burton Latimer, Cooks, Fron Goch, Garsons Esher, Garsons Titchfield, Gates, Hall's Garden centre, Pugh's Radyr, Pugh's Wenvoe, The Garden Kitchen By Pugh's

The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video

GOLD AWARD: Old Railway Line

SILVER AWARD: Alton

BRONZE AWARD: British Garden Centres, Dobbies

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Pengelly

FINALISTS: Alton, Barton Grange, British Garden Centres, Dobbies, Keydell, Old Railway Line

Pengelly, The Grange, Tong , Wentworth

The Greatest Christmas Grotto Team

GOLD AWARD: Chessington

SILVER AWARD: Gouldings Santa Experience

BRONZE AWARD: Keydell

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Birkacre, Coolings Lifestyle, Ruxley Manor

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Baytree, BGC Arcadia, Birkacre, Chessington, Coolings Lifestyle, Gouldings Santa Experience, Keydell, Ruxley Manor, Tong , Wentworth

The Greatest Christmas Supplier

GOLD AWARD: Kaemingk

SILVER AWARD: Gisela Graham

BRONZE AWARD: Smart Garden Three Kings

FINALISTS: Festive, Florasilk, Giftware Trading, Gisela Graham, Kaemingk, Premier Decorations, Richard Lang, Smart Garden Three Kings

The Greatest Group Small Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: BGC Harrogate

SILVER AWARD: BGC Studley

BRONZE AWARD: Klondyke Astbury Meadow

FINALISTS: BGC Bournville, BGC Braintree, BGC Burford House, BGC Charlbury, BGC Harrogate, BGC Playhatch, BGC Studley, Klondyke Astbury Meadow

The Greatest Group Large Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Squires Badshot Lea

SILVER AWARD: Klondyke High Legh

BRONZE AWARD: Haskins Snowhill

HIGHLY COMMENDED : Dobbies Edinburgh

FINALISTS: BGC Woodthorpe, Blue Diamond Bridgemere, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Blue Diamond Van Hage, Dobbies Edinburgh, Haskins Snowhill, Klondyke High Legh, Klondyke Mortonhall, Klondyke Stokesley, Squires Badshot Lea, Tong

The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Cooks

SILVER AWARD: Poundbury Gardens

BRONZE AWARD: The Grange

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Munro’s, Pengelly

FINALISTS: Bennybeg Plant Centre, Cooks, Munros Nurseries, Pengelly, Poundbury Gardens, The Grange, Whitehall Pewsey

The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Birkacre

SILVER AWARD: Glendoick

BRONZE AWARD: Woodlands, Kent

HIGHLY COMMENDED: MacKenzie & Cruikshank

FINALISTS: Birkacre, Bosworths, Burton Latimer, Brimsmore Gardens, Castle Gardens Sherbourne, Glendoick, Hall's Garden centre, Holt, Jacksons Boutique, Mackenzie & Cruickshank, Newquay, Pugh's Wenvoe, Silverbirch, Whitehall Whitchurch, Woodlands, Kent

The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Pugh’s Radyr

SILVER AWARD: Wentworth

BRONZE AWARD: Garsons Titchfield

FINALISTS: Fron Goch, Garsons Titchfield, Old Railway Line, Pugh's Radyr, Wentworth

The Greatest Giant Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Barton Grange

SILVER AWARD: Gates

BRONZE AWARD: Perrywood Tiptree

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bents, Garsons Esher, Gates, Longacres Bagshot, Perrywood, Tiptree, Whitehall Lacock

Voted The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team

GOLD AWARD: Busy Bee (1^st)

SILVER AWARD: Cooks (2^nd)

BRONZE AWARD: Bosworths Burton Latimer (3^rd)

HIGHLY COMMENDED (Top 20): Garden King (4^th), Jacksons Boutique (5^th), Gates (6^th), Southwood Garden Centre (7^th), Birkacre (8^th), Old Railway Line (9^th), Trowell (10^th), Pughs Rady'r (11^th), Planters Tamworth (12^th), Munro's (13^th) Keydell (14^th), Newquay Garden Centre (15^th), Summerhill (16^th), Azure Garden Centre (17^th), Hillmount Belfast (18^th), Allbrighton BGC (19^th), Planters Bretby (20^th)

FINALISTS: Allbrighton BGC, Azure Garden Centre, Birkacre, Bosworths Burton Latimer, Bow Garden and Aquatic Centre, Braintree BGC, Brigg BGC, Busy Bee, Cooks, Ferndale, Garden King, Gates, Hillmount Belfast, Jacksons Boutique, Keydell, Munro's, Newquay Garden Centre, Old Railway Line, Pengelly, Perrywood Sudbury, Perrywood Tiptree, Planters Bretby

Planters Tamworth, Pughs Rady'r, Pughs Wenvoe, Roxton BGC, Southwood Garden Centre, Summerhill, Trowell, Woodthorpe BGC

The Greatest Christmas Award judges.

Watch out for The Greatest Christmas Awards photo tours of the centres in future issues of GTN Xtra, starting this coming weekend and in the next issue of GTN magazine.

See more pictures from the presentations in the gallery below....

Thousands of retailers flocked to the opening of the UK’s largest and longest serving retail show Spring Fair, keen to discover their store’s next bestsellers and recharge their retail know-how. 

The opening day welcomed a diverse variety of retail businesses including Warner Bros, Aldi UK, Toy Barnhaus, Phoenix Stores, Hallmark, The Bag Shop, Cards Galore, Alton Towers, Target Global, Costcutter, Elphicks, Nest & Flowers, Denby Retail, McElhinneys, Graham & Green, Boyd’s Stores Ireland, Trago Mills, Cards Galore, and Cavendish Hotels. Hundreds of garden centres, zoos, heritage sites, and museums also visited including Chester Zoo, Colchester Zoo, Twycross Zoo, Squires Garden Centre, Homeleigh Garden Centres, Otter Garden Centres, Newbank Garden Centre, Busy Bee Garden Centre, Gordale Garden Centre, Heligan Gardens, Cawdor Castle, Silverstone Heritage, British Garden Centres, and Bournemouth Pier.

With a myriad of globally recognised brands including Disney, Marvel, Elf on the Shelf, Barbie, Harry Potter, Peppa Pig, TikTok, Google, and B Corp, the 74th edition of Spring Fair offered an inspirational and global showcase of the best and most innovative in retail with a sense of optimism for the year ahead.

Boasting over 1000 quality brands with 120 more exhibitors than last year, over 200 exclusively showing at Spring Fair only and 450 making their debut, Spring Fair also grew its global reach with more international brands than the previous year. The growth in licensed brands was evident with an exciting array of licensed products launching across all sectors of the show.

The feeling amongst exhibitors has been upbeat on the first day. Jonny Greves, Director from Lessey and Pavey said, “We have had a busy day with a mix of existing customers, new customers, and some international export businesses visiting the stand. Overall, the show feels busy and our stand next to the doors in Hall 5 has been great.  We travelled a lot last year and did a lot of buying so we have got about 2,000 new products we have launched here and have had a positive reaction.  We license designs from a few different greeting cards designers like Macneil Studio, Jennifer Rose Gallery and Bug Art and we have new designs from all of them. We have been licensing for a long time they know the style of artwork we like. We have a good customer base for those studios and designs. Bug Art is a new one for us, which we first launched at this show last year and had a really good reaction too, so we have added a lot of new designs from them and new Christmas designs from all of them.”

In his opening address, Spring Fair’s Portfolio Director, Jackson Szabo said, “It’s my 1st Spring Fair and I’m delighted to be part of the Spring Fair family. There are many great things about Spring Fair, but the one thing I find is that it is unbelievably inspiring. What is so compelling is that of the thousands of brands exhibiting and retailer’s visiting, large or small, all of them started with a dream, and an ambition to start a business.

“As we start the year, it’s important to remember where we’ve come from. Retail has had its fair share of peaks and troughs. There have been some big challenges in recent years, and a lot of disruption. Despite these hurdles, the resilience and adaptability of the industry have been nothing short of remarkable and there are many reasons to feel optimistic. For 74 years Spring Fair has remained a constant and we continue to look for opportunities to get better.”

Celebrating the best of the best in Gift, Spring Fair has partnered with the Giftware Association to showcase the finalists of the Gift Of The Year Awards, welcoming industry leaders to judge the awards across the four day show.

Sarah Ward, CEO, Giftware Association said, “Over the course of the 3 days we know we are expecting over 60 buyers mainly on Monday and Tuesday for the judging of the Gift Associations, Gift Of The Year, which has had over 800 entries across 20 categories. What has really surprised us is that on the first day, and within just an hour of the doors opening we have seen retailers from over 6 different countries, including England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and then from as far afield as Portugal to Australia.

“Being able to show, and hold the judging at Spring Fair is perfect, it is excellent exposure for all shortlisted companies, not just to the judges but the many Spring Fair buyers who view their products. What has been clear is that buyers are doing their homework before they get to the show, they have made sure they look at the Gift Of The Year shortlisted products before they buy and those entrants who also have a stand here have benefited from the our showcase, with buyers going on to see them at their stands.”

Spring Fair is a hub for knowledge and inspiration, championing all things retail and buyers were invited to recharge their retail know-how with an incredible lineup of speakers, seminars and classes delivered across three exciting content stages.

The all-new Masterclass Studio in partnership with TikTok Shop, kicked off to a packed audience on Sunday with TikTok Shop’s ‘Social Commerce: The Future of Digital Retail’ lead by Fashion E-Commerce leader Thomas Wintle. Beginning by looking at the landscape of the future of shopping and going on to delve into the rise of social commerce and how it’s shaping the future of TikTok through their spearheading growth, from the Era of #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt to the evolution of TikTok Shop.

“Shopping is set for a new revolution. Whilst e-Commerce is growing, the thing to notice is that it’s evolving as well”, says Thomas, “expectations have shifted, people want commerce that entertains them, envelops them in a community, and trust is a necessity if you are to survive and grow in this market – and this growth is rapid, across the world.”

Ginny Major, Home & Living Category Manager at TikTok Shop then took to the Inspiring Retail Stage to ‘Debunk TikTok Myths’. “TikTok might be pioneered by the younger generation and Gen Z but as our users grow up, so does our content.” Says Ginny. “32% of our global audience are now 25-34, and 79% of over 35’s believe TikTok is serving content for them.” Exploring TikTok’s trends and virtual content Ginny furthered, “The myth that you need a lot of followers to go viral is incorrect. TikTok is a discovery app, and the algorithm tailors content to relevant audiences; first and foremost TikTok’s content is embedded in personalised, storytelling videos that are more informative and digestible. You can train your TikTok feed to give you the content you want. TikTok has 5 x higher engagement than any other social media platform, and 127% of Gen X are more likely to watch a live whilst considering a purchase.”

Offering a masterclass in AI, Alex Ryan from Marketing 101, delivered an insightful dive into the opportunities in adopting AI to improve the processes across the supply chain and through the customer journey. Tech Magic: An Al Masterclass for Retail provided helpful tips on what tools to use and ways to capitalise on it from everything from data and trend analysis, consumer behaviour and market shifts, Ryan said that AI has created a new era of trend forecasting, and offers unimagined time and efficiency benefits.

In the Digital Frontier Masterclass, Google Digital Coach Glenn White, discussed how to unlock the potential of digital advertising and reach new customers online. He said, “You need to be the solution to your audiences challenge. You need to be providing all of the information your customer is looking for. Understand your customers, get to know what makes them tick. Do your keyword research. Summarising the benefits of search advertising he added, “It gives greater visibility, drives more page traffic, enables reaching people directly, and it is budget friendly.”

Nicole Higgins from The Buyer and Retail Coach Ltd hosted an insightful session at the Masterclass Studio ‘A Strategic Buying Masterclass’ to share invaluable insights garnered from her extensive experience buying for the likes of George at ASDA, Primark and M&S. Inspiring the audience to elevate their skills and empower in the dynamic world of retail, Nicole explained, “At the core, you need to plan, build and create cohesive ranges that compliment your brand and product. Newness needs to balance your core product without cannibalisation, and managing profit is invaluable; having a comprehensive understanding of your price architecture  is key. Similarly, understanding your customer is your greatest asset, analysing their priorities, needs and wants are key in your buying journey. This needs to be an ongoing process, as assuming customers behaviours and wants don’t change is a really common mistake to make.”

At the Trend Talks stage, The Future Collective presented an eye-opening talk on The Future of the Post-Commute Economy. Matt Parry said, “There is no going back. We are all now living through a new revolution. But most of us don’t even realise it. The retail sector is at a pivotal moment of transformation. As consumer habits continue to evolve in response to the changing dynamics of work and live, so too must the strategies of retailers.”

“The future of retail lies not in the hands of fate but in the ability of businesses to understand and cater to the new rhythms of their customers’ lives. In this post-commute economy, the retailers who will flourish are those who view these changes not as obstacles but as opportunities to innovate and reconnect with their communities in more meaningful ways. Leading brands and retailers will recognise this watershed moment – it’s time to play the long game, shaping enduring brand stories and experiences. For those with vision and patience, the opportunities are tremendously exciting.”

With the latest key fashion trends, this season's newest collections came to life on the Moda Catwalk. Powder celebrated their passion for the exotic; pyjamas, gowns, dresses and kaftans are adorned with flora and fauna. From sea to forest floor, motifs take centre stage in a tropical colour palette. Goose Island defined the concept of ‘dreamy fashion’ with their everyday wearable pieces; their latest Linen Collection debuted innovative designs meticulously crafted for one-size fits all dresses, tops and trousers. Elsewhere Jessica Graaf and Lighthouse bought a host of new coat designs, whilst Mudflower and Saloos played with print and texture.

