Nicholas Marshall is back - with aspirations to open many new plant centres.

In this issue of news and information for garden centre professionals:

• Solex Online - “exhibitors preview”
• Marshall is back… again
• Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021 raises £75,000
• New Products - Glee style
• Glee Buyers Power List - nominate your top buyers
• GIMA Golf Day - full results and pictures
• Hillier Heritage at Syon Park - GTN Photo Tour
• Signs of the times at Thetford - GTN Photo Tour
• Jam on top at BGC Bressingham - GTN Photo Tour
• HTA Column – 20/20 Vision… so last year.

Despite volume sales dropping below last year’s levels for the last two weeks of June, the month total was enough to beat even 2020’s post re-opening sales by 10% and be 50% higher than June 2019.

That means we reached the half year 61% up on last year, 14% up on 2019 and 16% up on 2018.  

When you consider all the issues with product availability and the relatively poor weather during the spring and the so-called summer so far, the growth in garden centre sales versus 2019 and 2018 should be giving everyone a warm feeling about continued growth, albeit at a lower level, in future years.

The cooler and wetter than usual June weather has certainly got everything growing well so there’s plenty to keep people occupied outside and people should be getting great pleasure from their gardens, even if they aren’t spending too long just sitting in the sun.  

There’s a rumour we may get a heatwave in a week or so time and who knows what the effect may be if England keep on winning in the Euros!

Please note our last week, year on year comparisons, below, are now back to 2020.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 26.

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 22%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 12%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 75%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 12%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 26.

• All Plants with Barcode index – down 14%
• All Items with Barcode index – down 10%

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

The team at Lakeside Plant Centre in Telford were quick off the mark to join in the England Euro celebrations with a Harry Cane 9 promotion to raise funds for their local hospice.

Kevin Turley told GTN Xtra yesterday: "What a great result for England last night. On the back of this we have created a fundraiser for our local Hospice. Your very own Harry Cane 9.

"There is so much support with this.  Harry Kane Supporting England.  Harry Cane supporting plants, and Lakeside are pleased to support Severn Hospice."

Have you created your own fundraising promotion based on England's Euro success?  Send us photo and details and we'll add it into GTN Xtra: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk

New from Global Journey, these new cool lunch bags for kids are ideal for back to school, picnics and days out. 

The coolest way to keep children’s meals fresh, Cool Bags are collapsible when empty and compact when full. They are easy to clean and an exciting, fun way to carry snacks and lunches. 

These new bright, vibrant and insulated cool bags, personalised with the most popular names, are proving to be the hottest and coolest new product for 2021. 

With a £4.99 RRP / £2.15 cost they are also great value.

Here’s a selection of what some customers say about Cool Bags for Kids:

“I would highly recommend them. They have sold extremely well and the fun designs have given us something different to offer our customers.” Leister – Almondsbury Garden Centre.

“The named lunch bags are selling very well for us. I regularly see customers browsing the spinner stand saying ‘what a great idea.” Anna Hallett – Marketing Manager.

“We are very pleased with the cool bags, kids love them.” Lucy – Fosseway Garden Centre.

For more information please call 0161 872 0333 or email  isamuels@global-journey.com

Nurseries and garden centre retailers can help themselves and the environment by stocking EASYLINE from Onduline, the compact eco-friendly roofing solution that comes in a striking standalone display and which is perfect for garden DIY projects.

At only 100 x 76cm, EASYLINE roofing sheets are designed to fit in the boot of a family car, and are often an excellent opportunist purchase for customers who appreciate its ease of transportation and installation.

Each of the lightweight panels is made of 50% to 60% recycled fibres and contains no hazardous substances. This makes it completely safe for people and family pets, while helping retailers meet an increasing demand to stock ‘green’ products.

In fact, retailers can also rest assured that the Point of Sale material itself, being cardboard, is recyclable.

Available in seven bright colours, EASYLINE is ideal for upgrading a whole range of garden DIY projects, adding an attractive finish to garden sheds, summer houses, wood stores, children’s play houses, pet shelters and other outbuildings.

It also compares favourably to traditional shed felt thanks to the lengthy 10-year waterproofing guarantee that it carries.

The display includes a QR that, when scanned, leads the customer to a simple-to-follow installation guide.

Greg Hissey, Technical Sales Manager for Onduline Building Products, said: “With all this going for it, and people spending more time in their gardens than ever before, it’s no wonder an increasing number of independent nurseries across the UK are choosing to stock EASYLINE.”

For more information on Onduline’s lightweight, eco-friendly and durable roofing solutions please visit www.onduline.co.uk.

Petface, the pet product experts, have reinvented the “showroom”, and launched the Petface Emporium, a fun filled immersive experience, showcasing thousands of products from the Petface collection. 

Covering an area of 120 square metres, the concept inspired by the ever growing ‘Pets are Family’ trend in the ‘humanisation of pets’, and aimed towards the change in demographic Pet owners.

The Birmingham based JAMRAR Design, built on the creative ideas and the strong Petface branding,  resulting in a product playroom not just for fur babies, but their grownups alike! Trade customers can even bring their four-legged friends to share in the fun!

Featuring branded FSDUs, integrated digital screens with the Petface trade portal, and architectural elements that have been specifically designed to enhance each of the product ranges, the Petface Emporium is the next step in creating interactive showrooms for the trade customer. 

Katrina Hall, Senior Category Manager at Petface said: “The feedback from our trade customers has been huge, with many planning to use the ideas we've created as inspiration for presenting products in their own stores and garden centres”.

The Petface Emporium has also been digitally scanned into a virtual 3D environment for customers who are unable to travel still as we emerge from the pandemic.

Trade customers can book a visit by emailing: salessupport@leisuregrow.com

Watch the Petface showroom video by clicking here.

See a a gallery of pictures from the Petface Emporium below...

Who’d have thought we could sell more plants in June this year after the bumper post re-opening sales of 2020. The GTN Bestsellers All Plants index for June was up by 12% on 2020 to set a new record for the month.

At the half year, plant volume sales are now sitting at 18% up on 2019, 11% up on 2018 and 20% up on 2017.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

The HTA has launched Let Britain Grow, a campaign calling for the Government to negotiate a plant health agreement between the UK and the EU that will enable the multi-billion pound sector to boost the nation’s economic growth and fuel international trade post-Brexit.

Highlighting additional and excessive regulations forced on the sector by Defra, Let Britain Grow has been set up by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and supported  by VBN, the Association of Dutch Flower Auctions. It signposts the opportunities that European trade offers and call for an agreement that will remove current barriers and help mitigate the rising costs that are hampering trade.

Last year, plants fell under the same category as weapons of mass destruction, torture equipment, explosives and arms, when they were included in the list of controlled goods by the UK Government. Although the classification was removed, the disproportionate requirements for pre-notification and import inspections remain.

Trade is currently being obstructed by the increase in time and costs for businesses in importing plants and trees into the UK. From the 1 June 2021 a substantial fee was added to import inspections, while in January controls were imposed on plant border movement, adding layers of complex and lengthy pre-notifications, certificates and inspections. Meanwhile, checks and fees will not be required for most other sectors until 2022, such as the importation of products of animal origin, like dairy and sausages.

The British horticultural industry is worth over ²£24 billion in GDP to this country and supports over 568,000 jobs. The UK brings in £400m-worth of plants and plant material, such as seedlings, cuttings and young starter plants every year. It exports around  £80m-worth of plants. EU countries are the UK’s single biggest trading partners. 

Meanwhile, small businesses that operate on tight overheads are facing disproportionate additional costs. Commercial grower members are reporting an extra cost of over £3,500 on average, per business, just on inspection fees and additional working hours alone.

“This is the biggest single non-tariff barrier to trade in the history of our industry,” says James Barnes, Chairman of the HTA.

“We all support having a robust biosecurity regime, but the UK Government needs to get a better balance on the regulations and restrictions, which are limiting responsible trade. The spiralling staff hours to administer the paper mountain, inspection fees, phytosanitary certificates and cost increases amounts to £25m-£30m.

“We are speaking with the Government, but they are not reacting. We need to trade more freely if we are to open up our industry to the economic powerhouse it can be and work on a plant health agreement that instils recognition and trust and remove the green tape.

“Let Britain Grow is a chance for the government to get behind an industry that has huge ambitions for growth. We have a real opportunity of developing a post-Brexit opportunity for increased trade in our sector and for the UK internationally.”

Eveline Herben of VBN, says the impact is causing some Dutch companies to think twice before doing business with UK horticulture businesses:

“Since January 2021 trade to the UK has changed considerably with the new UK regulations adding in requirements for extra paperwork and physical inspections of all plants alongside time-consuming pre-notification and pre-export processes. This also leads to considerable extra costs.

“For some products, although artificially propagated and therefore previously exempt from extra requirements, you must also acquire an import permit - another lengthy process which adds up to exporters choosing not to export these products (like Cacti) to the UK anymore.”

While many plants are grown in the UK it is impossible to produce all species here and Britain still has to import substantial amounts from abroad to meet consumer demand. From the retailers surveyed, 72% import plants and plant material from the EU, while nearly all growers (96%) need to import young plants.

According to a new HTA survey, the increased plant health restrictions by Defra have had a negative impact on 78% of members asked (for small businesses – under £1m turnover - it rises to 88%). Currently the UK faces barriers exporting to markets in the EU due to the ban on certain species, growing media and soil attached to plants and despite one temporary ease on trade into Northern Ireland, difficulties exist.

The current restrictions are hitting the pockets of UK gardeners and reducing the choice of products available to them - member retailers estimate an 8% reduction in product ranges with an 8% price increase on hugely popular products like house plants.

Biological controls form a major part of the integrated approach to crop protection across the nursery at Bransford Webbs.  

The controls are applied throughout all protected areas on site, from March to October, as pests are more prevalent during these warmer months. 

The use of biological controls is a natural effective way of controlling pest problems within the crops, in conjunction with cultural control methods, such as good hygiene, the use of physical traps and effective irrigation and feed regimes. 

Regular crop walking by our technical team and the ongoing training of all growing staff, play a major role in the control of any pest related issues.  

Across the nursery no fewer than seven pests are controlled through the application of fifteen different species of biologicals, resulting in the use of far fewer insecticides and an increase in natural predators on site. 

The Bransford Webbs Plant Company invests five times more on biological controls annually than on all chemicals combined.  

“We see this natural and effective way of controlling pest problems within crops as the only sustainable method moving forward,” said a company spokesperson.

YouGarden, a leading multi-channel retailer of horticultural products, has acquired Gardening Direct, an online and mail order supplier of live plants.

The acquisition will enhance the YouGarden’s product proposition around smaller bedding plants and enable it to leverage its specialist infrastructure, management expertise and operations to improve the overall Gardening Direct consumer experience. 

The acquisition will also enable YouGarden to apply its proven data-led approach to marketing and procurement, with the aim of enhancing customer acquisition and value as well as strengthening the Gardening Direct product range, including by integrating the Group’s proven best-selling products.

