Whichever way you look at it there's oodles of time to make sure that you are ready and raring to go for Christmas 2014 which, according to Stars for Europe, officially kicks off for garden centres on Friday December 12 - International Poinsettia Day.

That's the day consumers will really start thinking about their green gift purchases and why Stars for Europe want to make sure you have every idea going to help you capture every sale in those all-important last 12 days.

And that's where the Poinsettia comes in. They're your secret weapon to increased profitability. These days they're funky, long lasting and available in a gorgeous range of colours to suit every age, home and packet

Stars for Europe have put together ten top tips for pimping those Poinsettia sales to help you make the most out of the festive season. We'll bring you five this week and five next, so stay tuned!

1. Stock all the colours! Red may be traditional but younger buyers like the whites and salmon pink varieties and the bi-colours appeal to all ages. Be different and bold when ordering and show that there is a colour for everyone!

2.  Put them in pots. Not every customer has the right sized pot and it gives you an extra add-on line. Buy some low-priced ones and tart them up yourself for more individuality. Look at the videos  featured here for ideas.

3.  Look after them. Keep them away from draughts and cold and make sure they are wrapped up well when taken home. Make sure all your staff know why they need extra TLC to avoid losses and pass the information onto the customer. Again we've got it covered with free downloadable artwork for plants, display stands and trolleys as well as care advice videos on this site 

4.  Show them off. Too many consumers still think the Poinsettia is boring. Show them all the possibilities with a special 'Pimp the Poinsettia' demonstration or display area. If you don't have an in-house florist ask one of your local florist shops to host a mini demonstration or create a display of design ideas for you...shared effort for selling Poinsettia plants and bouquets. 

 5. Pump up the display. To maximise sales get display savvy rather than just putting them in boring rows.  Go to the Stars for Europe website for brilliant ideas on how to display your range and add value. This one is 4 minutes 53 seconds of pure inspiration!!

Click here to log on to the special site for industry professionals who want to make the most of Poinsettia.

Here you'll find advice for making press work easy, a quality campaign for taking good care of your stock,  specialist videos and more.

Make sure you Like the Facebook page to stay tuned with all the latest updates

Following last week’s acquisition of Trelawney  Garden Centre in Cornwall, Blue Diamond have re-affirmed their growth ambitions with an offer of confidential discussions for owners considering selling up or leasing their sites.

Blue Diamond MD Alan Roper says the group, which targets ABC1 consumers, is focused on steady organic growth and is always looking for freehold and leasehold opportunities.

Leaseholds enable garden centre owners to retain their freehold interest and receive a rental income. Roper says he would be happy to discuss this with owners on a confidential basis.

Guernsey-based Blue Diamond, who operate 15 garden centres with combined turnover forecast to exceed £70m in 2014, increased like-for-like turnover by 16 per cent in the first half of this year, with profits up 30 per cent against 2013. With the addition of the Trelawney business, Roper says he expects turnover to top £80m in 2015.

Blue Diamond is now the third largest garden centre group in the UK based on turnover, behind Wyevale and Dobbies. Notcutts has more outlets but its turnover is lower.

Redfields Garden Centre (one of the group’s largest) where the second phase of a major re-development opened in September, is to be the group’s template for the next 10 years, Roper says. He believes the outlet, near Fleet in Hampshire, represents a step-change in garden centre retailing.

The November issue of Garden Trade News carries a picture special on the planteria at the new Redfields. The December-January issue, will feature a special report on the indoor space, including the newly-opened phase two development.

A number of private equity firms are believed to be showing interest in Gardman following the news that the company’s curent owners are actively exploring a sale...

According to Daily Telegraph, the business, valued at £85 million when Paris Natar sold his controlling interest in 2007 to Barclays Private Equity, is expected to fetch around £50 million. The business has since had two more changes of ownership. The current owners – a consortium led by Goldman Sachs and TPG and backed by Barclays and Lloyds – are believed to be keen to cash in on the current ‘buyers market’

CEO Stewart Hainsworth (left) told GTN Xtra there was “nothing in motion” yet. “As far as the management are concerned, our investors are looking at at potential options. This a financial set of options and the potential deal would probably be to another set of financial investors with a different time horizon. So it would be business as usual for Gardman and the management team would be staying in place if any transaction did happen. It seems somebody has jumped the gun because it is early days.”

A corporate finance firm called Catalyst has been hired to explore the options.

