Dobbies have announced their 2019 Christmas trading update today which reveals a like for like 6% increase on 2018 and 9% higher than 2017.

For the 9 weeks leading up to 29th December 2019 Dobbies total sales were up by 44%, including all of the new centres purchased from Wyevale Garden Centres during the year.

Their update states that performance has been driven by increased transaction volumes & growth in basket size, in both retail and restaurant divisions.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO, has said: “Dobbies Christmas trading continues to reflect the positive momentum we have delivered this year.  Driving our like-for-like sales performance was double digit sales growth across many key categories including Christmas decorations (+16%), artificial trees (+29%), toys (+17%) and crackers (+16%).   We saw a similarly strong performance for our restaurants, with over 135,000 children visiting Santa at one of our Christmas events.”

Andrew Bracey, Chairman, added: “Dobbies Christmas performance with sales up 44% and like-for-like growth of 6% is very encouraging. This important trading period followed the acquisition and successful integration of 31 new garden centres last year, seeing Dobbies double in size. We are delighted with the performance from the team.”

Read GTN's pre Christmas interview with Graeme Jenkins in the current issue of GTN using this link

Wow, what a Christmas for garden centres. The GTN Bestsellers Top 50 Chart volume sales were up by 12.7% on 2018 and 7.3% ahead of the previous best set in 2017. 

• History & Heraldry’s Personalised Gingerbread Hanging Decoration was the overall bestselling line for the season.
• Suki’s Personalised Reindeer Hanging Decoration was another high-level new entry at No 4 for the season.
• Christmas chocolates and sweets featured high in the bestsellers again. Lindt Chocolate Santa Sleigh was the highest chart climber overall, moving up 31 places to No 30 in the GTN Top 100 Christmas Products.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers and receive the GTN Bestsellers Top 100 Christmas Products of 2019 use this link to buy today or email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

While the rest of UK retail, via the BRC, was reporting the worst trading for November and December on record with total sales down 0.9% compared with the same period in 2018, garden centres were trading at all time highs, according to GTN Bestsellers Epos data analysis.

During November and December 2019 the GTN Bestsellers All Sales index grew by 9% on 2018 and was 10% ahead of 2017 levels.

That great end to the year meant whole year volume sales growth for 2019 of 4.2% over 2018, setting a new record as recorded by GTN Bestsellers over the past 10 years.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive British Retail Consortium, said: “2019 was the worst year on record and the first year to show an overall decline in retail sales.” 

GTN Bestsellers says: “This just goes to show how in touch with their customers garden centres are and how well they are adapting to changing customer requirements.  More and more people are visiting garden centres and spending more while they are there. A record year for volume sales shows the real growth potential of our sector.”

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

The UK retail arm of Bord na Mona is to be re-named The Greener Gardening Company from 1 February.

The division comprises Bord na Mona Horticulture, Bord na Mona UK and White Moss Horticulture and will continue to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Bord na Mona Ireland.

Steve Harper, head of commercial and marketing, says the name change will make the brand easy to recognise for UK consumers.

The company’s new Happy Compost peat-free range has been well received by the trade and was given a ‘best in test’ performance rating in trials at University College of Dublin

The name change does not cover the current Bord Na Mona Horticulture business in Ireland or affect UK trade customers who trade directly with it.

CJ Wilbird Foods has been fined £50,000 after an employee suffered life changing injuries when his hand was trapped in an unguarded rotary valve.

On 25 July 2017, a production operative had to have three fingers amputated after sustaining injuries while operating a mixing extraction unit at the company’s site in Upton Magna, Shrewsbury.

The employee had been levelling out the waste dust that collected in a large bag located underneath a rotary valve on the mixing plant. He lost his balance and began to fall backwards into the bag. As he tried to steady himself his right hand came into contact with the moving parts of the rotary valve.

An HSE investigation found that a guard preventing access to the dangerous parts of the rotary valve had fallen off over time but had not been replaced. Following the purchase of the second-hand mixing extraction unit, no suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks arising from its had ever been made so the company failed to identify the risks from the dangerous parts.

C J Wildbird Foods Ltd, of The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision of Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. In addition toi the fine of £50,000, it was ordered to pay costs of £5,508.61.

HSE Inspector Andrew Johnson said after the hearing: “This was an easily preventable incident which has had life changing consequences. It reminds us why there are long established and straightforward regulations requiring dutyholders who procure and use their work equipment to assess the risks and identify and put in place effective measures to prevent access to any dangerous moving parts.”

Former Wyevale Garden Centres operation s director David Anderson has joined JGOO, the digital commerce specialist, as a non-executive director, to support the company’s strong growth in the UK retail sector.