The acquisition provides YouGarden the opportunity to drive synergies by leveraging its outstanding supplier relationships and purpose-built 11.5-acre nursery in Lincolnshire. This well-invested infrastructure, which enables YouGarden to keep live products in optimum conditions whether in open air, under glass, in polytunnels or in designated cold and warm storerooms, supports high quality fulfilment and best in class delivery.

Underpinned by its unique data-driven model as well as its curated easy-to-understand product proposition and market-leading customer service, YouGarden has disrupted the UK gardening market to achieve consistent, profitable growth and establish itself as the UK’s leading multi-channel retailer of horticultural products. 

The acquisition builds on the copmpany's long-term track record of profitable organic growth, including a pre-Covid 5-year CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) for both revenue and EBITDA of 45+%, and FY19-FY20 CAGR for both revenue and EBITDA of 100+%. 

YouGarden’s data-led approach to emerging and established customer acquisition channels has ensured a track-record where repeat customers spend more with YouGarden each year, helping to underpin this consistent growth to date and the Group’s exciting future prospects.

Peter McDermott, Founder and CEO of YouGarden, commented: “We are delighted to complete this acquisition of a well-regarded brand in the growing garden home shopping sector. We look forward to, amongst other things, applying our procurement, fulfilment and customer service capabilities to provide our new Gardening Direct customers the same levels of outstanding service that have been the building blocks of YouGarden’s success to date. 

“Over recent years YouGarden has disrupted the fragmented UK gardening market by developing a truly multichannel business built on data-led decision making and specialist infrastructure. We firmly believe that gardening is for everyone, which is why we aim to make things simple for our customers by speaking in plain English, giving great advice, and using data analytics to curate a targeted range of products that appeal to customers and that really work and perform. As more and more consumers benefit from the experience of buying horticultural products online, we are very excited about our future opportunities for continued growth.”

The British Garden Centre Group have donated a selection of plants from their Coventry Garden Centre which were used to decorate the set of BBC Breakfast on Monday 21^st June 2021 at their University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire set up. 

Dan Walker presented the piece on Margaret Keenan, the first person to have a COVID-19 vaccine, live from University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which was set up in their staff outdoor wellbeing area. 

Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive Officer said, “University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust would like to thank the British Garden Centres Group for their support in the special broadcast of BBC Breakfast.

“We would like to recognise their generous donation of plants for the broadcast which will form an integral part of our outdoor staff wellbeing area.”

Boyd Douglas-Davies, Director of Communications at British Garden Centres said, “We were thrilled to work with both the BBC and the NHS on this project, creating a lovely set and back drop for the breakfast show particularly with them discussing such an important topic”. 

Coventry Garden Centre is a plant focused centre with an extensive selection of products and a dedicated team. The centre joined the family-owned British Garden Centres Group in 2019 and is proud to provide the local area of Coventry and Warwickshire with a first-class garden centre.  

Lily Dallimore, the daughter of GTN’s advertisement manager Alan Burdon, has battled against horrific and deteriorating health problems for most of her life, and now her best friend is raising funds to help her bucket list dreams come true.

Evie Taylor-Knowles is going to do a skydive from 15,000 ft on July 25 to help Lily “make every second that she has count”.

“Lily is the kindest, bravest and happiest person I know,” said Evie. “She has battled everything and kept going for so long, always with a smile on her face, no matter what life throws at her.

 
“Lily has suffered for most of her life with a very rare condition – esonophillic panocolitis – and for the last even years, severe life threatening multi-organ Faliure. She also suffers from Epilepsy, Chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction, hemeplegic migraines, GORD and Hyper-mobility and more. 

“Lily has spent many years of her life in Great Ormond street hospital. One admission even lasted a whole year. All of this has been a major contribution to her missing out on many aspects of her life. 

“Her rapidly deteriorating health has led her to create a bucket list. It will help her to achieve everything she wants too in life, within the time she has left. It will help to ensure all her hopes and dreams are completed and ensure that her last few months or years are spent doing all the things she loves and could have ever dreamt of. 

“So I’m doing this skydive to make sure that this is possible.”

For anyone wishing to contribute to Evie’s fundraising attempt for her best friend Lily then go to her Go Fund Me page by clicking here

Fleuroselect, the international organisation for the ornamental plants industry, has announced that the FleuroStar Award 2021/22 was won by Begonia I'CONIA Aroma Peach from Dümmen Orange.

Alexander van der Kaaij, Senior Product Manager Bed & Balcony and Jeroen Meeder, Sales Manager Benelux, accepted the prize from Fleuroselect Vice-President Marc Driessen, Secretary-General Sally van der Horst and Marketing & Communications Manager Ann Jennen.

Begonia I'CONIA Aroma Peach from Dümmen Orange was competing against Pelargonium Estelle Appleblossom (Florensis), Petunia Fun House Potpourri (Syngenta Flowers) and Verbena Mr. LavaLava (Selecta one).
 
The jury stated: "I'CONIA Aroma Peach displays a true abundance of double, bi-coloured flowers, which are so elegant and charming! The excellent plant habit and subtle fragrance turn this Begonia into an outstanding eye-catcher for any terrace or garden."

Begonia hybrida I'CONIA Aroma Peach is the new scented Begonia from Dümmen Orange. The many luxurious double, bi-coloured flowers in eye-catching peach shades have a strong garden performance and are non-stop flowering for gorgeous planters and beautiful baskets. 

The I'CONIA series from Dümmen Orange continues to portray the pinnacle of modern Begonias with shade to part-sun tolerance, excellent retail flower-power and noted consumer performance. 

In line with the current COVID-19 regulations, this year’s FleuroStar winner was announced during a hybrid event. Two representatives of each participating company were invited to Floralis in Lisse for the ceremony. The remainder of the membership and international industry was invited to view the show via a livestream. The recording of the Fleuroselect Winners Event can be reviewed via the Fleuroselect website and Facebook channel.

Begonia I'CONIA Aroma Peach will receive considerable marketing back-up to turn its go-to-market strategy into a success. Contest organiser Fleuroselect will conduct a promotion campaign with international trade and social media and promote the new winner at trade fairs and industry events.

Also other industry players are offering support to FleuroStar. Waterdrinker, major Dutch wholesaler selling to international garden centers and florists, will offer premium product placement during 3-4 weeks at its Green Trade Center next season. Stokvis, the production house behind various Dutch gardening television programmes, will feature the new winner extensively in its star television show 'de Grote Tuinverbouwing'. Pull Position, a marketing agency specialised in retail promotion, offers a tailor-made marketing project and DeschPlantpak will dedicate a lifestyle photo shoot and matching pot layout made by their design studio to the new winner.

In total, over 30 professionals in breeding, production, trade and retail evaluate each entry on point of sale attractiveness and commercial potential. Each jury member has seen the physical plants, either in person at the promotional plant displays at Syngenta Flowers or Florensis, or via one of the dedicated Zoom sessions. 

Heike Gronemann, Chairman of FleuroStar Jury: "We are very proud of the fact that high-level players in the international market such as Obi, Intratuin, Jardiland, B&Q, Blume 2000, Waterdrinker, Royal Lemkes, Emsflower and Royal FloraHolland are willing to assess our candidates. FleuroStar's success and credibility is due to the diversity and expertise of our jury."

The Blue Diamond Group, the UK’s second largest Garden Centre Group, has announced it will be creating a Show Garden at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival (5^th to 11^th July), and in addition will have a display and selling area in the Festival of Roses Marquee.

Down Memory Lane Garden is a collaborative design by the team at The Blue Diamond Group inspired by the Father of the Lead Designer, who is living with dementia but has developed as a collective of stories and memories from Blue Diamond employees whose loved ones have experienced dementia in some way.

Anna King of the Blue Diamond Team and her Father

Alzheimer’s Society has also suggested design elements of this garden based on guidelines and research around best practice, produced by Alzheimer’s Society and other organisations such as the Dementia Services Development Centre at Stirling, to make it is as dementia-friendly as possible. The design has also incorporated feedback from a panel of people affected by dementia. 

Down Memory Lane Rose

A rose of the same name will be launched at the Show on behalf of Alzheimer’s Society and will feature in the garden. The rose will also be available to purchase from our stand in the Festival of Roses Marquee, or to order online atwww.bluediamond.gg

£1 from each Down Memory Lane rose sold through Blue Diamond Garden Centres and Fryer’s Roses online will be donated by the Blue Diamond Group to Alzheimer’s Society.

Benefits of being in a garden and gardening to people living with dementia and their carers.

Being in a garden and gardening are a known source of enjoyment for people living with dementia and their carers.

With 850,0000 people in the UK living with the condition (set to rise to 1 million by 2025), it has never been more important to increase awareness of the issues people with dementia may face on an everyday basis. Practical aspects of the design have been considered to ensure that people with dementia who may experience cognitive and mobility issues can enjoy outside space, which can be very important for wellbeing and quality of life.

The garden has been designed to help those living with dementia seek calmness as well as to provide stimulation of the senses.

Plants that are colourful with fragrant flowers to encourage bees and butterflies, lavender and other sensory plants are planted close to the edges of the path so that when they are brushed, they release fragrance. Herbs for tasting are clearly marked, and the colour of the garden is broken up with muted areas so that people don’t feel too overwhelmed. 

The potting shed is also a tool to trigger reflection and memories, and to encourage reminiscence of digging and being busy in the garden. 

As depth perception can sometimes be impacted by condition, the handrail and wide, smooth pathways make mobility easier. 

Raised flowerbeds also mean people don’t have to stoop to look at plants up-close, so that people affected by dementia and the people that care for them can enjoy the calming power of nature.

The emblem of Alzheimer’s Society, the forget-me-not, is present in the ditsy plants, a creative carving within the bench and a metal sculpture.

Alan Roper, Managing Director of the Blue Diamond Group said: “We have exhibited in many RHS shows over the years under our Fryer’s Roses brand, however we are delighted to be able to have a show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and launch a new charity rose. We are proud of the work we do to support charities and Alzheimer’s Society is one very close to my heart as my father lived with and ultimately died of dementia”.

Tim Beanland, Head of Knowledge at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “For people with dementia, being outside or in the garden and in nature is a brilliant way to excite the five senses, keep active and stimulate the mind. We were delighted to work with Blue Diamond for support on the design ideas for their dementia-friendly garden, and to see their vision transform an illustration into a beautiful garden is wonderful”. 

“The pandemic has been difficult for many people, but especially the 850,000 people living with dementia, with thousands experiencing an increase in symptoms due to multiple lockdowns. This is why we are urging everyone to head outdoors and take part in Memory Walk this Autumn to help provide vital support for those who need it most in the wake of the pandemic. For more information visit memorywalk.org.uk.”

For Hageland, a well-known Norwegian chain that consists of more than 100 garden centres, Smiemans Projecten is realising a new garden centre in Tau.