Caulders Garden Centres take over Erskine Garden Centre in Paisley, just outside Glasgow, today following a leashold deal. It is their fourth centre.

Caulders, run by Colin Barrie (front row, right, receiving their GCA regional awards) have sites at Mugdock, Kirkintilloch and Braidbar.

Erskine Garden Centre is run by the Erskine Charity, which has been caring for Scotland's war veterans for almost 100 years. One in five servicemen disbled in battle during the First World War was treated at one of Erskine’s hospitals (of which there are now five in Scotland).

Erskine will retain ownership of the garden centre building, which opened in 2011 and is being leased to Caulders.

The quest for The Greatest Christmas teams is on.  The expert team of judges are now out and about visiting all of the teams nominated in this years The Greatest Christmas Awards.

You’ll find out who are The Greatest at Christmas this year by joining us at the first awards event of 2015, The Greatest Christmas Awards Christmas Party, sponsored by Premier Decorations, on the night of Sunday January 11^th at The Majestic Hotel, Harrogate.

Our annual awards presentation and Christmas party is an event not to be missed whether you are visiting the Harrogate Christmas and Gift show or just want to have another great Christmas Party with some great garden centre people.

Tickets are now on sale for the party, which includes reception drinks, a 3 course meal with wine, the awards presentation and dancing the night away to a live party band.

Early Bird discounts apply for all tickets purchased before November 23^rd.

Early Bird Ticket prices for The Greatest Christmas Awards Party, sponsored by Premier Decorations.

Please call The Greatest Christmas Awards team on 01733 775700 or e-mail harry.sinclair@tgcmc.co.uk to book your Early Bird tickets today – before November 23rd or buy on-line using these links:

Prices below include VAT

Tickets

1 Ticket £96.00 GBP2 Tickets £192.00 GBP3 Tickets £273.60 GBP4 Tickets £364.80 GBP5 Tickets £432.00 GBP6 Tickets £518.40 GBP7 Tickets £604.80 GBP8 Tickets £691.20 GBP9 Tickets £777.60 GBPTable of 10 £816.00 GBP

The HTA’s National Garden Gift Voucher Design a Christmas Card Competition attracted a record number of entries this year.

Around10,000 youngsters had put felt tip pen to paper to design their own image of Christmas by the time the competition,closed on 19 October.

HTA Marketing Manager Tony Stacey says an increasing number of schools are taking part. “We have managed to double the number of entries received this year compared to 2012 when only 5000 entries were received. Participating stores made excellent use of the school letter and press release templates provided in the marketing pack to drum up publicity and interest in their local communities.”

For the first time, the competition was featured in The Sun newspaper and championed by Peter Seabrook.

The winning designs were:

Public category: Sofia, age 9, entered via Phoebe’s Garden Centre in Catford, London. She will receive £150 of garden gifts and have her design used as a National Garden Gift Voucher Christmas card, – which will be on display in more than 2,000 outlets.

Schools category: Emily, age 10, from St James and St John CofE Primary School, Buckingham,  who wins £1000 National Garden Gift Vouchers for her school. Emily will also get to see her festive design printed and used.

Regional winners:

South East: Oliver, age 12, entered via Scotsdale Garden Centre, Cambridge

Midlands: Cameron, age 3, entered via Scotsdale Garden Centre, Cambridge

South West: Chloe, age 3, entered via South Downs Nurseries, Hassocks

Wales: Georgia, age 6, Ysgol y Ddwylan School, Carmarthenshire

North: Bethany, age 12, entered via Berwick Garden Centre

Scotland: Sabrina, age 9, from Aberdeen

Northern Ireland: Rishona, age 7, entered via Altnagelvin Garden Centre

Each regional winner will receive a £50 National Garden Gift Voucher.

The two winning designs will be available to National Garden Gift Voucher stockists as part of the Christmas voucher wallet range(order online at www.htamembers.co.uk or call 0118 930 2092).

2014 National Garden Gift Voucher generic Christmas POS materials will be delivered to stores next week.

As the mild weather continues, gardeners are making the most of the opportunity to make garden changes and improvements, as seen by the dramatic increase in garden Top Soil sales in the GTN Bestsellers Epos data, sales up 83% on the same week last year.

However there are signs from the GTN Bestsellers charts that gardeners know that colder, wetter weather is just around the corner and some are starting to make purchases in preparation.  Pot feet sales soared as containers get a lift out of the wet and fleece products re-entered  the Top 50, with Gardman Frostgard gaining its highest ranking this autumn.

