The administrators at Solus have axed 91 jobs because of the company’s growing losses, it was announced late yesterday.

The Droitwich depot bears the brunt of the redundancies, with 32 jobs lost, followed by  the Hunnington HQ (24), West Bromwich (16), Norwich (13), Edinburgh (4) and Tipton (2).

In a statement, joint administrators Rob Hunt and Tony Barrell, who were appointed on 15 May, said they were working closely with employees affected to assist with their redundancy payments and compensation. Solus’s remaining 159 staff had been briefed while the company contrinues to operate as normal

Hunt and Barrell said difficult trading conditions and the decision by its major supplier [Scotts] to end its distribution agreement meant the business’s cost structure was no longer in line with the reduced turnover. The business was incurring “significant losses”.

With the World Cup now only a month away we can start to dream of a Brazillian summer – a summer full of BBQ parties, re-creating great goals on the lawn and basking in the sunshine as though we were on Copacabana Beach.

After a great spring for garden centre sales, we actually only need an ‘average’ summer now to reach the half year at 6% up for volume sales.  

Our latest GTN Bestsellers prediction would even take total volume sales for the first six months to above the levels of 2011 and 2009 by nearly 2.5%.  

If the weather is better than ‘average’ and England get past the group stage of the World Cup, the feel good factor could send sales booming even higher.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year

• Garden Products – down 9%
• Veg 2 Gro – down 44%
• Growing Media – down 25%
• All items index – down 16%

• Gardman Solar Stainless Steel Border Light retains No 1 spot in the chart while Smart Solar Flutterby Butterfly is the highest climber, moving up 19 places.
• Westland Eraza Slug Killer has increased sales to move to No 13.
• Westland Nutri Tomato Feed is the highest re-entry at No 22 while Scotts Levington Tomorite is at No 3.

Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre in Somerset has launched a new click and collect compost service, which will be available via the company's website.

Norma Moore, General Manager of the award-winning, independent family-run garden centre,at Monkton Heathfield in Taunton, explained: “These days many people are looking for a quick and convenient way to shop and simply don’t have the time to pop in for a leisurely browse.

“We’ve decided to introduce a click and collect compost service for people who are short of time. All people need to do is log on to our website at www.monktonelmgardencentre.co.uk, browse our range of composts and select the ones they’d like to purchase.

“Our helpful staff will then prepare the order and have it ready to be collected at our new collection point, which is located just off the main drive inside our entrance gate.”

When people visit the garden centre to pick up their purchase they will need to sound their horn and a member of staff will be on-hand to help load the order into their car.

Norma added: “We ask people using our new service to allow us two hours to pick and prepare the order before it is ready for collection. Customers should bring along a proof purchase or proof of identification of the bill payer.”

“We’ve also recently launched our new late night open evenings on Thursdays. Every Thursday we are open until 7.30pm so people can make their compost orders on their lunch break and pick up their goods on their way home.”

Recent research conducted by the UK’s number one weedkiller brand Roundup has shown some interesting facts on how Roundup Gel is changing the weedkiller market.

Even though consumer purchases of Roundup Gel increased by 90% in 2013, 65% of those sales were to customers who hadn’t bought Gel before.

Perhaps the most remarkable finding of the research was that 14% of those that bought Gel in 2013 hadn’t purchased a weed killer in recent years, if ever. This is on on top of 12% declaring this in 2012. This shows that the unique benefits that Gel offers, most specifically Accuracy and Control have attracted around 200,000 new customers into the weed killer category so far, with many more new users likely to follow in coming years as the award winning Roundup Gel TV advertising campaign continues.

The good news continues….

• Gel is such a handy product to use, it more like a weeding tool. Due to this 80% of customers are using Gel at least once a month and 24% are using it one a week for weed control!
• While Gel is such a unique product, some gardeners will undoubtedly still want and need to use a traditional spray in larger areas. This is great new for retailers, with these customers, 56% in fact, continuing to purchase another product, which helps to increase sales further.
• Finally, the satisfaction rating for Roundup Gel is extremely high with 89% saying they intend to purchase Gel again in 2014. So with high purchase intention, new users and more than half buying Gel as well as their current product, Roundup Gel is giving the weed killer market an incredible boost.

Gary Philpotts, Roundup Lawn and Garden UK Business Director, said: “This research clearly shows the huge potential of Roundup Gel to keep growing in popularity. To capitalise on this, we’d advise all retailers to make sure Gel is very visible to customers by ordering Gel display units, as well as stocking Roundup Gel at the cash desk through the season to secure further sales from this extremely in-demand product.”

To find out more about the UK’s leading weed killer brand and how it can help you increase sales this season, visit www.roundup-garden.com/trade or call 01483 410334.

