The ultimate accolades in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, are The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Teams, as voted for by garden centre customers.  Voting starts now and runs through to Christmas Eve, December 24th and to be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is download the posters and voting forms below for in-store voting and add our voting link to your facebook, twitter or website to get customers voting on-line too!

As we head towards the busiest weeks of the year it’s time to ask your customers to vote for you as The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team.

There's no entry charge for taking part in The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre voting but we are looking to raise funds during November and Decemnber for Greenfingers.  If you'd like to make a donation to Greenfingers, please use this link.

GTN Xtra and the Greenfingers Team are also looking for great new Christmas fundraising ideas for Greenfingers, so get your creative thinking caps on, let us know what ideas you've come up with and you never know, you may be inline for a special award.

So, what are you waitiing for?  All you have to do is download the voting posters and voting postcard artworks from GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards Dropbox 2017 folder or these links:



GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2017 Voting Postcards.pdf




GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2017 Poster A1.pdf

GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2017 Poster A3.pdf

GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2017 Poster A4.pdf

Print them out and get your customers voting.  They can post them to our Greatest Christmas Awards office or you can create "Post your Votes" here boxes for votes to be posted in store.

You can also ask your customers to vote for you on line this year, just paste this link:  http://tgcmc.newsweaver.co.uk/GTN/p6fmqykzsk8  into your social media pages, e-mail newsletters and websites.  The link will take them straight to our voting form.  Last year we received a record number of on-line votes and we expect the number to grow even further this year.

The closing date for votes, both on-line and posted in-store is 4:30pm on Christmas Eve, 24th December 2017.  If you collect votes in-store, please send them through to us on a regular basis to help with the counting and then make sure you send your final batch of votes off directly after Christmas.  

The Greatest Christmas Awards will this year be presented during Glee@Spring Fair at a special Greatest Awards Breakfast Reception on Tuesday 6th February 2018 so the cut off for final votes to be received and counted in our office is Monday 8th January 2018. 

Remember to look through all your votes before you post them to us - your staff will love to know all the wonderful things your customers say about you as they vote for The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team.

When all the votes are counted, size of centre and number of staff are taken into account, so there are as many chances of small and medium sized centres winning this ultimate Christmas accolade as that of a big centre.

If you have any problems downloading any of the files please e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk and we’ll send you them by e-mail straight away.

The Greatest Awards team is out meeting as many teams as possible this festive season. We are doing our best to get to you all but just in case we don't make it please send us photos of your team and your displays or grottos.  trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Good luck!

How much is the ‘extra’ full weekend before Christmas effecting sales? That was the question being asked around garden centres last week. 

Christmas sales set another record and overall sales are there or thereabouts in year on year comparisons, but everyone is thinking that the peak weeks are still to come as the way Christmas falls there are three full weekends left between now and Christmas Day rather than the two full weekends last year.

How do you feel the extra weekend before Christmas will impact on sales? 

Do you think you’ll be busy on December 23rd and 24th or will your customers have finished everything by then?  Let us know by email: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...
Garden Products - down 18%
Growing Media - down 18%
Wild Bird Care - down 7%
Christmas Products - up 25%
All Plants Index - down 5%
All Items Index - down 3%

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

Ansell Garden Centre in West London has been granted planning permission by Hillingdon Council to rebuild the centre which was destroyed by a massive blaze just over a year ago.

On Facebook the garden centre said: “A year and 2 weeks after the devastating fire we have just received planning permission to rebuild. So happy to share this picture with you guys.”

An artist’s impression of the new building is illustrated above.

After the fire last year managing director Paresh Raithatha spoke to GTN Xtra about the amazing response they’d had from both the garden industry and customers, and vowed to rebuild the business

“It has been immense,” said Paresh at the time. “The kind words have kept us going through some dark times over the past week. On Facebook alone we’ve received 50,000 messages.

“This level of support gave us the push we needed to get back on our feet and rebuild this business. We face a long road ahead but we’ll be back. And we’re determined to make the garden centre even better than before.”

The garden centre was gutted when a huge fire broke out. It took around 100 firefighters more than five hours to bring the flames under control, with huge plumes of smoke seen in the sky from miles around.

The HTA has announced the appointment of Chris Pateman as the chair of the association. In this new role Chris will assist the HTA Board in coordinating the activities of the HTA Executive and their teams at Horticulture House, ensuring that the strategic objectives of the Association are being achieved.

In addition, the chair will represent the HTA at a senior level to Government and other stakeholders.

