Westland are backing the new business venture to be run by former Solus Garden & Leisure MD Nick Davies, it was anounced today...
Westland are backing the new business venture to be run by former Solus Garden & Leisure MD Nick Davies, it was anounced today.
The new company’s focus will be on “sourcing and providing innovative products and concepts across several areas for the garden centre industry,” according to a statement from Westland.
The venture will operate as a standalone business within Westland, with Davies having full autonomy and decision-making powers. The business will be based initially at Westland’s Alconbury site in Cambridgeshire, using Westland’s infrastructure for start-up.
Davies told GTN Xtra: “Westland are investors in this but we shall have the freedom to do what we have to do.” He expects the business to begin trading early next year.
Davies said: “The aim of the new company is to bring to market a range of new ideas, concepts and products that will help drive the garden centre industry. I am in the process of pulling together a strong team to support me and will have further details in due course.”
Peter Madden, commercial director at Westland, said: “We are pleased to support Nick Davies in this new venture and help him to create this new garden products business focussed on quality and innovation. Nick has a strong track record and knowledge of the garden industry and I wish him and his team every success with this venture.”
With three weeks to go, it looks as though the GTN Bestsellers prediction of a new winter sales volume peak is on the cards...
With three weeks to go, it looks as though the GTN Bestsellers prediction of a new winter sales volume peak is on the cards. This week’s Epos data sales volumes are currently standing at less than 1% off the peak from last year.
We don’t have to speculate about November sales though. A sparkling performance throughout the month makes it the busiest November for five years, some 16% up on the same month in 2012 and even higher than the last big November recorded by GTN Bestsellers in 2010.
With garden centres being so busy, life is not easy for the judges for The Greatest Christmas Awards. The experts are clocking up the miles visiting over 200 garden centre teams and collecting information for the judging day later this month. The awards will be presented on Sunday, 12 January 2014 at The Greatest Awards Christmas Party in Harrogate.
If you believe your team is The Greatest at Christmas there’s still time to get your customers voting. Email trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 07973 504214 and we’ll give you access to all the free voting material that can be downloaded and printed out for your centre.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year:
Garden Products – up 15%
Christmas – down 9%
Growing Media – up 30%
All items index – up 13%
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £145.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
The GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Top 50 sales volumes are currently on a par with the last week of March. Although the weather then was not ideal, it just illustrates the resilience of gardening and garden products, even though Christmas is at the top of the agenda at the moment.
The GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Top 50 sales volumes are currently on a par with the last week of March. Although the weather then was not ideal, it just illustrates the resilience of gardening and garden products, even though Christmas is at the top of the agenda at the moment.
It also goes to prove that when there is high footfall at garden centres, well merchandised gardening products can sell in high numbers.
Topping the list this week are Scheurich Cover Pot Dark Red at No 1 and Fito Drip Feeder for Poinsettia & Christmas Cactus at No 2. The Fito Orchid Drip Feeder (5 Pack) is the highest re-entry at No 33.
The highest new entry is Joseph Bentley Flourish Antique Rose Topiary Shears at No 8 while Vivid Arts Playful Polar Bear is the highest climber.
Other newcomers to the chart include the following:
Gardman Bedouin Lantern
Gardman Willow Twist Natural Obelisk
Gardman Festive Solar Border Bell Stakes
Joseph Bentley Flourish Jersey Gloves
See the full GTN Garden Products Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £145.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the press recently, looking out for mentions of poinsettias, and we’ve come across a whole slew of articles in local and regional papers and websites about specific nurseries and garden centres.
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the press recently, looking out for mentions of poinsettias, and we’ve come across a whole slew of articles in local and regional papers and websites about specific nurseries and garden centres.
It seems wonderfully simple, all a nursery need do is send in a stunning photo of their red sea of poinsettia plants to the local paper, with some information about their business and the plants, and suddenly their name is out there in front of thousands of readers.
When it comes to getting your business known, a little bit of PR knowledge can go a long way. Which is why, this year, Stars for Europe have drawn up some new guidelines to help companies in the flower and plant industry work with the press.
In the Press Work Made Easy section on www.sfe-web.com there are instructions for how to build your own press distribution list, where to find the right journalist contacts, reasons to invite the press to your business, how to organise a press event, even a list of dos and don’ts for dealing with the media.
There’s also a selection of press release templates for you to use – all you need to do is fill in the blanks with your own details – and gorgeous high resolution images you can send to the press to show them what a stunning product poinsettias are.