Moda also welcomed the incredible Footwear Design final year students from DeMontfort University. The ongoing partnership aims to showcase up and coming footwear designers and the winning student Wunnai Tam was awarded for his impeccable design, story and the execution of his prototype. There’s still time to vote for the People’s Choice Awards at the De Montfort University footwear showcase next to the Moda Café in Hall 2 – don’t forget to scan the QR code and vote for your favourite design.

Day two at Spring Fair looks set to be just as inspirational, with even more trends, insights, and newness. Highlights include a keynote talk from Kris Hammer, Director of Insight at the British Retail Consortium (BRC) on Retail Landscape 2024: Insights from the British Retail Consortium. Don't miss this comprehensive overview of the UK retail market with valuable insights into economic health, growth indicators, emerging opportunities and evolving consumer spending habits; and the Licensing Masterclass with Catrina O'Brien, UK Licensing Director - Hasbro Inc.

Step into the world of strategic brand enhancement and learn directly from the stewards of iconic brands like Peppa Pig, Transformers, My Little Pony and Furby as Catrina shares best practices, do's and don'ts and the transformative impact of licensing on your business. This session offers a comprehensive look at licensing essentials, from understanding the lifecycle of new hits and evergreen brands to mastering collaboration and product development. A must-attend for retailers and creators looking to add a new dimension to their offerings through strategic partnerships and licensing agreements.

View the full programme at https://www.springfair.com/stage-programme.

Spring Fair is open until 4pm on Wednesday 7th February, register at www.springfair.com

Our team of judges have now completed the task of visiting the 100 garden centres who were nominated for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2023.  And our sponsors have been lining up prizes of stock or hotel accommodation for the category winners.

Here are the categories for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2023

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team
• The Greatest Christmas Tree and Outdoor Plant Team
• The Greatest Christmas BBQ and Outdoor Leisure Team – The Solex Sizzle
• The Greatest Christmas Wild Bird Care & Pet Team
• The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team
• The Greatest Christmas Community Event
• The Greatest Festive Gardening Gifts Team
• The Greatest Festive Retail Food Hall Team
• The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team
• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video
• The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team
• The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team

*The Group Garden Centre awards are for centres that are part of groups with 5 or more centres

Judging visits will take place during November and December with the winners being announced on The Stage at Spring Fair on Monday 5^th February 2024.

As well as the kudos and fame from winning a Greatest Christmas award, our Gold winners in each category will win prizes including stock, services or hotel accommodation from our sponsors, which at time of going to press include:

• AMES
• Garden Radio
• Glee 2024
• Kaemingk
• LeisureGrow - NOMA
• PATS 2024
• Smart Garden Products – Three Kings
• Solex 2024
• Stars for Europe
• Woodmansterne

Watch out for details of the prizes on offer in issues of GTN Xtra: www.gardentradenews.co.uk and in the next issue of GTN.

What the judges will be looking for when they visit:

As GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards firstly recognise the amazing teamwork involved in garden centre Christmas retailing excellence we asked our judges what specific things they will be looking for in each Christmas Awards category this year:

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team
  • Christmas theming of the displays, link sales and plants as Christmas presents 
• The Greatest Christmas Tree and Outdoor Plant Team
  • Extending the Christmas experience out into the Planteria, not only making the sale of cut trees fun and different but what is being done to promote link sales to trees as well as plants as presents. 
• The Greatest Christmas BBQ and Outdoor Leisure Team – The Solex Sizzle
  • Effort (and success) being put to inspiring  sales of BBQ’s, firepits, furniture, arbours and leisure items normally associated with summer rather than Christmas
• The Greatest Christmas Wild Bird Care & Pet Team
  • From a gondola end of Christmas pet treats to a whole department dedicated to wild bird care or pets of all shapes and sizes. The festive feeling generated by the team, from their attitude for sales to their inspirational displays.  Who has been bold enough to include a pet or wild bird care display in the main Christmas area?
• The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team
  • On and off centre Christmas marketing activity: advertising, p.o.s. video, social media, influencer promotions. We are looking for originality, execution and sucess.
• The Greatest Christmas Community Event
  • A one off ‘launch’ or an ongoing feature – for example a zoo, woodland walk, colouring competition, cookery demonstration or a charity fundraiser that engages the community and extends the Christmas experience.
• The Greatest Festive Gardening Gifts Team
  • This is all about creating sales at this time of year through inspirational use/display/promotion of regular gardening tools and sundries items in a festive setting /department which are capturing sales to both new annd experienced gardeners.
• The Greatest Festive Retail Food Hall Team
  • Food Hall, Farm Shop or just a department in the retail area. Looking for seasonal lines, offers and services to build unit sales as well as dressing of the area. What is special to your Garden Centre offer over other food retailers?
• The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team
  • What have you done to make your restaurant or coffee shop a part of the Christmas experience? Looking for dressing of the seating area, servery, menu, special offers, link sales, promotions and of course, Festive staff!
• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video
  • Simply a Christmas promotional video that creates garden centre visits and sales.
• The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team
  • What have the team done this season to create a really memorable and enjoyable experience.
• The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team
  • For all of the overall team awards the judges are looking for happy, festive garden centre teams who can keep their Christmas retailing standards at their best throughout the Christmas sales period. 

By popular demand we have brought back Customer Voting for The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas teams, after all it is what customers think that is most important. See the details here

The first Greatest Christmas Awards Team visit the judges carried out this year was at British Garden Centres Woodthorpe, back in August.  See our gallery of pictures below:

Firmans are looking for experienced sales agents to help promote the growth and expansion of their brand to garden centres and independent retailers across the UK. 

About us:

We are a welcoming and friendly family-run business, specializing in providing an extensive array of high-quality garden furniture to the trade. Our strong values are grounded in trust, commitment, and partnership, and these principles drive the success of our thriving enterprise. Presently, we are excited to extend an invitation to driven and passionate sales agents to join our growing team. With your efforts, we hope to amplify the reach of our product offerings and continue driving our company's success to new heights.

Ideal Agent:

Our ideal sales agent candidate should have exceptional communication and customer interaction skills, along with considerable experience in the garden furniture industry. They must have a charming personality and should be seasoned in a Business-to-Business sales environment. A knack for persuasive and effective negotiation will also be greatly valued, as well as the ability to create and maintain fruitful business relationships. This candidate should be goal-oriented, with the ability to meet and exceed sales targets while delivering exceptional customer service. 

What we offer:

• Generous commission scheme
• Dedicated sales area
• Full product training
• Field support
• Backup of a full office team
• Full marketing Samples

To apply for a sales agent position contact:
Email: michael.firman@firmansdirect.com
Tel: 01323 430043
Web: https://firmansdirect.com/outdoor-furniture/

Dobbies Commercial Director, Richard Hodges, has announced via his Linked-in page that he is leaving the company, after just over two years in the post.

He says: "After two years at Dobbies, I am preparing to leave the business to explore new career opportunities.

"As Commercial Director, I’ve worked closely with our supply base to better serve the 30 million people who walk through the doors at Dobbies each year.

"What I am most grateful for is the opportunity to partner with so many talented, smart and kind people throughout my journey at Dobbies; Dobbies’ employees are the heart and soul of its 165-year heritage and I am proud of the contribution I have made to the culture and my team’s performance.

"As I prepare for the next chapter of my career I will take with me the invaluable experience I have had with the company. In the meantime I am looking forward to enjoying some adventures with my partner, Eve Bugler, and our two young boys. I wish everyone at Dobbies all the best for Spring and beyond."

GTN Xtra has asked Dobbies for a comment on the news and we will update this story as soon as we hear from them.

Let us tell you why!

When your Garden Centre sells everything from seeds, to pots, to soil, to crops why would you miss out on completing the growing journey for your customers?

The benefits of owning a greenhouse…

One of the reasons for owning a greenhouse is that it can open up so many options for how and what you can grow in your garden. Grow outside and your crops are at risk of the elements and climate change but a greenhouse creates a small micro climate of its own that can extend the period of time you are able to grow in a season. 

So if a greenhouse extends the growing season to all year round, surely selling greenhouses would extend your Garden Centre’s seasonal purchasing too? It really does sound win/win!

But why Vitavia & Janssens Greenhouses?

Vitavia Greenhouses is a family run business based in Suffolk. They are the British partner of the Vitavia Group, the leading name throughout Europe for quality hobby greenhouses and greenhouse accessories.

They provide home and trade deli veries throughout the UK. They are proud to supply quality hobby greenhouses, widely regarded as being the best value for money, backed up by exceptional customer service.

Vitavia is also the UK distributor for Janssens greenhouses and garden rooms from Belgium.

Janssens market middle and high-end products developed in-house for customers who attach paramount importance to quality and style. Over the years they have earned a reputation for high quality design and innovation.

Janssens are the perfect complement to the already well established Vitavia range. 

But greenhouses will take up so much room…

This is the statement we hear a lot, but think about it… you have to sell an awful lot of seeds or pots to get the value of a greenhouse sale and they are a fantastic display space for other garden centre products. We advise having 3 models on display to suit all customers, 6 x 4, 6 x 8 and 8 x 10, so if you can squeeze them in somewhere, they really will become an asset to your Garden Centre.

Get in touch. 

So if we’ve whet your appetite and like us you think that adding a greenhouse range to your Garden Centre is an excellent idea, please get in contact via email or phone as we’d love to hear from you.

Email us sales@vitavia.co.uk

As Silver supporters of the Greenfingers Charity, Meadow View Stone welcomes the opportunity of collaborating with fellow suppliers to raise funds for this inspirational cause. So, when Kate Ebbens asked the business to sponsor her for running 365 days consecutively to raise funds – how could they refuse!

Meadow View Stone are a leading supplier of premium decorative aggregates, paving and horticultural grits and sands, exclusively to the garden centre sector. Having launched a series of phenomenally successful premium, washed, decorative aggregate blends over the years, the company has revolutionised the hard landscaping category with their collection of exclusive products and innovative point of sale concepts. 

At Glee, the company launched their new “Themed” point of sale vinyl’s which correlate products to a common theme, be it a design trend, colour theme or specific project. These inspiring graphics and display gardens give stockists a selection of stunning gardens to inspire customers by relating products to a project which they can then replicate. 

Customers are already commenting on the displays, having said “I never thought of using stepping stones to create a pathway, I am definitely going to recreate that in the spring.”    

Stockists are equally extremely impressed on the transformation these displays give to their hard landscaping areas and see the potential the new POS offers by inspiring customers to undertake projects, such as smartening up their front door, creating a pathway or a tranquil space to relax and enjoy. 

All at Meadow View Stone would like to wish Kate all the best with her endeavours and would urge fellow suppliers and customers to similar sponsor Kate.

Show your support for Kate

Kate is hoping to raise as much as £10,000 over the next 365 days. To show your support please visit her JustGiving page*, or look out for her at forthcoming industry events.

You can also follow her progress by following Greenfingers on social media - https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/, @GreenfingersCha on Twitter, and @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

* https://www.justgiving.com/page/kate-ebbens-1701443565987?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fkate-ebbens-1701443565987&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

There was more FUNdraising activity at the GCA Conference after the Annual Dinner.  Woodlodge's Ian Flounders had his beard removed and raised almost £8k for Greenfingers in the process.

Ian told GTN Xtra: "It was a very liberating experience, Carol (Chopping) Topping has missed her vocation in life she did a fantastic job. A barbershop at Barton Grange?

"My partner is over the moon not having to live with 'Santa'. Rhian said "I look 10 years younger".

"We raised a staggering £7680.00 for GREENFINGERS. All I can say is diolch pawb ( Welsh for thank you everyone) , thank you to everyone who contributed especially my super star fundraisers Hugh ORL GC and Helen from Stratford GC."

Spring Fair, the UK's definitive trend led marketplace for Home, Gift, Fashion and Everyday, opens this Sunday and will welcome over 35,000 buyers from around the world.

Retailers registered to attend.include: Marks & Spencer, Hoopers, Fenwick, Selfridges, Anthropologie, Soho Farmhouse, WHSmith, Asda, The Works, Waitrose, TJX Europe, Tesco, Waterstones, Scribbler, B&Q, Ocado, Dunelm, Morrisons, Aldi, Homebase, Fishpools, N Brown, Sainsburys, Next, TK Maxx, Matalan, Superdrug, Jarrolds, Hallmark, DFS Furniture, Toys R Us, The Perfume Shop, Harrods, Co-op, Argos, Wilko, Barkers, Dobbies Garden Centres, British Museum, Avon Cosmetics, Cardzone, Blue Diamond, Age UK, Hillier Garden Centres, Voisins, Morleys, The Range, Austins, Denby Brands, English Heritage, La Redoute, Brown Thomas Arnotts, Trago Mills, River Island, F Hinds, Centre Parcs, Crocus, Natural History Museum, Barnadoes, Poundland, Hamleys, Dunnes Stores, B&M, Squires, Robert Dyas, Glasgow Museums, British Heart Foundation, Webbs Garden Centre, Clintons, OneBeyond, National Trust, ITV Studios, Scotsdales, Merlin Entertainments, and Oxfam.