Chris was formerly the CEO of the Federation of Communication Services (FCS), a position he held for the last 5 years. In this role Chris had the ultimate responsibility for representing FCS members’ interests to policy-makers and regulators, and for developing the Federation as the authoritative voice on all issues which bear upon business-grade voice and data connectivity.

Chris spent more than 30 years serving the business to business sector, prior to joining FCS in 2012. A former business journalist, he spent five years in business development with a national buying group and invoice factoring hub before joining the Builders Merchants Federation as managing director in 2007. In this role he managed both a national trade association and a market-leading training business.

Commenting on the appointment HTA President Adam Taylor said, “We are delighted that Chris will be joining us as chair of the association. With such a wealth of experience of representing member interests’ in his previous roles we very much look forward to his input on behalf of the horticultural industry.”

Chris Pateman comments, “Exploring the role with the HTA executive and board, I was hugely impressed, not by only the sheer extent of the HTA’s activities and the wealth of opportunities which await (or threaten) the sector, but with the resourcefulness, passion and determination with which the board is preparing to meet them. 

"The Association is re-shaping quite boldly to serve its members even better in the future.  I’m thrilled at the prospect of being a catalyst in that process.”

Spalding-based Bridge Farm Nurseries has submitted planning application for a 75-acre site on the A16 as part of the group’s continued expansion plans. The first phase of the development is expected to be completed in 2019 if approval is granted.

Bridge Farm Group, which includes the prominent Neame Lea and Zyon brands within its portfolio, specialises in the growing and production of ornamental plants, flowers and herbs for retailers throughout the UK.

The company’s brands have been recognised by the industry with key awards, with Neame Lea most recently winning Overall UK Grower of the Year at the Grower of the Year Awards 2017.

The group currently operates a 10-acre production facility in Spalding and has invested significantly in recent years in glasshouse infrastructure and biomass heating to become the lowest cost producer in the industry.

The company’s focus on low cost production and operational efficiency through investment in automation and improved workflowshas led to rapid sales growth, with key customers, including Tesco and Asda, benefitting from its streamlined supply chain.

This follows a significant investment from NorthEdge Capital in August this year, which saw CEO David Ball lead a management buyout of the overall group. The transaction has provided the capital required for the project to proceed, as well as allowing Bridge Farm to invest further in its highly differentiated market proposition.

The company will continue to employ around 200 full time and 400 seasonal workers, and the group’s plans include further investment in people as the business expands.

The Bridge Farm facility will feature a range of automated handling systems to improve efficiency and enable the business to handle a greater number of orders.

David Ball, Chief Executive of Bridge Farm Group, commented: “Our new site represents another key milestone in the evolution and expansion of Bridge Farm Group.

“With our existing sites now reaching maximum capacity, a new development represents the next logical step. The new facility will feature a range of state-of-the-art machinery and automation, and will also safeguard the jobs of hundreds of staff in and around Spalding and ensure our customers are protected from the cost inflation the industry is seeing.

“We’re working closely with South Holland District Council to finalise our proposals, and we’re hugely appreciative of their support in recognising the importance of the growing industry in Spalding and to the wider Lincolnshire economy.”

The plant breeding team at Thompson & Morgan is proud to unveil its latest success – two brand new and exclusive mixes of hellebores, the UK’s favourite winter-flowering plants.

What makes these hellebore mixes so special is that they are both 100% true to type. This has never been achieved before. Stock is only available from T&M and is understandably limited, but gardeners can pre-order from the company’s website now for delivery next spring.

The hellebores featured in the Anemone Flowered Mix are truly breath-taking with their exquisite central ruff of small petals, pleated like a ballerina’s tutu. They look so delicate, but in fact are incredibly hardy. There are six different varieties in the mix, each one with unique colouring and markings, but all flowering 100% true to type.

The Double Flowered Mix is another selection of six stunning hellebore varieties. Each one is uniquely coloured and patterned, but is 100% double across the mix. Perfect for winter perennial planting schemes, Thompson & Morgan plant breeder, Charles Valin, recommends growing them on a gentle slope where they can really show off!

Charles says:

“We’re renowned for our hellebore breeding programme at Thompson & Morgan, so we have seen some amazing breeding breakthroughs over the years, but these two new mixes are really superb. It’s unheard of for a mix of hellebores to bloom 100% true to type!”

