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.

Loyal customers from all over South Wales have been turning up in large numbers to show their support to the determined team at fire-ravaged Blooms Cardiff and purchasing their Christmas trees as normal.

The Garden Centre Group-owned centre was extensively damaged by a major blaze but it didn't stop the team from re-opening days later to sell Christmas trees and wreaths from the car park.

Social media, especially Facebook, has played a key role in publicising the fire, and more importantly the Blooms team's united response.

"The Blooms Cardiff Facebook page has been viewed over 90,000 times over the last week or so," said garden centre manager Mike Greenwood.

"The response and support from both staff and customers has been superb, with some amazing Christmas tree sales the first weekend we opened up our new car park-based Christmas tree sales area."

GTN Xtra sent Roger Crookes to Blooms Cardiff to get these pictures of the garden centre team and their sterling efforts.

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

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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.

Winter is well and truly here, the days are crisp, the nights are long, and everyone is digging out their hats and gloves. But you’ve got the perfect thing to brighten up the long grey months for your customers, those bold bursts of colour - poinsettias!

Consumer trends this year are leaning towards the natural, rustic and homemade, which is all the more reason to make some space amongst all the tinsel and glitz and give your living Christmas decorations a bit more of a push.

Once again, Stars for Europe are here to help with heaps of free materials to maximise your poinsettia sales, all available on the incredibly useful website sfe-web.com

There are excellent and inspiring new films with step-by-step instructions for building an irresistibly eye-catching poinsettia display in your garden centre. We dare your customers to walk past without at least one plant ending up in the trolley!

There’s also professional-looking POS material you can customise with your own logo and message, not to mention a wealth of materials to add some movement and sparkle to your website, including banner ads, videos to embed, and fun online games.

Brand new this year is a focus on PR work, with expert tips on how to get your local press interested in your business in the run-up to Christmas.

And as always, loads of great advice on how to care for the plants, making sure your Christmas display is filled with Poinsettias in all their glory.

Once again we’re running  a competition to see how you have used the materials on sfe-web.com. Email hello@purplespotted.com with a photo, screenshot, or even a description of how they have helped with your sales, and you could win fabulous poinsettia umbrellas like the one pictured for you and your staff (maximum three per shop).

With new sales director May Philpott and CEO Mark Pearson now on board at Solus Garden & Leisure, the Worcestershire-based company has announced the final additions to its sales and customer service teams.

Caroline Houghton joins the company as retail operations manager, joining from Stax, as does business development executive Chris Hilton. Rebecca Spreckley has joined the team as customer support manager, moving on from a similar role at Hozelock.

"Our new staff bring yet more vital garden industry experience and knowledge to our sales and customer services team and we're delighted to have them on board," said Solus commercial director Ross Yealland. 

"2014 promises to be an interesting and successful one for Solus, as we look forward to even greater success for our own and partner brands. We're looking forward to developing closer partnerships with our garden centre retailers, and to meeting any challenges in a positive and business focused manner that's good both for us and our customers.  

"We're confident that our service-oriented and collaborative approach will ensure we remain the number one choice in garden and leisure product supply and distribution."

The December edition of HTA Market Update, published this week, reveals that year to date garden centre sales are 5% ahead of 2012 (end of October). Sales have been ahead of 2012 levels since May with September figures 4% up and October 3% up. This is good news for a year which had a slow start due to the cold weather although comparative sales are still down by 3% on 2011.

Consumer confidence has risen significantly over the course of the year. Whilst this appears to have plateaued over the last two months it is still a positive sign for consumers and an indicator of potential increased willingness to spend. Business confidence too has improved with the score for garden retailers in Q3 higher than it has been at any point over the last two years.

There is more good news on the TV front as well with gardening set for greater exposure in the coming months and into 2014. BBC2’s 10 part series ‘The Great British Garden Revival’ starts on 9 December at 7pm. It aims to promote different aspects of gardening, and provide inspiration for viewers to try things like kitchen gardens or bedding plants.

Early in 2014 the BBC will also launch Grow, Make, Eat: The Great Allotment Challenge. This series, to be presented by Fern Britton, will take a Masterchef type of approach which will hopefully drive renewed consumer interest in grow your own.

ITV’s Love Your Garden, produced by Spun Gold, will also return in June 2014 and is keen to work with the industry closely to source products and share information about the content of each episode. There will be also be a further three part series looking at Great British Gardens, hosted by Alan Titchmarsh who will be celebrating his 50^th year in horticulture in 2014.

