Phil Gibbs, secretary to LOFA (Leisure & Outdoor Furniture Association):

The highlight of the year for the UK outdoor leisure industry was undoubtedly moving the venue for the SOLEX trade show to the NEC. The switch was warmly welcomed by the exhibitors and visitors and was rewarded by even better results.

The other highlight for us was the launch of our major outdoor living market research project. The results, which were released before Christmas, will help everyone in the supply chain to meet consumer needs and expectations more effectively in the year ahead.

A safe prediction is that SOLEX will see further growth in 2014 – more space than last year has already been sold and there are still more contracts to sign.

Andy Campbell, retail and business consultant:

The major restructuring and leadership changes at both the retail and supplier ends of the chain were the most profound things to happen in 2012 and will have deep reverberations in the months to come.

My prediction for 2014 is that, after several lacklustre trading years, the industry will start to regain some traction and we will see solid, profitable growth within tightly managed businesses. The industry is showing signs that it has learned well during the recent lean times.

Malcolm Scott, retail and planning consultant:

2013 has been the retail chains gett bigger – but still no really financially sound trading formula has emerged to support them, beyond as yet future hope that they can produce profits large enough to support the investment made into them.

The outlook for 2014 remains  unclear, because the trade is in transition. Owners are grappling with how to keep customers happy with higher comfort and retail experience expectations, keep build and operational costs low to maintain their competitive advantage vis a vis the high street and fend off the advance of internet shopping, diversify out of weather dependent products but not lose the magic of plants. It requires vision from owners, and consultants, and clever focused investment of funds in only those parts of the business which drive sales and profit. GCA inspectors may have to accept the reality that not all parts of a garden centre can operate at the same standard and make money.

Neil Gow, outgoing director of the Garden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA) and owner of a small garden centre:

The weather proved to be the highlight of the year, giving us a half-decent summer, which made all the difference. This year, a later Easter will give us more of a chance. Some are still wanting to get the season started too early, which increases the risk that the weather will catch us out again. But if the weather is right, I can see it being a good year. There is plenty of potential for grow-your-own – I believe we have only just scratched the surface, but you need sensible products, not just more cheap me-toos. Gardeners are happy to spend money when they are getting value. Customers will always come back for more if the product is good and the service memorable.

Iain Wylie, chief executive of the Garden Centre Association:

We had all the seasons in 2013 but not necessarily in the right order! That made logistical planning a nightmare. It’s a cliché, but it showed just how dependent we are on the weather.

The other problem we have is getting into the right frame of mind. People do want to visit garden centres and enjoy their gardens and just because we have had two years of difficult weather does not mean consumers have lost interest in gardening. The indications for the economy are quite bright and I am cautiously optimistic. I certainly do not believe that people have forgotten how to garden. Grow-your-own has lost some momentum through the trade but we have to remember that it’s not just garden centres who are selling it. Finally, better media coverage for gardening would be top of my wish list for 2014.

2013 has been a record year for concessions within garden centres, according ton First Franchise Ltd and Promotional Space Ltd, who have reported increased interest in both long and short term concession installs this year.

The long term, manned concessions – or shop within shops – have seen the existing tenants increase their portfolios with nearly 100 new stores opening across the UK. Leading brands, now synonymous with garden centre retail have increased their portfolios throughout the year resulting in millions worth of investment into the sector as well as the creation of thousands of new jobs.

Brands including Cotton Traders, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Klass, Roman Originals, Hammonds Furniture, Shuropody, Pavers, Massarella Catering, The Works, HotSpring Spas, Pets Corner, Maidenhead Aquatics and Cotswold Outdoor have all opened new stores within garden centres this year.

Brands like Brantano (Footwear), My Bathrooms (Home Improvements), Rectella (Soft Furnishings), Peacocks Kids (Kids wear) and Regatta (Outdoor Clothing) have all launched new store formats specific for garden centres and have enjoyed an excellent response from site owners looking to enhance their retail proposition.

