Garden centres got a great bit of publicity on BBC Radio 5 Live early this morning when Andy Bunker of Alton Garden Centre was interviewed for the Wake Up To Money programme.
As part of the programme the presenters told listeners this would be the busiest day of the year for Garden Centres and DIY. Talking about boom time for Britains Garden Centres the interview with Andy was introduced with the fact that plant sales are up by 40% Andy said: "Sales are booming because of the weather. In my 38 years iun the business its always been the weather." "We compete with the big boys by giving very good advice." "It's been a very very good gardening weekend, not so strong for BBQ's and Furniture, we needed 5 degrees warmer for them to sell. the May Bank Holdays are key for that. DIY would be our main competitor for Easter."
Listen here via the Wake Up To Money Podcast using this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08m9mkc starting at 40:00 minutes into the Podcast.
or listen to this clip of the interview, broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live on 17th April 2017.
Then, on BBC Breakfast on Radio 5 Live at 7:30am, Alan Roper from Blue Diamond Garden Centres added his comment about current garden centre trading. "Today will be one of the largest traduig days of the year. Now is the time that people choose to visit garden centres. Our trading figures say it's all about then weather."
We will publish a link to the Alan Roper clip when it is available.
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Marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of James Dobbie, the founder of Dobbies Garden Centres, the company’s newly installed chief executive, Nicholas Marshall, has been interviewed for The Scotsman this weekend.
In the interview he says that National gardening Week has coincided with great weather that has “done wonders for gardening and actually wonders for our sales too, which are at record levels, which is fantastic. The season has started early and that’s always a good sign.”
In the run-up to the pivotal sales period of Easter he said: “We’re looking forward to a really good weekend.”
Read the full interview at: http://www.scotsman.com/business/companies/retail/the-big-interview-dobbies-ceo-nicholas-marshall-1-4420608
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A second Bunnings Warehouse store opened its doors to customers on Wednesday (April 12) on Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire.
Over 50 new jobs have been created, in addition to 30 new positions at the first Bunnings Warehouse store in Griffiths Way, which opened in February.
The company, part of Australia’s Wesfarmers Group, plans to invest up to £500million rolling out the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK and Ireland over three to five years.
The Hatfield Road Bunnings Warehouse is 40,000 square feet and stocks more than 24,000 different home improvement and garden products.
The store also features timber cutting, a garden centre, a new tool shop offering world leading brands including Ryobi and DeWalt, a ‘colour wall’ with over 3,000 colour tiles – as well as paint mixing from Johnstone's Trade, Crown and Dulux offering an unlimited paint colour choice to customers.
England rugby union legend, Kyran Bracken also joined team members to celebrate the opening.
Emma Wimble, Bunnings Warehouse Hatfield Road Complex Manager, said: “Our team members have worked really hard to prepare the store for opening and we are looking forward to helping customers and the community with their home and garden projects.
“We have already helped Sandridge School by tidying up an unused area of land by repainting flower beds and creating vegetable patches so the children can set up a gardening club. And we look forward to doing more with groups in the local area in the future.”
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Brothers sell £15m Yarnton Nurseries business
The sale of Yarnton Nurseries near Oxford to investors Newcore Capital Management, announced last Thursday, comes just a year before its owners, twin brothers Richard and Nigel Wallbridge (left), were due to celebrate the family business’s 50th anniversary. The business, with its plethora of its concessions generates turnover of £15m...
The sale of Yarnton Nurseries near Oxford to investors Newcore Capital Management, announced last Thursday, comes just a year before its owners, twin brothers Richard and Nigel Wallbridge, were due to celebrate the family business’s 50th anniversary.
The brothers, who left school at 14 and are now to retire at 72, took over the site in 1968 when it was a small nursery comprising five glasshouses turning over just £3,000.
Today, Yarnton Nurseries Garden & Shopping Village, to give its full title, occupies 12 acres and is in the upper turnover quartile of garden centre retailing, thanks to well-established concession income. The garden centre enjoys a turnover of more than £4 million while the full site generates turnover of around £15m. It is reported to have changed hands on Friday 7 April for an undisclosed sum believed to be more than £10 million.