This modern multipurpose building will have an internal sales area of ca. 1,100 m² with additional outdoor plant sales area.

The wide-span construction and the flat utility building are adapted to Norwegian conditions with good insulation and maximum transparency.

Both parts are optimally combined in this unique design. The building with the flat roof will include a warehouse and office. In the glass construction, the customer receives the optimum green experience though the garden centre via a perfected routing. To further highlight the entrance we will create a wooden portal frame around the glazed front door. 

Smiemans Projecten will start construction in the autumn of 2021 and the garden centre is expected to open its doors to their customers in the spring of 2022.

Stratford-upon-Avon firm Sims Garden Machinery has completed a 10-week lawn mowing challenge against global garden tools manufacturer, STIHL. The Minutes Mowed challenge is in aid of Greenfingers Charity.

Both teams smashed their target to mow 1,000 minutes in 10-weeks - clocking up this time in just five weeks. The STIHL team managed to accumulate the most amount of minutes finishing the challenge with 2,229, closely followed by Sims Garden Machinery at 1,992.

Ben Sims led a team of Sims staff and customers across Warwickshire as they trimmed up to 40 lawns of all shapes and sizes. The British weather was not so supportive of the mowers with April and May being particularly cold months, two weekends rained torrentially from start to finish.

Ben Sims, Managing Director of Sims Garden Machinery says:

“This was our first year of getting involved in Greenfingers’ Garden Re-Leaf Day and the whole team has thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We battled the elements and overcame a few mechanical breakdowns, but it was a fun way to raise some much needed cash for a charity that helps provide beautiful outside spaces for children who visit hospices to enjoy with their families. Unfortunately we were pipped to the post by the STIHL team but we’ll be looking to out-mow them if there's  a next time!”

The 10-week challenge was run in support of the tenth anniversary of Greenfingers’ Garden Re-Leaf Day - an annual nationwide event that raises funds and awareness for the work the charity does to support children who spend time in hospices around the UK. Garden Re-Leaf Day is supported by gardening clubs and societies across the country, as well as by garden centres, growers, suppliers, manufacturers and trade associations.  

Supporters of this challenge and charity can still donate to help raise funds. Minutes Mowed are being encouraged to text ‘MOWFIVE’ to 70085 to donate £5 or ‘MOWTEN’ to donate £10. 

To find out more about supporting the Minutes Mowed Challenge, visit https://simsgardenmachinery.co.uk/greenfingers-gardenreliefday-2021/

A former PE teacher's business has created handcrafted wooden products exclusively for Tong Garden Centre.

Halifax business, Off the Grain has made bespoke solid wood planters and a companion bench exclusively for the Bradford garden centre.

Off the Grain's founder, Dom Walsh is excited about his company's first retail listing: "In November 2018, I left behind my full-time teaching career to turn my passion into a full-time business with a purpose. Off the Grain was born out of a desire to create beautiful, handcrafted furniture that is unique, full of character, made to order and built to last.

"The business has grown organically based on web based sales and word of mouth, but we're excited to take Off the Grain to the next level with space in Tong, our first retail outlet, so that people can see the quality of our work first hand."

Tong's Sundries Buyer, Phil Hemmings is pleased to welcome the new supplier to Tong: "We love to showcase great local producers and Off the Grain caught our eye after a visit to their workshop where we were impressed by the team's care and attention to their craft and ethical approach to product sourcing and sustainability.

"It's good to be able to offer our customers something hand crafted, unique and custom made in Yorkshire."

In addition to the planters and companion bench, Off the Grain's handcrafted oak table and bench sets will be on display for bespoke customer orders.

Houseplant sales have been on an upward curve for some time now but, for anyone wondering if the trend has hit its peak, think again because Covid has taken the demand for greenery in the home up another notch.

Lockdown has seen the nation engage with plants and gardening like never before, with retailers often struggling to keep up with demand and a new army of plant enthusiasts stepping up their spend.

UK houseplant sales are forecast to top £4billion this year and the category is enticing in a wealth of younger consumers, for whom, becoming a ‘plant parent’ or impressing your followers on social media is all the rage.

So, what’s behind this upswing in sales? The Glee team find out more.

What’s behind the growth?

As lockdowns and stay-at-home orders dragged on for months, Brits turned their attention to improving the space around them. Interior décor trends, including biophilic design, offered inspiration by showcasing the beauty of plants in the home, whilst the national media promoted the benefits gardening has on health and wellbeing, as the public struggled with feelings of isolation and uncertainty. Makeshift home offices were upgraded to dedicated workspaces and adorned with air-purifying foliage, while millennials and generation Z took pride in becoming a ‘plant parent’ and snapped photos of their urban jungle to share on social media. All of this has seen sales of houseplants soar over the past year. 

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) reveals that houseplant sales for the 12 months ended March 2021 were up 114% on the same period in 2020, which had already recorded 63% growth on the previous year.

Garden Centre Association (GCA) members have also seen notable rises. GCA chief executive Iain Wylie explains: “Houseplants are just going up and up in popularity. In 2019 the value of houseplant sales didn’t increase but represented 2.6% of total sales; an increase from 2.3% the previous year. Despite centres being closed for a number of weeks last spring (with no adjustment made for the period of closure and almost zero sales), sales value and percentage of the total garden centre sales increased significantly. This year, the trend is continuing and the year-to-date figure to the end of May reveals that houseplants represent 3.87% of total sales.”

All of this spells good news for retailers and suppliers alike. One such success story is that of Double H nursery in New Milton, Hampshire. The orchid grower managed to create 42 jobs during lockdown with the launch of a new online houseplant business, which saved the company from financial ruin. Before the launch of the online shop, Double Hface the prospect of having to put 50,000 orchids on the compost heap. However, within five weeks of launching Love Orchids, it had sold tens of thousands of plant direct to customers and, a year on, the online business boasts a revenue of more than half a million.

Cowell’s Garden Centre in Woolsington, near Newcastle has had huge success with houseplants in recent years and the pandemic has only served to drive further growth and interest in the category. “Houseplant sales have been phenomenal,” says Horticultural Director, Martin Cowell. “We have increased sales in the category significantly. Four years ago houseplants were just 3% of our turnover; now they account for 11%. We have seen a 320% jump in turnover in that category! We have also taken on two new members of staff in houseplants and have doubled the size of the department.”

And, it’s not just plants that have kept the tills ringing and the profit line healthy. Martin says anything associated with houseplants has been selling extremely well – from pots and sundries, to composts. “And, there are good margins on it all as well,” he adds. “Four years ago houseplants represented a £110,000 business for us, and now it’s worth £460,000!”

Key Trends

As with everything, trends evolve and change, so what’s en vogue in the world of houseplants and how can retailers shape their offer to capitalise on these opportunities?

Indoor and outdoor plant supplier, Javado saw a huge spike in demand in 2020 and set records, shipping the highest volume of trade ever in one week. The Dutch firm keeps a close eye on consumer behaviour and changing fashions in plants to make sure it stays ahead of the curve. UK Sales Manager, James Woodham believes, after a successful year of growing, people are now willing to spend more and want larger varieties. “We’ve seen a trend towards bigger plants,” he says. “Twelve months ago, people were opting for smaller plants for shelves or to have hanging up. Now, they want bigger specimens. That’s been a noticeable change and, in turn, has become a bigger and more important category for us.”

He continues: “It could be that people are furnishing their new home office spaces rather than just having a small pot on their desk or it may be that they had success with those small plants last year and are looking to invest more now that their confidence has grown. Consumer spend had been cautious previously but now people are getting braver and spending between £40 and £50 on an individual plant.”

In terms of aesthetics, foliage is still the preferred choice over flowers, with Brits still loving the look of lush green jungles and, for those who are taking a step up from entry-level houseplants, the more unusual the plant, the better.  “Foliage colour is really driving it,” says James Woodham. “Whether it’s pinks or new variegations – textures and patterns – if it’s unusual, people will snap it up.”

The demand for houseplants is still so high on certain favourites that garden centres are struggling to keep them in stock, with some varieties proving ever-elusive. Perrywood Junior Plant Buyer, Zoe Willis explains: “Anything that’s a bit unusual is going really well. Calatheas have been strong this year and they’re hard to buy; you have to bag them as soon as they land! I’ve not been able to get Ceropegia (string of hearts) and even Monstera are hard to get. The demand is crazy; as soon as it’s listed online, it’s gone. Everybody wants something to show off on Instagram or they want something they’ve seen on Instagram. We’ve also noticed that they seem to want things that are easy to care for. Clivia has been really popular this year, helped by new varieties brought over by our supplier Javado.”

Martin Cowell adds: “Alocasia Frydek has been popular, Philodendron Cobra has been a favourite – in fact, all Philodendrons are doing well – as well as things like string of hearts and string of pearls; all unusual plants. If we create a bit if a hype about it online, people pick up on that. Aside from popular plant varieties, some other trends that we’ve observed are for pot covers, and also people grouping their houseplants together, rather than growing as single specimens, so they create a mini jungle or micro-climate.”

Compulsive Collectors

With a new army of passionate plant people celebrating their growing successes and happily filling every available space in their homes with greenery, it’s probably not a huge surprise to learn that houseplants are becoming more than just a hobby for some, as they become self-professed collectors, accumulating the latest ‘it’ plants and keeping up with the Joneses on social media. Javado’s James Woodham explains: “We found that customers last year might have bought a Calathea, for example, and there is now demand for the next best thing. They want the next colour or the next one in the series. There is a ‘collector-ism’ to it.”

Perrywood’s Zoe Willis says: “When you find a plant that really works in an area, you want every single one. You find some customers, for example, who want every kind of philodendron and they are willing to travel miles to get them.”

Not only are people willing to travel, they are also willing to pay serious money for the most unusual and sought-after specimen. Researchers from Homedit.com revealed that, earlier this year, a mint variegated Monstera Deliciosa sold in the UK on Ebay for £28,200, while a Philodendron Spiritus Sancti sold for £7,600.

Cowell’s Garden Centre has forged a successful business catering to some of these avid collectors and sourcing whatever weird and wonderful plants might best capture the imagination of their enthusiastic followers, offering click and collect or next-day delivery to doorsteps nationwide. Cowell’s online Collector’s Corner now boasts more than 900 members, where the garden centre team can let members know about new varieties coming in and give them “first dibs” before they go out for general release. “Sometimes people approach us asking for specific plants, other times we go to them and let them know what we have,” says Martin Cowell. “We do a lot of research and are looking on social media all the time to see what people are talking about. These customers know a lot more than most about caring for houseplants. This is their passion; they are spending hundreds. They also like to show on social media that they’ve got the plant. It’s like collecting shoes.”