Richard Lewis, Business Development & Marketing Manager of First Franchise Ltd & Promotional Space Ltd, said “There is so much interest in garden centres from concession tenants who are looking for new routes to expand. 

"Our portfolio of complementary brands has enabled us to provide a solution to just about any site we have worked with and believe that concessions can offer a ‘one stop shop’ for every retail destination.  Having worked with leading, high street brands to create bespoke store models specifically for concession retail we are very excited about the future.”

The Unmanned Concession model has also gathered momentum in 2013 with the likes of Yankee Candle, Virgin Experience Days, Lake Silver Jewellery and C Craft all developing this route of expansion.

In addition Red or Dead (Glasses), Storm (Handbags) and Rocket Dog (Footwear) and Regatta have launched Unmanned concepts and are looking for more garden centre locations in the New Year.

Richard Lewis continues: “Unmanned Concessions have proved exceedingly popular as they are so easy to install. The stock and fittings are provided free of charge and the commissions retained are excellent. The sales figures that we are seeing are impressive and we have recognised that this concept may be the next step in enhancing the returns for all parties.”

Promotional Space Ltd has successfully organised over 2,000 promotions within their retail venues this year and they have noticed an increased demand from independent garden centres to get involved with the activity as a result of the new revenue streams they can generate.

Richard Lewis added: “This year we have worked with garden centres that have never taken Concessions in the past. We believe this is as a result of recognition that our promotions are an excellent way to enhance year round revenues as the core trading season becomes increasingly unpredictable.

"2013 has been a record year for concession activity within garden centres. We have introduced new companies to the market and increased the portfolios of existing tenants within the sector. We have also worked with garden centre owners to provide them with the right agreements for their tenants and we are proud to be working with the sector to enhance the retail proposition, without diluting the core offer.”

Just before Christmas GTN Xtra reported that SpaceandPeople had won a five-year deal with The Garden Centre Group.

Who got it right at the start of 2013? Crystal-ball gazing is a notoriously high-risk activity and many hedge their bets rather than commit to a full-blooded prediction – so we thought we would re-visit the New Year predictions from the 2013 New Year Special  issue of GTN Xtra to see how they panned out.

Alan Roper, CE of the Blue Diamond group, said that if the weather returned to a normal pattern, 2013 would be energised with customers keen to engage with their gardens. He was partly right. The weather, up to its old tricks, gave us a terrible March, creating fears that we were in for another dreadful year. But the summer eventually came good, sales picked up dramatically and the season extended well into the autumn.

Alan also predicted the industry would continue to consolidate in 2013,  “with increasing intensity” – which was probably a safe bet then and will continue to be for 2014. He was right, too, about Tesco-backed Dobbies continuing with their new-build expansion. Few, though, could have predicted the shock departure in July of Dobbies chief executive James Barnes and his replacement by Notcutts CEO Andy King. Many now expect closer integration between Dobbies and its parent to further Tesco’s stated aim to bring the brand to more customers.

Amanda Sizer Barrett, director general of Gardenex and PetQuip, suggested that hard-pressed suppliers who got their fingers burnt in the nightmare 2012 season might focus more strongly on carefully scrutinised product portfolios, enhanced marketing techniques and new market targets. Export potential certainly moved up the agenda for many of them last year, typified by Gardman’s success in winning the Gardenex Exporter of the Year Award at July’s GIMA Awards.

Neil Gow, director of GIMA, advocated “the right attitude” in 2013 to meet pent-up demand. People were putting 2012’s failures behind them, he felt, but it would be a slow start for core gardening because the soil would take a long time to warm up. March proved him spot on – and demand improved steadily as the season progressed.

Neil also predicted suppliers who offered quality coupled with value for money – “I’m not saying cheap” – would be the winners. We saw countless new products at ‘value’ price points during the year, suggesting he was on the right tack.