The business has been run for the past 10 years by retail consultant Bob Marley, who negotiated the Newcore deal. Marley will stay on during the management transition.
As well as the garden centre, the site includes a 150-seater restaurant, a building supplies business, an antiques centre, spa supplier, fashion shops, shoe outlets, home furnishings retailer, kitchen and bathroom centres, aquatics centre, cookshop and wine merchant, among others.
Newcore Capital Management recently launched Newcore Strategic Situations III LP, a £50m opportunistic fund to invest in UK real estate assets linked to social infrastructure, storage and accommodation. It philosophy is to focus on assets it considers to be “central to the continuing needs of society and resilient to the internet’s deflationary effect”.
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Good spring weather boosts sales in garden centres
While high street stores and supermarkets were gearing up for their gardening season to start at Easter, garden centres across the country have been making hay while the sun shines with sales in every area up year on year...
While high street stores and supermarkets were gearing up for their gardening season to start at Easter, garden centres across the country have been making hay while the sun shines with sales in every area up year on year.
Plants are selling particularly well, up 39% in sales volumes for the first week of April vs last year.
What we need now is steady growth over the Easter fortnight and then more good weather through into May. If sales follow that pattern the GTN Bestsellers All Product Index may, for once, show a typical spring and early summer sales pattern.
So far we’ve heard that growers and suppliers are being able to keep up with demand and get centres re-stocked fully after busy weekends. Let’s hope that continues over the next few weeks as less committed gardeners visit garden centres. This is when delivering customer satisfaction really matters to hook them and ensure they come back again soon.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...
- Garden Products - up 25%
- Veg-2-Gro - up 68%
- Growing Media - up 38%
- All Plants Index - up 39%
- All Items Index - down 15%
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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After months of preparations, the transportation of the floral consignment – 'Flowers for St. Peter's Square in Rome' – left Keukenhof, this week.
The Right Reverend Van den Hende, Bishop of Rotterdam, made the trip to Keukenhof to bless the flowers before departure. Visitors from many nationalities were there to wave
the floral consignment off.
The Dutch floricultural sector has been responsible for the floral decorationnof the Easter celebration in St. Peter's Square in Rome for over 30 years.
Surrounded by the wonderful flower displays , Pope Francis will give the Easter Blessing Urbi et Orbi this coming Sunday. Chief flower arranger Paul Deckers is traveling to Rome with dozens of Dutch flower growers to arrange in two days, 35.000 bulbs, thousands of roses and lilies, plants and trees in St. Peter's Square.
A truck from Van der Slot was decorated with a beautiful livery of Dutch flowers especially for this transport.
"For me as chief flower arranger it is a challenge every year to decorate the large St. Peter's Square with Dutch flowers and plants: a metamorphosis into a floral painting," says Deckers.
"When arranging the flowers for the decoration displays one has to take into account the different flowers and their symbolism. The lily is often used in the Roman Catholic Church, as is the rose. The floral decorations on the Bordes use a very special lily, the Roselily. These are pollen free lilies, a first!! And also combine the large roses Avalanche "Pearl". These roses are as big as a fist. A fist symbolizing the power of these flowers."
The beautiful colour palette in the square is largely made using 35.000 bulbs. Tulips in shades of yellow, white, red and orange. Blue and white hyacinths and a mass of yellow providing the feeling of Easter: daffodils. From the square to the Altar, the Pope will walk through what resembles a field of daffodils.
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Plant sales up by 39% year on year
The first week of April 2017 sees plant sales up by 39% on the same week last year, according to GTN Bestsellers data. Osteospermum are the big winners this week increasing sales by 350%...
It’s exactly a year since we started grouping all the plants sales EPOS data together so we have our first true year on year comparison for plant sales.
The first week of April 2017 sees sales up by 39% on the same week last year!
- Osteospermum are the big winners this week increasing sales by 350%.
- Myosotis also see an over 300% increase in volumes to re-enter at No 29.
- Phlox had the third highest percentage sales increase in the Top 50, up by 280%.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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Van Hage has opened its Elho branded store concepts within its main Great Amwell garden centre and experienced strong sales in the first week.