In a retail career spanning more than 30 years, Anderson has held a number of senior roles, including as MD of BHS International (UK) Limited, where he successfully re-launched the company after it was bought by the Almana Group following its fall into administration.  He left the company soon after to join Wyevale Garden Centres.

He had also been director of operations, marketing and international for BHS Limited and prior to that, spent more than 20 years at M&S, where he held several senior roles.

Launched in London in 2017, JGOO is a leading next generation payments provider with forward thinking technology at its core. Through its official partnerships with WeChat Pay and Alipay, it provides brands with direct trading access to the Chinese market, connecting UK and European companies to Chinese shoppers and tourists. It not only provides a payments gateway for them to pay for British goods when visiting the country or when buying online via WeChat Pay and Alipay, but it also has a team of Chinese nationals in the UK to help clients develop social media marketing campaigns via the WeChat platform – China’s most powerful marketing tool.

JGOO is part of UK FinTech group R8 Limited (R8), which aims to bring the full scope of banking and financial services to support the growing decentralised economy. Prominent entrepreneur Jonathan Rowland is the founder and chairman of R8, which has several prominent backers including Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, who sits on the board as a non-executive director. 

Richard Morecroft, Director and Co-Founder of JGOO said: “We are delighted that David is joining us. He has a wealth of experience in retail and will make a valuable contribution to help us communicate the many exciting benefits we offer to retailers looking to target the one billion potential customers in China.”

Jonathan Rowland added: “David is a very strong addition to our team. As well as being a seasoned retailer, he has significant experience in promoting UK goods and services abroad. We are excited to have him on board.”

David Anderson said: “China is a huge opportunity for many UK retailers, but the road is littered with companies that have failed to break into this market. JGOO is a tried and tested way to do this, allowing retailers to effectively market to China in a highly cost effective and successful way. I believe it is an extremely powerful proposition for retailers looking to target the biggest market in the world, and I’m excited to be working with the JGOO team.”

The trial ground at Mr Fothergill’s Seeds HQ in Suffolk has been selected as a trial site for Fleuroselect, the international organisation for the ornamental plants industry.

The company will now undertake trials of newly-bred, yet-to-be launched, ornamental varieties on its trial field site and evaluate them according to criteria such as wow factor, innovation, as floriforousness and garden performance. The assessments will count towards the award of prestigious Fleuroselect gold medals and approved novelty awards.

Mr Fothergill’s, the last of the UK seed companies with a fully functioning field trial, will be the furthest west of all the 18 Fleuroselect trial grounds, which stretch across mainland Europe to Russia in the east.

GTN Xtra caught up with Gardman Crest MD, Nick Davies, in the run up to Christmas during one of his brief calls into the new Gardman Crest Showroom in between his many visits to garden centres during December.

What everyone wants to know is how the integration of Gardman into the Westland Crest business is progressing.  “We've had an incredibly hard and challenging year in integrating this great Gardman business. Not only integrating it, but creating a completely new warehouse and inputting logistics to future-proof the business,” Nick explained.

“As I’ve said to many a retailer, it's no different to what they've been doing over the past few years. When a retailer decides to knock his restaurant down and put a bigger one in, everyone goes through a degree of pain at the beginning to achieve the end result, but when you get through the pain, then you start enjoying the fruits of what you've invested in. In a very honest and straightforward way that is what we've done. We've invested hugely in the categories, the brands and most importantly the people. We have also invested in infrastructure, which was what Gardman as a business needed to get back into the playing field."

“The King's Lynn distribution warehouse was a great site doing an absolutely brilliant job, however we found out very early on into the acquisition that the lease could not be renewed and at some point in the future, the site would run out of space. So we knew we had to do something about it."

“We at Gardman Crest as part of the Westland family went through all of these major changes over the summer period. We did it with the knowledge that we would come out stronger, healthier and fit for purpose for the next 10 years. The whole operation is running very smoothly now."

“The other challenge Gardman faced when we bought it, was stock availability. The majority of our stock is coming from far away and the lead times are therefore long. For the 2020 season ahead we placed a lot of orders. They started getting delivered into us from October onwards, so by the time garden centres are stocking up in January, we can start to send out orders in full ready for the season ahead."

Sustainability is high on the Gardman Crest agenda for 2020 and beyond.  “We're a bit ahead of the game on sustainability because we were in a situation where we could change our stock, our range and packaging, and as a result, we have upgraded many of the products too.  If you devalue your product, you'll become an advocate for landfill. That is definitely not what Gardman Crest is all about."