Digital Drivers

Social media has proved a particularly powerful tool in the houseplant sector, especially given that the demographic of the consumers going gaga over greenery in the home tends to be more digitally-savvy. Social media is enabling retailers and suppliers to build excitement around products, communicate with customers and bring updates to their followers. It has also created a community for consumers where they can share tips and advice, whilst providing the perfect stage for houseplant fanatics to showcase their carefully-curated assortment to the rest of the world. A vast array of popular hashtags, such as #urbanjungle #houseplants, #houseplantsofinstagram #livingwithplants #plantparenthood, group millions of posts referencing houseplants together and allow fans to search for content most relevant to their interests. Retailers and suppliers tagging their posts using some of these hashtags, allow them to immediately tap into this and get their product or update in front of consumers they already know have a keen interest in the subject matter.

“Social media is a big driver of sales and has a huge influence,” says Javado’s James Woodham. “People also have a lot more leisure time and tend to turn to social media more out of boredom, so they are a captive audience… The power of social media is telling them what they want to buy.”

Perrywood Garden Centre operates a dedicated Instagram for its houseplant division and employs a smart social media strategy to make sure its posts have maximum effect in store, whilst remaining engaging for its followers. “We feature things like ‘houseplant of the week’,” explains Zoe Willis. “The reaction to that is unbelievable. You do that on a Friday and, when you come back in on Monday, every single one of those plants will have gone. We photograph and film our deliveries, create some excitement, and tell customers what’s new. We did that with the Calathea White Fusion when it came in. That was £64 for a 12cm pot and it just flew out!”

Digital channels can also be used to create interest around lines that aren’t performing well and, if you can back that online dialogue up with an amazing in-store experience, you’re winning. “If something isn’t moving, the first thing we do is tell people on social about that product,” says Zoe. “We show them what they need to do with it, plant it up and offer inspiration. We get our team behind it. If a member of the team can get excited about it when talking to a customer, they can pass that passion on and secure a sale.”

Online retail skyrocketed during the pandemic, as people sought out the products they wanted, without having to leave the comfort of their own home. Even though garden centres were eventually able to re-open, some habits stick, plus the nature of houseplant collectors seeking out their dream specimen from anywhere in the UK, means houseplants have created opportunities for garden centres via other digital channels, including online trading and click and collect. “Houseplants now account for 80% of our online sales,” says Martin Cowell. “And, online is 10% of the business overall. We get a lot of orders on houseplants between midnight and 3am, so these customers are clearly night owls.”

What does the future hold?

Since the resurgence several years ago, the lust for houseplants has shown no signs of abating and those within the category seem fairly certain the nation’s love affair with indoor growing is going nowhere fast. Javado’s James Woodham says, confidently: “I think the trend for plants inside your home is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere! Healthy living, plants improving the quality of your home, gardening for wellbeing – it’s all here to stay.”

Perrywood Garden Centre agrees and has actually seen die-hard houseplant fans take their love of gardening into their outdoor spaces, creating further opportunities for the industry.  Zoe says: “People who love houseplants are now looking at outdoor plants. In outdoor, I’ve noticed tropical plants are so popular right now. Sales of bananas are going through the roof. People want their outdoor spaces to look as lovely as their indoor ones. If they have an outdoor area or balcony, they want to try and grow things and create the same magic out there. You can only get so many plants in a house!”

She concludes: “There are still avenues to explore. So many people haven’t jumped on the trend yet but can still pick it up. People are giving cuttings to each other and sharing plants and information. It’s so good for mental health and it gets other people growing. It’s a good place to start and it’s about building confidence. If you can grow one thing, you can grow something else.”

Houseplants at Glee

With houseplant popularity showing no signs of abating, there is no question that many retailers will be visiting Glee to source new and exciting products to support their houseplant offering. From Glee’s Green Heart where plants take centre stage to sundries and accessories within Garden Care, Glee offer buyers a terrific opportunity to ignite their sales and provide customers with products that will keep them coming back time after time.

Look out for brands such as Javado, Floreac NV, Key Essentials, plus Ivyline, Woodlodge, Capi Europe and Yorkshire Flowerpots

Find out more

To keep up to date on the latest Glee (14th – 16th September, NEC Birmingham) news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2020 call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

Primeur’s Eco Garden products often sell themselves thanks to their strong eco credentials, ease of use and cost effectiveness compared to traditional concrete and terracotta alternatives.

However, the company is aware that some retailers are not allowing their displays to work as hard as they could, meaning vital profits are missed and customers disappointed.

Here, Primeur’s Sales Director, Jenny Douthwaite, offers some top tips to ensure that Eco Garden keeps the tills ringing.

Volume drives volume

Products such as garden borders and stepping-stones are not a singular purchase, instead consumers are looking for sufficient stock to complete their garden upgrade. A display unit only half stocked or running low will cause consumers to look elsewhere as they won’t want to buy what is needed over an extended time period; instant gratification is key. A fully stocked display unit is also more likely to tempt impulse purchases, whilst driving consumer confidence and loyalty.

Don’t leave it too late

Reordering additional stock should not be left until the last minute. A quick stock check will identify any low running levels ahead of time, and with a call or email to your Primeur sales rep, your stock replenishment can be winging its way to you within as little as seven days. This foresight to secure additional stock will avoid leaving customers disappointed.

Co-locate to drive up average basket spend

Primeur’s Eco Garden merchandising displays have been designed to be entirely freestanding, meaning they can be easily relocated around the retail environment to keep displays relevant by co-locating alongside complementary product categories. For example, positioning alongside gravel helps to drive up sales of the stepping-stones, whilst planters sell best alongside the plant and nursery areas, and borders alongside lawn care product. A relocation of the display to coincide with key sales peaks of these products will work to increase the average basket spend, and potentially capture customers who might not ordinarily come across the display if it is located in the same position year-round.

Educate staff to educate customers

Driving sales of Eco Garden could not be easier thanks to Primeur’s updated market-leading merchandising displays. The newly updated POS highlights the products’ USPs including all-weather durability, ease of installation, and key sustainability messaging. Retailers are, however, encouraged to ask their staff to familiarise themselves with the logos to ensure that they can better assist customers with queries. Whether promoting the products’ eco-credentials or waxing lyrical about the flexible and lightweight nature of the material, a small investment of time getting to know the products and display will pay dividends.

Find out more

To find more about Primeur’s full product range as well as how to join one of its new virtual showroom tours, please contact the team on 01274 518800 or email sales@primeur.ltd.uk

GTN May/June 2021 - Garden Trade News, UK

In this issue of news and information for garden centre professionals which will arrive in the post this week:

• Westland Driving Growth
• The Peat Issue – Retailer Comment from Alan Roper - Blue Diamond, Adam Wigglesworth - Aylett Nurseries, Paul Cooling - Coolings, Marcus Eyles and Graeme Jenkins - Dobbies, Justin Williams - Fron Goch, Charlie Groves - Groves Nurseries & Garden Centre, Martin Breddy - Squires, Matthew Bent - Bents Garden & Home, Mike Burks - The Gardens Group, Roger Crookes, Tammy Woodhouse - Millbrook Garden Centres, Andy Bunker - Alton Garden Centre
• Woodmansterne – A fresh approach to card sales
• The Peat Issue – What about the alternatives
• The Peat Issue – Responsible sourcing for the future    
  The Peat Issue – Seabrook on Peat
• The Peat Issue – How does Peat emit Carbon?  
• Dobbies Boston – Before and After
• M42 Garden Centre Photo Tour – Planters, Melbicks, Rosebourne Solihull, Notcutts Solihull, BGC Studley
• The Berkshire Gardener Photo Tour
• HTA Column – Solutions please…
• GIMA Column – We have achieved so much

If you would like to add your commenst and views about the Peat Issue, please use the comments link below or e-mail trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk

Goonhavern Garden Centre is an independent garden centre on the north Cornish coast in between Newquay and Truro. Over the past few years, we have expanded and successfully installed a covered canopy in our plant area and subsiquently seen an increase in sales. We are now looking for someone to assist the garden centre manager in the day to day running of the plant area and take our plants sales to the next level.

We are looking for someone enthusiastic about horticulture but most importantly has a passion and knowledge of retail and customer service.

This post requires someone with previous retail and merchandising experience as they will be responsible for ensuring the plant team creates plant displays to inspire and impress the customer.

Main responsibilies will include:

• Managing the plant area department team
• Plant buying
• Waste management
• Responsible for health and safety within the plant area and for COSHH
• Managing all outdoor displays, not just plants but pots, fencing, compost etc
• Stock control - responsible for stock taking all goods using the EPOS system
• Liaising with the garden centre manager to create plant promotions and plant based 'events'

Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Must have previous retail experience
• Excellent leadership skills
• LEAN management awareness
• Exceptional plant /horticultural knowledge
• Commercial awareness
• Previous buying experience
• Knowledge of EPOS systems and stock control
• Excellent IT skills

Please apply in writing WITH a covering letter on why you wish to apply for this job.

info@goonhaverngardencentre.com 

Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £24,000.00-£26,000.00 per year

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Growing activity continues to grow at an astounding pace. June 2021 set a new record for volume growing media sales, up 13% on June last year and a staggering 103% higher than in June 2019.

We can confidently say there is at least a quarter more growing going on as half year sales to date are now 24% up on 2019 levels and 34% up on 2018 levels. 

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

It is with great sadness to announce the passing of John Hughes on the 29th June.

John was known by many in the Christmas industry as General Manager of Christmas Crafts before founding The Paragon Collection with Alison Lloyd and her father Jim Neill.

As many people will know, John retired early due to ill health and was battling his illness for many years. Refusing to let this stop him he set up ‘Shark Attack’ a head and neck cancer charity which raised tens of thousands of pounds through its golf days and charity dinners which his many friends in the industry actively supported.

John will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Veg sales for June need to be looked at in terms of total year to date sales. Last year gardeners only had the end of May and June to catch up on veg plant sales.

This year it’s been more of a normal spread so the fact that at the half year sales are 15% up on 2019 volumes and 70% up on 2018 volumes is the real indicator of the popularity of veg growing at the moment.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow has made a special visit to the Eden Project to see first-hand the pioneering Eden Geothermal energy project and then tour the world-famous Biomes with Co-Founder Sir Tim Smit.  

Drilling of the first well by Eden Geothermal Ltd began in the middle of May and is making great progress, now reaching a depth of 1,200 metres, about a quarter of the total depth. 

At the geothermal site the Minister was hosted by Richard Day, Chairman of Eden Geothermal Ltd (EGL), and Augusta Grand, EGL’s Executive Director. 

She was then met by Sir Tim Smit and Eden Project Interim Chief Executive David Harland on a journey around Eden, learning about the project - now in its 20th year - and the progress of other Edens around the UK and overseas. 

The Minister was shown a model of Eden Project North in Morecambe, Lancashire, which Eden hopes to open in 2024.  

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “The Eden Project is a shining example of the action being taken to create alternative heating sources and to pioneer sustainable ways of reaching Net Zero. 

“I was delighted to see the geothermal project and hear about its potential as a renewable energy source and then to plant a tree in the world-famous Eden gardens as part of our Plant for Our Planet initiative. This is encouraging everyone to do their bit to increase nature and adapt to climate change.  