"We have been a customer of Elho's since 2010," says Ben Stevenson, Category Manager - Gardening.
"It was in 2016 that we featured Elho as part of our Beautiful Gardens Magazine. From a small display, turnover greatly exceeded expectations.
"Through last year's success it's clear that our customers liked the product range and uniqueness.
"As part of the Tillington Group of Garden Centres, we had seen the success Bents has had with its Elho store, and were assured of the sales potential and customer satisfaction."
At Van Hage's Great Amwell site, Elho has 72m2 split across different product categories. The bright and colourful Loft and Corsica ranges have 16m2. For customers interested in grow your own and propagation, there's 16m2 for Elho's Green Basics range and the more traditional Algarve and Torino products. The inspirational design-led Allure and Pure ranges have 36m2.
Early indications are encouraging, especially the Corsica hanging range (pictured above), alongside the Pure range. The Great Amwell site is also looking to introduce a selection of indoor pots, which are a growing area for garden centres.
David Nicholson, Elho's Sales Manager for UK and Ireland, says, "The opening of the concept store was great. Even as we were building it up we had Van Hage customers come up to us, keen to find out more and purchase."
 
When launching an Ambassador store, Elho involves its store designers based in Holland to deliver a bespoke concept that's based on the individual garden centre's customer demographics and the ranges stocked. From design to delivery, Elho manages the whole process.
"Their support, advice and enthusiasm has been second to none since the early conversations," continues Ben. "We know they can offer the delivery and product service we would require, and are sure we will receive all the support through the next few busy months."
Ambassador stores also receive strong lifestyle branding to help attract customers and inspire them instore. "Elho is a product range very much taken from the European market. We have seen a definite shift in interest and customer demand for more lifestyle driven items, bright complimentary colours and new bold inspiration. Elho ticks all of these boxes," says Ben.
"One of the key things we do at our Ambassador stores is to plant up pots," says David Nicholson of Elho.
"We believe - and sales prove - that customers want to be inspired. We attract them with beautiful displays, inspire them with lifestyle imagery and then we make purchasing of products really easy with planted up pots. Working with our Ambassador Store garden centres we create a great customer experience from start to finish."
More info:
W: www.elho.com
F: www.facebook.com/elho
W: www.vanhage.co.uk
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Rexmartins’ luxury RMB outdoor living range of modular kitchens provides an impressive way for customers to take garden entertaining to the next level.
With spring well and truly in the air, the RMB outdoor living range offers a sophisticated and elegant addition to any outside space.
The range includes state of the art BBQs, available in gas or charcoal and a range of sizes. Premium accessories, such as a rotisserie to add some theatre to the outdoor cooking experience, come as standard.
Upgrade features include gas hobs, bottle coolers, fridges, waste bin cabinets and a sink unit featuring an optional 2.5kw water heater to provide a hot and cold water supply outside.
 To make best use of space, the premium cooking and storage solution can be tailored to customers’ exact requirements, allowing their garden area to be maximised, suiting both size of space and budget. The components are fitted and secured together easily and are on casters for ease of manoeuvring into place. The bespoke units provide an instant luxury outdoor kitchen, without the hassle of building work.
Any combination in any shape is possible and the range is an eye-catching talking point in garden centres across the country. The convenience of the modular system allows retailers to showcase the range in a size and layout to suit them. Customers enjoy designing their bespoke outdoor kitchen and discussing how they can mix and match the modules to create their ultimate outdoor entertaining area.
The build quality and efficiency of RMB BBQs is second to none, with the gas option using LPG (Liquid Propane Gas), known to be more energy efficient than other gases, heating the BBQ to full temperature in just six minutes and to ensure the RMB outdoor living range always looks its best, it’s crafted from the highest quality 304 stainless steel, meaning it won’t rust, it’s long lasting and easy to clean. For added reassurance all components in the RMB modular kitchen range come with a two-year guarantee.
The RMB Outdoor Living range is manufactured by pioneering catering supplier, Rexmartins. The full range is showcased at its interactive customer showroom in Tunbridge Wells.
For further information about the RMB outdoor living range, please contact T: 0800 111 4 333 or email info@rexmartins.com.