Nick joined the family of Westland six years ago and during that time there is one thing all retailers were craving for: “Loud and clear these savvy retailers were telling me they wanted better management of their stock. Customers are now able to mix any products from within the Westland family in their order. Once their order is placed on a designated day the order is then picked and packed and sent on the same vehicle rather than two separate vehicles. So, whilst we might be two separate companies, we now deliver only one invoice.”

As Nick headed off to support his sales team during their really busy period taking in orders ready for shipping in January he said: “We've gone through the process of rebuilding and we're very much ready for business in the New Year.”

Read the GTN Xtra Gardman Crest Special issue using this link

The smallest garden centre in the Dobbies chain, Dalgety Bay near Dunfermline, is to close in February as the group boosts its focus on destination retailing.

CEO Graeme Jenkins said the closure, which will leave the group with 68 sites, was in line with the company’s strategic plan. “Our focus remains growing the business through destination garden centres,” he added.

The centre, which has traded for more than 25 years, employs 27 staff, one of whom told the local press that the closure announcement had “come out of the blue”.

The company it was consulting with staff so could not comment on potential redundancies.

A few months ago Dobbies lodged a planning application with Fife Council detailing ambitious expansion proposals for its store in Dunfermline. “Our store in Dunfermline, which is only four miles away, is considered one of our larger centres, where customers can enjoy a wide range of products and services” said a spokesman.

A planning application for a drive-thru Costa Coffee outlet on land adjacent to the garden centre has been approved.

Pictured:  Dalgety Bay centre manager Andy Macdonald, one of 27 staff in consultation with Dobbies. 

Thetford Garden Centre is planning to introduce adventure crazy golf in a bid to make the business more family orientated.

An application to Breckland Council details an extension for an adventure golf course and associated cafe/golf hub, outdoor play area, events space and additional car parking.

Plans for the crazy golf include a woodland theme with giant acorns, fallen trees, rabbit holes, woodland animals and a water feature.

Documents for the single story extension on Breckland Council's website say: “The aim of this planning application is to re-establish Thetford Garden Centre's position in the market in order to retain existing customers by updating and improving the existing facilities in order to provide customers with a modern garden centre.

Founded in 1982 by Jean and Paul Nixon, Thetford Garden Centre has been at the current site at the Kilverstone Estate for 27 years. The family business is now being run by their daughter Lucy Nixon and her husband Shane Hinkley (pictured above with Jean).

Notcutts has opened the group’s largest restaurant – a 300-seater at its Garden Pride  outlet in Ditchling, East Sussex. 

The new eatery, part of an extensive refurbishment across the site, has comfortable seating and views across the South Downs, plus a south-facing alfresco terrace seating a further 80 people. There is also a new outdoor children’s play area.

Other refurbishments include an improved layout with upgraded flooring, lighting and roofing, added Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Cotton Traders concessions (joining the Procook, Pets Corner and GBC businesses already on site), and a 1000 sq.m. vented plant canopy that doubles the size of the protected outdoor area.

An official opening is planned for the spring.

On 12 and 13 February 2020, The Garden Retail Experience (TREx) will take place in Holland.

This unique information and inspiration event for green retail has chosen a new location this year: Expo Haarlemmermeer - centrally located in the Netherlands.

The main theme is Reimagine Green Retail. What would your garden centre look like if you would start again tomorrow with the knowledge of today?

Nature, greenery and sustainability are central to TREx. People like and enjoy a green environment and nature. They also want that outdoor feeling and nature experience at home. The question is how to translate this need for green experience into concepts in the garden centre. And how do you ensure that your garden centre becomes an ambassador of nature? That is where TREx 2020 gives impulses with a practical translation into store presentations.

TREx has been set up as an innovating concept garden centre. More than 150 leading suppliers in the garden industry will showcase their latest collections and concepts for the sale of garden items on 12,000 m2. There is also a square designed as Living Garden Park with various practical cases and an extensive program with lectures and master classes.

At TREx, the latest insights and ideas for selling living green, garden and decorative articles are shared, with the aim of providing improved service to the customer and improving sales – from now on.

VISIT TREx 2020
The Garden Retail Experience is freely accessible to retailers and employees in the gardening sector. Other visitors pay 195 euro including lunch, drinks and snacks. Sign up at www.tr-ex.eu

TREx 2020 will take place on Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th of February at Expo Haarlemmermeer, Vijfhuizen – centrally located in the Netherlands.