For Bob Hewitt, chief executive of the Klondyke/Strikes garden centre group, 2012 proved, if proof were needed, the value of the garden centre catering offer to maintain footfall even in adverse weather. This was also a key point made by consultant and GCA inspector Roger Crookes. Sales figures we saw last year suggest that, for most garden centres, coffee shops and restaurants are not just ‘nice to have’ but absolute necessities. And the coffee had better be good if you want repeat business from discerning high spending customers.

Iain Wylie, then interim chief executive of the Garden Centre Association and now confirmed in the role, stuck his neck out with a prediction that the weather would be better in spring and everybody would sell more plants. Sadly, it did not come to pass, with devastating consequences for growers in particular.

But his other prediction, that retailers and suppliers would need to work closely together to ensure demand was met and the rewards (and problems) were shared, proved closer to the mark as the on-going rationalisation of the retail channel forced expanding groups to re-think their logistics and marketing tactics. “Working Together” is a theme that cropped up regularly through the year, with the HTA and the GCA once again operating from the same premises and the organisers of Glee keen to involve all elements of the trade in their proposals to rejuvenate the industry’s trade shop window.

The GCA’s chief standards inspector, Ian Boardman, said people should make their own sunshine when the real thing was in short supply. Many did, at a cost, by investing huge sums in all-weather sales areas. Businesses who focused on flexibility to take best advantage of whatever conditions we get would be the ones who would do best, he said. Can’t argue with that, Ian – we shall look forward to you telling us at the GCA conference later this month how many took your advice.

After the horrors of  2012, a relatively strong Christmas sales period left Nick Davies, MD of Solus Garden & Leisure, “quietly optimistic” for the new season. Again, it was pent-up demand for core gardening that offered a ray of hope. The year would be be all about having stock at the right time in the right place, he thought – but who had the confidence to call it? As the year drew to a close, Nick and Solus parted company and he announced a new venture backed by Westland. GTN Xtra will bring you further news as it happens…

Finally, GCA standards inspector Roger Crookes believed that the trends and themes that made Christmas 2012 so successful for many were worth trying across Spring and Summer product categories. He predicted garden centres would need to look after female consumers, families and novice gardeners even better than before. We’d say that need is probably still there. For many, the annual report will say: “Can do better.”

Winnersh Garden Centre in Reading was forced to close after flooding left the premises under several feet of water over the Christmas and New Year period.

Staff at The Garden Centre Group store are attempting to salvage stock after floodwater surged into the Reading Road business on Christmas Eve.

The business is based opposite the River Loddon which burst its banks after heavy rainfall in the lead up to Christmas.

Floodwater is sitting on the site and has spread to cover lanes of the neighbouring Showcase Roundabout.

Centre manager John Leonard said: "The team have been fantastic and really pulled together over the Christmas period when they should have been at home enjoying the festivities with their families.

"They are still working very hard to prevent further damage but we expect the centre to be closed for another several days still.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers and look forward to welcoming everyone back very soon."

Plans for a massive new garden centre, which could create 300 new jobs, have been submitted to Pendle Council in Lancashire.

The proposed development by he borough’s largest retail unit – Boundary Mill – also includes a farm shop on land off Greenfield Road opposite its outlet at the end of the M65.

The application is expected to go before the council’s Colne and District Committee in the New Year – and if it is approved, it could lead to the creation of around 300 full and part-time jobs.

The development of the 10-acre site envisages a two-storey building with a floor space of 9,040 square metres – larger than the playing area of a football pitch – with a garden centre and external garden sales area at ground floor level.

The farm shop would be on the first floor.

Plans for the development show there would be a car park with 452 spaces for customer and staff cars as well as more than 50 others for motorbikes and cycles.

There would be a new roundabout accessing the site off Whitewalls Drive close to the motorway interchange.

Pendle Council leader Joe Cooney said the access was the major concern surrounding the application.

But he was sure that a satisfactory solution could be found.