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Smiemans Projecten have recently completed the extension for MacKenzie & Cruickshank Garden Centre in Scotland and owner Peter Wilson says he is "very content" with the new look.
The extension to the garden centre at Forres comprises two structures, one being a 665m² large, open-sided canopy which serves as an extension to the outdoor sales, the other being a 400m² curved glasshouse (HighLight type), where most of the outdoor plants will be sold.
The structure was designed by architect Malcolm Scott Consultants and the main contractor was AJ Engineering.
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Bents donates £30k to Epilepsy Action
Bents Garden & Home has raised £30,000 for Epilepsy Action – its charity of the year 2016. The figure breaks all fundraising totals since the centre launched its Charity of the Year initiative in 2005...
Bents Garden & Home has raised £30,000 for Epilepsy Action – its charity of the year 2016. The figure breaks all fundraising totals since the centre launched its Charity of the Year initiative in 2005.
Harvinder Chaggar, from Epilepsy Action, was joined by 11-year-old Elliot Bent to accept the donation, with Aimee Maguet from Alzheimer’s Society, the centre’s 2017 charity of the year, also attending the event.
Said Matthew Bent, Managing Director at Bents Garden & Home: “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers and colleagues who have helped us to raise such a fantastic amount.
"Epilepsy Action is a cause very close to my family’s heart as our son, Elliot was diagnosed in 2015 so we have had a direct personal experience of the vital work and support they provide. We hope this donation will go some way towards helping people live with the condition.
“We are now looking forward to working with Alzheimer’s Society and hope to be as similarly successful in our fundraising achievements.”
Over the years Bents has been successful in raising considerable amounts of money for many local causes and it hopes 2017 will be no exception with a full calendar of events already planned. Bents hopes the money raised during 2017 will be used to help people in the Warrington and surrounding areas who are affected by the condition.
Bents not only wants to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society but it also wants to work with the charity to become a dementia friendly destination.
Over the course of the year, Bents will work with the team at Alzheimer’s Society to provide tips and training for its colleagues and guidance as to how they can help people with dementia whilst at the Centre.
Bents aims to raise awareness of dementia and re-think how the Centre can provide a warm, friendly and welcoming environment for those living with the condition.
It also aims to work with Alzheimer’s Society to research other opportunities that might help those living with the condition such as providing support and advice as to how customers can make their own gardens dementia friendly.
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Sales of Gardman wild bird care products have enjoyed growth of 36% since the launch of last year's catalogue featuring '4 Big Ideas' designed to change the market.
"Following the launch of our 2016 Wild Bird Care Catalogue, we identified “4 Big Ideas” that we believed would deliver significant change and growth... and they are," said Gardman CEO Peter Utting.
"It’s now eight months on since this launch and I’m delighted to report that we’re seeing an outstanding growth of 36%; which equates to £16 million of additional retail sales*.
"From having a better understanding of category dynamics and consumer needs, we’ve been able to tackle seasonal sales dips, target untapped younger markets, overcome barriers to feeding and tap into decorative lifestyle trends."With our 2016 plans delivering such outstanding results, we have taken the learnings to build an exciting strategy for next year... watch this space for our grand unveiling in June 2017."
Gardman's '4 Big Ideas' are illustrated below:
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Running alongside GIMA’s annual Charity Golf Day on June 8, will be the inaugural GIMA Kwik Cricket and Laser Clay Shooting Challenge.
This fun and accessible day will be open to anyone who wants to come along and enjoy some fun and relaxation in the glorious county of Shropshire.
Participants will start the day by arriving at the Telford Hotel and Golf Resort, before having coffee and a bacon butty with the golfers.
You’ll then transported to Lilleshall, around 20 minutes from the hotel, for the day’s activities.
Set in the shadow of the Lilleshall Monument, you’ll be welcomed to the village cricket ground where you’ll enjoy this fun and easy version of cricket suitable for all ages, genders and abilities.
Whist taking a break from the cricket, take aim with state-of-the-art, laser-adapted rifles and see how many clays you can hit as they speed through the air.