On the website, you’ll find the complete programme and suggestions for overnight stays. www.tr-ex.eu

10 REASONS TO VISIT TREx!
1 A wealth of information and inspiration for all kinds of visitors
2 Visitors rate TREx with an 8, 95 % indicated to visit TREx again
3 150 leading suppliers present all relevant product categories
4 12,000 m2 new products and concepts
5 New ways to increase your sales
6 The most important players in the industry, all under one roof
7 Networking in a pleasant, green environment
8 Awaken your creativity
9 Taste the TREx hospitality
10 Upgrade your visit with the garden centre tour on February 11th

Every year the David Colegrave Foundation (DCF) and the American Floral Endowment (AFE), jointly award an internship of a lifetime - The Markham-Colegrave International Scholarship.

$4,500 USD is granted for the opportunity to organise a work placement in a horticultural business. This year current or recent UK based horticultural students can apply to experience production horticulture in the US/Canada.

Past winner James Crawford (above) returned full of motivation after winning the Scholarship in 2018. James went to Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants in Michigan, US, where he worked throughout the main production cycle.

On applying for the award, James was studying for a BSc Horticulture at Writtle University College and was keen to know what it was like to work in ‘The land of opportunity' to see how it could benefit his career goal to work with pest and disease control in ornamental crops. He was keen to express his gratitude for the opportunity the award offered towards achieving his dream career goal: “It has certainly been the experience of a lifetime and has greatly helped me develop as a young grower,” he said

Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants is the leading wholesaler of custom grown plugs and liners in North America. Through both seed and vegetative propagation, the nursery supplies more than 3,000 plant varieties to growers around the world. “It provided me with invaluable first-hand experience that I can go on to use in my career,” James said. “This internship has most definitely helped me meet my personal and professional goals, and I am excited to see what else lies ahead of me in this industry.”

“My overall aim was to develop a greater depth and breadth of the production horticulture industry by spending time with industry professionals in all departments of a young plant business. Raker-Roberta’s helped me meet this goal by placing me with knowledgeable and experienced team leaders in different departments, who were willing and able to share their expertise. As an intern I had the opportunity to move about and work with different members of the team, assisting them in their duties as well as covering whenever they were shorthanded.”

Jeff Colegrave, DCF chairman said: “Speaking with James about his internship really highlighted what an experience this award offers for a young person starting out in horticulture. James has made the most of this opportunity, gaining an enormous insight into the operations at Rakers. He is clearly a motivated and organised guy, and I’m sure will go on to be a great asset to the horticultural industry.” 

In the last ten years, the DCF has awarded almost £100,000 through scholarships, trip bursaries and other educational initiatives.

This year there are seven scholarships to apply for including travel, research, sustainability and commercial awards. Scholarship Season is open until 31 January 2020.

To apply visit the website.

Ten plants have been nominated for the Show Your Colours Award at this month’s IPM 2020 trade show at Essen.

All IPM exhibitors showing trees, shrubs and perennials were eligible to enter. The award will be presented at 3.00 pm on Thursday 30 January in the BIZZ Holland stand (hall 8, stand 8A40.

The Show Your Colours Award IPM was introduced to encourage participants to put their products with added value under the spotlight.

The nominations (in alphabetical order):

• Adenium obesum ‘Fairy Tree Concept’ - Plantal Producciones S.L. (ES)
• Buddleja davidii ‘Berries and Cream’ ('Pmoore14') - Joh. Stolwijk & Zonen Boomkwekerijen B.V. (NL)
• Camellia japonica 'Festival' - Van Son & Koot (NL)
• Concept Urban Garden Roses - Gebr. Seuren Rozenkwekerijen BV (NL)
• Fargesia MOONTEARS ('JAN W3M') - Helmers Baumschulen GmbH (DE)
• Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer Summer Love’ ('Bailmacfive') - Bailey Nurseries International (VS)
• Hydrangea paniculata ‘Switch Opheli’ ('Breg14') - Diderk Heinje Baumschulen GmbH & Co. KG (DE)
• Rhododendron ‘Happydendron Pushy Purple’ ('Hachmagic') - Inkarho GmbH (DE)
• Skimmia japonica 'Perosa' - Van Vliet New Plants BV (NL)
• Taxus media ‘Rising Star’ ('Oene') - De Buurte Kwekerijen (NL)

Judging

Visitors will also be able to vote for their favourite plant. The verdict of the jury together with the visitors' votes will determine the winner.

David Austin Roses is delighted to announce the introduction of two wonderful new characters to its collection of fine, British grown English Roses.

Celebrating the distinguished works of George Eliot, Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe (1861) and James Woodforde’s The Diary of a Country Parson (1758-1802), the new arrivals offer visually stunning and beautifully fragrant additions to the world-leading breeder’s collection of twenty literature-inspired roses. Joining such classics as The Mill on the Floss, Eustacia Vye, Lady of Shalott, Emily Bronté and The Pilgrim, to name just a few, this year’s varieties continue in the literary theme so close to David Austin Sr’s heart, himself a poet and author.