Wild Bird Care sales increased by 8% week on week, the first volume increase in the past 6 weeks.

It has been a great autumn for gardening, but it’s time for the season to change now – we need those winter products to start selling.

An opportunity for an experienced Plantarea Manager to join our business has arisen. You will be responsible for the overall sales and success of the outside plants department. This position requires excellent plant knowledge, along with good plant purchasing skills and the ability to maintain stock to high standards of retailing.

You will be a manager who is confident to lead and inspire a team of staff to achieve high standards. Good horticultural knowledge and excellent management qualities are essential. Excellent package available to the successful candidate. The role involves weekend work.

CV’s can be submitted in the strictest confidence to aileen@brechincastlecentre.co.uk

My client is a large independent garden centre with an award winning pedigree.

This vacancy will be working alongside the centre management team and will have direct responsibility for the product range of this department. I am looking for an ambitious individual who wants to have a sense of ownership over the retail area. 

Retail experience is a must and garden centre retail experience is preferred.

Applicants must have experience of staff management, with a minimum of 1-2 years experience, and be able to lead and inspire a team of up to 13 staff.

They must also have proven buying experience and an ability to successfully negotiate with suppliers.

They must operate with good standards of merchandising and presentation, coupled with an element of creativity. 

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Gillian Muir or apply with your CV, quoting reference #6609 to info@morepeople.co.uk

The ideal candidate will have 3 years experience at management level, able to manage, motivate and develop a team of staff. 

Excellent cross department experience would be beneficial as there will be multiple areas covered by this role. 

Man management skills along with proven retail skills are key and experience of managing people must be evidenced in your experience. Delivery of training and staff appraisals will be required.

Although not essential, it is desirable that the appointed person will have a good understanding of garden centre retailing, will be a good team leader who is able to prioritise tasks in line with seasonal changes and deliver excellent customer sales and service.

Excellent package available to the successful candidate. The role involves weekend work.

CV’s can be submitted in the strictest confidence to aileen@brechincastlecentre.co.uk

Our Client is grower of quality Nursery Stock destined for the major multiples and garden centre chains. They are currently seeking a driven and experienced Nursery Site Manager who can assist in the culture of quality stock. 

The ideal person will possess:

Knowledge and training within a horticultural discipline preferably from a commercial production background 

Excellent record of managing and supervising staff

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including good IT skills

A strong team builder and player with initiative, drive and enthusiasm who can progress within the company. 

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Gillian Muir or apply with your CV quoting reference #6666 to info@morepeople.co.uk

I am currently looking for an experienced garden centre management candidate to join the team of a large independent garden centre. 

This position will sit underneath the centre manager alongside another assistant manager and will be part of the senior leadership team of the site. 

Excellent cross department experience would be beneficial as there will be multiple areas covered by this role. IT and Horticultural experience would be ideal. 

Man management skills are key and experience managing teams must be evidenced in your experience.

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Gillian Muir or apply with your CV, quoting reference #6658 to info@morepeople.co.uk

Our client is an exciting e-commerce business who source and supply a range wonderful garden products and plants to a discerning mail-order audience across the UK.

They wish to appoint a dynamic E-commerce Manager- Ideally a person with some plant knowledge and good e-commerce experience to run their e-mail marketing, social media and to provide horticultural content to our website.

Someone with fabulous communication skills, real entrepreneurial characteristics, creative flare, drive and with plenty of get up and go!  

Please call Dianne Saunders on 07929 013910 or apply with your CV quoting reference 6653 to info@morepeople.co.uk

The first ever alcoholic Christmas Product to appear in a GTN Bestsellers Chart has entered the Christmas Products chart this week.  The Christmas Cheer Beer Pack from Cottage Delight had a super week of sales to enter the chart at No 20.

• Highest new entry this week goes to Premiers' 10cm Colour Changing Christmas Characters, in at No 7
• The Spinning Tree Decorations from History and Heraldry continue to dominate volume sales at No 1, selling over 3 times the volume of the lines at Nos 2 and 3.
• Snowtime have a new entry this week.  Their battery operated Fibre Optic Country House canvas is new in at No 23.

To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Charts, the only way to know about all of the Top 50 Bestselling Garden and Christmas Products each week for only £145.00 per year click here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business.  Subscribe today and invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.

Those winter product sales are just around the corner.  Are you all set and ready to change your hot spots?