There’s also time to enjoy a cricket tea in the sunshine, whilst watching your colleagues battle it out on the pitch or with the rifles.
After taking part, you’ll be transported back to the Telford Hotel and Golf Resort where you can relax and get ready for our charity prize giving dinner, where the day’s golfers will also join proceedings.
To take part in this event all you need to do is put together a team of six people, either colleagues or customers and clear the date in your diary!
Full details about the GIMA Charity Golf and Activity Day, including details on how to enter, can be found at http://gima.org.uk/charity-golf-day/
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TV gardening expert to unveil new people's garden at Tong
Further to the recent announcement of her year-long partnership with Tong Garden Centre, Leeds-based garden designer and TV presenter Katie Rushworth will unveil her inspirational people's garden at the Tong Lane business next month...
Further to the recent announcement of her year-long partnership with Tong Garden Centre, Leeds-based garden designer and TV presenter Katie Rushworth will unveil her inspirational people's garden at the Tong Lane business next month.
The ITV Love Your Garden co-presenter will officially open the show garden, brought to life by Katie and Tong's team of gardening experts, at 11am on Sunday, 7th May.
Tong Garden Centre's Marketing Manager, Jo Dales is looking forward to seeing Katie's design, "Katie has worked hard with our outdoor plants team to transform an area of the garden centre to create an easy to replicate ‘people's' garden that will inspire and enthuse our customers all year round. We look forward to revealing the garden to the public at the official launch."
Although the full planting schedule is a closely guarded secret until 7th May, the 5.4 x 4.7m garden will include Yorkshire grown plants, a water feature, specimen planting and an area to entertain children and encourage wildlife.
The garden will be refreshed as the seasons change, with touches that Katie knows people can achieve in their own gardens. There will also be ‘how to' leaflets to help people to recreate Katie's simple ideas at home.
Throughout the year, Katie will also be on hand to lend her expertise for a series of planting videos and will be sharing the secrets of her success in a two hour gardening masterclass and book signing on Friday, 23rd June.
Tickets include free tea and cake on arrival and cost £12, or £20 to include a signed copy of Katie's book, Plants, beds and borders, and are available from www.tonggardencentre.co.uk.
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with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox. The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.
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Vertical gardening increases in popularity
In a week where increased footfall led to increased sales of most types of garden products a vertical gardening product makes its debut in the GTN Bestseller Garden products chart...
In a week where increased footfall led to increased sales of most types of garden products a vertical gardening product makes its debut in the GTN Bestseller Garden products chart.
USP’s Wonderwall is making its mark with the 3-pocket planter entering at No 39.
Other highlights included:
- Gardman Colourchange Galaxy Wind Spin Light was the highest new entry.
- Scotts Levington Tomorite 1L was the highest re-entry.
- Gardman Large Caged Solar Lantern was the highest climber, jumping 36 places.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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The 2017 Love Your Plot industry campaign is being launched with a new consumer-facing website and the announcement of three campaign sponsors.
The new website is designed to provide inspiration and information for non-gardeners across the seasons and the individual months of the year with the aim of getting people to make more of their outside spaces, no matter the size.
Website visitors will be asked to sign-up to receive a copy of a new consumer newsletter, which will be launched later this month.
Also new for 2017, is a series of instructional gifs to be featured on the new website and on social media channels designed to educate consumers with different hints, tips and hacks.
This year, the Love Your Plot campaign is offering companies the chance to sponsor an industry category for a calendar month. First to sign up was National Garden Gift Vouchers for the month of March, promoting vouchers as the ideal Mother’s Day gift. Grange Fencing has signed up for the month of April and pots and containers company, Elho, has signed up for the month of May.
In return for the month-long sponsorships, companies will be promoted by the LYP campaign team through social media, competitions, a consumer newsletter, press releases, and be featured on the new website.
Commenting on the sponsorship, Keith Nicholson, President of the GIMB said: “We’re really pleased with the new website which, combined with the gifs, enhanced social media activity and the return of Al Fresco Fortnight, will really boost consumer engagement with the campaign this year.
“We’re also delighted to have our first three sponsors on board. This year, we are offering companies the chance to become even more involved with the campaign through different sponsorship opportunities and we look forward to announcing more in the coming weeks.”