Named for the unassuming, reclusive yet kindhearted hero of Eliot’s classic novel, Silas Marner (Ausraveloe) is an unfussy rose of soft mid pink, bearing petals which are pale on the reverse and fade at the edges, creating a gentle quality. Held on red stems, the medium-sized cupped blooms have relaxed, almost ruffled petals set around an attractive button eye. Flanked by glossy, dark green foliage, the rose is enhanced by a sumptuous medium-strong Old Rose fragrance, exuding accents of fruity lemon, green banana and apricot. A very healthy, abundant variety with good repeat flowering, Silas Marner forms a medium-sized shrub of arching growth. Shade tolerant, its fresh pink blooms will sing out in shadier spots, or why not combine with grey toned foliage in a bed or border.

Paying tribute to Woodforde’s acclaimed narrative – an informal yet richly insightful account of the daily life of a late 18th century English clergyman - The Country Parson (Ausclergy) is a pretty yet feisty rose of Scottish decent, bearing fully open, medium-large, almost flat rosettes of pure yellow. Appearing gracefully translucent towards the outer edges of each bloom, the petals create a ‘halo’ effect. Featuring greyish green leaves and a covering of modest spiny thorns, this tough little rose is softened by a medium-strong fragrance; a deliciously fruity blend of sweet apricot, green apple and honey, which on a warm day exudes the richness of its apricot notes. A robust and healthy variety, it forms a rounded small to medium sized shrub, giving continuous, plentiful blooms from June through to the first frosts. The Country Parson will work well planted in a pot on patios which may only get a few hours of sun. Alternatively, when planted en-masse as a hedge or as a group of three in a border, the glowing blooms will give an illuminating effect.

Richard Austin, Head of Marketing commented:
“We are excited and proud to introduce Silas Marner and The Country Parson to the collection in 2020, both of which will be available from the end of February along with the new 2020 Handbook of Roses. We also very much look forward to showing the new varieties in bloom for the first time at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. Creating a rose is not dissimilar to writing a literary classic; both take patience, dedication and an innate understanding of the subject. It takes around 10 years to develop a new variety and the rose-breeding process is still lovingly undertaken by hand in our Shropshire greenhouses, just as it was 60 years ago. As with the wonderful literary classics we are inspired by, we hope our roses will stand the test of time and continue to bring joy to people in their homes and gardens for years to come.”

For customers who find January and February can be lonely months, Squire’s Garden Centres have ‘Chatter & Natter’ tables in all of their Café Bars.

Part of the Chatty Café scheme, the tables are for anyone to use every Tuesday morning plus other days throughout the week.

Sarah Squire, chairman of Squire’s, said: “In this age of social media it’s so important to make an effort to talk to others face to face. So for those who would like a bit of real social interaction simply sit at a ‘Chatter & Natter’ table at Squire’s and you can talk to other customers. I believe a short conversation with another human can really brighten your day. Everyone’s welcome, and it’s a great way to meet people in your local community.”

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The UK and international gardening and pet industries have been paying tribute to Theresa Swann, Head of Events at Gardenex and PetQuip, who sadly passed away in December.

Theresa began working for Gardenex and PetQuip in 1996. She became a very well-known and much-loved figure who brought a wealth of knowledge and a great deal of passion to her work.

Amanda Sizer Barrett, Director General of Gardenex and PetQuip, who worked alongside Theresa for 23 years, had this to say: “Theresa was a vibrant and bubbly personality who exuded warmth to many different people in our sectors and helped make industry colleagues feel like part of a large family. She was loyal, hard working and dedicated and made it a matter of pride to help members in whatever way she could.

“Many of our team have worked for the Federation for many years and view our colleagues, members and our industry as part of an extended family and during her many years of service to British businesses, Theresa absolutely loved interacting with everyone in the UK and with international buyers and contacts too. She is greatly missed by us all. We would like to thank everyone for the touching and heartfelt messages we have been receiving and will ensure that these are passed on to her family”.

Tributes from UK and international contacts have been pouring in. Among them, Matthew Mein, show organiser for Glee, said: “Theresa was a joy to work with, kind-hearted with a positive outlook and warm smiles. On behalf of my team, our thoughts are with Theresa’s partner, family, friends and work colleagues. We thought so much of her.”

“I am so sorry for the loss of such a lively and great person. Theresa will always be remembered in our hearts. I feel so lucky that I got to know her,” said Thomas Karl, of international trade fair organiser Messe Berlin.