“We must all take action – however small to tackle climate change and restore nature, the Eden Project is focusing on these issues and I look forward to seeing how their work continues.” 

Sir Tim Smit said: “I’m delighted the Minister came to see our thrilling geothermal plant and explored how Eden is developing its Emergence Academy thinking so that we look at the natural world as a whole where clean air, water, soil and energy are seen as the birthright of the future and natural integrated systems we all depend on and need to nurture. 

“For me, the Minister’s commitment to these values and insistence that we must effectively halt systems damage and create a National benchmark of environmental standards against which we are all judged for the first time, giving us a policing mechanism against which policies can be developed, strategies implemented and fiscal policies encouraging good behaviours put in place, is the start of a new era.” 

On behalf of EGL, Richard Day said: “We were pleased to welcome the Minister to our site in Cornwall, where we are working with the Eden Project to help them attain their Net Zero targets.  

“We are committed to sustainable development, helping address climate change by generating clean renewable heat and power from the abundant levels of geothermal resource beneath our feet for the benefit of local businesses and the community.” 

The Geothermal Project is being delivered by Eden Geothermal Limited (EGL), a three-way partnership between Eden Project Limited, EGS Energy Limited, a leading geothermal development and consultancy group, and BESTEC (UK) Limited, affiliated with BESTEC GmbH, the specialist geothermal developer and drilling advisor. 

Drilling of the first well is expected to take five months in total. When complete it will then allow water to be injected down the borehole to be superheated by the hot rocks beneath.  

The hot water will then be pumped back to the top up a pipe suspended in the same borehole, generating heat initially to warm Eden’s Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes, offices, kitchens and greenhouses. The same water will then be re-circulated to be superheated and used again.   

Following the successful completion of this first phase the next crucial phase is to drill a second well close to the first to a similar depth of around 4.5 kilometres.   

Once complete, the two well Eden Geothermal project has the potential to supply renewable heat to the Eden Project and neighbouring industries equivalent to the heat used by more than 35,000 homes, or renewable electricity to that consumed by around 14,000 homes.   

To drill the first well, EGL secured £17 million funding from a combination of European Regional Development Fund, Cornwall Council and commercial funding from GCP Infrastructure Investments Limited, an investment trust advised by Gravis Capital Management Ltd. 

Garden product sales in June dropped slightly from last year’s post re-opening catch up levels but were encouragingly 35% ahead of 2019 levels. 

At the the half year the GTN Bestsellers graph is showing an upward trend since 2019, reversing the downward shift up to 2018. Let’s hope there is plenty of innovation to come at Glee this year to drive growth further in 2022 and beyond.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Autumn Fair has partnered once again with Theo Paphitis’ #SBS Small Business Sunday to bring back the #SBS Pavilion to Autumn Fair 2021 and is delighted to announce the six winners of this year’s competition.  

The #SBS Pavilion is dedicated to showcasing new and unique products from ambitious start-ups and small businesses. In partnership with #SBS Small Business Sunday, Autumn Fair run a competition to give the #SBS community a chance to compete for free exhibition stands at Autumn Fair.

Managing Director, Retail & Fashion at Hyve Group plc, Julie Driscoll says: “We are incredibly pleased to continue our partnership with #SBS Small Business Sunday for Autumn Fair 2021 and support small independent businesses as they launch into the marketplace. Our shared values and vision with #SBS and Theo enable us to provide an incredible opportunity for start-up businesses, and I can’t wait to see our all winners at the show.” 

The 2021 winners are: 

• Arcform www.studioarcform.com 
• Leo Charley & Me www.leocharleyandme.co.uk 
• Bring A Book to Life www.bringabooktolife.com 
• Rose-May www.rose-may.co.uk 
• Alexia Claire Ltd  www.AlexiaClaire.com 
• KIND2 https://kind2.me 

This year’s Autumn Fair, which runs 5-8 September 2021 at Birmingham NEC, is also welcoming 2020's postponed #SBS Small Business Sunday winners to join the super-size #SBS Pavilion, totalling 15 inspirational winners who receive a free exhibition stand giving them exposure and growth opportunity for their businesses. Taking centre stage in the #SBS Pavilion, the winners, across home, gift, and beauty sectors, will gain access to thousands of visitors and buyers ready to order products ahead of the busiest retail period of the year – the Golden Quarter.  

Theo Paphitis, Retail entrepreneur and small business champion says: "#SBS Small Business Sunday is all about giving small businesses and entrepreneurs opportunities and the chance to network and thrive. Our long-standing partnership with Autumn Fair is perfect for our community and offers these opportunities in bucket loads. I know that the #SBS Pavilion will be the biggest yet and that the #SBS winners will be an asset to the show." 

The partnership between Autumn Fair and #SBS Small Business Sunday has been running for four years and has so far given 44 new businesses the opportunity to showcase within the prestigious #SBS Pavilion. Jess Littlewood, Head of PR, #SBS and Theo Paphitis Retail Group, adds: "Our partnership with Autumn Fair is a much-anticipated part of the #SBS small business calendar now, with our #SBS winners always chomping at the bit to be involved. Past winners, who have won stands and exhibited in previous years, have been overwhelmingly positive about the whole experience, all gaining sales, contacts, new ideas and great memories from the show. We are inundated with entries when we announce the annual competition, and it's always a pleasure working with the experienced team in bringing the #SBS Pavilion to life." 

Postponed due to the pandemic, 2020's inspirational #SBS winners joining the 2021 super-size #SBS Pavilion are: Canterbury Brewers, Cushy Paws, Give Gifts, Glamavan, Kate O’Brien Art, Life’s Little Bugs, Lizzie Martell Illustration, Photofinish Jewellery, Zac & Bella Fashion. 

For further information please visit: https://www.autumnfair.com/small-business-sunday-sbs-at-autumn-fair 

Wild Bird Care continues to be a sector where we’re not seeing the same growth in activity compared to the growing gardening areas. June Top 50 volume sales were 24% down on last year but also 18% down on 2019 and 2018 levels.

At the half year, cumulative sales sit at 11% up on 2020 but 12% down on 2019.

With more competitors in the market now, is that diluting sales of bestselling lines, or is there a real drop in activity. We’ll do some deeper digging into the GTN Epos database…

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Home & Gift 2021 has been selected to be part of a limited number of pilot events in the third phase of the Government Events Research Programme. This means we have full backing from the Government and Public Health bodies to celebrate our 60th anniversary on the 18-21 July.

This is a really exciting opportunity for the retail industry to take part in the safe return to live events and enable our loyal visitors and exhibitors to do business again. 

Under the ERP pilot conditions and to ensure the safety of all - All attendees will be required to certify that they either have had two vaccinations at least two weeks prior to attending or a negative NHS Lateral Flow Test at least 48hrs before attending.

Your health and safety is paramount and remains our number one priority. To read our comprehensive health and safety document and straight forward entry requirements please click here.

We have been met with lots of positivity from our exhibitors who are really looking forward to catching up with customers, old and new in Harrogate this July. We’ve got a great line up of brands for you to discover this year, see the full line up here!

Paul Hooker, Commercial Director from Joe Davies commented "At Joe Davies, we can’t wait to attend Harrogate Home & Gift. After such a long break from exhibitions we are all very excited to meet our customers again and launch our new range."

Katie Broadbent, Managing Director from Lisa Angel shared this sentiment in saying "The Lisa Angel Wholesale team can't wait to see our customers, returning and new, in person again. It has been far too long! What better place to meet up, for the first time in over a year, than Harrogate Home & Gift? The show has such a stylish and relaxed atmosphere; we are so excited to be back!"

Katie Williamson, Founder of My Doris "Harrogate is one of our most favourite trade shows; there is a beautiful, carefully curated range of products on offer, its hosted in a wonderfully spacious venue and has a lovely friendly atmosphere. The fact that it is set in one of the UK’s most beautiful towns is just the icing on the cake and it makes it the must-visit show for everyone this season."

There’s still time to register for your free ticket to the show…click here to register .

Already a huge success for over five years at its partner show in Las Vegas, USA – Autumn Fair is now bringing the Curated Meetings service to the UK; introducing pre-qualified and vetted premium buyers who are actively sourcing to relevant, quality suppliers.

Over 500 meetings are planned across two days, bringing together buyers from a host of leading national and independent retailers keen to hand-pick next season’s bestsellers including John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe, Moonpig.com, Next, Oliver Bonas, Oxfam, 1517, Bloom & Wild, Superdrug, Booths supermarkets, Coopers of Stortford, Dinghams, Findon Garden Centre, Lark, Lowden Garden Centre, Mooch, Museum of Oxford, Robert Dyas, Sally Bee Lifestyle, Statement Home & Gifts, The Dispensary, Velvet Store, and many more. 

Designed to offer a highly curated, time-efficient and no hassle match-making service where buyers and suppliers only take meetings with partners they have selected and approved, Curated Meetings provides a unique opportunity for buyers and suppliers to meet and kickstart long-term relationships and creates a better, more productive way to buy. 

“The hosted program was extremely well managed. Beat all my expectations! What an excellent way to ensure vendors get an opportunity to connect with the right retailers. Keep up the great work!”

Shoptalk 2019, Post event survey, testimonial 

Using the Curated Meetings online platform, buyers can filter for products that truly suit their desired aesthetic, product type, price range and beyond. Whether that’s Lifestyle and Scandi, Classic and Vintage, or maybe Children’s Toys through to Ceramics or Silver Jewellery. 

Buyers can then browse relevant products from some incredible brands and request meetings with suppliers that catch their eye including; Alex Clark Art, Allied Imports, Ashleigh & Burwood, Bispol Candles, Bubblegum Stuff, By Molly&Izzie, Country Creation, D & J Glassware, Elm Rd, Emma Lawrence Designs, HAUS, Hazel & Blue, Honest Love Our Planet, Lizzie Martell Illustration, LOLA + BLAKE, Magnum Brands , Memory Lane Media, Midhaven, Miss Milly , Morgan Wright , Nemesis Now, NUHR HOME, Penguin Ink, Portfolio Home, Spry Lifestylez, The Candle Brand, The Sugar Shed, Tilnar Art, VENT for Change, Winning Moves UK, Wraptious, Xystos Flame & Fragrance, and Zavannah.

Maleha Khan, Product Manager of Autumn Fair Curated Meetings says: “Curated Meetings is a game-changing proposition for the future of buying and sourcing in retail. Already celebrated as a lead-sourcing programme in the USA delivering 1000’s of meetings per event, the much-anticipated Curated Meetings’ UK debut beta trial will take place during Autumn Fair 2021 with a focus on gifts; the full-scale programme will launch across multiple  sectors at Spring Fair 2022. Buyers have a limited amount of time to source new brands and product collections and Curated Meetings enables them to line up a series of time efficient and hassle-free appointments to discover and see brands quickly and easily when they are onsite. All meetings are double opt-in, so both buyers and vendors must accept, ensuring maximum relevance and engagement. Spaces are limited and in-demand though, so act fast to apply for yours.”