Roundup® is a registered trade mark of Monsanto Technology LLC.

After working with its traditional mystery shopper programme for the past eight years, Bents Garden & Home has launched a new customer initiative which enables the Warrington-based centre to generate direct feedback from over 3,600 customers per year.

The new programme, thought to be a first in the industry, allows Bents to capture feedback and act upon it immediately; helping to improve quality and service on a continual basis.  Crucially, the information gathered is from actual customers as opposed to pretend ‘mystery shoppers’ who previously visited the Centre each year as part of its previous programme.

Having worked with a traditional mystery shopper programme, which measured service levels based on pre-determined questions and situations, Bents wanted to radically transform the situation and generate direct feedback from actual customers by asking what they considered to be good service.

The team from Bents approached several companies with their idea and joined forces with Shopper Anonymous who shared their expertise and together helped create a new tailor made programme. The new programme is split into three distinct categories with data collected three times per month.

Says Dawn Chalmers, Customer Service Manager at Bents Garden & Home: “We wanted to create a completely new initiative which would allow us to engage more closely with our customers. The new programme provides us with the opportunity to generate direct feedback helping us to respond quickly and effectively to whatever comments are put forward. It is already proving very beneficial to the business and our customers both in terms of immediate service levels and future planning.”

The new programme involves:  an on-site audit, which checks basic service standards such as parking, trolleys, cleanliness; a telephone survey; and exit surveys with customers which ask 3 simple questions about their experience ending by asking ‘if there was one thing they could change about Bents what would it be?’ 

Says Dawn:  “By asking this question we are empowering the customer; allowing them to give direct feedback about their visit which is immediately fed back to the management team and, if needed, we can act straight away.”

Bents has already been approached by other leading brands with a request to share information and feedback on the new programme.  Bents believes the new initiative is not only innovative for the garden centre industry, but for retail in general and is keen to share its new approach with other like-minded retailers.

For more information visit www.bents.co.uk

This exciting new role, based in Scotland and also covering Northern Ireland, offers a great opportunity to the right person with an in-depth understanding of horticulture and its industry sectors, including commercial production retail and landscaping.

You will be engaging with members to ensure strategies developed by the HTA remain market leading and relevant. Ensuring that the national and regional governments' horticultural policy is communicated to members and helping members benefit from any assistance given via those "policies".

Working closely within the HTA team, the role involves interaction with every department of the Association and high levels of involvement across all sectors and all levels of the trade to improve communication and help drive innovation within horticulture for their membership.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience: applicants should possess:-

•Excellent communication skills and an outgoing personality

•Commercially "savvy" - with a can do attitude to their work and life

•Strong influencing skills and a diplomatic manner enabling them to work closely with HTA members and policy decision makers alike

Please call Dianne Saunders on 07929 013910 or apply with your CV to info@morepeople.co.uk

The HTA are working exclusively with MorePeople on this assignment and any CVs sent directly to them will be forwarded on to MorePeople

Our client is a successful garden centre group who pride themselves in offering an aspirational and innovative environment for their customers to shop within. Currently they are looking for a creative and inspirational Buyer with good retail knowledge within the AB1 retail sector, as the person in this role will have responsibility for sourcing and managing a group of products within the Indoor Living/Home range.

Based at their newly refurbished Hampshire site the Buyer will select product and analyse product performance whilst ensuring they hold the optimum levels of stock in order to maximise sales.

You should have proven experience within a fast-paced buying environment. You should have experience of range building across large product areas and you should have a commercial outlook, always looking to create an opportunity to increase sales. Buying experience is essential to the role.

My client is a small garden centre group based in the London area.

They are looking for an experienced garden centre manager to lead the team of a large destination style garden centre based in a scenic and historic part of London.

You will have site management experience previously and be ready to take on a challenging role in a very competitive environment.

There is an opportunity to grow with the business.

I am currently looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic plant retailer to join the team of an established garden centre.

My client is a large garden centre group looking for a plantarea manager to join the senior leadership team of one of its centres to develop the centre and plant area.

You will need to have at least supervisory knowledge previously and must be a confident team leader.

Excellent plant knowledge is a must preferably supported by a qualification.

There’s a wide variety of young plants dominating this week’s GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart with Quantil Runner Bean White Emergo emerging as the front runner.

Other star performers:

• Quantil Lettuce Little Gem is the highest climber, jumping 24 places to No 13.
• The highest re-entry is Quantil Strawberry Cambridge Strips at No 30.
• There are only two seed products in the Top 50 – Beetroot Boltardy from T&M and Suttons. This compares to 23 in the same week of 2009.

Wyevale Nurseries has re-organised its business from three separate limited companies to one to enhance service, broaden its product range and offer customers a ‘one-stop-shop’.