Al Fresco Fortnight will take place from Sunday 18th June to Sunday 3rd July, encompassing both Father’s Day (18th June) and the Summer Solstice. Further details of the event plans will be released shortly.
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Tomato plants move back to the top of the GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart as gardeners prepare to hit supermarket veg sales during the summer by growing their own bumper crop.
Tomato Tumbling Red Tom is the most popular variety as total tomoto volume sales in the Top 50 increase by 37% week on week.
The main highlights this week were:
- Quantil Courgette Golden 8cm was the highest re-entry at No 14.
- Quantil Tomato Sweet Aperitif 8.5cm was the highest climber, jumping 28 places to No 22.
- Quantil Chilli Pepper Cayenne 8cm was the highest new entry at No 39.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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A familiar face amongst Glee’s marketing team has reason to celebrate as he becomes the show’s new permanent Senior Marketing Executive. Luke Murphy will be well known to many Glee exhibitors, thanks to his involvement in the 2016 show under his previous role as Senior Partnership Executive, which also saw him work across Spring and Autumn Fair, Pure and Jewellery and Watch. In his new position, Luke will be leading the development of Glee’s brand and marketing plans, and helping to build the long-term strategy for the show. The Senior Marketing Executive role will also see Luke responsible for the management of Glee’s full marketing campaigns across email, online and social media channels, as well as working with both Glee’s creative teams, and media and trade association partners. Glee’s event director Matthew Mein said: “We’re incredibly pleased to confirm Luke’s new role within the Glee team. His knowledge of the show is invaluable, and no doubt he will be able to hit the ground running, helping to drive the vision and strategy for Glee both in 2017 and beyond. "He is perfect for this role, and will be a real asset for both us and those exhibitors that get actively involved in Glee’s ongoing marketing activity.” Luke Murphy added: “Glee is a fantastic exhibition, and I am really looking forward to helping to build its long-term strategic future. Getting to know Glee’s 600+ exhibitors, and working with our supporting trade associations and media from across the globe will make this a role full of variety. I can’t wait to get stuck in!”
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Making the most of growing media record sales
Growing bags, hanging baskets and potting on seedlings were the activities that drove the highest percentage growths in growing media last week. Scotts Levington Organic Choice Top Soil also re-entered the GTN Bestsellers Top 50.
Growing bags, hanging baskets and potting on seedlings were the activities that drove the highest percentage growths in growing media last week.
Total volume sales continue to break records for each week, up by 38% on the first week of April 2016.
Are your team making the most of the obvious linked sales with every growing media sale?
Here’s our top three suggestions:
- Cat repellent with every sale of manure or soil conditioner. Your customers will love you for it but the neighbour’s cat won’t.
- A watering lance for every moisture control compost sale to keep all those hanging baskets in tip top condition
- Growing supports and plant food with every sale of grow bags. And of course more young plants…
Scotts Levington Organic Choice Top Soil re-entered the GTN Bestsellers Top 50.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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Whilst the focus at the HTA National Plant Show is clearly on plants themselves it also provides a fantastic platform for exhibitors to demonstrate innovative and inspiring displays that ultimately lead to increased plant sales.
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is delighted to launch a new award for the Best Plant Concept for Retail, sponsored by Elho. This will showcase creative packaging concepts that will help retailers sell more plants and not just focus on newer varieties and in addition to this Elho is a contributor to the Retail Concept Experience for 2017.
David Nicholson, Sales Manager for Elho UK and Ireland, says, “We’re absolutely delighted to be involved with the National Plant Show and sponsoring the Best Plant Concept for Retail. We know that today garden centres need to apply the most sophisticated instore marketing techniques to inspire and motivate consumers as they browse the aisles.
"Elho works with garden centre retailers to deliver an inspirational instore environment with pots, containers and accessories that show off plants to their best advantage. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in sales when pots and plants are combined together, making it easy for consumers to bring the inspiration home, immediately.”
The retail Concept Experience area will create a stimulating retail environment for visitors filled with inspiring retail ideas for you to take away. It will also feature an area curated by Elho showing its in-store installation concepts which ultimately support increased plant sales.