Buyers and vendors must meet criteria and be approved to take part in Curated Meetings. Once meetings have been requested, onsite appointments are scheduled during dedicated time slots on the Monday and Tuesday of the show to be held in a dedicated Curated Meetings space. Applications can be submitted at visit https://www.autumnfair.com/curated-meetings.    

This helpful infographic visualises the process:

The organisers of lunch!, the definitive event for the café, coffee shop and food to go sector, have revealed the first batch of industry leaders joining the Keynote speaker line-up at the show, which is taking place live 23-24 September at ExCeL London.

Taking place throughout the two days over three stages, lunch!’s Keynote speaker programme is free to attend for all trade visitors and offers remarkable access to some of the biggest names and operators in the industry.

The organisers have confirmed exclusive interviews with first-time lunch! speakers Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King; Spencer Craig, CEO & Co-founder of Pure; and Neil Lake, MD of Costa Coffee.

The show is welcoming back Marta Pogroszewska, MD of GAIL’s Bakery, who recently described the show as “inspiring, impactful, ingenious…I’ve attended lunch! for years and it just gets better and more unmissable every time.”

Following Julian Metcalfe’s appearance in 2018, lunch! is excited to welcome itsu’s newly appointed UK CEO, Ganan Kanagathurai, who will be exclusively revealing the story behind the company’s digital transformation and reimagining of the ‘store of the future’.

The organisers have also announced the return of Greggs CEO Roger Whiteside, an icon of the industry who, since he last graced the lunch! stage, has been awarded an OBE for his services to women and equality. Roger described the show as “the one place our entire sector comes together – you need to be there to see what they are up to.”

lunch!’s Event Director, Chris Brazier, said “We have always prided ourselves on offering trade visitors a free, world-class speaker programme alongside hundreds of innovative new products. We’re especially excited to be returning with such an incredible line-up. Though the last year has been challenging, it’s also prompted a huge amount of innovation and this year’s Keynote programme echoes that eagerness to regroup, reconnect and inspire each other. We’d like to say a special thank you to all the industry leaders and exhibitors for their support.”

Other speakers announced this week include Hannah Munns, Head of Market Street Strategy, Innovation and Concept Development at Morrisons; Richard Franks, MD of Chilango; Neil Sebba, MD of Tossed; Amy James, Category Manager of Greggs; Russell Simpson, Operations Director of LEON; as well as Ole & Steen’s MD Lee Nixon and Marketing Director Katie Lister.

The line-up also features input from industry associations including Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, and two sessions with Jim Winship, Director of The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association, who is the main show partner on lunch!.

This year also sees the return of the hugely popular Coffee Shop Keynotes Theatre to an even bigger stage, reflecting the continued importance of this vibrant sector. After a successful launch in 2019, this dedicated Keynote programme will feature talks and panels from industry innovators and experts, including sessions with The Coffee Queen herself, Anya Marco; Neil Lake, MD of Costa Coffee; The Gentlemen Baristas; and Hannah Mackay, Head of Food & Beverages at Caffè Nero. A regular visitor, Hannah expressed her delight at the introduction of the Coffee Shop Keynotes Theatre at the last event: “I love coming to lunch! and it is great to see that coffee shops are being showcased more than ever, it’s a good place to seek out new innovation!”

The organisers have also confirmed several industry experts and commentators that will be sharing insights at the show, including Simon Stenning, Founder of FutureFoodservice.com; Gavin Rothwell, Director of Food Futures Insights; and Peter Backman, Industry Analyst and Commentator. 

As Sainsbury's Buyer Rosie Bambaji commented, “the show always attracts the best brands and industry experts, which is a testament to how good it is.”

lunch! 2021 takes place on 23-24 September at ExCeL London and is co-located with Commercial Kitchen and Casual Dining. Registration is free and strictly for members of the trade only.

More big-name speakers from across the café, coffee shop and food to go sector will be announced in the coming months.

For more information and to register for your free trade pass, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk and use priority code VLU1 (alternately, use direct link: https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FoodPortfolioShows2021.aspx?TrackingCode=VLU1)

A pop-up shop, the InConvenience Store, opened in central Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff, taking members of the public on an immersive shopping trip to a dystopian future in which nature has collapsed, our skies have fallen silent and entire cities have disappeared under rising seas.

The InConvenience Store shows the public how a future without nature will impact their lives.  Its products - like sandbags, clean air and drinking water paint a grim picture of everyday essentials we'd need to survive if nature's no longer helping us combat problems like pollution and flooding.

A new RSPB report also launched today shows how the UK Governments could change the course of history and even unlock £6.4 billion in public benefits –  dwarfing public sector spending on nature in 2018/19 by over 1,000%.

The report shows how nature is crucial to our efforts to revive our world by storing carbon, helping to prevent flooding and safeguard communities’ way of life, all while creating amazing havens for wildlife that everyone can enjoy.  

From the Solent coastline in Southern England, where saltmarsh stores carbon ten times faster than trees and helps shield communities from the devastation of rising sea levels, to the Scottish highlands where the RSPB is working with other land owners to restore native woodlands to their ancient boundaries, the report highlights five case studies from across the UK showing how our natural wonders are already delivering an incredible return on investment.

The RSPB’s analysis of the most carbon and nature rich areas showed the UK Government could produce £6.4 billion a year in carbon storage, air quality and recreational benefits by harnessing the power of nature. For every £1 invested in saltmarsh, peatland or woodland restoration and creation an average £3 in benefits is returned.

The analysis looks at carbon storage, recreation and air quality benefits for three habitats – woodland, peatland and saltmarsh. But this is the tip of the iceberg - the £6.4 billion figure does not include a host of other benefits including water quality, flood management, job creation and temperature regulation and combating noise pollution.

Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB said: “The nature and climate emergency is not a terrifying but distant disaster our grandchildren will have to deal with. More than 50 per cent of our wildlife is in decline and extreme weather is putting our homes and our health at risk now.

“Nature, if we invest in it, could be one of our greatest weapons against climate change. Our coastlands, woodlands and peatlands are more than just beautiful landscapes - a hidden power lies beneath. These nature habitats lock in huge amounts of carbon, provide homes for endangered wildlife and protect our homes from extreme weather. Our governments must change the course of the future and unleash nature’s potential, before it’s too late.”

Without nature, we risk a truly dystopian future. Instead of hula hoops and fizzy pop, corner shop essentials could include cans of breathable air, precious bottles of unpolluted drinking water and sandbags to protect our homes from constant flooding.

Open from July 1- 8, the InConvenience Store will also sell insect protein as meat and fish will have become too expensive and scarce for most consumers to buy, birdsong vinyl to recreate the lost treasure of live birdsong and UK grown rice – one of the few crops which can survive the new hotter, wetter climate. Fruit at the InConvenience Store is now a pricey luxury item after the extinction of pollinators saw prices skyrocket as human pollinators have had to step in. It’s vital that this imagined future is not allowed to become a reality.

World leaders are negotiating last-resort targets to save nature at two global summits this year.  The RSPB wants the public to support their campaign by visiting an online shop and helping add a selection of survival items to shopping baskets that will be handed over to the UK’s political leaders at the end of the eight days. This shopping trip doesn’t need your money – just your name. Every time 15,000 names are added, another product will put in the basket. Our message to them – this year we need you to lead the world’s efforts to save nature by setting an example other nations can follow – we need targets for nature’s recovery at every level of government.

Beccy added: “Today we mark the centenary of the 1921 Importation of Plumage (Prohibition) Act (banning the import of feathers for fashion) the RSPB’s first successful campaign to protect nature.

“A century later, with the nature and climate emergency pushing us into the sixth extinction event, the stakes are higher than ever before. With fifteen per cent of UK species at risk of extinction, the crisis is very close to home. We need every voice raised for nature – the future of our incredible wildlife depends upon it.”

To find out more about how the RSPB is helping everyone call on politicians to revive our world visit www.rspb.org.uk/reviveourworld

The Royal Horticultural Society and Scholastic UK, a division of the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, are set to grow a new generation of readers.

Scholastic UK has launched a programme of entertaining, informative and beautifully illustrated activity books for children aged 7-12, encouraging readers to explore and enjoy nature outdoors. Inspired by the much-loved RHS gardens, this wonderful range of illustrated books is a marvellous introduction to the wonders of wildlife and the joys of gardening.

The first three titles launched in the spring. They include The Outdoor Adventure Handbook, which will look at discovering plants and wildlife and getting closer to nature, with activities for all weathers. Further books will follow in autumn 2021 and beyond.

To celebrate the launch of the first RHS/Scholastic titles for children, Scholastic UK has also launched a nationwide gardening competition. The competition, which started in June and runs for four months, has a very special and delightful theme: Scholastic is encouraging children to create their very own unique garden design.

All sizes of garden are eligible, ranging from a miniature garden in a tray or a garden pot to a space in a back garden, community garden or allotment. 

The competition runs until 30 September 2021 and is open to all children aged 7 to 12. The judges will include gardeners from the RHS.

The first prize includes a VIP guided tour of RHS Garden Wisley, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science. RHS Hilltop is the UK’s first dedicated centre of excellence for horticultural research, which helps to protect the future of plants, people and the planet. The prize winner will also receive a full set of RHS/ Scholastic publishing and a selection of RHS licensed products to encourage his or her future gardening efforts. 

With restrictions on travel and lifestyle in 2020, many parents have been spending more time outside with their children in gardens and parks. Time spent gardening went up 149%* – and 60% of people with an outdoor space felt that having a garden or outdoor space helped their physical health during lockdown.**

Nature has a number of mental, physical and social benefits, all of which are particularly important for the healthy development of children. Time spent with nature can help build these foundations and enable children to develop skills for life through free play, building confidence, creativity and resilience. Developing a healthy mind is particularly important – and interacting with nature and wildlife is a great way of clearing any bad thoughts and helping children to see more clearly.

Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says, “To celebrate the delightful RHS collection of activity books for 7-12-year-olds created and published by Scholastic, the RHS is extremely excited to be involved with the judging of this competition and to provide a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of RHS Garden Wisley as part of the prize. We hope as many young people as possible will take on this design challenge and think creatively about designing a garden to suit their space at home – no matter the size of the space they have or whether it is indoors or outside. ”

Matthew Pottage, Curator, RHS Garden Wisley, says, “My passion for gardening and growing plants started at an early age in my parents’ garden and developed into an amazing horticultural career with the RHS. I’d love this competition to inspire young people to get involved and share in my love of gardening. I’d encourage them to enter the competition – no matter what their ability or space – to be creative and to marvel at the wonder of the natural world around them.”