In its 74th year, Spring Fair is the largest and longest serving retail event. Set in the heart of the UK at Birmingham’s NEC, the landmark event is a goldmine for discovering what’s next in retail. Buyers will meet over 1,200 incredible suppliers, of which 200 are exclusive to Spring Fair and won’t be seen at any other UK show including Gallery Direct, Coach House, Hill Interiors, Pacific Lifestyle, Garden Trading, Libra x Laura Ashley, One.World, J-Line by Jolipa, Paladone, Ashwood Leather, Bluebell & Lark, Cardology, McGowan & Rutherford, Upper Canada, Country Baskets, Edge Company, Lotus Imports, Emily Smith, Fizz Creations, Heathcote & Ivory, Hootyballoo, Ian Mankin, Keplin Group, Kleine Wolke, Letts of London, Ribbonly, Soya Concept, Trampoline, and more.

The ultimate shop for shops will host more than one million products under one roof across 13 product sectors including Home, Living & Décor, Christmas, Festive & Floral, Housewares, The Summerhouse, Gift, Beauty & Wellbeing, Greeting Cards, Stationery & Wrapping, Kids, Toys & Play, Party & Celebration, and in Moda; Clothing & Footwear, Fashion Accessories, Jewellery & Watch; as well as the all-encompassing Everyday sector.

There’s still time to register to be a part of the UK’s largest showcase in celebration of retail with more brands and more buyers than any other show in the UK – visit https://www.springfair.com/visitor-registration.

Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director, Spring Fair says, “Offering an inspirational buying space for the industry, 2024 is about optimism and positivity for the retail sector and we’re looking forward to kickstarting this energy at Spring Fair. It’s not just an event, it’s a celebration of retail innovation and networking. Buyers will be immersed in a showcase of thousands of products from the industry’s most innovative brands. Thousands of suppliers will showcase tens of thousands of their newest products all vying to be retail’s next bestsellers.”

The Home destination brims with most stylish and on-trend furnishings, textiles, decorative interior accessories, housewares, and festive products from Trampoline, Chic Antique, Quirky Barn, Nordic Style, Hines of Oxford, PEB Imports, Febland (launching a new Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen range), Malini, McGowan & Rutherford, Walton & Co, Ivyline, Piffany Copenhagen, FiftyFiveSouth, Dutch Imports & Daughters, My Gifts Trade, Pure TableTop, Captivate Brands, Searchlight, Kaemingk, Bizotto, Kunstindustrien Edge Company, Minster Stylish Living, Hanlin, Ascalon, Artko, Lows of Dundee, Dottypix, Burgess Reclamation, Artifex Natura, Turner Bianca, Riva Home, Harwood Textiles, Skinnwille, Peggy Wilkins, as well as the exclusive UK launch of bathroom textiles brand Kleine Wolke, and many more adding to the inspirational and high-quality line-up.

Showcasing the most diverse range of product sectors under one roof, from giftware to home décor, smoking accessories to electrical goods, domestic appliances to vaping products, and so much more, Everyday plays host to Gem Imports, PMS International, Airpure, Ecobag, RMS International, 151 Products, DCS Group, Sheldon International, Tallon International, Whitefurze, Utopia Crafts, Winners Europe, and Pricecheck, as well as first timers Keplin Group, Bonningtons, and Ven-dens Accessories, and returning this February Edco Eindhoven B.V..

Discover best-sellers, contemporary designs, personalised gifts and more from Gift destination brands including Joe Davies, Sifcon, SUCK UK, Lesser & Pavey, Widdop & Co, Sass & Belle, Rex International, Kikkerland Europe B.V, Giftware Trading, Elgate Products, Ashleigh & Burwood, Enesco, Puckator, Lang’s, Bomb Cosmetics, Upper Canada, Heathcote & Ivory, The Somerset Toiletry Company. The English Soap Company, Shearer Candles, and Sense Aroma. The vibrant greetings sector flourishes with Ohh Deer, Ginger Ray, The Art File, Wrendale Designs, Emma Ball, The Great British Card Company Plc, Brainbox Candy, Nigel Quiney Publications, Paper Salad, Noel Tatt Group and many more.

Christmas, Festive & Floral brings together Country Basket Imports Limited, Lotus Imports, Sincere UK Limited, Florelle International, and Davies Products (Liverpool) Ltd; and in the burgeoning Kids, Toys, and Play sector meet with Kandy Toys, Keel Toys, TY UK Ltd, Aurora World, The Noble Collection, and House of Marbles.

HASBRO’s Peppa Pig celebrates her 20th birthday at Spring Fair. Join Peppa's Party on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th February at 4:30pm for pink drinks and cupcakes at Peppa's Playground in the Kids, Toys & Play sector in Hall 5.

The show also welcomes a host of innovative trend-led licensed products including gifts, collectibles, toys, clothing, and housewares from Disney characters, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Marvel, Metallica, Jurassic Park, Moomins, Peter Rabbit, Paddington, Pokemon, Sonic, Crayon, Friends, Minecraft, The Beatles, Avatar, Batman, Star Wars, and Barbie, to popular TV personalities such as Mary Berry, Olly Smith and interior household names including Terence Conran, Catherine Lansfield, Cath Kidston, Sara Miller, and William Morris. Look out for Captivate Brands, Pure Tabletop, Riva Home, TY UK, Whitehouse Leisure, Fizz Creations, Paladone, Sting in the Tale, Half Moon Bay, Lasgo, Star Images Enterprise, Blue Sky Studios, The English Ladies Co, Heroes Inc, Rock Off Retail, The Source Wholesale, The Carat Shop Infinity Brands, Enesco, Pyramid International, Spike Leisurewear, Heathcote & Ivory, and The English Soap Company.

Fashion destination Moda is made up of three key sectors; Clothing & Footwear, Fashion Accessories, and Jewellery & Watch, and offers a front row seat to the latest trends, new designers and must-have looks that will adorn the season. The next show presents a fresh edit and hundreds of new season looks. Discover new collections from Lighthouse Clothing, Peace of Mind (POM), Saloos, Luella, Soya Concept, Goose Island, Marsylka, Jessica Graaf, Powder Design, Breuning, Lesley Donn, Hanron, London Pearl, Deil Joseph, Big Metal, Spoke 925, Gecko, DNX, Envy, Soruka, Fonem, My Doris, Lisa Angel, Aurosmith, Amanda Karen Jewellery, Gold Trip, Virchoo, Miss Sparrow, JK Henderson, Alice Wheeler, Rock Luggage, Prime Hide, EarthSquared, Islander UK, Das Impex, Luggage Club, Ashwood Leather, and many more.

Catherine Morgan, Buyer at The Little Gift House says, "I have been coming to Spring Fair for the last 13 years as my business relies on it. Spring Fair is the most inspirational trade show, and it’s the perfect location for us."

The meeting-place for retail, Spring Fair 2024 brings the industry together to create the most compelling and comprehensive content programme to date. From experts to rising stars, industry leaders take to the stage to deliver exclusive trend forecasts, valuable insights, and inspiring masterclasses.

Gadelrab adds, “We’ve ramped up the onsite experiences and created three stages full of incredible content and resources. Dive into future trends at Trend Talks, visit the Masterclass Studio to grow your business with insights and tips from industry giants like Google and B Corp on an array of topics including strategic buying, social media, customer experience, and conscious consumerism. Big name keynote speakers including Theo Paphitis and Dame Zandra Rhodes take to the Inspiring Retail Stage, and who doesn’t love a Happy Hour. Join us every day for a Sip & Shop at 4.30-5.30pm at the Masterclass Studio and Trend Talks stages – the perfect opportunity to toast the successful year ahead with industry peers and keep browsing the aisles for your next best-selling products.”

Buyers will also discover The New Product Showcase, Cardmitment campaign, The Gift of the Year Showcase, #SBS Village, and the Trend Trails for highlighting unique finds around the show.

Spring Fair has always been about championing excellence in retail. The 2024 show has got the awards ceremonies to prove it, from the GTN Greatest Christmas Awards to Gift of the Year and De Monfort University Footwear competition – join in to celebrate industry professionals and future industry talents.

For buyers in need of a break from all the shoptalk, take advantage of free tea and coffee in the buyer’s lounges. Visitors will also enjoy more seating areas, subsidised cloakrooms, abundant seating areas to relax and recharge, buyer concierge information points around the show, and discounts at Resort Word.

The Buyer Concierge Information Points will be located near hall entrances throughout the show, helping buyers with their onsite journey and experience. Each sector also now has dedicated community support manager to assist buyers in planning ahead for the show, and to provide support onsite and post-event as needed.

After a long day walking the aisles, buyers are invited to attend the show’s new Sip & Shop Happy Hours. Four locations across the Gift, Home, Moda & Everyday sectors including the Summerhouse Café and Trend Talks stage will offer bubbles, music, and networking from 4.30 – 5.30pm on Sunday to Tuesday.

The NEC is easily accessible by train, car, coach or plane and has FREE parking for all visitors courtesy of Spring Fair! Although some rail strikes are scheduled to take place during Spring Fair, don't let this stop you attending. The strikes will only affect the 2nd day of the show (Monday 5th) and only selected train lines will reduce their service while many will be operating as normal. Learn more here Travel Updates | Traffic News | the NEC, Birmingham.

Navigate the show with the handy Spring Fair app. It includes an interactive map, comprehensive exhibitor lists, AI-powered product recommendations and search features – once you’ve looked at a product it automatically finds others like it for you to view, plus unique on-site exhibitor offers & discounts, and powerful planning tools so you can experience everything the show has to offer with ease.

For more information please visit www.springfair.com.

Much has been said about the all-new AMES Tools brand since its launch at Glee 2023. With its one-of-a-kind design features, comprehensive range options and a choice of carbon or stainless-steel, this is a tool brand that has been carefully curated for all gardeners and has garnered a positive response from all corners of the garden retail sector.

Now, as the spring season fast approaches, the AMES Companies merchandising teams are busy installing dedicated product displays in hundreds of garden centres across the country; the first of which is Selby Garden Centre. Here, Merchandising Manager, Brian Cobb, tells us more about this exciting milestone for the tool brand.

AMES Tools delivered direct to store

Arriving in convoy, the AMES Companies merchandising team deliver AMES Tools direct to store. Once there, they work closely with the store’s sales managers and garden centre staff to get to know the space and provide the best solution to, not just fit the space, but to also draw attention from across the retail store.

With dedicated teams in place, most stores will see the same merchandisers several times throughout the season. This means relationships can be forged, whilst the team are able to continually familiarise themselves with the space, often anticipating layout and display needs ahead of time and making expert recommendations.

Revamping the tool space

At Selby Garden Centre, on the day of delivery, the space was made ready and the store’s manager, Claire Turton, joined the team to witness the construction of the new tool display from start to finish.

Prior to stock arriving onsite, a dedicated space was earmarked for the AMES Tools display, allowing the team to get to work straight away. The strength of the AMES team lies in its ability to bring a mix of creativity and construction expertise. This means they don’t just build the display unit there in the store, but using their keen eye, add the right stock combinations and perfect the layout for the best possible shopping experience.

From the four display solutions available – modular back wall, hanging display, freestanding island and promotional FDSU – Selby Garden Centre decided upon the back wall option, which can extend between one or two metres. Featuring sleek black fixtures, built-in spotlights and backlit header panel, the AMES branding stands proud amongst it all, allowing it to really ‘speak’ to shoppers.   

Why do retailers love AMES Tools?

Whilst watching the installation, Brian was able to grab some time with Selby Garden Centre’s Claire Turton to find out more about her initial thoughts regarding the centre’s newest tool offering.

“I was excited when I first saw the AMES Tools offering, as it offered great pre-season deals, but more than this, I also recognised the difference that it was bringing to market, as well as the quality of the product.

“I am really impressed by the display that has been created. It’s extremely eye-catching and clearly explains the products to customers. I also love the QR code that sends customers from the label to the website to learn more. It’s a fantastic idea that I am sure will increase sales and consumer confidence.”

Standout features and USPs

Claire also mentioned that the AMES Tools range covers everything the garden centre needs to offer customers.  She added: “The carbon range is a great point of difference compared to other ranges currently on the market today.  The quality shines through and there are many different features creating unique selling points.”

Find out more

To stay updated with all things AMES Tools, including accessing the dedicated trade portal where you will find a comprehensive image library, POS guide and Product Database alongside the 2024 catalogue, please visit www.ames-tools.co.uk. Further details about the AMES Companies by visiting www.ames-uk.com

The speaker line-up has been announced for the Collaboration & Innovation Zone at this year's Garden Press Event on Tuesday, 20 February, at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London. The Garden Press Event signals the start of the spring season and provides an unrivalled opportunity for horticultural businesses to get in front of key gardening media.

The event, jointly organised by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and the Garden Industry Manufacturer's Association (GIMA), gives businesses the chance to network in person with members of the garden press and showcase new products, themes and stories.