Wyevale Containers, Wyevale Trees and Wyevale Transplants in Herefordshire have officially re-launched this month under the generic name Wyevale Nurseries.

The new company will be overseen by Managing Director, Andy Johnson (left). He said: “Wyevale Nurseries is embarking on the start of this new journey with renewed passion and determination to become market leaders in the supply of trees, transplants and container grown plants into the British market place. We continue to strive to be the customer’s first choice.

“We aim to be the ‘one-stop-shop’ for the landscaping and retail markets and are focused on reaching a potential new audience and widening the customer base trade contacts that we currently have.

“The reorganisation will free up the team’s time to concentrate on and further enhance innovative production techniques and trialling new varieties, sustainable long into the future.”

Wyevale Nurseries was established in 1928 by Harry Williamson, a horticultural pioneer and accomplished entrepreneur. It became the company it is today under the leadership of his son, Peter, who sadly passed away in 2011.

Andy added: “The Willliamsons were innovative growers who seized the opportunity to sell their product to an undeveloped retail market, creating one of the first garden centres and then a chain of them.

“In 1987, it became apparent the retail side needed to expand and the then 19 garden centres were sold as a PLC.

“The family then concentrated its focus on its true passion – growing as Wyevale Nurseries Ltd. Wyevale Nurseries continues to be a family-run business with ownership and joint chairmanship passing to the third generation: Heather and Simeon Williamson.

“The policy remains the same and they plan to pass ownership onto the fourth generation in due course. Wyevale Nurseries is a name the family is extremely proud of, along with the strong history of the company, and it is this heritage that gives us a solid base from which to expand and embrace the future.”

The family has wholeheartedly supported the existing investment plans.

Wyevale Nurseries’ Joint Chairman, Heather Williamson (right) said: “Building the business – having grown up with it but observing it from the outside – it was apparent that to ensure it had a long-term future, it made sense to bring all the production divisions together to provide the ‘one-stop-shop’ customers are looking for these days.”

Heather and Simeon recognised the vast experience, skills and expertise each of the separate production companies, Wyevale Container Plants, Wyevale Transplants and Wyevale Trees, had built individually.

Andy continued: “Heather and Simeon saw the potential in bringing all this together – re-incorporating Wyevale Container Plants, Wyevale Transplants and Wyevale Trees as production divisions within Wyevale Nurseries.

“The re-organisation into one company will focus us on enhancing customer service through improved flexibility and internal efficiencies. We have always believed quality, range and service to our customers is paramount but now we can develop this further.”

All the key members of staff remain from each division and they are still responsible for its running and production, ensuring continuity of each specialism.

Andy concluded: “By unifying the divisions and having clear objectives across the board, we will capitalise on synergies created and will vastly broaden the product range available to all our customers.

“Our portfolio covers an extensive range of transplants, field and container grown trees and container grown hardy nursery stock.”

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, call 01432 845 200 or visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk

Growing media sales are up week on week but there are no indicators that the volumes are getting back to the high levels of 2009 or 2011.

The year-to-date figures show Top 50 volumes are 32% down on 2011 and 21% down on 2009. Do you have any theories? Let us know by email: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

• This week’s highest re-entry is GroWise Multipurpose Compost (20 litres).
• The highest climber is Scotts Miracle Gro Potting Mix (40 litres).

Young representatives of the horticultural industry are preparing to take part in the next round of the Garden Centre Association’s 2014 Rising Stars Programme next month.

The second of three masterclasses to be held throughout the year will take place at Westland Horticulture in Peterborough on Thursday, June 5.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, explained: “The first masterclass included a session on merchandising, opportunities for business growth and managing the seasons to make maximum sales and profits.

“The second round will see all of the candidates put what they’ve learnt to the test. They will also receive more extensive coaching and mentoring on working in the horticultural industry and we’re hoping to arrange a trip to Van Hage Garden Centre in Peterborough on the day too.”

Twenty-eight candidates are taking part in the competition, sponsored by Westland Horticulture, and from the original 28, just 10 will then be selected in September to take part in the third round.

From those 10, five will be chosen as finalists to attend the GCA Conference in Chester in January.

Iain added: “At our conference they will make a presentation on what they have achieved during the year. A winner will then be chosen by conference delegates before being presented with his or her prize at the GCA’s annual gala dinner on Tuesday, January 27, 2015.”

The GCA Rising Stars 2014 Programme has received a record number of entries from garden centre staff looking to get ahead in the world of horticultural retailing.

The initiative is now in its sixth year and has been welcomed by the industry and participants alike.

The next masterclass will be held on Thursday, June 5 and the third on Thursday, September 11. The venue for the third masterclass is yet to be confirmed.