HTA Chief Executive Carol Paris comments: “It is hugely encouraging to see that garden retail businesses are feeling more confident undoubtedly driven by the strong end of the summer. With that in mind the industry has entered the Christmas period and the build up to the 2014 season on a more positive footing than a year ago. This will only be helped by the exciting news of more gardening on TV in 2014.”

The special feature in the December issue of Market Update looks at access to technologies and implications for the garden industry. Free to HTA members download your copy from the market information pages on the HTA website.

Christmas celebrations have come early at Bents Garden & Home as the Glazebury-based centre has been presented with the ‘Best in the North West’ title at this year’s Garden Centre Association Christmas awards.  

The award acknowledges all the hard work, commitment and creativity of the Bents’ Christmas team who work tirelessly throughout the year to create inspirational displays and innovative themes.  Their work has now been recognised as best in the North West, beating all other garden centres in the region.

Said Matthew Bent, Managing Director of Bents Garden & Home:  “We are delighted to be presented with this award again as there is always very strong competition within the region.  We are always looking to re-invent ourselves and add value to the Bents’ Christmas experience and I think the Best in the North West award reflects our success in achieving this aim.”

The North West title comes following the Garden Centre Association’s 2013 Christmas audit process which assesses all areas of the Centre not only for quality and choice of products, but also for customer service, inspiration and creativity. 

Bents is now waiting to hear if it has been successful in the national awards with the title of Best Christmas Display in the UK to be announced before the end of the year.

"For now we are celebrating our regional success," said Matthew. "It is a fantastic recognition and a big thank you to all our colleagues who work so hard to create and maintain an unforgettable Christmas experience for our customers.”

A much larger Notcutts garden centre is part of a £85 million plan to re-develop a shopping centre in Maidstone, Kent, where it currently has a store.

Notcutts currently has a centre on the site of the proposed re-development by Land Securities.

Almost a 1,000 people attended an exhibition organised by Land Securities.

Chris Ward of Land Securities said: "This is a major project which will enhance the shopping area and we have been acutely aware of the need to involve local residents, businesses and others who have a keen interest in the modernisation of this strategically-located site.

"We have listened carefully to public feedback, in particular to issues raised about the impact on local roads, traffic congestion, improving public transport links with the town centre and the possible impact on shops within the town centre.

"We have listened and we have responded. We will spend more than £6 million on improvements to roads, roundabouts and junctions and this will upgrade the local road network, even when the new development is taken into account."

Another £1 million will fund improvements to existing Park & Ride bus links between the town centre and Newnham Court and on town centre enhancements, such as pedestrianised areas or new loans for new start-up businesses in town.

Maidstone Borough Council is expected to make a decision on the Newnham Court Shopping Village planning application early in the new year.

Notcutts Garden Centres have teamed up with Google Maps to create a virtual 360 tour of its Christmas shop in Norwich.

It’s also one of the very first businesses to use the tool to offer online shoppers a digital tour of Santa’s Grotto.

The family-owned garden centre chain has cleverly used the Google tool to bring their digital customers closer to the magic of Christmas that shoppers experience when they visit one of the companies 19 regional garden centres across the UK.

Notcutts is famed for its stunning Christmas displays and for the presence of Santa in their centres and these are some of the main reasons that people visit the centres over the Christmas period.

The business wanted to re-create this magical environment for online customers, so has worked with Google to complete a full 360 tour of its store in Norwich, showcasing decorations, displays, gifts and trees. What’s more, customers can also take a full 360 tour of the Grotto and visit Santa online.

You can view the film at Notcutts.co.uk here: http://www.notcutts.co.uk/christmas-virtual-tour/content/fcp-content

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?

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.

 

On the night sponsors:
   

  

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

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Andrew Staff, interim CEO at Notcutts, said “Garden Pride has all of the qualities that are important to us as a family-owned company and we are looking forward to extending those services and continuing the outstanding level of customer service and horticultural expertise that the centre is famous for.”

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.

The HTA is encouraging members to contact their local MEP and ask for their support in tabling amendments to the EU proposals on plant reproductive material. 

The Commission’s draft proposals would have a devastating effect on the ornamentals sector, would damage the economy, restrict consumer choice, and diminish biodiversity and UK national heritage.

Policy manager Gary Scroby said: “Since the proposals were published in May, the HTA and many other stakeholder groups have been lobbying hard to get them changed. 

"The proposals are currently under the scrutiny of two European Parliament committees (Environment and Agriculture), and MEPs can table draft amendments until 10 and 11 December respectively for debate in early 2014. 

"Several MEPs have agreed to make our case, but it is important to foster as much support as possible in the European Parliament.”