And Gordon Thomas, of Impact Exhibitions, said: “Theresa was lovely to work with and so very kind to me personally. I always thought of her as far more than just a ‘work’ colleague. We travelled to many international shows together and she regularly attended PATS shows as part of the PetQuip team - we will sadly miss her. She was always helpful and supportive towards our international visitors and exhibitors.”

Theresa passed away peacefully at Tupwood Gate Nursing Home on 11th December aged 55 years. Her funeral service will take place at Randalls Park Crematorium in Leatherhead, Surrey, at 10.15 am on Friday, 17^th January, followed by a reception at Reigate Manor Hotel at 12pm.

The team at Gardenex, PetQuip and the CHA and non-executive directors of the trade associations will be attending the Committal and Reception and Theresa’s family has indicated that industry friends and colleagues are also welcome to the service, subject to numbers. Please email amanda@gardenex.com if you would like to attend to pay your respects.

Donations to Cancer Research UK, Guide Dogs For The Blind and St Catherine's Hospice can be made via the following link:

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/funeral-notices/11-12-2019-theresa-karen-anne-bernadette-swann/

Garden products saw their first upturn in volume sales since 2014 during last year, with the GTN Bestsellers Top 50 chart volume increasing by 8.1% on 2018 levels.

• Evergreen Garden Care Levington Tomorite 1L + 30% Free was the No 1 bestselling product by volume over the whole year although sales were down by 11%.
• Woodlodge Small Pot Feet increased sales by 19% but dropped to No 5.
• Creative Products Bottle Light was the new entry of the year, storming the GTN Chart at No 3 overall for the year.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Infinity Christmas Trees are pleased to announce the recent addition of Chris Schofield to the company in the position of Senior Account Manager.

Originally from Cumbria, Chris trained at Hadlow College in Kent, gaining a higher-level diploma in the production of hardy plants. He then joined the Wyevale Garden Centre management team, gaining valuable experience whilst working in the retail stores and as a plant buyer based at the head office in Hereford.

Chris comes to us from St Peter’s Garden Centre Worcester, where for fifteen years, he was part of the senior management team, moving from being Plant Area Manager to General Manager. During this period of time the store grew to be the large independent centre that it is today.

In his new role as Senior Account Manager, Chris will be responsible for developing new business relationships while maintaining the service current customers require with the Infinity team . Also, ensuring that the UK grown Christmas trees provided by Infinity Christmas trees, meet the exacting standards required by consumers.

“We are thrilled to have Chris on board. He will bring a fresh perspective and approach to the company, and with his in-depth understanding of running a large retail site and knowledge of retail sector requirements, he will bring a wealth of experience to the current team with him” said David Brown, Managing Director.

The volume of the Top 50 plant genera and groupings for the whole of 2019 dropped by 3% on 2018. So, after the tipsy turvy year of 2018 a year that was more “normal” weather wise resulted in fewer plant sales.

• The Top 3 plants for the year were Zonal Geraniums, Primula and Cyclamen.
• Begonias moved in the popularity stakes to be the 6th most bought plant of the year.
• The biggest increase of the year was seen from Heucheras.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Core gardening growing activity, as measured by the volume of growing media products sold in the GTN Bestsellers chart reached an all time high. 2019 ended 6.2% up on the previous record set in 2018.

• Evergreen Garden Care Levington Multipurpose + John Innes 56L topped the year end GTN Bestsellers Chart.
• Westland Jack’s Magic All Purpose Compost 60L was at No 3.
• Forging the way ahead for peat free compost sales Westland New Horizon All Plant Compost 60L finished the year as the 11th bestseller.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

2019 was a great year for Veg-2-Gro sales, almost getting back up to the heady heights of 2015. Up to the end of September (when we stop producing a Top 50 chart) 2019 sales were up by 39% on last year.

• Overall Veg-2-Gro sales in the GTN Bestsellers charts were dominated by Quantil young veg plants. Clearly veg plant sales benefitted from more ‘normal’ weather during the growing season.
• Quantil Tomato Gardeners Delight 8cm was the No 1 bestselling veg plant of the year.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Wyevale Garden Centres’ head office move from Syon Park to nearby Brentford has been completed as the winding-up process progresses.

The registered head office address as listed at Companies House as this edition of GTN Xtra closes for publication is now: Wyevale Garden Centres, Gw Business Centre (Gw1) Second Floor, Room 2-3, Great West House Great West Road Brentford Middlesex TW8 9DF.

Dobbies has re-affirmed its commitment to becoming peat-free over the next year.

The group says bagged peat will be de-listed in all 69 centres from 2021.