For further information call 0118 930 8918, visit www.gca.org.uk, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-Centre-Association orfollow the organisation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.

Garden centres and nurseries can now print their own colour plant labels on-site thanks to a joint venture with Easitill and the Scandinavian brand Floralabels.

Easitill, a family-run business assisting horticultural companies with their EPoS requirements, has this spring (2014) launched the service in the UK to help growers and retailers save money on labelling.

Managing Director, Rob Gardner explained: “The making of a colour label is now easier and faster than ever before. With our unique solution, you can produce high quality colour labels with a picture, bar code, price, description and company logo on the same label.

“We have put together a complete package consisting of our easy-to-use label software, an effective OKI colour laser printer and the full range of Floralabels labels. This package will help growers and retailers save money, as it allows them to print just the labels they need, thus enabling small print runs if needed and no wastage.

“Having the equipment on site allows for last minute changes to labels for promotions and rush orders. Growers and retailers can enhance their own brands and ensure they stand out from the crowd without relying on a supplier or designer.

“Our labels are also very durable and are made to last. They are resistant to frost, sunlight, humidity and wear and tear. The surface is pleasant with an easy tearing off feature too, perfect for the gardener who purchases the plant.

“Our Easitill label programme is designed for nurseries in mind with its unprecedented user-friendliness. Its visual and self-explanatory nature means it takes only a matter of minutes before you can use it.”

Floralabels is a speciality label supplier based in Denmark.

Easitill helps small to medium-sized garden centres and nurseries with EPoS, website, mobile and mail order and e-commerce solutions to improve the profitability and quality of their business operations.

The company also has a database containing more than 20,000 plant records and descriptions and 15,000 photographs to help garden centres create plant labels.

For further details, please call Easitill on 01604 882030, email floralabels@easitill.co.ukor visit www.easitill-horticultural.co.uk.

Sales and negotiation expert Steve Jones from ReSharpen will provide visitors to the HTA National Plant Show (June 24-25 at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire) with hints and tips on how to strike the best deal when it comes to buying and selling plants.

In his talk on Wednesday 25 June (10.00-10.30) titled ‘They sell themselves don’t they?’ he will explore what goes on behind the scenes to ensure that plants are on sale at the right place, in the right numbers and in the right conditions for sale. Steve will examine some of the crucial deals which need to work for both sides before the customer makes their choice from the display bench.

The Seminar Area, sponsored by Barclaycard, will host three diverse presentations over the course of the Show which focus on a theme of adapting to challenges and change. The HTA National Plant Show, sponsored by Hortipak which celebrates its fifth birthday this year, takes place at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry on 24 and 25 June 2014.

David Arnold, Project Manager for the Garden Industry Marketing Board will share key messages from the latest research into what 30-45 year olds want from their gardens during his seminar at the HTA National Plant Show at 3pm on Tuesday 24 June.

Organised by the trade for the trade the Show provides visitors with the opportunity to see thousands of plant varieties from over 100 UK growers all under one roof. With its back to basics approach to exhibiting, the Show focuses purely on plants at the best time of the year for visitors to plan their ranges for the following season.

Exhibitors already signed up include: Dorset Plant Company Ltd, Parkers Nurseries Ltd, Cobbins Nursery, Country Herbs and Plants Ltd, Ravensworth Nurseries, Yorkshire Plants Ltd, Hillier Nurseries Ltd, Wyevale Nurseries Ltd. For a full list of exhibitors visit www.nationalplantshow.co.uk.

Visit http://www.nationalplantshow.co.uk/index.php/visitors/visitor-registration  and secure your place now at the show where the plants do the talking.

Alan Titchmarsh has joined forces with Plantlife to launch a UK-wide campaign to save the nation's threatened native wildflowers...

The campaign aims to stop councils mowing down native wild flowers on our road verges.

"There is nothing more beautiful than seeing primroses, cowslips and wood anemones and orchids an other native wildflowers popping up along our roads, lanes and hedgerows , a sure sign that spring has finally arrived! But every year councils mow down these beautiful wildflowers almost as soon as they appear and for no apparent reason," said a spokesperson for Plantlife.

"Since the 1940s, 97% of Britain’s wildflower meadows have been lost so road verges are the last refuge for our wildflowers. Yet mindless cutting sprees by councils mean wildflowers don’t have chance to set seed, which wipes colour from the countryside and deprives wildlife of a vital food source.

"Alan is throwing down the 'Alan Challenge' to councils and asking them to delay cutting their road verges until later in the year. He also wants the nation to join 'Alan’s Army' so together we can encourage councils to do more to protect the wayside flowers in their care."

For more information visit www.plantlife.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 printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2012 as well as 2013 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, 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 Veg-2-Gro Products 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.