He adds: “This is not the last opportunity to get the proposals changed as the legislation also needs to be approved by member states in the European Council. On this front, Defra have been working closely with the HTA and other stakeholder groups to help determine the UK policy lines.  

"Defra are in agreement on the key amendments needed to minimise the effect on ornamentals, and the Commission have acknowledged that they are open to re-drafting suggestions. 

But support in the European Parliament is also important so we encourage everybody with an interest in gardening to raise the issue with their MEP now.”

Click here for further detail on the proposals.

Jane Lawler, former Marketing Director at Gardman, has taken up a short-term voluntary role at the charity Greenfingers.

Jane will support the Greenfingers team with the specific objective of coordinating the charity's involvement with Garden Re-Leaf Day and driving the development of activities for 2014. Next year’s Garden Re-Leaf Day is set to take place on Friday 14th March.

Greenfingers has been the benefiting charity for the industry-wide events and activities that take place around Garden Re-Leaf Day each year. Seen as a day to kick-start the gardening calendar across the industry, Garden Re-Leaf Day is also a fantastic fundraising mechanism, with last year’s day raising over £61,000 for Greenfingers.

With Jane supporting the partnership between Greenfingers and Garden Re-Leaf it is hoped the event will be bigger and better than ever. Money raised from the 2014 Garden Re-Leaf will contribute towards the fundraising aims of Greenfingers’ Rosy Cheeks Appeal, which aims to build at least 10 more gardens at children’s hospices around the UK over the next two years.

"I'm so pleased to be able help Greenfingers and Garden Re-Leaf to get the most from their partnership, not least in terms of the increased fundraising potential we aim to achieve through industry activities on 14th March, but also through getting everyone fired up for a great gardening season in 2014," said Jane.

Deborah Skillicorn, Charity Director of Greenfingers, added: ‘Jane has been a loyal long-term supporter of Greenfingers, and as a small team we are thrilled that she has chosen to work with us in supporting our fundraising through the Garden Re-Leaf campaign."

Garden Re-Leaf Day’s founder and Hillview Garden Centre CEO Boyd Douglas-Davies confirmed: "Garden Re-Leaf Day has grown so rapidly in the first two years and we now have organisations queuing up to take part. To have Jane on board and liaising with the commercial participants is great news. Her experience will add tremendously to the impact Garden Re-Leaf Day 2014 has on the start of the Spring season, and on the amount raised for Greenfingers."

Police are urging garden centres to be vigilant against the theft of Christmas trees after a number of reported burglaries.

Three hundred Christmas trees were stolen from High Legh Garden Centre in Knutsford, Cheshire, during an overnight raid.

And in a separate incident thieves stole thousands of pounds worth of Christmas trees and wreaths after smashing a fence and breaking into Lea Brook Nurseries in Rawtenstall, Lancashire.

High Legh garden centre manager Neil Phelps commented: "The police said that at this time of year people know garden centres are carrying a lot of trees and the thieves would have come here a couple of weeks before to see how they can get in and out.

"The police told us that two other retailers had been targeted on the same night."

High Legh Garden Centre had managed to replenish stocks and customers hadn't been affected.

Newquay Garden Centre at Quintrell Downs officially opened its new café to the public last weekend.

Café Quint was opened by former BBC Radio Cornwall presenter Chris Blount.

"The coffee shop's an exciting addition for us and I'd like to thank everyone who supported us on Saturday and all those who helped make Café Quint a reality," said Lisa.

Also present was Ian Bodman with his 1989 Renault Clio – on Boxing Day he will be setting off to drive from Cornwall to the Gambia in aid of the Joe Way Appeal, a venture which the garden centre is supporting.

Café Quint will serve morning coffee, light lunches and afternoon tea.

Since moving from their temporary premises, the company has made a significant investment in state-of-the-art machinery, including a CNC router and saw, as well as taking on several new staff.

New MD Seb Smith believes 2014 will provide the business with its best start to any year,  with the prospect of securing its largest ever order. In October, Smith took over from founder Tom Davis, who has taken the role of chairman.

Smith said: “The new factory gives us greater capacity which reflects the changes in the garden centre industry, which has undergone significant consolidation through acquisition and mergers. This means we will be servicing much larger businesses, who will demand more volume. We want to be ready to meet that challenge.”

Stagecraft was originally created as a farm diversification project but is now the UK market leader for the supply and fit-out of display equipment for garden centres and over the last couple of years has secured a growing foothold in the general retail sector.

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

or e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Christmas Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Garden 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.