Hellebores have long been a favourite of Britain’s gardeners. Flowering for well over three months, these tough, durable plants provide colour at a time when gardens are usually drab and wintery

Anemone Flowered Mix comprises varieties Aurora, Juno, Ceres, Diana, Discordia and Juventus and is available from £14.99 at www.thompson-morgan.com/anemone-hellebore

Double Flowered Mix comprises varieties Selene, Athena, Demeter, Artemis, Eris and Hebe and is available from £14.99 at www.thompson-morgan.com/double-hellebore

Height and spread up to 40cm (16in)

For more information on Thompson & Morgan’s hellebore breeding programme, go to www.thompson-morgan.com/hellebore-breeding-programme

World renowned economist Roger Martin-Fagg will be speaking at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) 52nd annual conference in Warwickshire this January (January 21 until 24, 2018).

Roger, who also presented to attendees in 2014, will be focusing on making economics accessible for non-economists and helping management teams think through their strategy during his session with delegates on January 23.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, explained: “We’re delighted that Roger has been able to spare the time to come and speak to our delegates again this year. He was invited back by popular demand.

“Roger began his career as an Economist with the New Zealand Treasury in 1972, then as Economist to the Air Transport and Travel Industry Industrial Training Board. In 1975, he was asked to design and run a postgraduate programme in Airline Management for British Airways, which ran very successfully for 12 years at Thames Valley University.

“In 1987, he joined Henley Management College to design, deliver and teach bespoke strategic management programmes. He did this for 21 years, covering all sectors, but with an emphasis on financial services, house builders and newly privatised utilities.”

For the past nine years, Roger has worked as an independent Behavioural Economist. He has a visiting faculty place at Warwick, Ashridge, Henley and Duke Business Schools and has also been External Examiner at The University of Bath, and a visiting faculty expert at the Bank of England and the Institute of Marketing.

Roger leads workshops, seminars and delivers keynote sessions and has worked in the USA, Middle East, Russia and South East Asia.

He will be speaking at the GCA’s annual conference in the morning on Tuesday, January 23.

“Tuesday is traditionally our day for strategy and there’s no change this year. We’ll be hearing about subjects such as the economy, the challenges facing businesses and the direction of future market trends with an emphasis on maintaining and enhancing profitability, so Roger is well placed to speak on this day of the conference.

“He has a reputation for making the complex simple, producing accurate forecasts and is one of a few economists with a keen sense of humour. At the end of the session, our delegates will be more economically intelligent and better able to translate the meaning of the big picture for their business.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme, the organisation helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The GCA’s annual conference will be held Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon from January 21 until 24, 2018. More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the event. Places for the event can be booked via the GCA website www.gca.org.uk.

It’s a dilemma many gardeners have struggled with, how do you remove those hideous black spots, from your once pristine patio? With over 30 years experience in the stone cleaning and restoration industry, The Patio Black Spot Removal Company has the answer with its two-part removal system.

The Patio Black Spot Removal system does exactly what it promises: it kills and removes the Black Spots, including green and red algae, and prevents the re-growth of any new spores landing when the Patio Black Spot Preventer is used annually.

Black spots are stubborn, and even hours of pressure washing will not remove them, in fact the more you pressure wash, the more you damage the surface of your stonework leaving it porous and susceptible to frost damage. With the average cost of laying a new patio between £130 and £150 per square metre, a new patio in a four bedroom house can cost upwards of £5,000. This is a major investment and many people see it deteriorate after as little as 3 years, as the lichen spores grow and take hold.

The Patio Black Spot Removal System does exactly what it promises; it kills and removes the Black Spots, including and prevents the re-growth of any new spores landing when the Patio Black Spot Preventer is used annually.

The Remover and Preventer come in the form of liquid treatments and are acid free, biodegradable and pet friendly. The Patio Black Spot System has been specifically formulated to instantly eradicate black spots and to control and prevent their return. Thus, completely restoring the original colour and appearance of any stonework. Rather than having to replace your whole patio, Patio Black Spot Remover will leave you with a patio to be proud of.

Don’t wait any longer & lose out!
ONLY UNTIL STOCK LASTS!

As consumers head in store to buy Christmas trees and decorations, garden centres can capitalise on the increased footfall and boost basket size with a little help from Baby Bio.