You can register now for free to attend both of these exhibitions:
www.nurserysupplyshow.co.uk
www.nationalplantshow.co.uk
Nursey Supply Show New Product Awards launched
To give visitors direct access to the latest products the HTA is delighted to introduce the Nursery Supply Show New Product Showcase. This area will give an opportunity for all exhibitors to enter as many new products as they wish and gives visitors access to all of the new products in one pit stop, giving them the information they need at a glance to help them work the show and visit the exhibitors stands.
There will also be a visitor vote choosing winners in Innovation, Eco-friendly and Best in Show.
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The new Raspberry Groovy is now exclusively online available at Gardening Express.
It is a fantastic new concept for growing raspberries on the patio or in the garden when you have limited space.
Raspberry Groovy looks fabulous as a solitary or mixed with shrubs and flowers in an ornamental garden.
Rubus idaeus Groovy is a very compact dwarf raspberry that will become 1.50m tall and 75 cm wide. Ideal for in a container or smaller garden.
This Raspberry also has other, very attractive features like its bright yellow foliage colour.
Besides that, Groovy fruits on new wood and has a high production of beautifully red raspberries.
Raspberry Groovy is hardy so you can enjoy this low maintenance shrub and its fruit year after year.
More information on this raspberry can be found on: www.groovyraspberry.co.uk
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Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips. The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra printed newsletter.
As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period. Access is by subscription only. For £195.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales. To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.
Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here
Highlights of the GTN Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for this week are here
Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro Bestsellers chart for this week are here
Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers. Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.
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Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters delivered via the post for only £195.00.
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 £120m.
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.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 01733 775700.
Buy your subscription today and start receiveing the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.
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All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
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 Reigning Masterchef champion Jane Devonshire will be the speaker at this year’s HTA Catering Conference dinner which takes at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield in June.
The dinner, takes place on the evening of Tuesday 13 June, after the first day of the Conference, which this year is sponsored by Compass Group.
Since winning MasterChef in 2016, Jane has taken the bull by the food horns and tested herself further by working with a number of amazing chefs including Marcus Wareing, Atol Kochhar, Jason Atherton, Michel Roux and Michael O’Hare at their restaurants.
Jane has presented at numerous Food & Drink Shows around the UK including BBC Good Food Show, Foodies and many others.
Her travels have taken her from Edinburgh to Brighton and loads in-between learning that she has a love of presenting her recipes and chatting to people about food.
The past year has been incredibly busy for Jane and is getting busier by the day. She’s having a wonderful time however, she still loves being a ‘stay at home’ mum washing socks and making dinner!
GTN's Greatest Catering Team Awards are back again! The third year of these most prestigious awards for excellence in garden centre catering will be presented after dinner on the Tuesday night and a presentation about the winners and the new trends picked up during the judging visits will be made by Trevor Pfeiffer on Wednesday 14 June.
This year there are two new categories that the judges will be collecting information for: The Greatest Wash Up Team - that vital part of the catering jigsaw that keeps the whole show running like clockwork - and The Greatest Garden Centre Baking Team.
GTN's Greatest Awards always takes size of centre into account so there is as much chance of a small centre winning as a destination centre. "It's the Greatest we are looking for each year, who are truly creating memorable experiences with their garden centre catering," explained Awards organiser Trevor Pfeiffer.
To enter the awards all you have to do is nominate your team via e-mail to trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk and then the Garden Trade News team of expert judges will arrange to visit during May.
Full list of GTN's Greatest Catering Awards:
- The Greatest Afternoon Tea Team
- The Greatest Coffee Team
- The Greatest Wash Up Team
- The Greatest Baking Team
- The Greatest Chef Team
- The Greatest Front of House Team
- The Greatest Catering Team Overall
Covering strategy, operations and food, the two-day conference HTA Catering Conference – ‘A Piece of Cake?’ takes place on Tuesday 13 June and Wednesday 14 June 2017 at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield.
For further programme details and to book your place please visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference
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Commercial Kitchen show announces its first speakers
Commercial Kitchen, the UK’s only dedicated trade show for the catering equipment industry, has announced its first speakers and new panel sessions for 2017 and they include world-renowned pastry chef Claire Clark MBE...