Elizabeth Scoggins, Publisher Non-Fiction, Brands and Licensing, Scholastic UK, says, “Gardens and gardening have been more important than ever to our wellbeing in recent months and few gardens are as well-loved as the five RHS gardens that are among this country’s greatest horticultural achievements. They have been an ideal inspiration both for our new range of books and for this competition, which will, we believe, attract and delight children all over the UK.”

For all T&Cs please visit the Scholastic website: https://www.scholastic.co.uk/conditions. 

Choice Marketing members are celebrating the completion of another successful year with a huge rebate of £1,800,000, for achieving agreed targets with their key suppliers during 2020.  This remarkable achievement was the result of the Group’s 42 independent garden centre members working together.

The cheque, which represents a £200k increase on the previous year, was presented at the recent Choice Marketing ‘Meet the Furniture Buyer’ event held earlier this week in Northamptonshire. A successful event which saw a good number of the membership attend and place furniture and accessory orders for next season. 

Commenting on the rebate, Tony Larkin of Ducks Hill Garden Centre and Chairman of the Group’s Sundry Forum said “This really is such an incredible result.  It shows the power of working together within an established Organisation, particularly during a pandemic, where we have certainly enjoyed record sales and fantastic support from our key suppliers, including faster deliveries.  Although all our member centres are independently owned and independently run, we do speak with one voice in our relationships with our suppliers.  Every penny of this £1.8m rebate goes back to the members”.

Choice are well on their way to even greater success in 2021. Already group purchases for 2021 are way ahead of 2020 and next year’s rebate cheque is going to be even greater. 

In addition to preferential purchasing arrangements, Choice members benefit from a comprehensive offering of marketing services, through its partner agency.   

Choice Marketing is now welcoming new members into the Group.  If you would like to know more about the benefits of membership, please contact Michelle de Lavis-Trafford at info@choice-marketing.co.uk to arrange an informal chat.

www.choice-marketing.co.uk

Planning officers have recommended that proposals for what’s been described as the UK’s largest garden centre be approved by local councillors.

The £16m outlet would be built at Scotch Corner and operated by Blue Diamond.

The garden centre would cover 10,761sq m and would include indoor and outdoor sales areas, as well as a cafe, restaurant and car park.

Developers behind the scheme say it will only bring “positive benefits” to the area, but businesses in the area have disagreed.

Richmond Business and Tourism Association submitted an objection saying members believed there was potential damage from the proposed development to Richmond retailers and other garden centres in a wide area.

The planning report claimed  the scheme would bring “substantial economic investment and job creation in the local area along with the ability to accelerate the creation and delivery of a true retail destination alongside the DOV scheme that would attract many visitors to the area”.

It continued: “The benefits to be derived from the scheme are significant and fundamentally outweigh the limited policy conflicts highlighted in this report to the extent that planning permission should be granted.”

Members of Richmondshire District Council planning committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss the application.

Retail giant Selfridges has introduced garden centres into its London, Manchester and Birmingham stores as it attempts to capitalise on the gardening boom that grew during the lockdowns. 

Selfridges’ London Accessories Hall and the store exterior on Duke and Orchard Streets have been transformed into a garden centre, a playful and sensory response to a boom in outdoor appreciation. It’s all part of Good Nature, Selfridges’ creative theme for 2021.  

The Manchester and Birmingham stores will host a garden centre greenhouse pop-up and will host supplementary community garden projects. 

The garden centre in the London store sells gardening tools, seeds, indoor and outdoor plants and pots, Selfridges own label compost. It also sells a curation of fashion, lifestyle and beauty products, as well as an exclusive collection from Prada, an exclusive Shakedown Garden merch from The Grateful Dead and a bespoke Selfridges merchandise featuring puns such as Herb Your Enthusiasm or Horti-Couture, for gardening and fashion enthusiasts alike.    

The garden centre is a social space celebrating the pleasure of growing and green power, and the sense of well-being nature gives. 

Within the garden centre, The Potting Shed is a destination for events and advice, with a resident gardener (plus a virtual “dial-a-gardener” service)  and a program of workshops, experiences and happenings which explore the pleasure and positivity that gardening brings, while promoting practical skills and sustainable methods, across every store (with greenhouse concepts in Selfridges Manchester and Birmingham) and on Selfridges.com. 

Selfridges will also ‘green up’ Oxford Street, with a grow bag installation in front of the store’s historic canopy entrance.  

“A garden centre is evocative but familiar, and has provided rich inspiration for our teams, literally and creatively,” said Hannah Emslie, creative director at Selfridges.

“We know our customers are more interested in gardening and greening than they have ever been – and so we are playing with the idea by bringing the essentials of a typical garden centre to our stores. 

“We will be retailing plants, compost and garden gnomes alongside special and unexpected Selfridges products with a sense fun and imagination, as we continue to explore pleasure in nature this year.”

For more information visit: www.selfridges.com/thegardencentre 

More pictures from Selfridges' garden centre in London - see below.

Greetings card sales in garden centres have grown in relevance and volume recently, enhanced by the safe and secure shopping environment provided by garden centres.  Analysis of Epos data provided to GTN Bestsellers indicates that greetings card volumes have grown by 40% since 2017 and by 31% from 2019 to 2021.  With the growing importance of the sector as a factor of increased customer satisfaction, making the best decisions for supply, merchandising and management of greetings cards to maximise the opportunity is key.

Burleydam and Rosebourne garden centres have recently moved their card buying and merchandising to Woodmansterne’s W-Select service.  GTN Xtra has been getting the story behind their success.

Rosebourne – a fresh approach to greeting card buying

Rosebourne provides a unique lifestyle shopping and dining experience all under one roof at its three centres. Their gift and leisure departments provide plenty of inspiration for home & garden enjoyment and finding that special present.

Buying Director, Stuart Whalley explains why they moved to W-Select: “We decided to move to W-Select for several reasons, including reducing our impact on the environment.

“With all the cards being recyclable and both plastic and glitter-free the move makes perfect sense. Not only is the removal of the plastic sleeve a very visible and positive environmental change it also allows customers to see the quality of the cards.

“We also wanted to simplify the ordering and administrative process, therefore ensuring shelf availability which increases both sales and stock turn.

“We recently moved our houseplant department to sit alongside the cards and stationery and this works very well from a gifting perspective.

“From initial discussions to the final range selection process was relatively easy and straightforward. Implementation in centres was smooth and easy to manage leading to a fabulous end result.

“Customer and colleague feedback has been extremely positive, with sales ahead of projection from the off.”

Rosebourne CEO, Carol Paris adds: “We are extremely happy with design, layout and content of our new card range. Sales are really encouraging and it is great to give our customers such a choice of different styles of card, without the use of unnecessary plastic sleeves.”

Woodmansterne is the perfect answer for Burleydam

Burleydam is a third generation, family-owned independent garden centre situated on the Wirral/Cheshire border. Following a major redevelopment several years ago, one of their challenges has been to encourage a younger customer without losing touch with their traditional, older clientele.  Central to this has been the strengthening of their lifestyle & gift departments and the greeting card offer.

“Previously, we managed our card selection and purchasing in-house, which gradually became more time consuming and less cost effective” explained Sally Cornelissen.  “We discovered Woodmansterne at Spring Fair and their brokerage system, where the top selling cards from many different publishers could be displayed in a cohesive range seemed like the perfect answer, and it is!

“Emma, our wonderful Woodmansterne sales representative visits regularly and replenishes best sellers, adjusts seasonal ranges, replaces any damages and tidies the stands. New lines are added periodically to keep our regular customers interested.

“In February, Mark offered us a complete refit with a choice of fixtures to complement our store décor and the results have been astonishing. Not only does the department look great but sales like for like with 2019 are 69% up to date. Obviously, this is partly due to lockdown on the high street but we have noticed a continuation of increased purchasing since April 12th. Customer browse time has increased and multiple purchases are noticeably higher.

“I would strongly recommend W-Select; they are a great company to work with and we feel like they are part of our team.“

Why Woodmansterne?

Woodmansterne are a third-generation family business supplying premium greeting cards to leading independent retailers, all designed and manufactured in the UK. They work with the very best of British talent including National Trust, Quentin Blake, RSPB, and Emma Bridgewater.

Woodmansterne pioneered the ‘Smart Seal’ in 2019, allowing them to remove plastic packaging from all their cards, saving a million pieces of throwaway plastic every week. Their cards are printed with vegetable inks on paper from sustainable forests and all their envelopes are made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste.

Why W-Select category management?

Woodmansterne have become experts in visual planning and category management, working with leading retailers in the UK, meaning they can offer the following services:

•             A bespoke assortment tailored to your customers

•             A unique caption calculator ensuring the optimum product mix

•             An assortment of designs from the very best publishers

•             Regular analysis and reporting

•             Less admin, meaning more time for you and your team

Get in touch!

We would love to explore how we can help your business grow

Get in touch 01923 200 600 or sales@woodmansterne.co.uk 

You can see more of what they do at woodmansterne.co.uk

The UK’s leading brand of sustainable composite decking and cladding, Composite Prime, has launched an exclusive online stockist training programme. Following a huge surge in demand for composite decking products experienced by stockists during the pandemic the brand has invested in a free to use, virtual training platform. 

This means whilst Composite Prime can only offer limited face-to-face training due to national restrictions to support merchants during a very busy period, it is still able to enhance product knowledge of stockist sales teams, improve technical understanding and assist with sales and customer enquiries. 

Charles Taylor, Director at Composite Prime, said: “It is crucial that our stockist partners and their staff are able to communicate the unique benefits of composite decking products to customers that are hoping to transform their outdoor spaces. Following completion of the virtual training, stockists gain ‘Certified Prime’ status. 

“The initial feedback we’ve received on the training platform has been incredibly positive, with ‘Certified Prime’ stockists recognising the importance of the training in order to communicate the low maintenance and safety elements of the products. 

“Composite materials differ significantly from traditional timber decking, for example its durable properties allow it to stay free from cracks and splinters, significantly  increasing product lifespan - there is currently no other stockist training available on composite products that provides this key information.”

Certified Prime stockists also gain access to Prime Design upon completion of the training,  a piece of innovative software that allows professionals to independently design a garden and obtain a realistic, 3D-rendered view of their decking products, prior to installation. 

Made using 100% recycled plastic and FSC® certified oak wood flour, Composite Prime is dedicated to producing sustainable materials. Each square metre of composite decking contains the equivalent of more than 3,000 plastic bottle caps or 280 plastic bottles. In the six years of operation the brand has saved the equivalent of 151 million plastic milk bottles from landfill.

To find out more about Composite Prime visit www.composite-prime.com 

Increasingly popular with the British public, Halloween continues to take a higher chunk of consumer spending in categories like costumes, confectionery and of course, home décor.

Even through the uncertainity of last year, seasonal spending for Autumn/Winter events continued to grow in 2019/20 and Halloween continued to inch up in retail importance and proven it has real appeal for both children and adults. (Mintel). 