SBM has created eye catching Baby Bio displays, that drive consumer traffic in the areas that they have been placed at:

• Baby Bio® Orchid Gift Pack, the perfect Christmas gift for orchid or houseplant lovers
• Baby Bio® Houseplant Care Pack, with the plant feed that consumers love & trust

Poinsettia-themed Baby Bio® Houseplant Food, ideal for driving link sales with poinsettia plant sales 

The Baby Bio gift pack displays, can be positioned in the gift area section and drive incremental sales. The Poinsettia themed Baby Bio display, should be positioned next to the poinsettia plant section, to encourage purchase along with the sale of every poinsettia plan.

‘We are seeing great momentum this season with these Baby Bio displays as they capture consumers’ attention and drive link sales. The stores that have placed orders are already seeing a significant sell through and stock is running out fast! So, act now, place orders and don’t miss out on generating link purchases and bigger basket sales!” said Scott Williams, National Salesforce Channel Manager at SBM Life Science. 

The Baby Bio® Gift packs include:
Baby Bio® Orchid Gift Pack: Ideal as a Christmas present, or for any other occasion, containing:

• Baby Bio® Orchid Food,
• An elegant glass mister and
• A FREE Orchid Care Guide.

Baby Bio® Houseplant Care Pack is the perfect gift for a special occasion and it includes: 

• The iconic Baby Bio® Houseplant food
• Baby Bio® Leaf Shine and
• A FREE Houseplant Care Guide.

Consumer Advisory Line 0845 345 4100
uk.gardenadvice@sbm-company.com


Baby Bio® is a registered trademark of SBM Développement.
www.sbm-lifescience.co.uk

Notcutts has confirmed that all ‘Santa experiences’, where children can meet him face-to-face over breakfast or tea, will go ahead as planned following a fire at its garden centre in Woodbridge on Sunday afternoon.

Santa's grotto would be closed until further notice, although staff were working hard to rebuild it.

Firefighters were called to the scene in Ipswich Road at around 3.30pm on Sunday, December 3.

Flames and smoke were seen billowing from a marquee where Santa’s grotto was located.

A spokeswoman from Notcutts confirmed that no one had been injured as a result of the fire.

Two fire engines, from Woodbridge and Ipswich East station, were sent to the scene.

Picture: Ipswich Star

Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown has partnered with Bournemouth Hospital Charity to spread festive cheer for children spending Christmas in the Emergency Department this year.

The garden centre has delivered boxes of toy reindeers to the ward to help support poorly children this Christmas. It is hoped that these toys will bring a smile to their faces over the festive period.

Alasdair Urquhart, marketing coordinator at Haskins, said: "It's a privilege to partner with Bournemouth Hospital Charity to help make a difference to the kids who find themselves in the unfortunate position of spending Christmas in hospital."

Elaine Wilson, Emergency Department paediatric lead at Bournemouth Hospital, said: "We will be giving these gorgeous reindeers to the unfortunate children that may have to visit us over Christmas. These toys will hopefully give them a better memory of visiting the Emergency Department and help ease the thought of not being at home over Christmas."

Maria Tidy, senior corporate fundraiser at Bournemouth Hospital Charity, said: "The Emergency Department can be a daunting place full of noise, unfamiliar people and unfamiliar equipment. It can be an incredibly stressful and worrying time for children and their families. That's why we are so grateful to Haskins for their kind donation of cuddly toy reindeers."

Haskins Garden Centre is located in Ferndown, Dorset. Visit www.haskins.co.uk for more information.

Once again you can use social media, e-mail and your website to invite your customers to vote for your team in The Greatest Christmas Awards.

All you need to do is copy and paste this voting link into your website or your social media posts:  http://tgcmc.newsweaver.co.uk/GTN/p6fmqykzsk8

You can add The Greatest Christmas Awards logo too:

GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards logo

The closing date for on-line votes is 4:00pm on Christmas Eve, 24th December 2017.  

Please note:  To avoid unscrupulous multiple votes the system will only accept one vote per IP address, so please do not use on-line voting in store, the postcards are better for in-store voting.

We'd love to know how you use your social media, e-mails and website to drive your customer voting.  Please send us links to your activity and we will report on them in GTN Xtra: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

When all the votes are counted, size of centre and number of staff are taken into account, so there is as much chance of small and medium sized centres winning these ultimate Christmas accolades as that of a big centre.

If you have any problems downloading any of the files please e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk and we’ll send you them by e-mail straight away.

Good luck!

Sales Agents

Location: United Kingdom
Salary: Commission Based
Date: 01 January
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Contract Based

We are seeking outstanding sales agents with a proven track record to sell our Casamoré Outdoor and Indoor Furniture

All areas available. Good commission structure.