The line-up for the Collaboration and Innovation Zone, in association with the Garden Media Guild, includes Fran Barnes from the HTA introducing the value of UK Environmental Horticulture, before visitors will then have the opportunity to hear from:

• Niall McCauley (Niall Gardens) will give his top tips on How to Get Started on YouTube. Niall will share his secrets to success and essential tips to help you create high-quality content, whether you've already made your first steps into creating online videos or aspire to start your own channel.
• Blue Diamond Garden Centres, in collaboration with the National Trust, will demonstrate how they work together for the love of nature. Blue Diamond Garden Centres are one of the biggest financial contributors to the National Trust's plant conservation projects, with funds to date given to the Trust by Blue Diamond helping to fund several important conservation projects. They will highlight some of those projects, introduce the new collections and products for 2024, and discuss the products that link to specific National Trust cared-for properties. They will introduce their RHS Chelsea Main Avenue Show Garden, designed by Ann-Marie Powell Gardens. Featuring Jill Kerr from Blue Diamond,Andy Jasper from the National Trust and Ann-Marie Powell, the RHS Chelsea Main Avenue show garden designer.
• Emma Crawforth and Lucy Chamberlain will share highlights of the upcoming BBC Gardeners' World Events in 2024, including Adam Frost's headline show garden, urban gardening, and all things Grow Your Own. There will also be an announcement from the Young People in Horticulture Association.
• In 2024, Dobbies will champion garden living, supporting all gardeners, whatever their space. Their in-house experts, Marcus Eyles andClaire Bishop, will discuss plants, houseplants, and innovative technology for their slot 'Gardening even if you don't have a garden.'
• GARDENA's Brand Ambassador, Huw Richards, will talk about being self-sufficient (grow your own) at any scale and give the audience a sneak peek at his new book.

Following this will be the 2024 New Product Awards and Best Stand Display announcement by Alan Down, HTA President, and Vicky Nuttall, GIMA Director, as voted for by the visiting press and media.

With another busy year ahead, earmarked with significant investment, expanding product portfolios, and improved efficiencies across all its leading garden brands, the AMES Companies must ensure its logistics systems are ready to respond. 

With Transport Manager, Emily Handley, at the helm, it’s safe to say AMES customers can rest assured that the company is well prepared to fulfil customer deliveries throughout 2024. 

Here, Emily tells us more about the preparations she and her team have made to ensure industry-leading standards are exceeded with every delivery.

Strong relationships with hauliers

“Being a partner of choice is one of the core goals of AMES Companies, and that hasn’t changed moving into 2024. Over the last 12 months, we have listened carefully to customer feedback and made positive changes.

“We’re dedicated to bringing retailers reliable deliveries that arrive on time. My team and I have spent time building great relationships with several local and national haulier companies. In doing so, we have ensured we have enough driver cover throughout the year to fulfil deliveries. Success this year looks like a small number of haulier partners who fulfil daily and weekly deliveries.”

To maintain consistency, AMES Companies drivers deliver to the same retailers each time. This might seem like a small detail, but the consistency enables the drivers and their stores to build meaningful relationships. Emily comments that this supports the AMES Companies’ focus on customer centricity. “We expect our haulier partners to build great rapport with our customers, and we work with them because they’re passionate about their work - they’re committed to providing a first-class service.”

One such haulier is Kevco. Talking about the importance of partnership, Mark Ormondroyd, Operations Director said: “We’ve worked closely with Emily and the team since becoming a direct logistical partner entrusted with AMES customer volumes under the Kevco Logistics banner to ensure that deliveries meet deadlines with the retailers purchasing the products. Our business believes in friendly, professional, and reliable service. This has allowed us to develop a good working relationship with AMES and its customers, which has been imperative to the successful long-standing partnership.”

During peak season, the uplift in demand means that the AMES Companies must also rely on national hauliers to meet every customer delivery within competitive timeframes. “We’ve carefully chosen national partners whose ethos is aligned with us and who can support us with additional volume during peak times,” added Emily.

Campeys of Selby, located just 20 minutes from the AMES Companies headquarters, is one of the hauliers that is part of the team. With a triple-figure fleet size, the team has enough capacity to meet AMES demand during peak season.  Harry Campey, Commercial & Operations Director, said: “Our business is built on customer service, trust, efficiencies, and being cost-effective - core values align with those at AMES and have helped to strengthen our relationship over the years. We believe in technology and transparency; this is why AMES group can access our live online portal and track and trace loads without communicating with our operations team. Finally, to ensure reliability our assets are modern and fitted with the latest technology, including AI, to ensure deliveries are on time and with data that can be extracted should any queries arise post-delivery.”

Emily said, “We know this approach works – 70% of deliveries are delivered within three days, well ahead of the agreed service levels.”

Efficient load planning and routes

The key to success is partly due to AMES Companies’ ability to approach deliveries proactively, including advanced routing schedules for drivers. 

Emily credits a recent recruitment drive for introducing these new processes: “Our Transport team has grown to seven colleagues in the last twelve months, and they are, frankly, a group of superstars! Each colleague has brought a unique skill set and background in different industries, so there’s a real breadth of experience in the team. Together, we work to plan routes and loads with our customers in mind, and we’re in regular communication with our drivers to ensure that the reality matches the concept, with happy customers across the board.” 

Taking this one step further, the AMES Companies haulier partners are also actively involved in critical decisions. In doing so, they can help provide the best service available for customers. An example of this being the successful collaborative loading processes for brand new AMES Tools deliveries. Emily credits those haulier partnerships with playing an integral role in the planning and execution of ongoing AMES Tool deliveries. 

Andrew Dean, owner of Dean Transport, with whom AMES has a highly established working relationship, said: “As the longest-standing permanent haulier to AMES, we have been able to build a strong working relationship with all AMES departments. Effective communication between everyone is fundamental and enables us to provide a first-class, high-quality service to AMES and their customers. Our diverse fleet enables us to support AMES throughout their production process, from bringing in the raw materials to delivering the finished product to the customer.

Customer feedback is paramount

Unlike other companies, AMES dedicates time to hearing from customers on improving delivery services. “It’s important to us that we get every single delivery correct, every time. To do this and to ensure that we stay ahead of the curve, catching any issues or concerns before they occur, we allocate time to receive honest and open feedback from our customers so we can continually improve our delivery service.”

Emily added: “By bringing our transport team in-house, we have enabled them to have complete oversight over our delivery scheduling and routes. This means we can act quickly to avoid disruption to customers and ensure delivery KPIs are met, as well as plan the full routes for our drivers to ensure we are efficient.

What’s next for the AMES Companies?

Continuous improvement is key. With Emily at the helm, the Transport team will focus on efficient routes and automatically creating loads.

Emily concluded by saying: “Not ones to rest on our laurels, we’re continuing to assess our protocols and look where we can make new investment to strengthen our offering. We’re currently trialling new software with a suite of analytics, helping us further improve our delivery performance. We’re proud of what we’ve done so far – so you can also look out for AMES Companies branded trailers on the road very soon!

Find out more

To stay up to date with all the latest news from AMES Companies please visit www.ames-uk.com

Bells Horticultural, a distinguished family-run enterprise with a rich heritage in horticulture, proudly announces the acquisition of the celebrated Peter Beales Roses business. This strategic move solidifies Bells Horticultural's commitment to preserving and enhancing the tradition of exquisite rose cultivation.

Peter Beales Roses, a name synonymous with timeless elegance and exceptional craftsmanship, has been a beacon in the world of roses since 1968. The acquisition, which completed today (Friday, 2^nd February), allows Bells Horticultural to carry forward the legacy of Peter Beales Roses, ensuring the continued availability of one of the finest and most diverse selection of roses in the market. Customers can expect the same unwavering commitment to quality and excellence that both brands are renowned for.

A pillar of the horticultural sector, Bells Horticultural benefits from extensive experience as a commercial nursery grower of indoor, outdoor and perennial plants supplied to many of the UK’s largest multiples and produced in a 30-acre modern glass house production site heated by a 3MW biomass boiler, whilst also running its own garden centre and e-commerce sites. It is this combined experience, passion and knowledge that has led the team to expand its portfolio to include one of the most beloved and iconic rose brands in the industry. The deal, which has been several months in the making, marks an exciting new era for Peter Beales Roses, an established brand and 28-time gold medal winner at RHS Chelsea.

The plan going forward is for the two businesses to operate independently of one another, however, the Bells team recognises that some benefits will be realised through the acquisition. It has also been confirmed that the wholesale supply of branded Peter Beales Roses to garden centres will continue through the existing supply partner, Whartons Roses. 

Robert Bell, Managing Director at Bells Horticultural said: “We are thrilled to confirm that we have now finalised the purchase of Peter Beales Roses. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for us but, more importantly, it marks an exciting next chapter for Peter Beales Roses; a brand that has been much loved by rose aficionados across the world for over 50 years. We are committed to preserving the legacy of the brand and its physical entities but also have great aspirations for future growth, including exciting plans to expand the breeding programme, and raise the public profile of the brand.

“From a commercial standpoint, the Peter Beales offering fits perfectly within the space we currently operate in, and we are confident that this will be pay dividends in both the short and long term. From garden centres and e-commerce to growing expertise, the synergies between our two brands are considerable and, we believe, are vital to the longevity of this expanded brand portfolio. We are on the precipice of something extremely exciting and it’s an honour to be carrying on the Peter Beales brand. Our thanks, of course, goes to Kenneth March, Director at Peter Beales Roses Ltd for all of his help and support during the transaction, and to the wider sector for their encouragement as we move forwards into this next phase.”

Bells assures customers of a smooth transition, with business as usual and no disruption to orders as it takes ownership of the Peter Beales business.

To find out how you can be part of the next chapter for Bells Horticultural and Peter Beales Rose, please do not hesitate to reach out the team for more information via info@bells.group

Garden furniture, grow your own and decorative garden structure specialist, Zest, part of the P&A Group, is to raise money for North East Wales Mind as its charity for 2024, after a vote by employees. 

North East Wales Mind helps people in Flintshire and Wrexham recover from mental health problems and stay emotionally healthy. In addition to face to face, telephone counselling and emotional support, the charity offers a range of online services and activities. Its phone lines are open between 10am and 4pm each weekday.

Commenting on the announcement, Steve Morgan, Managing Director of Zest said: “Our team of employees is very dedicated to raising money for charity and this year have voted to raise funds for North East Wales Mind. The charity’s face to face, phone, and online services offer vital support to people dealing with mental health issues, which is sadly needed more now than ever before.

“Every year our employees challenge themselves to come up with innovative ways to raise money for the chosen charity and there is a host of exciting events planned. From an abseil down Liverpool Cathedral to taking part in the Manchester Marathon and the Chester Santa Dash, there are a number of physical challenges planned as well as tried and trusted favourites such as various raffles and a quiz night. We’re all really looking forward to getting started and hope to raise as much money as we can for this very worthwhile charity. A target of £10,000 for 2024 has been set.”

Natasha Wait, Business Development and Fundraising Lead for North East Wales Mind said: “We’re delighted that Zest has chosen to support our charity in 2024. The company has an impressive track record of raising a lot of money for charity and we’re thrilled that fundraising will take place this year through lots of different events and challenges.” 

Over the last 14 years, Zest employees have raised over £150,000 for a variety of charities alongside colleagues in the P&A Group.  These include Dementia UK,  British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, Hope House, and Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospices, Cancer Research UK, Action for Children, Alzheimer’s Society, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Meningitis Now.

Zest was established in 2005 to bring high quality, sustainable timber garden products to garden centres, online retailers, builders’ merchants, and major purchasing groups across the UK.  For further information about Zest’s GYO, decorative and furniture products, visit www.zestoutdoorliving.co.uk.

To donate to North East Wales Mind, please visit https://www.p-a-group.com/charity

The team at a Bradford garden centre is celebrating after its ‘Kindness Pot' initiative won a national marketing award.

Yorkshire Garden Centres' MD, Mark Farnsworth and Commercial Director, Sharon McNair were presented with the Worrall Cup for Tong Garden Centre's entry into the competition during the Garden Centre Association (GCA) annual conference in Cirencester on 30th January.

"The Worrall Cup is awarded annually to the garden centre with the best marketing and community initiative and we're very proud to have won it for the Kindness Pot programme that benefits local causes that are nominated by our team members," said Yorkshire Garden Centres' Head of Marketing, Jo Dales.

" Our Kindness Pot was introduced in 2022 and donates time, money or products to meaningful causes that resonate deeply with all of our team. Since launch, over 50 local charities, groups, causes and community initiatives have benefited from the Pot."

GCA CEO Peter Burks said: "Our member garden centres are a creative bunch, and we run our Worrall Cup competition annually to decide who has the most flair and creativity when it comes to their marketing campaigns. This year we extended the entry parameters to include community initiatives too."

Tong Garden Centre occupies a 19-acre site in Tong village. It is one of Yorkshire's biggest independent garden centres with 11,600m2 of retail space and parking for up to 700 cars. It is part of the Yorkshire Garden Centres (YGC) group that also owns Tingley Garden Centre and the former Stephen H Smith's Garden Centres in Otley and Harden, Bingley.

North or south, the Garden Re-Leaf Day Charity Walks (15th March) represent one of the most popular events in the Greenfingers fundraising calendar. With two stunning locations, three distances to tackle, and fun guaranteed, it’s no surprise that this year’s event is set to be the biggest yet.

The North

Joining the line-up in 2024, the North Walk sees walkers tackle a 12-mile circular route that takes in the untouched natural beauty of West Yorkshire, also known as ‘Last of the Summer’ country. Passing by moorlands, riverside paths, pretty villages, and reservoirs, this walk rewards walkers with its start and end point being at The Pickled Pheasant in Holmbridge.

This year, the North Walk will be supported by a dedicated team working behind the scenes to ensure walkers remain on the correct route and that assistance is provided when needed. Team members will include Jane Lawler and Will Armitage though extra hands are always welcome, so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to assist on the day.

The South

Returning to Tring Garden Centre and the surrounding Hertfordshire countryside, the Garden Re-Leaf South Walk, and accompanying Cycle Ride, will also take place this March.