“It is another good step forward for Colne,” he said.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “Following the good news of falling unemployment in Pendle, there is the potential here for a significant number of new jobs and I hope that the council looks at this application seriously.”

Boundary Mill said all being well, the new garden centre would take 12 months to build and open by Easter of 2015.

Organisers of the GCA Conference Greenfingers Challenge in January are seeking more sponsors in a bid to set a new fund-raising record for the charity event.

This year’s challenge is a ‘Beach, Bingo and Boogie’ format, to take advantage of the conference venue at a Blackpool sea front hotel.

Traditionally GCA retailers issue a sporting challenge their suppliers on the day before the conference opens.

“Numbers are well up on last year, so it should make for an excellent event,” joint organiser Danny Adamson, MD of William Sinclair Retail, told GTN Xtra.

Last year’s ‘GCA Olympics’ event raised more than £10,000 for Greenfingers.

The event, on Sunday 26 January, opens at 3pm with Beach Games, including volleyball, cricket and races, followed by Fish & Chips, Bingo in the hotel night club and a Boogie session.

The organisers are suggesting sponsorship of £500 a time for each beach game, each round of bingo, each set of team T-shirts, the fish & chips meal and the first drink.

You can make your pledge with Danny Adamson at Sinclair,

Will Armitage at Armitages Garden Centres and Guy Topping at Barton Grange Garden Centre, Brock.

A proposed £6m Next Home and Garden Store on the outskirts of Norwich has set two councils at loggerheads over whether it would set a precedent and harm the city centre by luring away shoppers.

City Hall officers say that if South Norfolk Council’s planning committee gives the 6,663 sq m store permission that will set a precedent which could see more stores at Longwater look to move away from selling ‘bulky goods’ and compete directly with the city centre.

Graham Nelson, head of planning at City Hall said: “Norwich City Council considers that to allow a retail destination of this form and function to establish, in direct conflict with the retail strategy lawfully adopted by Norwich city, Broadland and South Norfolk councils will set a wider precedent for out-of-centre retail development, including variation of condition applications on other warehouse retail parks in the Norwich policy area.”

The city council had suggested that other Norwich sites would have been better for the store, They had suggested an empty unit close to the B&Q in Hall Road or at Anglia Square.

But Next has rejected those for a number of reasons, including that existing policies state those sites must focus on a convenience food store, which is not what they are planning.

And officers at South Norfolk Council are recommending that district councillors grant the new Next store - proposed for land to the north-east of the roundabout junction of the A47 William Frost Way and the A1074 Dereham Road - permission at a meeting next week.

South Norfolk Council brought in consultants to look at the impact of the store, which would include a coffee shop and a garden centre, on Norwich city centre.

Those consultants concluded the new store would not have a “significant adverse impact” on the city centre.

And planning officer Chris Trett, in his report to councillors, which recommends approval, said: “The development cannot set a precedent because any future proposals will be considered on their own impact and sequential merits and in the light of any cumulative impact.”

Next has said that 156 new jobs would be created at the new store, on top of the 47 staff who would move from the current Next Home store on the Longwater Retail Park, which would close if permission is granted for the new one.

The Garden Centre Association added two festive modules to its Garden Retail Online Workshops e-learning initiative just in time for the Christmas sales season.

They include tips on how to sell real and artificial Christmas trees.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “Christmas trees one of the main selling points so it is important staff are able to competently help customers and answer any questions they may have, which is why we released these two modules ahead of this important selling period.”

In the real trees module, staff learn about the different types available, their needle holding properties and shapes and sizes, different sales formats (e.g. cut, potted, bare-root or container grown), how to care for the trees at the garden centre and how customers can ensure the tree retains its freshness at home.

The artificial tree module focuses on helping staff to understand materials, realism, shapes available and the construction tip count. There is also a section on pre-lit trees.

There are now 57 modules, with more in production for 2014. In excess of 5,000 staff members from more than 70 garden centres can currently access them.