Commercial Kitchen, the UK’s only dedicated trade show for the catering equipment industry, has announced its first speakers and new panel sessions for 2017 and they include world-renowned pastry chef Claire Clark MBE.
Returning to the NEC Birmingham on 6-7 June, the show’s Keynote Theatre will host ten expert panels, plus a series of exclusive interviews and Keynotes.
Among the big names now confirmed are world-renowned pastry chef Claire Clark MBE, and Robert Quehan, formerly of The Ivy and now head chef at The Redwood Bistro at Bishopstoke Park (the UK’s first retirement village to be awarded an AA Rosette for its food) – appearing in exclusive ‘in conversation’ sessions with Foodservice Equipment Journal’s editorial director Andrew Seymour.
Clark, who was awarded an MBE in 2011 for her services to the food industry, was the first person in the UK, and only female recipient, to be awarded the Master of Culinary Arts for outstanding craftsmanship (formerly the ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de la Grande-Bretange’).
She’ll be sharing insights from her extensive, award-winning career at the show – from working in prestigious restaurants and hotels, including The Ritz, Claridge's and French Laundry, to setting up a pastry kitchen at the House of Commons and, more recently, founding a new state-of-the-art cookery school to train the next generation of award-winning chefs. Her Q&A takes place at 2.45pm on the show’s opening day (6 June).
Other leading speakers for 2017 include Chris Knights, group executive chef at Young's Pubs and Geronimo Inns, and Kumour Uddin, group executive chef at Anglian Country Inns. They’ll be discussing how innovative equipment and design can play an integral role in helping to deliver speed, quality and consistency in a fast-paced pub kitchen environment.
“Commercial Kitchen is the ideal show to visit, whether it’s to sense check your kitchen equipment against other brands or to find new suppliers of equipment to suit your kitchen needs. It’s a must attend,” says Knights.
While Scott Collins, co-founder and MD of MEATliquor, will offer his perspective on the challenges of procuring and installing new kit across multi-site restaurants; Chris Moore, CEO of The Clink restaurants and charity, will focus on the importance of training with the latest equipment in his session on ‘how to run a kitchen in a prison’; and Andrew Stephen, CEO of The Sustainable Restaurant Association, joined by Henry Unwin, sustainability manager at Nando’s, will outline proven strategies and benefits for making commercial kitchens more sustainable, in terms of CSR, brand and profit.
CEDA, the show’s lead partner, will also host an exclusive panel featuring no less than five of its former chairs. Appearing together, for the first time, are Mark Drazen, MD of Caterware; Nick Howe, MD of Court Catering Equipment; Peter Kitchin, MD of C&C Catering Equipment; Iain Munro, MD of ScoMac Catering Equipment; and Jack Sharkey MSc, MD of Vision Commercial Kitchens. Led by Clare Nicholls, editor of Catering Insight, the panel will examine what it actually means to be a ‘distributor’ in 2017 and beyond, and how projects, design and equipment will continue to connect the industry.
The next wave of seminars to be announced in the coming weeks include panels covering food-to-go kitchens (big innovations in small spaces), foodservice kitchen design (featuring CEDA Grand Prix winners), kitchens in education (school and university caterers), and hospital kitchens (led by Philip Shelley, immediate past national chair of the HCA). Shelley will also be appearing alongside senior representatives from CEDA (Adam Mason), The ALMR (Kate Nicholls), and FCSI (Julian Edwards) in a joint association panel discussion at 3.30pm on 7 June.
Commercial Kitchen returns to the NEC Birmingham on 6-7 June. Show features include a free two-day seminar programme, the Innovation Challenge Gallery and CEDA Awards Gallery.
Recently confirmed exhibitors include Keith Elkington Transport, Reco-Air, Interflow UK, Univent Systems, and Multivac UK. The show’s exhibitor list is available at www.commercialkitchenshow.co.uk/exhibitor-list.
For further information, and to register to attend Commercial Kitchen, visit www.commercialkitchenshow.co.uk and enter priority code CK10.
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