Meanwhile, the industry is awaiting the government’s proposed peat strategy document, which is being compiled following consultation with the industry, other stakeholders and campaigning organisations.

The industry’s new Responsible Sourcing Scheme for growing media producers is due to launch this year.

After the turmoil of the Gardman fire at the start of 2018, Wild Bird Care sales recovered slightly in 2019 to be 5.6% up on 2018 but were still running at 14.5% down on 2017 levels at the end of the year.

• Gardman Fat Snax, tub of 50, were once again the runaway No 1 bestselling Wild Bird Care product.
• Westland Peckish Complete Energy Balls, 6+6 free were the No 3 Bestseller.
• Tom Chambers Sunflower Hearts 2.5kg closed the year at No 6 in the GTN Chart.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

2019 was a strong year of growth for garden centres nationally, with November sales up 10% compared with the same month in 2018 according to the latest HTA Market Update report.

Houseplants saw an increase of 41% compared to November last year, the Lifestyle & Gifts category was up 12%, and Christmas sales were up 9% in month to month comparisons between November 2018 and November 2019.

This year’s November was 2°C colder than November 2018 with changeable rainfall across the UK, likely affecting growing media and hardy plant sales.

The report also highlights that consumer confidence remained flat with a score of -14 in November, which is one point lower than November last year as consumers wait for clarity on the future of the UK. However, post-election in mid-December, GfK reported a sharp increase in optimism for the coming year, likely to influence purchasing behaviours.

Garden Centre volume sales grew by 4.2% year on year in 2019 according to the full year analysis of the GTN Bestsellers Volume sales data.

That makes it a record year for garden centre volume sales, even beating the previous high, recorded by GTN Bestsellers in 2017, by 1.6%.

We'll publish more analysis of 2019 sales volumes in the next issue of GTN Xtra, along with the Top100 Bestselling Christmas Products of the Year.

Subscribe to the GTN Bestsellers weekly Top 50 garden centre sales charts using this link

Happy new year to all our customers from all of the team at Gardman Crest who are ready to deliver growth to your business in 2020.

Having combined the businesses of Gardman and Crest Garden; we are stronger together.  All of our brands ensure that quality, design and functionality are at the core of what we do – keeping today’s gardener in mind.

We have kept all of the great products and brands that Gardman have produced for the past 25 years, as well as retained the two leading brands of Kent and Stowe tools and Flopro watering from Crest Garden. Plantpak has merged with Grow It and is now a fully comprehensive range of growing and propagation. However, we have spent 2019 enhancing our product offering with high quality innovative products into all of our ranges.

Gardman, Grow It and Cole & Bright have all undergone massive re-branding and design exercises ensuring consumers have the most beautiful and easy to shop packaging available in the market. We have also introduced brand new stands for every category with informative and easy to understand point of sale.

New and exciting products and ranges include the new Cole & Bright decorative range, Grow It plant supports that grow with your plants as well as Kent & Stowe tree care and new traditionally styled wooden cutting. Grow It has also introduced innovative growhouses with stability pockets for wind resistance and stronger covers and shelving, as well as a keen product range focussing on reducing single use plastics. The Gardman brand is back to its former splendour and heritage; bringing back to the brand hanging baskets and core gardening accessories and sundries.

A huge new launch for us in 2020 is Kent & Stowe gloves, clogs, wellies and kneelers - offering the high quality, bespoke designs and breadth of range, all with new and innovative merchandising solutions.

We have worked hard over the past year to bring you a truly stunning and comprehensive gardening range and we are very excited to share this with you.

Gardman Crest is pleased to welcome you to our showroom in Peterborough during 2020. It is open to all of our customers throughout the year, showcasing all current and new products with merchandising solutions on display. The showroom is a fantastic place to see, learn and understand the features and benefits of all of our brands and products.

Read the GTN Xtra Gardman Crest Special issue using this link

To book your showroom visit contact the Gardman Crest Sales Team, click here

As always, thank you for your continued support and we look forward to growing your business throughout 2020.

As from the 1^st January 2020 Sarah Willis has been promoted to General Manager of Thurrock Garden Centre. 

Sarah has made great strides in her career development. 

She started working for the garden centre nearly 12 years ago as an Assistant Cook, quickly moving onto Manager of the Garden Café. 

Sarah then successfully opened Woody’s, a 250 seater restaurant 5 years ago. 

She will be working closely with Emma Pinkerton, Managing Director. Emma said she is very excited to be working with Sarah and bringing fresh ideas and developing the Garden Centre further.