Photograph caption: Adam Wallis, Manager of Brimsmore Gardens in Somerset, which is a member of the Garden Centre Association, with some real Christmas trees.

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.

Mr Fothergill's Seeds is to continue its sponsorship of the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) Grow Your Own campaign for a third year.

The initiative continues to encourage new gardeners to grow some of their own fruit and vegetables at home.

The Suffolk seedsman will be credited on relevant pages of the Society's website with a link to Mr Fothergill's website, and its logo will appear on the front seed packets to be inserted in the March 2014 edition of the RHS's magazine ‘The Garden’.

The logo will also feature on monthly e-mail newsletters containing expert advice sent to 70,000 RHS GYO campaign members, again with a link to Mr Fothergill's website.  Mr Fothergill's will also support the autumn campaign entitled Taste of Autumn to be run at RHS gardens throughout the UK.

Joint MD John Fothergill said he was delighted to support such a worthwhile and stimulating project aimed at bringing newcomers into growing some of their own food.

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:
   

  

Hellebore heralds the start of the New Year and is nominated as HTA’s Plant of the Month for January. With many varieties flowering from early January through to February, it is the perfect plant to spruce up the garden during the darker winter months.

Also known as the Christmas Rose (Helleborus.niger), the Hellebore is a traditional garden favourite with a colour range of pure white through to deep purple, pink, cream, yellow, and red flowers, Hellebores are guaranteed to light up a damp, shady spot in gardens this winter.

There are approximately 20 species of herbaceous, evergreen, perennial flowering Hellebore plants which are often used for decorative purposes and are popular with gardeners for their early flowering period during winter and spring. They are also frost resistant, making them ideal for this time of year.

TV gardener David Domoney is the celebrity champion for Hellebore this month.  As well as fronting TV programmes such as ‘Love your Garden’ and ‘The Great British Garden Revival’, he also pioneered 'Cultivation Street' a national campaign to bring communities and neighbours together, transforming front gardens and community gardens by improving the place they live in through people, plants and pride.

David (above) said: “Flowering Hellebores make you wonder at the beauty and resilience of nature as they open beautiful flowers in the depth of winter.  The diversity of the colour and blooms together with integrated shaped emerald green foliage across many varieties make this a perfect first choice as the calendar year starts.”

Nominated and agreed upon by British growers and retailers, the HTA’s Plant of the Month campaign highlights the plants that are widely available and looking especially good each month.

For more details, please visit www.the-hta.org.uk/plantofthemonth

Provider of wild bird care products, Gardman, is bringing ShaRRPer Pricing and SMA*RTER Merchandising to its No Mess Seed Mixes to help its retail partners drive up sales. 

The deals start with the price of the 12.75Kg bag being cut by almost 30% to £12.99 and the introduction of new point of sale materials.  

“Our experience shows that when retailers pass on our ShaRRPer Prices to their customers they see sales and profits rise,” explained Duncan Ross, Sales Director at Gardman. 

“Sales of bird food are likely to be increasing now the cold is really beginning to set in and those that capitalise on the potential of these great deals are likely to reap the rewards.”

The No Mess Seed Mixes are perfect for gardeners who want to feed wild birds during the tough winter months when food is likely to be scarce but do not want messy husks being left behind.   

“As well as giving our retail partners some compelling deals we have introduced a new recipe to our No Mess Seed Mix this season,” explained Sarah Downing, Marketing Manager at Gardman. 

“Each pack contains wholly edible and nutritious ingredients including sunflower hearts, peanut bites, crushed wheat, oats and red dari; the birds get a feast and gardeners have no mess to clear up.”

Gardman’s No Mess Seed Mix can be used in seed feeders, on bird tables and ground feeding.  

Members of a green fingered team at Landscape Creations have been celebrating after being awarded the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) Landscape Award.

Ben Stirling and his team from the Huddersfield based landscaping company, received the HTA Landscape Award following months of hard work putting into practice the knowledge gained from the HTA workbook and company led training sessions. They completed a written and practical, observed assessment to gain the Awards in October, last year.