December 12th was International Poinsettia Day, which is a great hook, so now’s the time to do it!
Vicky Nuttall, head of marketing at Forest Garden, has been named as the new Director of the Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association...
Vicky Nuttall, head of marketing at Forest Garden, has been named as the new Director of the Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association.
Nuttall, who is the current President of GIMA, will take over from Neil Gow at the end of February. Gow announced in September that he was stepping down as GIMA director in the New Year, after seven years in the role.
He said at the time he wished to explore other opportunities within the garden industry, but would continue to run the association until the end of his notice period.
Nuttall has been with Forest Garden for nearly 13 years, joining the company from Marley Building Materials, where she was product manager.
She told GTN Xtra she regarded her new role as "a great opportunity and also a great challenge".
Paying tribute to Neil Gow's years at the helm, she added: "I have some very big boots to fill."
GIMA president elect Steve Millington of Bosmere will assume the president's role until the association's AGM in March, when he formally takes the chain office.
Vicky seen earlier this year receiving the GIMA President's chain of office from Nigel Thompson.
Tickets are selling fast for The Greatest Christmas Awards Party on Sunday, January 12, 2014 at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate...so make sure you don't miss out!
The Greatest Christmas Awards, in association with the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Show, will take place on the evening of Sunday, January 12, at The Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, where we will be gathering to honour the Greatest Christmas teams in garden retailing and most importantly....to PARTY!
Included in the night’s festivities is a pre-dinner drinks reception, a three-course meal with wine, the glittering Greatest Christmas Awards presentations, then dancing to a live band.
Reward your team after a busy Christmas Season and a busy day at the show...you all deserve it. And with ticket prices starting at £72 - what are you waiting for?
Number of tickets
Price
Per person ex VAT
Single
£84 + VAT
£84
3
£240 + VAT
£80
5
£380 + VAT
£76
Table of 10
£720 + VAT
£72
Dress code is smart casual. Book early to avoid disappointment. For sponsorship opportunities at this prestigious event, call Pat Flynn on 01733 775700.
Buy using the dropdown menu: These prices include VAT.
Garden centre customers are putting the final touches to their outdoor Christmas decorations with wreaths and lighting figuring strongly in the Christmas Products chart this week...
Garden centre customers are putting the final touches to their outdoor Christmas decorations with wreaths and lighting figuring strongly in the Christmas Products chart this week.
The highest climber in the Top 50 is the Premier Gold Metal Wreath Hanger, jumping 27 places to No 7.
Premier products are proving extremely popular at the moment as the company has a total of 22 lines in the chart, headed by the Battery Operated Beaded Garland at No 5. Premier also have the highest new entry honour with their Tree Top Glitter Star, and the highest re-entry with the Glitter Star Tree.
There isn’t a product to rival the History & Heraldry Christmas Money Box, which has held on to top spot for an eighth consecutive week. History & Heraldry have claimed the first three places with Christmas Carousel Charms and Christmas Tea Light Carousel at Nos 2 & 3.
See the full GTN Christmas Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £145.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
More pictures of Garden Centre Christmas displays than have ever been published before
The GTN team and Greatest Awards Experts have already been out and about visiting garden centres throughout the country and have seen some brilliant Christmas displays. Here's a selection of the 2013 displays that are selling through now. Just click on the garden centre name to take you to their picture gallery:
Bark sales are holding their own depsite overall Growing Media volumes falling by 16%. Gardeners are mulching before the onset of the cold weather...
Bark sales are holding their own depsite overall Growing Media volumes falling by 16%. Gardeners are mulching before the onset of the cold weather.
One product that has performed well is Arthur Bowers Hydroleca – a lightweight clay aggregate formed by special clay minerals expanded at a high temperature. This produces ceramic ‘pebbles’ with a smooth outer crust and a honeycomb interior. They are not damaged by frost and have good insulating properties.
Other good performers this week include:
Sinclair Bark Chips (50 litres), which has re-entered the Growing Media Top 50.
Cambark Mini Nugget Bark, the highest new entry at No 27.
See the full GTN Growing Media Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £145.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.
The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra printed newsletter and on the GTN website www.gardentradenews.co.uk.
Every week we give sales volume comparisons with 2011 as well as 2012 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 upto date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales. To subscribe call 01733 775700, or subscribe on-line here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers. Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.