Richard Pyrah has more than 30 years in the garden market, but he believes this pre-season has been the best he’s ever experienced. AMES UK are reporting an uplift on 2018 of over 46% on a like for like basis across Kelkay, Woodshaw and La Hacienda.

Richard told GTN: “We enjoyed our best ever GLEE in September with significant sales and order growth coming from our core garden centre customers. Certainly, the new product ranges contributed, but the most satisfying trend is the strong growth in our core categories from our loyal customers.”

Richard’s focus for the next few weeks is in the customer service arena where he believes there are opportunities to adopt some best practices from the different teams within the AMES UK group. They’re starting with operational improvements in the way that bespoke point of sale design and print is delivered to garden centres. The aim is to provide a more flexible approach and to improve on speed and efficiency in response to individual garden centre needs.

The business is also embarking on a programme of insight work into core landscape categories and the results of feedback from garden centres will help to shape their future developments.

Richard added: “We want to understand how our customers see the future of the category and the successful development of the business over the coming years. That’s why we will be focussing on the views and experiences of our garden centre customers in a structured programme of insight research in early 2020. I’m really looking forward to working with our customers on the next phase of our development.”

To read more about AMES UK and its bestselling brands click here for our GTN Xtra Special on the company.

For more information on The AMES Companies go to http://global.ames.com

To find out more about Kelkay  go to www.kelkay.com or e-mail the general enquiries office on salesenquiries@kelkay.co.uk or call to speak to us on 01405 869333.

To find out more about La Hacienda go to www.lahacienda.co.uk or call to speak to us on 01285 762060.

Rob Monk, of Wentworth Garden Centre, has praised Corby & Fellas’ WinRetail system and had this to say about the service:

"As a large, independent garden centre we realised a manual cash register system was no longer fit for purpose and so began to search for a provider of an EPoS system that would fit our strict criteria. We were looking for a company that could provide reliable technology, an easy to use and powerful system that would offer all the data and information we needed, together with a helpful and knowledgeable support team.

"We invited three of the main EPoS providers in the garden centre industry to pitch to us and were blown away by not only how easy Corby & Fellas’ WinRetail system was to use, but by the amount of data and information it could provide. The other vendors that we spoke to could, simply, not compete on the number of reports that WinRetail could provide.

We also liked the fact that we could view sales data quickly and easily on our phones and tablets, something the other providers were lacking.

"It was obvious to us that Corby & Fellas is leading the way in garden centre EPoS systems and it was an easy decision to partner with them.

"Since making our decision in early 2019, we have now installed their system in our restaurant, where we have seen an increase in efficiency. We have also realised that our ‘best sellers’ weren’t what we thought they were, which means that we can consider whether or not we should make changes to our existing offers; particularly relevant as we have a new restaurant due to open in 2020.

"We then installed the system in one of our attractions (Wentworth Family Farm), which deals with admissions income and has a small toy shop, it gave us an insight into the information and management data we can expect to receive when we go live across the rest of the site in January 2020.

"Everyone we’ve spoken to at Corby & Fellas has been friendly, helpful and extremely efficient; anyproblems that we encountered have been dealt with swiftly, resolving the few teething problems that we’ve had along the way.

"We look forward to working with Corby & Fellas for many more years to come."

To find out more about Corby & Fellas’ WinRetail system visit www.corbyfellas.com

A New Year always heralds change, ordinarily it’s a list of New Year’s Resolutions, a sense of new beginnings and a New Year full of exciting possibilities.

Not wanting to be left behind LOFA are starting this new decade as they mean to go on, with a new look and new branding, making their resolution to be bolder and brighter for 2020. Taking inspiration from the Spring and Summer months, their new logo is a sun shaped symbol paired with an impactful font which makes the brand more recognisable and ever so slightly stylish.

The LOFA Logo has always been, and will always be, synonymous with quality products, great customer service and value for money. LOFA members who show this symbol on their products and on their websites will instantly stand out from the crowd.

PLUS! The new branding also ushers in a new make over for the LOFA website. www.lofa.co.uk

So what’s NEW?

Well for starters a Product Showcase highlighting each and every one of the LOFA members, offering great imagery and a little bit of insight into who they are and what they do, there is an About Us page and a News & Events section so you can keep up to date with everything LOFA, a LOFA Assured page explaining all about the initiative that LOFA have been working on for the last 4 years, bringing cushions to the market place that comply with the current Government Fire Safety Regulations and lastly an area where members can log in and have current LOFA information at their finger tips.

So a bold, bright, image led, easy to navigate website but above all a great visitor experience.

New Year, New LOFA!

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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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 newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2017 as well as 2018 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 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 Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

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

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care Products 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.

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

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 receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.