Ben and his colleagues Matthew Nelson, Cory Ellis and David Gilroy first embarked on the award in February of this year. The award has been designed to give domestic landscapers the underpinning knowledge which supports the skills they use on a daily basis. Modules include customer service, health and safety, vehicles and machinery, hard landscaping, planting and ponds and water gardening.

Ben, who owns Landscape Creations, said: “The employees followed a dedicated training programme and undertook assignments to aid their learning and development.

"Their enthusiasm for the award and their new found skills and knowledge earned all employees with the coveted level of Distinction when they were examined in October 2013. I am extremely proud of everyone and feel it reflects their excellent skills and work ethic.”

Penny Evans, HTA Training and Careers Manager, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Landscape Creations and has clearly shown their commitment to invest in their staff training.  It was great that they went through the process together, including the owner Ben, which helped not only their individual knowledge and practical skills, but also gave them an opportunity to develop as a team and company.”

Landscape Creations are members of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL).  Members of the Association are registered with the government endorsed TrustMark Scheme. They are regularly inspected and agree to follow a customer charter with clients.

To find out more about the APL or where to find your nearest APL accredited landscaper, visit www.landscaper.org.uk

The Garden Centre Association is this month inviting its members to put their marketing campaigns to the test and compete for the chance to win the Worrall Cup. 

The association will award the cup to the garden centre that has the best marketing campaign or initiative during its annual conference.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “We’re looking for the garden centre that has come up with the best, most inspiring marketing campaign or initiative. We want our members to show flair and creativity and most importantly inspire other members to follow suit.

“People can request a form via info@gca.org.uk or download one from www.gca.org.uk.Entries can be submitted via post or via email at info@gca.org.uk. The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday, January 17.”

The entries will be judged by an independent panel of judges with marketing expertise and the winner will be announced during the GCA’s annual conference, which takes place from January 26 until 29 at the Hilton Blackpool Hotel.

In previous years the Worrall Cup has been awarded for ‘The best use of POS’ to the garden centre that has scored the highest marks in the POS sections in the annual inspections.

Iain added: “POS has moved on with many centres producing their own in-house to a standard that could only have been achieved by using expensive designers and printers just 10 years ago.

“This is a great opportunity for members to win a prestigious award for their hard work. As this award is not influenced by the annual inspection all entries have an equal chance of winning when the judging panel meet to assess the merits of each submission and decide the winner."

Mystery surrounds the cause of a fire which gutted Blooms Garden Centre in November.

Six weeks on from the blaze at Blooms in St Mellons the reason behind the fire is still unknown.

Firefighters were called to the garden centre on Newport Road at about 10.20pm on November 20.

They battled the 35ft high flames for three and a half hours before the fire was under control.

The fire left behind a trail of debris, ash and rubble as the blaze affected about 70% of the site.

Around 60 people worked at the site and are understood to have kept their jobs.

An investigation by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has already concluded that the fire was accidental but it said yesterday that the cause is still unknown.

Kings Seeds are donating funds to two charities from sales of their new red poppy called ‘Victoria Cross’ and their traditional Field Poppy.

The first, The Victoria Cross Trust, was established as a charity just over a year ago to help restore and maintain the war graves of servicemen awarded the Victoria Cross in the UK, the highest military decoration for gallantry and valour awarded to British and Commonwealth servicemen during many wars.

The second is the Greenfinger’s ‘Rosy Cheeks Appeal’ to create gardens in children’s hospices around the UK.

The Victoria Cross Poppy, new to Kings in 2014, features a striking white cross, in the centre of its crimson flowers, with each individual petal fringed with lacy edges.

The traditional Field Poppy, also known as Corn Poppy, has large vivid scarlet flowers, a familiar sight in fields on lightly cultivated soils, especially corn fields, between June and September.

Kings will donate 50p from every packet in a charity fund to be divided equally between the two causes.