After a couple of frosty mornings in the North and in Scotland this week and the Met Office weather forecast for next week stating: “A cool and showery northerly airstream  in the north of the UK will spread south to most districts on Monday.” Your customers will soon be needing to buy fleece, winter fuels and even wild bird care products.

For the second half of the week: “Southern and eastern areas will probably see some drier and settled conditions increasing the likelihood of some sunshine, but also the risk of frost, mist and fog overnight, the latter of which could be slow to clear.”

So what are you waiting for?  Light up the chimenea in the planteria to stimulate sales of logs... and chimeneas!

Every week, subscribers to GTN Bestsellers receive a timely sales idea or reminder based on 5 years of garden centre Epos data.  So that your teams can make the most of our GTN Bestsellers Tips of the Week, buy a subscription to GTN's weekly newsletter that includes the full Top 50 sales charts from garden centre Epos data using this link.

Or for more information about GTN Bestsellers and a sample issue, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Gardeners with fruit trees are grease banding – it’s official.  Bayer Boltac Greasebands sold in high volumes last week to reach No 13 in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart, an all time high.  Preparing for colder and wetter weather in the other theme in the chart movers this week:

• Apta Terracotta Pot Feet moved up to an all time high ranking of No 3.
• Woodlodge Small Pot Feet are the highest re-entry at No 7.
• Large Garden Storage Chests from Bonnington Plastics are the highest new entry at No 18.

To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Charts, the only way to know about all of the Top 50 Bestselling Garden and Christmas Products each week for only £145.00 per year click here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business.  Subscribe today and invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.

In response to the unprecedented fence panel demand as a result of the storms through late 2013 and into 2014, Forest Garden has invested in additional sawmill facilities to complement its existing Sennybridge, Mid-Wales site to double the company’s sawmill output in that region. 

This move strengthens Forest’s position as the only UK fencing manufacturer with its own sawmills; Forest’s fully integrated operation has enabled its customers to significantly grow market share in a year of huge fencing demand.

The investment has also increased timber treatment capacity, adding an additional pressure treatment plant to add to the sizable facilities already operated at the Group’s Lockerbie sawmill and M&M Timber sites. This new facility will enable Forest to offer increased volumes of products in both green and brown pressure treatment, giving retailer and trade outlets even more choice for their customers.

Talking about the investment, Forest’s sales and marketing director John Gomersall said:

“This investment is very timely, in that we are able to immediately ramp up production levels to increase our stock holding of sawn timber material and finished products well in advance of any possible adverse winter weather, similar to that experienced at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. This in turn enables us to make significant commitments to our customers in terms of the levels of stock we will hold on their behalf.  We are confident that the new investment will further support our on-going commitment to our customers to provide the best possible service and product offering in the market today.”

Forest is the UK's largest manufacturer and distributor of garden timber products and can be purchased in more than 1,000 retailers up and down the country.  For further information call 0844 248 9801 or email info@forestgarden.co.uk or join them on Facebook.

Mr Fothergill's Laura Oakes fought off the challenge from 12 colleagues to grow the heaviest pumpkin in a staff competition this year (2014).  All the competitors were allowed to choose their own company-grown young plant  of proven heavyweight Atlantic Giant, and then tended it personally on the trial ground, nurturing it however they wished in the hope of producing the heaviest pumpkin. 

At the official weigh-in, held at the seedsman's Suffolk headquarters in late October, Laura's heaviest pumpkin was recorded at 50.1kg.  In second place was a 42.5kg specimen grown by James Nutt, with a 37.3kg example nurtured by Rachel Cole in third place.  Laura received a bucket of sweets with which to reward 'trick-or-treaters' as her prize.

Green-fingered Laura, who works in the company's mail order division, said she was very pleased to win the competition.  She commented "I used to grow my own Hallowe'en pumpkins when I was younger (next to a muck heap, which they seemed to like), but this was my first attempt in many years.  To be honest, I didn’t fuss over my pumpkin excessively.  I just gave it some Plant Magic feed as the fruits were beginning to form. The plant gave me two good sized pumpkins – the winner plus another which weighed in at 30.1kg.  In theory I should have removed this second fruit, but both have been put to good use and now carved ready for Hallowe’en".

Bags of Topsoil are the high flyers in the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers charts.  Sales volumes are up by 42% on last week and a whopping 83% on the same week last year.  There must be a lot of garden changing and lawn laying going on!