The popularity of the Halloween range at Heaven Sends has grown year on year, reflecting the trends in wider retail. “We’ve listened to our customers and are really excited about our largest collection of Halloween and Autumnal lines to date for 2021”. – Louise Mehmet, Sales Manager.

At Heaven Sends we believe that Halloween should be fun and with sales already showing a huge increase this year, customers are clearly looking to celebrate. 

 The New Halloween collection consists of over 100 products, with retail price points ranging from £2.99 to £39.99). The ranges feature the staples of Halloween, spooky signs, ghosts and ghouls, tealight holders, and there’s even some Halloween gonks for good measure! (remember, a gonk is not just for Christmas......).  But Halloween needn’t be scary, with a wide range of grown-up velvet pumpkins, autumn leaf garlands and wreaths - ideal items for eye-catching displays! available now for pre-order.

The new Christmas and Halloween 2021 collections, along with the Everyday gifting ranges are available for pre-order at the Showrooms and online at heavensends.com. 

To help us follow Government Covid Guidelines, spaces are limited, so please reserve your appointment early to avoid disappointment. Spaces are already filling up fast for July so please be sure to get in touch with ‘The Angels’ to secure your preferred date as soon as possible. Appointments are available 7 days a week.

Email showroom@heavensends.com or call  +44 (0)121 351 7457. 

Address:  One Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1AL.

Heavensends.com

*Statistics from Mintel

Dobbies has confirmed it will be peat-free in six months, in relation to bagged compost, bringing forward the original target of 2022.

The team has worked hard with suppliers to meet the challenge and accelerate the previous ambitious target, acknowledging the importance of the peat issue. 

Dobbies own brand peat-free compost was one of the top sellers in early spring and this month the retailer launched an own-brand peat-free compost with added John Innes, as well as announcing the in-store availability of sustainable products including Bloomin Amazing and Carbon Gold. Further own-brand, peat-free composts will be launched in the summer.

Becoming peat-free is a key component of #sustainabledobbies, in which the team is engaging with suppliers, customers and team members on the importance of this issue. The retailer has also worked with nursery suppliers to produce a roadmap for an annual reduction in peat use for growing plants.

Royal Canin is introducing a new a feline wet range - Sensory - with three new sensorial stimulations of Smell, Taste and Feel developed to excite cats’ senses. The new range will launch throughout August and September. 

The Sensory range was developed using the latest research from cat experts. Cats have an instinct for new experiences and diverse aromas, textures and tastes in their diet so Sensory mealtimes will not only be nutritious, but also sensorially rich, filled with novelty and discovery. 

With over 600,000 new cats entering the market each year and three-quarters of cat owners mixed feeding with wet, the Sensory range represents a great opportunity to reach into the cat market. As part of a mixed feeding routine, Sensory can be fed alongside dry food from Royal Canin’s Exigent, Sensible, Outdoor, Fit and Indoor ranges. 

The three new varieties are available in boxes of 12 x 85g pouches in gravy or jelly, alongside side a 12-pouch gravy multipack with four of each of smell, taste and feel.

The Sensory range will be supported by extensive marketing including a large consumer sampling activation, a wide-reaching online presence and varied point-of-sale materials so pet owners are able to navigate the range easier on and off shelf.

Royal Canin Retail Marketing Manager Ben Hurley said, “Cats’ senses are their gateway to the world. How a cat’s sense of smell, taste, and touch are stimulated determines how they feel. Our feline experts researched cats’ senses and took what they learned to develop Sensory.”

Talk to your Royal Canin Business Manager today, call us on 0330 6781 520, or click here to find more information about Sensory. 

In advance of the launch of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020, GTN's Northern Correspondent, Steve Myatt, paid a visit to Barton Grange to bring you this first GTN Xtra Christmas photo tour.

To add your garden centre Christmas photo tour to GTN Xtra simply get snapping and enter The Greatest Christmas Awards.  See the categories here.  Send an e-mail to trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk for more details

Here's a sneak preview of Perrywoods photo tour entry in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards for 2020, including the vital ingredient for all entries, team photos. See the gallery of photos below.  Apologies for the wrong photos being included in yesterdays edition.

There's over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards so get snapping and enter today.  Full details can be found here.

Here's a sneak preview of the photo tour submitted by Squires at Badshot Lea as part of their entry in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020.

There's over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020 so get snapping and enter your garden centre team today!

Full details are here.

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 2018 as well as 2019 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 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

Highlights of the GTN Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for last week are here

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

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro Bestsellers chart for last week are here

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care Bestsellers chart for last 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@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

Natures Menu, the UK’s leading expert in raw and natural pet food, is supporting new pet owners with the launch of series 2 of The Pupcast.

Featuring dog behavioural expert and puppy trainer Kerry Ward, AKA the FairyDogMother, episode one discusses techniques that pet owners can put in place to prepare man’s best friend for the upcoming changes, and how you can spot signs of anxiety.

Kerry said: “Ensuring your puppy is happy and confident in the world, along with being comfortable being left alone, should always be a priority. If we can build optimism and confidence in the early years, they’ll be much more prepared for the various things that the different life stages can throw at them.”

Kerry’s top tips for preparing pandemic puppies for a change in routine:

Leaving a settled puppy home alone:

1. Build up leaving them alone – I don’t think there’s a dog out there that isn’t a little disappointed when we leave the house, but they must learn to become okay with being left home alone. Start out by making it fun for your puppies with games, then gradually build it up – leave them alone in a room, then in the house and look to increase the timescale each time. The key thing however with all of this is not to make leaving  become a big deal – quietly walk out and come back in. If you put a full leaving routine in place, it can cause anxiety in your pet before you’ve even left. As we look to return to work, start the process now by setting up your office in another room, or going and watching a film elsewhere in the house
2. Set your puppy up for success with SAFE training – When leaving your puppy, you should be aiming for four key things – sleepy, all played out, a full tummy and an empty bladder. Those things combined will ensure they’re ready to relax at home on their own, they’ve had enough mental and physical stimulation and they’re not in search of food.
3. Become an expert in your dog’s body language – Learn what your pet looks like when they are happy, relaxed, anxious, curious or playful. Understanding your dog will allow you to read situations. It’s also worthwhile investing in a camera for when your dog is home alone so you can monitor their behaviour and learn of any pressure points throughout the day.

When out and about:

1. Start out by observing at a distance – Let your puppy sit and watch the world go by from a safe distance, they’ll be lots of new sights, sounds and smells. Make sure you reward and praise when something new appears to create good associations. This also applies when your puppy investigates new things – make being curious a positive experience for them.
2. Utilise a longer lead – Perfect lead skills can wait; we need to ensure our pups are confident out there. They should have the choice to approach or move away from things that either intrigue or scare them, and they shouldn’t be pushed into these situations. If they’re trapped on a short lead when other dogs or excited children approach without anywhere to go, they can panic, get tangled, and they start their early years on bad experiences. It also allows you to social distance!
3. Not everything should be up for grabs – It’s important that your puppy also learns to ignore things in their environment too. Don’t let them greet every new dog and person, otherwise you’ll end up with a frustrated adult dog that pulls or barks to get everything they want – it’s all about balance!
4. It’s okay to say no to strangers, your dog must come first – We’ve all experienced it, most people want to come over and meet your new puppy, but if their body language suggests they’re not ready for the interaction, then it’s alright to say no. Ideally let your puppy approach them (if they want to) and control the situation. If your puppy backs off, pins their ears back, tucks their tail under or even jumps up at you for reassurance then you need to read that behaviour – they’re not ready.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has announced the launch of its K.I.S.S 4 Vets initiative which aims to help and support vet healthcare teams (VHCTs)ease back into the ‘new normal’, during COVID-19 and beyond.

K.I.S.S  (Knowledge, Information, Support and Sharing) is a newly created team of nutritional experts developed by Hill’s to bring the vet community together during these times, to empower VHCTs with knowledge, support them in educating pet parents on nutrition, and to make vets lives easier as they welcome more patients back to clinic.

With 3.5million new pet owners in the UK since the pandemic began, combined with a shift towards holistic well-being, VHCTs can expect to field more questions than ever as owners navigate pet parenthood during a pandemic, many for the first time.

The four team-centric areas of K.I.S.S has been designed to help clinics harness their full potential across all areas of nutrition and wellbeing and will offer: In-Practice Training, The Hill’s Nutritional Ambassador Programme, On-Demand Education and Hill’s Webinars. A variety of tailored training sessions will also help give clinicians the knowledge and tools to broach nutrition, often found to be  one of the toughest topics to approach with pet parents, old or new.

Michael Unsworth, Hill’s Vet Affairs Manager, UK & Republic of Ireland said: “Vet practices have gone above and beyond during the pandemic, supporting patients and owners alike during extremely challenging times Hill’s wants to extend a helping hand, with support, tips, and tools to stay a step ahead as pet parents return back into the clinic following months of looking out for their pet’s nutrition and wellbeing without the usual level of expert guidance and support from their veterinary team.

“Vets and their teams face multiple challenges on the pet nutrition front, whether it be the plethora of ‘self-appointed experts’ out there, trying to encourage loyalty from their clients, or the long-lasting effects of COVID, all of which are yet to play out over the long haul. The K.I.S.S. initiative will provide clinics access to a dedicated team of passionate nutritional experts, ensuring vets have the right support and knowledge base - and one less thing to worry about as they strive to improve pets’ lives on a daily basis.”

For more information on how the Hill’s K.I.S.S 4 Vets initiative can help your practice to drive recommendations for nutritional needs, please get in touch with your Hill’s representative.

CSJ’s range of treats and training rewards are tops for trainers, handlers and pet owners.

Ceri Rundle says, “All our treats are natural and contain specific ingredients aimed at benefitting health.

For example, our crunchy Dem Bones! contain effective levels of charcoal and herbs to help clean teeth, freshen bad breath and 'eliminate' bad instances of gas! 

Poppets are a low-calorie wheat gluten free treat which include our Get Over! herbs to aid mobility and Fishcuits (made from 85% fresh wild salmon and 15% salmon meal) are extremely palatable and nutritious and great for dogs that can’t tolerate grain. 

Our Training Tips semi-moist 80% meat treats with cranberry and blackcurrant are air-dried for extra flavour and owners tell us their dogs go wild for them.  Whilst Pemmican Energy bars are a powerful, high energy feed block that has been specially formulated for working dogs such as gundog, agility dogs, flyballers, racing sled dogs, search and rescue dogs, as well as those in training or stressed show dogs.

Other examples are Gnaw Rolls which are delicious semi-moist 80% meat treats with seaweed and parsley so ideal for a reward while benefiting oral health, whilst Fish’n’Hips ingredients include devils claw, turmeric and oleogrape to help support the joints… they’re highly palatable and low in fat so perfect for older or overweight dogs.”

Ceri adds, “Coming from a working dog background I understand that all dogs are different and our ranges of food, herb supplements and treats are very comprehensive because they are designed to meet the real needs of dogs in differing circumstances and situations … as well as of course being very tasty!”