Walkers can either enjoy a 10-mile ‘stroll’ or push themselves a little bit further to complete the 20-mile route within the day. Cyclists wanting to don their Lycra can also clock up the miles, with anywhere between 25- to 100-miles on the cards.

Whilst the northern walkers will be treated to a warm pub welcome upon completion of the walk, that doesn’t mean south walkers will be missing out. A raffle, live music and barbeque will all be on offer at the start/end point of Tring Garden Centre (part of British Garden Centres); activities that are bound to help walkers and cyclists to forget about their tired legs for a little bit!

Confirmed so far for the South Walk are Capi’s Kate Ebbens, Andrea Wells, Jamie Howard and Robbie Hutchinson from Vitavia Greenhouses, Jessice de Vries from Extreme Lounging, and Hornby George PR’s Kimberley Hornby.

British Garen Centre’s Ricky Towers, Alex Bullock, Joanne Arnott, Andy Matthews, Dan Aiken, Amy Hennesey and Phil Robinson will also be found at the start line, hoping to contribute to the £3k fundraising total earmarked by the team this Garden Re-Leaf Day.

Cyclists confirmed are Ian Clark from Taylor Bulbs, Colin Goodhand from Poplars Garden Centre and Steve Descombre from British Garden Centres.

Garden Re-Leaf Day 2024 will also see support from the team behind the newly-launched Gardengram Ball. Taking place the day after Garden Re-Leaf Day on March 16th, the Gardengram Ball will bring together the many garden Instagrammers as well as Team Greenfingers, to raise funds for the Greenfingers Charity.

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications at the Greenfingers Charity said: “Every year the Garden Re-Leaf Walk and Cycle Challenge gets bigger and bigger and, this year, we hope to make it our biggest yet! Open to all supporters of the Greenfingers charity we actively encourage teams to take on the challenge together. Or why not convince your friends and family to join in the fun? This is a day designed to test your mettle, get some fresh air in the lungs and network with others. Give it a try – you never know, you might just like it!”

Kimberley Hornby, Owner of Hornby George PR, who has tackled all but one Garden Re-Leaf Day walk, added: “Whether on your own, or walking with a group, I can guarantee that you will enjoy yourself. With nothing to do but to put one foot in front of the other, there is plenty of time to get to know your colleagues, industry connections and new friends along the way. On every single walk I have laughed, created memories and made new friends. It’s a super day and the best bit is that we’re raising money for Greenfingers. As days go, this is definitely one that gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings.”

Don’t miss out – register today!

Getting involved in the Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge couldn’t be easier. Simply visit https://www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/get-involved/garden-re-leaf-day-is-coming-soon where all the information and registration links are clearly marked.

Don’t forget to also create your JustGiving page so that you can ask friends, family and colleagues for sponsorship. Linda Petrons explains: “We recognise that, as an event that sees so many from the garden retail sector take part, the fear is always that we’ll be asking all the same people for sponsorship. We say, ‘don’t let this put you off!’ The more people you ask – even if the same – the more it helps to spread the word of Greenfingers, so go shout it from the rooftops!”

Top tips for making the most of the Garden Re-Leaf Day Sponsored Walk & Cycle Challenge

• Appropriate shoes – both routes go off-road so be prepared for mud and stiles! A well-worn pair of walking boots or trainers will stand you in good stead.
• Remember plasters and a spare pair of socks should you get soggy feet!
• Not wanting to trust the Great British weather, we suggest wearing plenty of layers to ensure that you’re prepared for every season in one day if needed.
• Stops offering light snacks and water will be dotted throughout the route but it’s also a good idea to bring a few snacks or a light lunch to keep you sustained throughout the walk.
• Have fun! Make friends! Build your contacts! Whether you are walking on your own or as part of a team, you are guaranteed to have a superb day away from the desk.
• Raise money – don’t forget that the Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge has been put in place to raise much-needed funds for the Greenfingers Charity. No matter if you raise £250 or £1,000, just know that it is hugely appreciated and will make a difference to the children, friends and families that spend time in a Greenfingers garden.

For more FUNdraising ideas or to obtain a copy of the 2024 fundraising pack drop Linda a line – she’d love to hear from you.

The latest GRIDSERVE Electric Retail Hub has opened at Dobbies Edinburgh, as part of a long term partnership between the charging company and garden centre to increase the number of High Power charging locations across the UK. 

Dobbies Edinburgh, located in Lasswade, now features 6 GRIDSERVE charging bays to ensure space for all visitors, including two accessible bays for those with additional requirements.

The GRIDSERVE Electric Retail Hub has 2 dual charging units, with 4 charging bays. These chargers allow two cars to charge at once at Medium Power speeds, giving EV drivers time to explore the garden centre and other amenities. There are also 2 High Power chargers, charging one car at a time, for a quick top up.  

To make it as easy as possible for customers to charge their EV, the Dobbies Edinburgh Electric Retail Hub features CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, accepts contactless payment and provides real-time status updates to a myriad of popular EV charging maps. The chargers are powered by 100% net zero carbon energy, supporting GRIDSERVE and Dobbies’ purpose to move the needle on climate change.  

Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE, said: “We are delighted to be opening another Electric Retail Hub with our partners at Dobbies. Fast and reliable charging at convenient locations is what is needed to give drivers the confidence to switch to electric. We continue the rollout of new locations and chargers at speed and scale, and look forward to open even more GRIDSERVE chargers at Dobbies locations in the near future.” 

David Gibson, Regional Manager for Dobbies, said: “It is very important to us at Dobbies that we are constantly developing our store in line with the needs of our customers. As more drivers are switching to electric vehicles, we are delighted to be opening the electric retail hub in Edinburgh to provide the local community with easy to access affordable and fast EV charging.”

Blue Diamond Garden Centres in collaboration with the National Trust have been shortlisted as a finalist in this year’s Cultural Enterprises Awards for Best Licensed Product category, featuring our collection of plants, bulbs and seeds inspired by properties and gardens cared for by the Trust.

These Awards celebrate success and creativity in the cultural income generation and this year the Awards attracted a record number of entries with the calibre being particularly high. The shortlisted entries have been selected for their creativity and originality as well as their commercial success. Sustainability is a strong theme this year with materials being repurposed and recycled.

Cultural Enterprises CEO Gordon Morrison said: “Promoting commercial best practice within the cultural sector has never been more important given the urgent need for the sector to maximise income streams and identify new sources of money making. The Cultural Enterprises Awards provide a brilliant platform to showcase commercial excellence within the cultural sector and perform an essential role in providing inspiration and ideas on maximising income streams to cultural venues across the country. I am delighted that we have seen a record level of entries this year, and the calibre is particularly high, providing us with an outstanding showcase of commercial best practice to inspire the wider sector.”

The National Trust entered a range of licensed products, developed with Blue Diamond Garden Centres including: 

• New and Exclusive to Blue Diamond, Daffodil ‘National Trust Joy’ launched on behalf of the National Trust
• The National Trust Herbaceous Collection by Blue Diamond 
• Plant-a-mats- an easy to plant tray of bulbs, inspired by properties cared for by the National Trust.
• Rosa Mottisfont launched by Blue Diamond on behalf of the National Trust
• A range of seeds from the National Trust Collection by Blue Diamond

Winners will be announced in March.

Judges commented that the National Trust Collections by Blue Diamond were: “A perfect collaboration for the National Trust in terms of audience and message” and “a visually appealing way to sell bulbs and plants to a time-poor gardener. Linking the products to properties gives them a grounding; a history, and in a time of national turmoil, we all crave our roots. This combines pleasure and relaxation with thoughtfulness, just perfect."  

Blue Diamond has developed with the National Trust, Collections of seeds, bulbs, roses, and plants inspired by the properties cared for the by the National Trust. Through sales generated from the National Trust Collections by Blue Diamond, a minimum of 10% of the retail sales price per product will be given to the National Trust to help look after nature, beauty and history for everyone, for ever.

For more information about these Collections and Blue Diamond’s collaboration with the National Trust visit https://www.bluediamond.gg/national-trust

Feverfew Garden Company, in its first six months, has experienced unprecedented success, marking a year of remarkable growth and innovation. As we enter a new year, Feverfew is excited to announce the launch of its latest collection of coloured and newly sized gardening gloves, ready for the 2024 season.

Fresh from being awarded  www.gardenersworld.com’s  ‘Best Buy’ for lightweight gloves and receiving a Scottish EDGE funding award last year, Feverfew is delighted to announce its gloves are back in a striking plum colour, as well as an expanded size range to allow all female gardeners to find their perfect fit.

In a UK first, Feverfew Garden now stocks their original gardening gloves in four sizes, making them the only ladies' garden gloves brand to do so.  Recognising that one size does not fit all, Feverfew has listened to customer feedback and meticulously developed an inclusive sizing range, ensuring that every pair provides the utmost comfort and flexibility.

With sizes now available from XS-L, this reinforces Feverfew’s commitment to putting their customers first and creating products that help women feel confident and empowered in the garden. The new plum colour and expanded garden glove sizes maintain the high standards of quality and durability that Feverfew is renowned for and won awards for.

The latest addition to the gardenwear range joins the already popular green ladies' garden gloves which have won collective praise for their style, functionality and fit.  Feverfew gloves are the perfect solution to the baggy 'one-size-fits-all' as the design is specifically tailored to fit women's hands perfectly.

The gloves also go beyond the basics with reinforced fingertips equipped with a touchscreen forefinger and thumb, making them perfect for seamlessly using smartphones, whilst the padded palm provides an extra layer of protection and comfort, ideal for tackling even the most demanding gardening tasks. To top it off, the added clip ensures that your gloves can be securely fastened together, eliminating the risk of losing a single glove.

Rachel Eunson, Founder of Feverfew Garden Company said: “I am so excited to unveil our new plum-coloured garden gloves with expanded sizes, offering a perfect blend of style and functionality in the garden wear market.  We strongly believe that women should have access to comfortable and functional gardening gloves, and this new collection is a testament to our ongoing commitment to our amazing customers."

The Feverfew range of garden gloves is now available for purchase on the website www.feverfewgarden.co.uk 

To start stocking Feverfew Garden’s Original Ladies Gloves, please email rachel@feverfewgarden.co.uk. You can follow Feverfew’s journey athttps://www.instagram.com/feverfewgarden.co or visit the website www.feverfewgarden.co.uk

Peat-free growing media producer, RocketGro is extremely proud to announce that two of its best-selling products have been verified by the Vegan Society.

It means that both its flagship Magic Mulch product and Plant Fuel collection of liquid concentrate plant feeds are now certified as vegan and can carry the recognised Vegan Society trademark.

The move means that these products are now clearly identifiable for consumers actively seeking genuine vegan products, who know they can rely on the trusted trademark. Products are also listed on the Vegan Society website, giving weight to the RocketGro ranges.

It’s an exciting milestone for the British brand, whose products are all 100% peat free, Soil Association-approved organic, chemical free and produced sustainably in the UK. Magic Mulch and Plant Fuel are made from composted-down crops that are a by-product from the biogas plant on RocketGro’s farm in Somerset, which is responsible for powering thousands of homes in the local area.

The Vegan Trademark is an internationally recognised vegan product certification, established in 1990 by The Vegan Society – the charity that first coined the phrase ‘vegan’. Its aim is to help make vegan products more accessible, with the trademark now used on more than 65,000 certified vegan products across the world. To achieve certification, products undergo a thorough assessment to ensure their vegan claim is valid and authentic.

RocketGro will now begin the process of getting the rest of its range, which is already listed as Vegan Friendly, fully certified by the Vegan Society and authorised to use the widely-recognised trademark logo.

Commenting on the accreditation, RocketGro Managing Director Toby Thomas said: “We are very pleased to be working with the Vegan Society to be able to ensure the message is clear about the Vegan certified status of our product range. We have started with two products, but the plan is to have the majority of our full range officially accredited.

“We know that our entire current range is vegan friendly and believe this is a great addition to the suite of environmental, sustainable, and eco benefits that RocketGro’s products offer our customers. They are great for the garden and great for the environment!”

Just last year, the famous River Cottage brought RocketGro on board as its exclusive compost supplier, praising the Somerset manufacturer’s products for their performance and local, sustainable production.

Earlier this month it was also revealed that RocketGro – exclusive compost supplier to the renowned River Cottage – has been shortlisted for the Environmental & Sustainability Award at the Somerset Business Awards 2024, marking another proud achievement for this fast-growing, eco-focused business. Results will be announced at the awards event in March.

Find out more

If you want to learn more about RocketGro or are keen to discuss adding its product portfolio into your 2024 offering, please contact Toby Thomas (hello@rocketgro.co.uk /07936 928 981) or Andy Abraham (andy@rocketgro.co.uk / 07446 937902). View the full range and discover more about the RocketGro story at www.rocketgro.co.uk

British home and garden specialist, Ivyline, will launch its brand-new Autumn/Winter 2024/5 collection at Spring Fair, offering visitors a first glimpse of gorgeous Christmas décor, home accessories and trend-leading planters.

From the company’s stand in Hall 7 E50, visitors can also look forward to the launch of a completely new Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew collection and will have another chance to see the Spring/Summer 2024 collection which premiered at Glee 2023.

For 2024 the stand will be split into three zones which reflect Ivyline’s two main seasonal collections - Autumn/Winter/Christmas 2024 and Spring/Summer 2024 – alongside the new Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew collection, simplifying the ordering process and emphasising the depth of choice to be found within the overall range. This covers both indoor and outdoor product, as well as crossing the seasons. Emporium-style, extra-large pots and planters and an extended outdoor living collection will enable retailers to seamlessly extend their home style into the garden.

