The GTN Bestsellers All Products chart (above) continues to show encouraging sales figures in garden centres, and with the weather set fair and consumer confidence growing, the picture for garden centres looked rosy...but then along came the Scotts-Solus split, and now the supply chain threatens to cause havoc in April and May. Or does it? GTN Bestsellers has been talking to two major distributors – STAX and Decco – to see what measures they were putting in place to prevent a shortage in supply...
Gardman CEO Stuart Hainsworth has dispelled speculation that Gardman might bid for Solus following the collapse of the wholesaler’s proposed merger with Scotts – but in an interview with GTN Xtra, implied it might have been a different story if the timing had been right...
STAX have seen a dramatic increase in business since the breakdown in negotiations between Scotts and Solus. Joint Managing Director David Hibbert admitted it had been a busy and interesting period for the company, and said: "We are more than capable of handling the situation."
Decco's Chief Operating Officer John Findlay told GTN Xtra his company was able to respond to the current situation and deal with increased demand. "We fully understand that having stock available at this key time in the season is vital and are doing everything that we can to make sure that this happens," he said.
Durstons Garden Products have reassured their customers that they have good stock levels of their compost and growing media and can deliver quickly and efficiently in the run up to Easter and the May Bank Holidays...
A senior buyer at The Garden Centre Group is leaving to join Blue Diamond at the end of April, two more set to quit and centre staff are leaving too...
Sales of garden products are moving in the right direction, according to the latest GTN Bestsellers data, with volumes up by 11.2% on the previous week. The bestselling product is Scotts Levington Tomorite...
The Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association is launching a £5,000 seed corn fund to help support the drive for innovation within the UK gardening industry...
Local MP Neil Carmichael was among the guests at the Official Opening of the new restaurant at Highfield Garden World last Thursday. "Excellent restaurant. Great for local economy," said the MP, who is a keen gardener - winning prizes for his Kestrel potatoes at the village show. See the full story of the new restaurant at Highfield in next weeks issue of GTN Food Xtra.
Dubbed ‘wonder gravel’ by those in the know, Lytag, the must-have product for horticulturists this season, is now available from Deco-Pak, the UK’s leading supplier of aggregates, decorative accents and landscaping essentials...
Pupils from a Yorkshire School met their gardening hero at Armitage’s Pennine Garden Centre when James Wong spent time with year four students, showing them how to grow exotic fruit and veg...
Consumer ratings magazine, Which? Gardening has again recommended Vital Earth’s tub & basket compost as the best peat-free growing media for container planting...
Dedicated to providing quality aggregates, Kelkay’s offering has never been better. The proof is in the pudding as like for like sales for the October to April period are 76% up on the same period the previous season...
Gardman is innovating again, evolving its Cole & Bright range of elegant and stylish solar lights with the introduction of a new range of on-trend colours and finishes for its market-making Ice Orb...