To apply for this role contact please contact Firmans Direct at enquiries@firmansdirect.com for the attention of Michael Firman.

The wind was responsible for several increased garden product sales perfoirmances last week.  Sales of tree stakes rocketed and a colour changing wind spinner was a highly placed new entry. 

Meanwhile, sheltering from the wind, indoor sales of cover pots and feed for Christmas housplants rose in line with festive plant sales.

The week’s highlights were:

• The Woodlodge 6 Foot Tree Stake and Grange’s 2.4m Tree Pole were re-entries at No 10 and No 25 respectively.
• Gardman’s Colour Changing Spiral Wind Spinner was a new entry at No 24.
• Scheurich 15cm Dark Red Cover Pots moved up the chart 26 places to No 2.

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

Wild bird feeding has kicked up a gear with the GTN Bestsellers Wild Bird Care Top 50 sales volumes showing a near 50% increase week on week.

Filled flip top feeders have performed particularly well with huge increases – perhaps they are being bought as gift ideas as well as for use in the garden straight away.

The week’s highlights were:

• Gardman’s Filled Flip Top Peanut Feeder is the highest placed re-entry, back in at No 6.
• Tom Chambers Luxury Fat Balls (6 Pack) No Nets are the highest climber up the chart this week, up 24 places to No 20.
• Jacobi Jayne Flutter Butter Buggy, 330g, is also a re-entry at No 50, the only peanut butter feed product in the chart.

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

The GTN Christmas Bestsellers Top 50 volume record was smashed by 25% last week and puts our Christmas sales index at 17.3% up year on year for the season to date. 

Personalised angels, snowmen, books, Christmas chocolates and sweets continue to deliver the big volume increases.

The week’s highlights were:

• Adams Gutter Hooks Sub Zero, packs of 50, are the highest re-entry at No 29 as houses are lit up around the country.
• Playwrite’s Christmas Plush Elf, 28cm, is the highest new entry of the week, climbing in at No 21.
• Kaemingk Soft Snowflakes, 100 grams, White and Iridescent, are another new entry at No 31.

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

Plant sales dropped below last year levels for the first week since the end of October mainly due to an apparent lag in sales of festive plants such as Poinsettia and Hellebores.

Plant managers across the country put that down to there being three more full weekends before Christmas this year where last year there was one less.

• Poinsettia moved up to No 2 with an increase of 153%. Last year they went to the top spot in this same week.
• Pot grown Christmas trees saw huge increases with Picea spruce trees moving up to No 5 and Abies Nordmann firs zooming up to No 13 from No 50 last week.
• Sales of pot grown Hyacinth doubled last week to move up one place to No 4.

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

Grange Fencing will be joining over 170 suppliers to exhibit at Jewson Live 2017, the UK’s biggest builders’ merchant show, on 14^th December at the NEC in Birmingham.

Visitors will be introduced to some of Grange’s most popular products. Its range of high quality, durable fencing will be on display, including the Contemporary Vogue Panel, the Elite Meloir Panel and the Jewson Panel. Grange will also showcase some of its more decorative products, including the Adjustable Screen.

Commenting on the show, Marketing Manager, Mark Morris said, “Jewson Live is now in its third year and is set to be the biggest show yet so we are thrilled to be returning once again. The show provides us with a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of our top products to an audience of dedicated tradespeople, and get a feel for the demands of the end user as we head into the new year.”

Grange is hoping the show will provide it with a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the ‘Grange difference’. Mark continued, “We are keen to demonstrate the premium quality of our products to everyone who visits our stand. From the superior architecture of our fencing to the advanced pressure treatment we use to give all our products longevity, Grange products truly stand out from the crowd.”

For more information about Grange Fencing visit the company at Jewson Live, or visit www.grangefen.co.uk. You can also contact the team on 01952 588 088 or email sales@grangefen.co.uk.

SmartPlant, the app that allows users to upload their plant collection and receive horticultural care advice, has smashed its crowdfunding target by 137%.

Supported by TribeFirst - the first dedicated crowdfunding support agency for startups and established brands – Smartplant’s campaign attracted more than 300 investors and raised more than £275k.

One surprise investor came in the form of renowned celebrity gardener, Diarmuid Gavin, recognisable from the BBC’s Gardeners' World and Home Front.

Commenting on the company’s successful raise, George Williams, CEO of SmartPlant said: “SmartPlant's progress this year has been incredible, with the additional funds the app will be able to scale new heights and provide a service to its new partners and consumers that will transform the world of plant retail.”