• Arthur Bowers Top Soil in 20 litre bags is the highest chart climber this week, up 25 places to No 18.
• Scotts Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Premium Garden Soil, 25 litres are the highest re-entry at No 31.
• 35 litre value bags of Westland Topsoil are static at No 11.

To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Charts, the only way to know about all of the Top 50 Bestselling Garden and Christmas Products each week, for only £145.00 per year click here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business.  Subscribe today and invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.

Kelkay, the market leading manufacturer and distributor of aggregates, enjoyed a series of resounding successes at Glee 2014 in September.

Garden centre buyers were particularly impressed with the company’s new See it Used displays. Combining attractive and informative point of sale, the See it Used displays promote multiple paving and aggregate products offering retailers greater flexibility to merchandise. They also provide better opportunities for linked sales whilst creating consumer aspirations from the lifestyle presentations.

Retailers were impressed with the level of interest The Great Amazon Falls water feature received, resulting in an excellent uptake with many acknowledging the impact of a show stopping centre piece to in store displays.

2015 sees the launch of an entirely new category – garden accessories. This range includes Garden Gabions available in 2 sizes and the Gravel Pave system™. Customers can use the Garden Gabions to create corner seats, benches, area dividers, banking, borders and raised growing beds. Contemporary or traditional style can be achieved by using a wide choice of stone fills. Garden retailers were quick to see how these products will help time strapped consumers create the ideal garden quickly and easily.

Granite Cobble mat sets available in contemporary greys and traditional rose have proved to be very popular. This unique premium product is a versatile way of transforming gardens at a competitive price point.

Another new launch that attracted great attention was the Twit Twoo collection. This range of self-contained indoor water features includes 6 popular Owls designs created for table tops and mantelpieces, individually packaged in full colour boxes. The range was an instant hit with retailers, as it has bestseller potential in both indoor and gift categories.

Reflecting on a memorable show, Antony Harker, managing director at Kelkay, said: “We’re delighted with the enthusiastic response of retail buyers to the products we showcased at Glee this year. With the addition of our new launches and eye-catching merchandising, this really will help garden centres increase their profits.”

Kelkay’s brand portfolio includes Borderstone^®, Build Mate®, easyfountain^® and Henri^® providing retailers with single source of supply for a wide range of garden products.

By promoting aggregates, paving and fountains with eye-catching point of sale, merchandising units and display stands, garden retailers have seen sales grow in these categories.

GIMA are to stage a Day Conference at Poplars Garden Centre, Bedfordshire, on 26 November.

Retailers, suppliers and industry experts will address issues like how to maximise export opportunities, successfully enter new markets, and also demystify new technology. The event is designed to arm both members and non-members with valuable business advice and inspiration.

Speakers confirmed include Simon Woolgrove from Achica, Amanda Sizer Barrett, director general at Gardenex, GIMB’s David Arnold, and Doug Mendes from Aspin.  Additional speakers will also be confirmed in the coming weeks.

GIMA’s director, Vicky Nuttall said the event had been developed to showcase the range of opportunities available to manufacturers and suppliers to help them develop their business offering.

Tickets are for £40 + VAT for GIMA members, £75 + VAT for non-members. 

Information 01959 564947 or info@gima.org.uk

Bord na Móna UK’s parent company has opened a new €1.5 million visitor facility in the 3000 hectare Lough Boora Parklands, a cutaway peat bog, which the company restored into a network of off-road walking and cycle routes within a biodiverse habitat which includes the last remaining population of grey partridge in Ireland. 

Opened last week by Ireland’s Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Alex White T.D, the investment  provides sustainable development , including the use of environmentally friendly materials in construction - a green roof, solar energy, and an ecological waste water treatment system.  The new facility is designed to improve the visitor experience to the former peat extraction area, which BNM created ten years ago as a tangible statement of its commitment never to open another peat bog.

Head of Consumer for BNM in the UK, Steve Harper explained, “This latest investment is part of Bord na Móna’s ‘Contract with Nature’ - a blueprint for minimizing negative impact while delivering a sustainable, low carbon future.  While Bord na Móna’s heritage is in peat production, it now invests in eco–technology with biomass, wind farms and water and waste recycling.  This latest Lough Boora investment not only secures the economic future of the area, it is the perfect backdrop to our continued expansion in the UK.  By blending the remaining peat that Bord na Móna has farmed in the past with the results of our cutting edge green waste composting technology we are utilising resources in the most sustainable way – something that Lough Boora represents beautifully.”  

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2012 as well as 2013 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most upto date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.