The vast majority of Ivyline products are manufactured close to home in Europe, reducing the carbon footprint involved in their production and ensuring they won’t be left trapped in the Red Sea or Suez Canal ahead of delivery.  Many items in the collection are also made from eco-friendly materials such as recycled glass, wicker, jute and seagrass.

The Ivyline stand will occupy a prime position close to the entrance of Hall 7, where a whole new product category will be launched. “We don’t want to reveal too much ahead of the show,” says Ivyline Managing Director, Scott Thomas, “but we’ll be introducing a line that’s completely different to anything currently available on the market. We have also brought forward the launch of our Christmas collection by three months and can’t wait to showcase it for the first time at Spring Fair. We also have a host of exclusive show offers lined up for retailers who place orders during the show.”

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Gift buyers at Spring Fair are expected to make a beeline for the Ivyline Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew-licensed collection, which is sure to be a showstopper once again. Already a highlight of the Ivyline offering, the 2024 collection is especially strong and Spring Fair represents the first opportunity for retailers to view it in its entirety.  Visitors can look forward to seeing plenty of the gorgeous botanical prints, for which the Kew collections are renowned and which help make the lines exceptionally good for gifting. After selling out completely in 2023, the Kew-licensed outdoor collection has also been expanded for the seasons to come.

Autumn/Winter/Christmas 2024

Spring Fair will see the unveiling of a brand-new collection for this year’s Autumn/Winter season, with a warm autumnal palette and key focus on all things festive. Ivyline’s directional trend edits for 2024 season include Autumn Living, replete with embossed patterns and the warm tones of cinnamon, sage and damson. Country Charm, will help you achieve the classic, cottagecore style that's so beloved in Britain, with rustic, textured finishes and soft, muted colours. Sophisticated Opulence brings elegance to the home with darker inky colours and a touch of the achievable luxury that Ivyline is renowned for, whilst Festive Elegance puts Christmas in the spotlight with glorious metallic finishes and handmade frosted glass pieces which are as sustainable as they are stylish.

Hero pieces for Advent will be an irresistible focal point for Christmas, with an extensive selection of poinsettia and cyclamen pots for these favourite festive houseplants. Charming pinecone and pumpkin-themed candle-holders offer wonderful gifting opportunities, whilst the Ivyline candle collection – 100% made in Europe - has also been extended for 2024.

A series of Christmas-specific trend edits – Rustic Retreats, Winter Cabin, Nordic Noir and Noel - will help merchandise teams create enticing displays for the prime shopping season. Eye-catching table centrepieces, luxurious fireside accessories, stocking and wreath hooks, a breathtaking array of pots and planters, plus Christmas tree skirts and containers complete the comprehensive range.

Spring Fair will run from 4-7 February 2024 at the NEC, Birmingham. The Ivyline stand is expected to be extremely busy for the duration of the show and visitors are strongly encouraged to book appointments in advance to avoid disappointment. You can fill in this simple contact form to request an appointment and/or download Ivyline brochures.

Last but not least, Ivyline has put together some fabulous goody bags filled with gifts from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew licensees, for Spring Fair visitors only.

The next edition of Spring Fair, taking place 4-7 February 2024, sees the launch of the show’s newest business platform, Pitch Live. Offering a launchpad for exhibitors to present their best products in a Dragon’s Den-style feature, the six finalists have been announced.

Pitch Live invites exhibitors to take to the Trend Talks stage in Hall 6 with their most prized and innovative products and pitch live to an esteemed panel of judges and an engaged retail audience. For buyers, this is THE place to find the newest and most innovative products, offering a front-row seat to quality products in the gift and fashion destinations.

On Monday 5th February at 3pm Pitch Live Gift gets underway. Pitch Live - Gift Products - SpringFair 2024. The Finalists confirmed are:

Willsow - exhibitors/willsow-1

Creators of the first ever plantable children's books! Once you have read the stories you can plant the pages or the entire book to grow the main character. The books are created to leave the least impact to the earth and the best impact to the reader / grower.

Ducky Zebra - exhibitors/ducky-zebra

Ducky Zebra creates award-winning sustainable clothes for babies and children up to 6 years old. The ‘child approved’ designs are free from stereotypes and inspire kindness and confidence in those who wear them. Clothes are made from GOTS organic cotton, with clever features such as two-way zips for easy dressing, and roll-down cuffs to give extra length as the child grows. Their designs are unisex and seasonless, meaning they can be passed on to friends and family no matter what the season or gender.

Go On, Make Me Ltd - exhibitors/go-make

Go On Make Me designs and sources sustainable new innovative dexterity toys and gifts that are attractive and compelling to children and adults alike, providing a much needed diversion from phone and computer screens. Designed to encourage creativity with a modest challenge and the need to focus on physical interaction, creativity, satisfaction and fun are at the very heart of the products.

On Tuesday 6th February, return to the Trend Talks stage for Pitch Live MODA Pitch Live - MODA Products - SpringFair 2024. The Finalists are:

Vurchoo Ltd - exhibitors/vurchoo

Vurchoo’s Studs of Hope is designed to be an evergreen collection of affordable jewellery that simultaneously represent and support the countries they are inspired by. More specifically they were designed with the aim of helping children around the world escape poverty and find education. Comprised of ethically sourced gold, silver and mixed metals, as well as gemstones, Studs of Hope was created to bring ethical jewellery to the masses. By purchasing one of the Studs of Hope pieces, Vurchoo gives 10-25% of profits to charities in the UK and overseas via its partner UK registered charities.

Nerik - exhibitors/nerik

Introducing the Transformative Garment & Scarf range called Nerik. This  innovative range is more than just clothing: It's a sustainable, shape-shifting masterpiece that adapts to your needs and how you want to look, offering multiple styles in one.

Merry People - exhibitors/merry-people-designs-uk

Merry People began in 2014 when founder Dani Pearce ended up with wet feet and ruined shoes after her rainy commutes in Melbourne, Australia. Dani grew up on a farm in one of the wettest parts of Australia, so knew of the importance of a quality pair of Wellies. When she moved to the city, she found herself needing a waterproof footwear option that could work for everyday wear, from city to country. And so Merry People was created!

Finalists will have the opportunity to enhance their brand recognition, grow their audience, gain invaluable feedback and possibly get a new listing! The winner will receive a 2m² space off their 2025 stand, two 1-hour consultancy sessions (press relations, mentoring & hands on strategic advice) with Sharon Good, CEO of Good Results PR.

Inspiring retail’s creators and curators, Spring Fair has brought the industry together for over 70 years so retail's people can discover the latest products and trends. The next show will be an inspirational experience dedicated to the magic of discovery. Buyers will see, touch and experience thousands of the latest products across four key destinations - Home, Gift, Moda, and Everyday - and 13 definitive sectors. An efficient show layout designed around buyer’s needs will mean less time spent finding suppliers and products and more time experiencing them and everything else the show has to offer.

Spring Fair

4th – 7th February 2024

NEC Birmingham.

For more information please visit www.springfair.com  

To register for your free ticket visit https://www.springfair.com/visitor-registration

The UK’s leading responsible sourcing show, Source Home & Gift opens its doors this Sunday welcoming hundreds of manufacturers and brands delivering newness from around the world with a curated display of on-trend responsibly crafted products.

New to February 2024, the New Product Showcase will be a curated display of on-trend, responsibly crafted products found exclusively at Source Home & Gift. Explore the best that manufacturers and makers have to offer and take inspiration for your next product range by browsing a collection of beautifully crafted and well-made products.

Running from 4-7th February 2024 at Birmingham’s NEC, the third edition welcomes even more makers and manufacturers from emerging markets such as Senegal, Ghana and Nepal as they exhibit for the first time, and they are joined by over 400 manufacturers and suppliers from over 25 countriesincluding Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, United Kingdom, and United States – making it the biggest show to date.

Shining the spotlight on powerhouse manufacturers and artisan producers from around the globe, the show strives to bring the best manufacturers, artisan designers, and technology providers together under one roof.

Snapshot of the New Product Showcase

Visitors will discover a myriad of products from around the world in the curated edit from the show floor.

From stylish Jute rugs made from natural fibres to handmade blankets created from recycled cotton, Seven Seas is a manufacturer, exporter, and wholesaler of handloom products and will showcase their cosy home furnishings. 

UniGreen is replacing all wood pulp paper and plastic consumable goods, with products made from Bamboo. Working towards a greener future, UniGreen's products are made from the world’s fastest-growing renewable plant source and are 100% compostable.

Kendaka specialises in glass upcycling, used-plastic weaving and textile-crochet space, and is run by empowered artisans. Kendaka focus on reusing waste and creating upcycled functional pieces that complement your space, fashion wardrobe and lifestyle.

Nokoosh Egypt presenting their new handwoven collection by talented Egyptian artisans in environmentally friendly cotton and jute, and inspired from ancient Egypt.

Also hailing from Egypt, long-established décor glass producers Alfagr will present their beautifully crafted Christmas ornaments, candle holders, gift objects, glass flower vases, candy jars, jugs and drinkware.

Jaipur Bloc House is an ethical home textile brand, deeply rooted in the pink city Jaipur, India. Its unwavering commitment lies in crafting premium, handmade textiles that embrace both quality and safety, ensuring they are entirely free from chemicals, making them gentle on the skin. Products range from bedlinens and table linens to home textiles, lifestyle products and apparels, presenting a unique blend of tradition and modernity.

Zeenat Handcrafts aim to enhance the rustic ambiance of living spaces with mirrors that effortlessly introduce an organic silhouette to your walls. Crafted with a wooden frame, the mirrors retain a natural texture and boast a warm brown finish, imparting a touch of lodge-style charm to surroundings. The use of live edge wood and burnt finishes can evoke a connection to nature.

From India, discover Kaushalam - The Studio of Hand Painted Artisanal Products. Founded in 2012, Kaushalam is the brainchild of social entrepreneur and artist, Mrinalika Jain Bhardwaj. Driven by the aim of creating a niche in the world of art and craft, the central focus with Kaushalam has always been to revive the regional, folk, and traditional artforms of India.

Look out for the stunning hand-crafted ceramic tableware South African based Gingham Ceramics. Microwave, dishwasher and oven safe, products are hand-crafted from the best Stoneware ceramic clay and will enhance any table setting with their charming design and superior quality.

Suzanne Ellingham, Director of Sourcing, Source Home & Gift says, “Our team has been working hard with governments and agencies from across the world to bring best in class manufacturers and artisan producers to the UK to share their capabilities with the UK market. Our job is to balance scale and quality across key buying categories, with a range of minimum order values and range of finishes. We will bring together hundreds of manufacturers to help you create your ranges and assortments, and we can’t wait to open our doors on Sunday and present a curated showcase of our most exciting suppliers.”

Source Home & Gift will elevate the visitor experience with insightful content from internationally renowned industry professionals and experts as they discuss the latest trends and topics in responsible and sustainable manufacturing. Expect to discover intelligence sessions full of insightful tips, tricks and considerations for ethically sourcing materials from Retail 100 who will present across three days.

Visitors will also be treated to trend sessions from The Future Collective and Insider Trends, as well as working towards a circular economy with Rumage, waste reduction and upcycling materials with SATCoL, a case study from Treen on the road to radical accountability and transparency, plus the inside track in understanding the B Corp certification process and how to prepare for it.

The only international sourcing platform of its kind, Source Home & Gift brings together global manufacturers who pride themselves on responsible manufacturing practices, with key retailers, wholesalers, and brands, who care about how great products are made across eight sectors including Homewares, Toys, Packaging, Stationery & Greetings, Gifts, Furniture, Textiles, and Technology & Services.

A Source Home & Gift ticket gives you free access to co-located show, Spring Fair.

Source Home & Gift takes place on the 4th – 7th February at NEC Birmingham. Visit www.source-homeandgift.com for more information.

Spring Fair, which takes place from this Sunday until Wednesday 7th February at NEC Birmingham, has announced a partnership with TikTok Shop set to deliver free business solutions and underscores the evolving nature of retail.

TikTok Shop is an e-commerce solution integrated within TikTok. It enables merchants and creators to showcase and sell products for the TikTok community to discover and purchase directly through a complete in-app experience.

Sponsoring Spring Fair’s new Masterclass Studio, the partnership is dedicated to helping grow retail businesses by offering expertise in TED-style talks on an array of topics from social media skills, buying best practice, radical retail technology, and conscious consumerism, from TikTok Shop’s experts and leading agencies including B Corp, Google, Avocado Social, Dalziel & Pow, and The Buyer and Retail Coach Ltd.

Jo Spence, Head of Content, Spring Fair says, “Collaborating with Tik Tok Shop has been a fantastic opportunity for us at Spring Fair. Not only are we gaining valuable insight into the future of digital retail, but to be able to share this with our audience and customers to help them thrive, is ultimately, why we do what we do.

“As e-commerce continues to thrive, collaborations like this pave the way for a future where digital and physical retail seamlessly coexist. TikTok Shop and Spring Fair partnership is not just a collaboration; it's a glimpse into the future of retail by offering insight into producing an authentic way for brands to connect with creators and communities, fostering growth and creating meaningful shopping moments. From entertainment-driven commerce to trusted creators and engaging communities, TikTok Shop transforms the shopping experience.”

Buyers will be able to discover TikTok’s latest retail benefits and immerse themselves in sessions that will provide invaluable insights and practical knowledge to boost their business using this revolutionary platform, giving them fundamental tips on building authentic connections with their audience.