SmartPlant’s barcode-scanning technology allows customers at participating retailers to receive a free premium membership with each plant they buy, receive monthly care advice and chat with over 100 horticultural experts.

Once a customer has scanned a plant, the app links to the specific garden centre and products relevant to their monthly advice, helping shops to retain customers, actively engage them, and boost sales.

SmartPlant is connecting its growing list of partners to a young demographic not known for having an interest in gardening. Surprisingly, its user base of more than 170k consists mostly of 25-35-year-olds.

By engaging a new generation of plant lovers, the company is also helping retailers to further tap into the UK’s booming gardening industry, worth £5 billion even after excluding the landscaping and amenity sector.

The technology has attracted partnerships from key players in the global gardening industry including Longacres, the largest independent garden centre in the UK, and Orchard Supply Hardware, owned by Lowe's, the second-largest hardware chain in the US.

SmartPlant’s data also gives garden centres an idea of who their existing customers are, which is crucial in an age of booming e-commerce.

The front of Webbs of Wychbold was badly damaged when ramraiders tried to drive a car into the building on Tuesday night. Nothing was stolen in the attempted raid.

The Bromsgrove Advertiser reported that the thieves failed in their attempt to steal a cash machine at around 11.30pm.

A red Toyota car, which was later discovered to be stolen, was said to be used in the ramraid. It was joined by two other vehicles - a dark-coloured saloon car and Vauxhall Astra van - and three men entered the shop.

Once inside, three suspects targeted the cash machine, but were unsuccessful and made off from the scene.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: "Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has seen any suspicious activity earlier in the day.

"Please call West Mercia Police on 101, quoting 845s of November 28.”

The garden centre's main doors have been replaced with temporary doors and visitors were being asked to use an alternative door.

Picture: Bromsgrove Advertiser

After four weeks of trading the GTN Bestsellers All Products Sales index has surpassed the previous November record level set in 2014 by 2%. 

Garden centre product sales for the month are 3% up year on year with Christmas and plant sales the major contributors.

As seen in the line graph above the peaks of the past four years have all been beaten and we still have the two busiest Christmas weeks to come.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 47

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 14%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 4%
• Wild Bird Care Products Top 50 – down 6%
• Christmas Products Top 50 – up 23%
• All Plants index – up 14%
• All Items index – up 2%

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

Following on from Bents and Castle Gardens being announced as the national winners of the 2017 Garden Centre Association’s annual Christmas competition as reported in GTN Xtra two weeks ago the winners from each of the GCA areas have now been announced.

The area winners in the South Thames area were Ransoms Garden Centre and Castle Gardens. In Wales and West Whitehall Garden Centre – Lacock and Whitehall – Whitchurch were chosen.

In North Thames, the area winners were Perrywood Garden Centre (pictured above) and Sunshine Garden Centre while Brigg Garden Centre and Fairways – Ashbourne were selected in the Midlands area.

Bents Garden and Home and Fron Goch Garden Centre (see picture gallery below) were selected in the North West and in the North East, Tong Garden Centre and Whiteleys Garden Centre were chosen.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, said: “Each year the standard of entries into our Christmas competition just gets better and better.

“Entrants in the Destination Garden Centre category were visited and judged by Liz Hutson and entrants in the Garden Centrecategory were visited and judged by Alyson Haywood, so area and national winners could be determined. It was a tough choice as the displays were so impressive but we’d like to congratulate Bents Garden and Home in Warrington, who won in the DGC category, and Castle Gardens in Dorset who scooped the top prize in the GC section of the awards.”

The garden centres were judged on the innovation, inspiration and excitement created from the way their Christmas products are displayed. The range of products available, accessibility, how easy it is for customers to find and select products and ‘wow factor’ were also taken into consideration in an assessment of the overall commercial proposition.

Liz Hutson, who judged the DGC category, said: “Displays have become more and more professional over the years, with some of the best I have seen in this year’s Christmas competition. There is just nothing that compares outside of the garden centre industry.”

The national winners will be given their awards during the GCA’s annual conference at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon between January 21 and 24, 2018.

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please call the GCA on 01244 952170. Alternatively, please visit www.gca.org.uk, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/GardenCentreAssociation or follow the organisation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.

See GTN Xtra's photo tour of Christmas at Fron Goch below:

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 2015 as well as 2016 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 Christmas Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care 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.

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 £100m.

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 buy on-line using the button below:

For further enquires please call 07973 504214.