Ginny Major, Home & Living Category Manager from TikTok Shop says, “We are delighted to partner with Spring Fair this year. As the UK’s largest retail trade show, this gives us a unique platform to engage directly with the retail industry and share our entirely new way to authentically engage with creators and communities to grow their business. Spring Fair’s dedication to helping their customer’s businesses thrive provides an ideal event for us to collaborate and drive meaningful shopping moments across physical and digital retail.”

TikTok Shop will deliver the following masterclasses:

The Power of TikTok Shop: Dive into a new world of selling! Learn about our all-in-app features that seamlessly integrate to supercharge your sales.

Speaker: Thomas Wintle, Fashion E-commerce Leader, TikTok Shop.

TikTok Shop 101: Discover what drives the success of TikTok Shop! Master the essentials for achieving sales on the platform.

Speaker: Ginny Major, Home & Living Category Manager, TikTok Shop.

Effective Strategies for Selling on TikTok Shop: Explore selling methods tailored to your unique business on TikTok Shop.

Speaker: Amanda Uduku, Merchant Growth Strategy Manager, TikTok Shop.

Connecting with TikTok Creators: Unlock the potential of TikTok Creators and Affiliate Marketing to optimize your sales.

Speaker: Patricia Olufemi, E-Comm Creator Education, TikTok Shop.

Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director, Spring Fair concludes, “By combining the innovation of TikTok Shop with the established network of Spring Fair, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to thrive in a retail landscape that is more dynamic and interconnected than ever before. This strategic alliance marks a paradigm shift, and businesses in the retail sector should be ready to embrace the exciting possibilities it brings. in ways you never imagined. We can't wait to see you there as we embark on this exciting adventure together!”

The full Masterclass Studio in partnership with TikTok Shop programme can be viewed at https://www.springfair.com/stage-programme.

Inspiring retail’s creators and curators, Spring Fair has brought the industry together for over 70 years so retail's people can discover the latest products and trends. The next show will be an inspirational experience dedicated to the magic of discovery. Buyers will see, touch and experience thousands of the latest products across four key destinations - Home, Gift, Moda, and Everyday - and 13 definitive sectors. An efficient show layout designed around buyer’s needs will mean less time spent finding suppliers and products and more time experiencing them and everything else the show has to offer.

Spring Fair

4th – 7th February 2024

NEC Birmingham.

For more information please visit www.springfair.com  

To register for your free ticket visit https://www.springfair.com/visitor-registration

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Jennifer Pheasey, Director of Public Affairs at the Horticultural Trades Association, responds to the Safeguarding the Union: Command Paper, which builds on the Windsor Framework: 

“The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) welcomes the announcement of the rapid establishment of a Horticulture Working Group on Great Britain-Northern Ireland trade. Such a forum has been a key ask of the HTA since the Windsor Agreement was published. The HTA and its members are already part of a new Mail Order Plants working group. We are keen to ensure any additional new group covers the urgent unlocking of the wider trade barriers and prohibitions faced by the horticultural trade. As the Command Paper recognises, the trade in trees, plants, seed potatoes, seeds and other plant products is important, and it is critical that the government works closely with industry experts to ensure the ambitious words become a reality. 

“Key issues, such as expanding the list of tree species that can move across the border and direct to consumer trade, including for seed potatoes, remain top concerns for UK horticulture. We look forward to understanding more about expected timeframes for changes, including what requires EU ratification, what this means for high-risk plants and plant products, and how swiftly we can find and implement solutions and see the opportunity for trade to resume meaningfully. We remain disappointed that trade has been lost, and much uncertainty remains. We welcome the engagement we have had with government and policy-makers over recent months and, as a sector, remain optimistic and committed to working constructively to maximise the opportunity for UK horticulture.” 

You can read the paper here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-union

Next Tuesday, 6 February, will see the opening of the second spring edition of PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt. With a full fair floor almost bursting at its seams it will be awaiting professional garden plant buyers with a complete range of outdoor green products that will be directly available to them. On top of this, the Green Future Hub will pay attention to low-peat cultivation, and there will be twelve nominations for the ‘Visitors’ Favourite’ Green Retail Award.

The spring edition of PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt, which will take place on 6 and 7 February 2024, is the number-one opportunity for suppliers and everyone else involved in the green sector to meet one another. Marjolein Wieckardt: “All the available fair floor space has been rented and we are delighted that we’ve been able to offer everyone interested a place at the trade fair. With just over 180 exhibitors, novelties and GROEN-Direkt’s more than 5000 sample batches and Mediterranean range, we once again have loads to offer our visitors”.

Focus on low-peat cultivation at the Green Future Hub

At the Green Future Hub, growers, wholesalers and retailers can obtain information on nursery products, their cultivation in low-peat or peat-free substrates, and the impact of that on trade. Eight exhibitors with experience in this field will show an attractive presentation of products, while Anthos, LTO and Delphy will share their knowledge of Dutch and international rules and regulations and will explain the possibilities of cultivation in low-peat mixtures. Specialists will be talking to one another and the public during walk-in question sessions between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. Hortipoint will test the knowledge of exhibitors and visitors.

‘Visitors’ Favourite’ Green Retail Award

The spring edition of the fair will of course also pay attention to novelties. Twelve products have been nominated for the Visitors’ Favourite contest of the Green Retail Awards:

Camellia 'Beauty Blush', Camellia 'Winter Perfume Pink' and Camellia 'Winter Perfume Pearl', Cordyline australis 'Lime Passion', Eucalyptus websteriana ‘Botanic Hearts’, Fagus sylvatica 'Icefire', Fargesia ‘Moontears’® Boobux, Hydrangea serrata Euphoria® 'Pink', Prostanthera 'Rosette'®, The Living Garden Flowermix, Thuja plicata Aldrich Mountain, Viburnum Magical Spring Glory and Winter Angel Helleborus Frostkiss Magico. You’ll find descriptions of all the products in question on the novelties page  at the website. The products submitted for this inspection will be presented directly at the fair’s entrance. During the fair days visitors will be invited to vote for what they consider the best new product. The winner of the Visitors’ Favourite will be announced at 3 p.m. on Wednesday 7 February.

About PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt

The spring edition of PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt - the Green Retail Fair - will take place on 6 and 7 February 2024. The fair will kick off the new garden plant season with more than 180 exhibitors and the 5000 sample layers of GROEN-Direkt’s Spring Fair. Anybody professionally involved in the green sector should definitely save the fair’s dates!

The fair will be open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. (4 p.m. on the Wednesday). For more information and to register your visit, go to plantariumgroendirekt.nl.

Bents won the GCA Destination Garden Centre of the Year 2023 at the Annual Dinner event which brought the 2024 GCA Conference to a close.

Fairways Ashbourne were announced as Garden Centre of the Year.

Martin Stewart and Warren Haskins were in attendance to present the Haskins Stewart Cup for Associate Member of the Year, as voted for by GCA Members to greetings card suppliers Woodmansterne.

Mark and Sharon from Tong Garden Centre walked away with The Worrall Cup, the GCA's Award for marketing, for their hugely successful local charities "Kindness Pot" campaign.

The Ten GCA Garden Centres of Excellence Awards were presented to:

• Bents
• Barton Grange
• Coolings Knockholt
• Haskins Snowhill
• Klondyke Mortonhall
• Millbrook Gravesend
• Old Railway Line
• Perrywood Tiptree
• Ruxley Manor
• Simpsons

See photos of all the presentations at the Annual Dinner event, including Guy Toppings auction for "The Last Bag of peat based Miracle-Gro Compost" which raised £8,000 for Greenfingers thanks to Terry Head at Stewarts, in the gallery below and watch this space for more coverage of Tuesday at the GCA Conference over the coming days.

GARDEN centre teams from across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference in the Cotswolds yesterday (Monday, January 29, 2024).

The awards were presented to the member garden centres during a ceremony at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

GCA Chief Executive, Peter Burks said: “The commitment and hard work our member garden centres put in each year just gets better and better. Through our annual inspections and awards, we know our members have some of the highest standards in our industry.

“They should all be proud of the example they set to others. I’d like to congratulate all our worthy winners this year for their dedication to ensuring the public receives an experience to remember when visiting them. I would also like to thank all our award sponsors in each category for supporting us this year, to Hozelock our sponsors for today’s conference and to our headline sponsors Evergreen Garden Care and Westland Horticulture and secondary main sponsor Smart Garden Products too.”

The full list of winners (see GTN Xtra's photos in the gallery below) announced on Monday, January 29 were:

GCA GROW Training Award

• GCA GROW Training Award – Bosworths Garden Centre, Burton Latimer

 Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre)

Winner

 Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre) – Thompson Plants and Garden Welling

Second & third place winners

• British Garden Centres, Arcadia
• Klondyke Beverley Garden Centre

Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation

Winner

 Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation – Bents Garden & Home

Second & third place winners 

• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
• Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 

Customer Service Award – Best Customer Service – sponsored by Worldpay

Winner 

• The Old Railway Line Garden Centre

Second & third place winners

• Aylett Nurseries
• Klondyke Mortonhall Garden Centre 

Paul Cooling Environment and Sustainability Award sponsored by Wildlife World

Winner

• Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend

Second & third place winners

• The Old Railway Line Garden Centre
• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer

Winners 

• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Bents Garden and Home
• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Klondyke Garden Wise, Dumfries

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Barton Grange Garden Centre
• Stewarts Garden Centre, Christchurch 

Garden Centre Category 

• Klondyke Astbury Meadow Garden Centre
• Tarporley Garden Centre, British Garden Centres 

The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer sponsored by Merzario

Winners 

• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 

• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury  

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Gordale Garden Centre
• Bents Garden and Home 

Garden Centre Category 

• Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe and RHS Bridgewater =
• Creative Gardens, Logwood 

The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer – sponsored by Woodlodge

Winners

• The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Garsons Garden Centre, Esher  
• The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Canterbury Garden Centre 

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category 

• Bents Garden and Home
• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre and Hayes Garden World =  

Garden Centre Category 

• Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne
• Klondyke Garforth Garden Centre, Stanway Garden Centre, Ramsgate Garden Centre – British Garden Centres, Squires Garden Centre, Frensham, Squires Garden Centre, Woking, Squires Garden Centre, Washington = 

NEW for 2024 – Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup

Winners

• Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
• Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup (Garden Centre Category) – Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth and Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe = 

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category 

• Webbs of Wychbold and Ransoms Garden Centre =
• Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree and Hayes Garden Centre = 

Garden Centre Category 

• Klondyke Garden Wise, Dumfries
• Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne 

NEW for 2024 – Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award

Winners

• Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Bellis Brothers Farm Shop & Garden Centre
• Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award (Garden Centre Category) – Squires Garden Centre, Frensham 

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category 

• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
• Klondyke Mortonhall Garden Centre 

Garden Centre Category 

• Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe
• Klondyke Beverley Garden Centre

Catering Award sponsored by Clifton Coffee Roasters

Winners

• Catering Award (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
• Catering Award(Garden Centre Category) – Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category 

• Bents Garden and Home and Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill =
• Polhill Garden Centre, Henry Street Garden Centre and Stewarts Garden Centre, Christchurch = 

Garden Centre Category 

• Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe and Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne =
• Klondyke Mayfield Garden Centre 

Ruxley Rose Award for Best Overall Plantaria sponsored by Wyevale Nurseries

Winners 

• Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
• Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre Category) – Squires Garden Centre, Hersham 

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category 

• Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 
• Aylett Nurseries 

Garden Centre Category

• Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury  
• Squires Garden Centre, Woking 

Christmas Competition sponsored by Gisela Graham

Winners                                                               

• Christmas Competition (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Garsons Garden Centre, Esher
• Christmas Competition (Garden Centre Category) – Castle Gardens, part of The Gardens Group

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Barton Grange Garden Centre
• Gates Garden Centre

 Garden Centre Category 

• Brimsmore Gardens, part of the Gardens Group
• Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe

Westland Horticulture sponsored Rising Stars winner

Haydon Walters – Thatcham Garden Centre (British Garden Centres).

The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

Kings and Queens were out in force last night as the GCA celebrated their associate members with a theme night dinner.

Old Kings, Dancing Queens, Disney Kings and Queens plus Pharaohs and Cleopatras were however out shone by the Lion King team from Garsons who scoped the nights Fancy Dress award.  The pub signs from Meadowview Stone were judged to be second with the Millbrook King Prawns coming third  See GTN Xtra's gallery of the evening below 

Wasting no time, the GCA kicked off its 2024 conference directly after the AGM where outgoing chair Tammy Woodhouse, handed over the chairmanship to Will Blake of St Peters Garden Centre.

First up, were a deluge of pictures showing inspirational, brilliant ideas and examples of first class customer service and retailing witnessed by GCA Inspectors Alyson Haywood, Gordon Emslie, Phil McCann and Colin Farquhar. Travelling across the country, they visited GCA member garden centres taking around 40,000 pictures from the moment they entered car parks until they left the sites. Some of these images provided great ideas for delegates to adopt at their own stores.

Phil McCann presented an advent calendar of Christmas geniousness from the 40 stores he visited for the Christmas award.  Winners this year are Castle Gardens in the Garden Centre category which embraced sustainability and the environment within its displays and Garsons Esher in the Destination Centre category for its excellent Art of Christmas initiative. His presentation ended with an energetic challenge between Old Railway Line and Cowells, to see who could take the net off a Christmas tree in the quickest time. Won by Old Railway Line, Phil suggests The Great British Net Off could be challenge for garden centres to pick up through social media channels for Christmas 2024.

Alyson Haywood’s summary of the best planteria retailing ended with presentations for the Ruxley Rose awards. Congratulations to Squires Horsham which won the Garden Centre category and Cowells winning in the Destination Garden Centre category.

The five finalists in the Rising Stars competition gave inspirational presentations of their environmental projects. Spanning ideas from educating gardeners about using peat free right through to water wise gardening, it was Haydon Walters who won. Working at BGC Thatcham Garden Centre, his project encouraged 500 children to get involved with planting seeds and seedlings through his workshops during the summer holidays and increased takings in the centre at the same time. This was backed up by his own activity book given free. But watch this space, Haydon is in talks with a major publisher so watch this space as his book could have a bright future.

Guest speaker Josh McBain from Foresight Factory gave a glimpse into the future which will undoubtedly embrace AI to inspire customers to buy, give them more information and more easily find what they want. Although online and in person buying was still very much in evidence there is a trend towards customers appreciating human interactions, which is good news for garden centres, and he suggested they are also looking for multi sensory retail experiences, again another plus for the garden retailing sector.

Rounding up the day and plunging everyone into deep despair about the state of the planet were The Futurenauts, Ed Gillespie and Mark Stevenson.  Thankfully they pulled delegates out of this depression with their enthusiasm on how the garden centre industry was in control of the lever to help make a massive contribution to regenerating Mother Earth.  Collectively, private gardens account for a huge amount of green space in the UK and can make a big difference. By encouraging customers to think of themselves of citizens and to take up composting (especially food waste), the carbon they put back into the soil could change the course of the future.  We should be taking action about regeneration NOT sustainability, as sustaining the current position will not save the planet

The 2024 GCA conference got off to a peat-free start with around 60 delegates getting a behind-the-scenes tour of Melcourt’s site in Tetbury.

After learning about the raw ingredients for Melcourt’s professional and retail growing media, delegates saw specialist machinery in action bagging and palleting the bags ready for despatch.  To help maintain quality for gardeners, Melcourt has started to print the date of production on its bags, recommending product is used with 12 months to ensure the best plant performance.

Old Railway Line was the lucky recipient in a generous prize draw winning a pallet of 50 bags of Melcourt growing media. The garden centre is not currently a stockist so this will be great test to see if Old Railway Line customers like the new offering.

Next stop was a tour of Ramsbury Distillery in Wiltshire, maker of vodka, gin and beer. On its 19,000 acres it grows everything, apart from hops, that it needs and is one of only five distilleries in the country producing single estate vodka and gin. With sustainability at the fore, it is currently working towards BCorp certification and hopes that within three years it will also be adding its own whiskey to its shelves.

In the distilleries events space, it was competition time with the Cabbages and Pansies going head to head in a quiz with Guy Topping as quiz master. Congratulations to the associates (Cabbages) who took the prize with 41 points versus a close 39. The real winners of the night however, were the three charities being supported at the GCA conference this year which are Greenfingers, Perennial and The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation. Fundraising got off to a great start with £3000 from the evening’s entertainments which will be added to over the next two days.

A big shout also has to go out to Weber for its platters of flamed cooked food accompanied with a delicious slaw and bbq’d apple pie.

The Garden Centre Association voted at its AGM today to add a third tier garden centre category for members and to reduce its regions to four.

The vote took place at the organisation’s annual conference in the Cotswolds this morning.

GCA CEO Peter Burks explains: “We have spent a lot of time responding to members comments regarding the difference between being at the higher end of the Garden Centre (GC) category and then moving to the bottom of the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category.”

The new third group will be known as ‘Local Garden Centre’ (LGC). The DGC and GC sections will remain. Allocation to a specific group will depend on turnover.

“There is a big difference between garden centres at both ends of the previous higher category. By adding in a third tier, we hope that the competition will be evened out. However, having done this, we also realised we needed to amalgamate some areas to ensure there were sufficient numbers in each tier to have a fair competition for every award.”

The GCA has also agreed to reduce the number of geographical regions it has from eight to four.

These will be:

•  North – includes the North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the North East.
•  Midlands, Wales & West – this includes South Wales, Midlands & South West.
•  East – this includes most of the previous GCA North Thames region plus other Easterly areas.
•  South East – this includes most of the previous GCA South Thames Region.

Attendees at the Garden Centre Association conference in the Cotswolds will see two new awards added to the roster this year.

The Ian Boardman Indoor Plant Award and the Food Hall/Farm Shop Award will be presented to the best Destination Garden Centre (DGC) and Garden Centre (GC) in both categories.

GCA CEO Peter Burks says: “We’re delighted to have introduced these two new awards this year. They’re both categories that have expanded significantly during the last few years and we feel need much greater recognition.

“The results of our 2023 monthly Barometer of Trade (BoT) reports showed members’ Food Halls and Farm Shops did particularly well. They offer customers an alternative to supermarkets and are very good at promoting locally produced items right across the product range from honey, jams and pickles to artisan gins and vodkas, which is a key part of future sustainability, as food miles are reduced.

“We’re also recognising the importance of houseplants, the role they play within a garden centre’s offering and their recent revival in popularity, potentially driven by younger, new gardeners with windowsill plots. The award has been named in honour of our former Inspector, Ian Boardman, who very sadly passed away in autumn 2022.

“We thoroughly enjoyed working with Ian when he was one of our Inspectors. He was instrumental in improving our inspection process and was a huge part of the horticultural industry, with a fantastic knowledge, which he generously shared with our members.”

The GCA’s  2024 annual conference will be held at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire from this Sunday, January 28 until Wednesday, January 31.

Both new awards will be presented on the Monday and will feature overall DGC and GC winners and two runners up in each category too.

The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

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 newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2018 as well as 2019 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 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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.

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

Last month, the judges for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards all met up to start the process of deciding the winners of this year’s awards that will be announced and presented on The Spring Fair Retail Inspirations Stage, in Hall 2 of the NEC, at 5:00pm on Monday 5^th February 2024.

The process of deciding the winners has proved to be even more challenging this year as the Christmas retailing standards and exceptional examples of garden centre teamwork that have been seen by the judges have been even greater than ever this year. 

After two days of judging meetings the review of over 100 garden centre visits made during November and December covering nominated stores from Inverness to Weymouth and from Suffolk to Caernarvon is complete.

“It’s great to see so much good stuff going on, hear about passionate teams and continually see creative ideas converted into commercial realities,” commented the judges.

In addition to the 14 award categories that relate to the judges visits, garden centre customers were also able to vote for their “Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team.”  Votes closed on the 21^st December with a record 18,919 votes being made across 333 garden centres, proving just how great garden centres really are during the Christmas period.

If you join us at The Spring Fair Retail Inspiration Stage, in Hall 2 of the NEC, on Monday 5^th February at 5:00pm you’ll get the chance to meet the garden centre teams who are the winners of this years Gold, Silver and Bronze Greatest Christmas Awards.  It’s a real gathering of Christmas greatness!

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards are sponsored by: AMES, Garden Radio, Glee, Kaemingk, MorePeople, Noma, PATS, Smart Garden Products, Solex, Stars for Europe and Woodmansterne.

For more information contact GTN’s editor, Trevor Pfeiffer; trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk or visit www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Due to the amazingly high standards set and the huge number of customer votes received, 18,919 to be precise, it has taken longer than usual for the judges of GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards to decide on their winners and for the votes to be ratified.

We are now pleased to announce the finalists in each awards category, plus the Top 30 centres in the ultimate customer vote for The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team

We will be announcing the winners and presenting the awards on the Inspiring Retail Stage at Spring Fair in Hall 2 on Monday 5th February at 5:00pm, where we’ll also have some drinks and snacks available for all those who can join us for our celebration of all that’s great about garden centre Christmas retailing. 

If you haven’t already, you can register for Spring Fair at https://www.springfair.com/visitor-registration

GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2023 - Finalists by category

The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team

• BGC Studley
• BGC Tring
• Blue Dimond Newbridge
• Brimsmore Gardens
• Dobbies Brighton
• Dobbies Edinburgh
• Dobbies Richmond
• Gates
• Haskins Snowhill
• Klondyke High Legh
• Newquay
• Perrywood Tiptree
• Whitehall Lacock

The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team

• BGC Bournville
• BGC Playhatch
• BGC Winnerash
• Brimsmore Gardens
• Coolings, Rushmore Hill
• Garsons Titchfield
• Haskins Snowhill
• Jacksons Boutique
• Klondyke Astbury Meadow
• Klondyke Mortonhall
• Old Railway Line
• Pengelly
• Perrywood Sudbury
• Planters Tamworth
• Pugh's Radyr
• Squires Badshot Lea
• St Peters Worcester
• Tong

The Greatest Gardening Gifts Sales Team

• BGC Bournville
• Blue Diamond Newbridge
• Castle Gardens Sherbourne
• Fron Goch
• Garsons Titchfield
• Gates
• Newquay
• Pugh's Wenvoe

The Greatest Christmas Wild Bird Care & Pet Team

• Barton Grange
• Bents
• Blue Diamond Newbridge
• Garsons Esher
• Garsons Titchfield
• Groves Bridport
• Old Railway Line

The Greatest Festive Retail Food Team

• Barton Grange
• Bents
• Chessington
• Garsons Esher
• Klondyke Mortonhall
• Longacres Bagshot
• Old Railway Line
• Pugh's Radyr
• St Peters Worcester
• Whitehall Lacock

The Greatest Festive Season Outdoor Living Team "The SOLEX Sizzle"

• Alton
• Cambridge Home & Garden
• Chessington
• Newquay
• Old Railway Line
• Polhill

The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team

• Bents
• Dobbies Tewkesbury
• Haskins Snowhill
• Holt
• Jacksons Boutique
• Munros Nurseries
• Newquay
• Pengelly
• Pugh's Wenvoe
• Squires Badshot Lea
• The Garden Kitchen By Pugh's,  Rogerstones
• Woodlands, Kent

The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team

• Barton Grange
• Bosworths, Burton Latimer
• Cooks
• Fron Goch
• Garsons Esher
• Garsons Titchfield
• Gates
• Hall's Garden centre
• Pugh's Radyr
• Pugh's Wenvoe
• The Garden Kitchen By Pugh's, Rogerstones

The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team

• Barton Grange
• Baytree
• BGC Arcadia
• Birkacre
• Chessington
• Coolings Lifestyle
• Gouldings Santa Experience
• Keydell
• Ruxley Manor
• Tong
• Wentworth

The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Video

• Alton
• Barton Grange
• British Garden Centres
• Dobbies
• Keydell
• Old Railway Line
• Pengelly
• The Grange
• Tong
• Wentworth

The Greatest Christmas Supplier Team

• Festive
• Florasilk
• Giftware Trading
• Gisela Graham
• Kaemingk
• Premier Decorations
• Richard Lang
• Smart Garden Three Kings

The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team

• BGC Bournville
• BGC Braintree
• BGC Burford House
• BGC Charlbury
• BGC Harrogate
• BGC Playhatch
• BGC Studley
• Klondyke Astbury Meadow

The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team

• BGC Woodthorpe
• Blue Diamond Bridgemere
• Blue Diamond Newbridge
• Blue Diamond Van Hage
• Dobbies Edinburgh
• Haskins Snowhill
• Klondyke High Legh
• Klondyke Mortonhall
• Klondyke Stokesley
• Squires Badshot Lea
• Tong

The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team

• Bennybeg Plant Centre
• Cooks
• Munros Nurseries
• Pengelly
• Poundbury Gardens
• The Grange
• Whitehall Pewsey

The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team

• Birkacre
• Bosworths, Burton Latimer
• Brimsmore Gardens
• Castle Gardens Sherbourne
• Glendoick
• Hall's Garden centre
• Holt
• Jacksons Boutique
• Mackenzie & Cruickshank
• Newquay
• Pugh's Wenvoe
• Silverbirch
• Whitehall Whitchurch
• Woodlands, Kent

The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team

• Fron Goch
• Garsons Titchfield
• Old Railway Line
• Pugh's Radyr
• Wentworth

The Greatest Giant Garden Centre Christmas Team

• Barton Grange
• Bents
• Garsons Esher
• Gates
• Longacres Bagshot
• Perrywood Tiptree
• Whitehall Lacock

Voted The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team – The Top 30 in alphabetical order

• Allbrighton BGC
• Azure Garden Centre
• Birkacre
• Bosworths Burton Latimer
• Bow Garden and Aquatic Centre
• Braintree BGC
• Brigg BGC
• Busy Bee
• Cooks
• Ferndale
• Garden King
• Gates
• Hillmount Belfast
• Jacksons Boutique
• Keydell
• Munro's
• Newquay Garden Centre
• Old Railway Line
• Pengelly
• Perrywood Sudbury
• Perrywood Tiptree
• Planters Bretby
• Planters Tamworth
• Pughs Rady'r
• Pughs Wenvoe
• Roxton BGC
• Southwood Garden Centre
• Summerhill
• Trowell
• Woodthorpe BGC

Our team of judges had a truly wonderful time visiting the 102 garden centres nominated in this year's awards and they have been overwhelmed by the excellence of garden centre retail teamwork once again.  We have also been amazed at the passion your customers have shared in voting for The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team.

We look forward to celebrating that excellence and passion with as many garden centre teams as possible on Monday evening, 5^th February, Inspiring Retail Stage in Hall 2 at Spring Fair, 5:00pm  See you there!