Brookside Garden Centre in Kent has closed early for Christmas to keep their staff safe in light customers not following guidelines and being abusive.  "If I don’t feel safe in my own shop, then I cannot and will not expect my staff to put themselves in harms way," owner Simon Shead told GTN Xtra last night.

The full announcement posted on facebook and their website reads:

URGENT UPDATE: Over the last 2 days, we at Brookside have been keeping a careful eye on everything that has been happening since we entered Tier 4. What we have noticed is that many people who have visited appear to be doing so for none essential reasons. Some of these people have also not been following guidelines as set out by the government. Namely, the use of face masks, the size of groups and meeting other households.

While we are aware that these guidelines are restrictive, we also acknowledge that they are 100% necessary. Our staff have been doing their best to keep loyal and rule abiding customers as safe as possible as well as themselves. However many of those confronted about guideline breaches have reacted poorly. From near aggressive behaviour to merely ignoring directions to do as asked.

If I don’t feel safe in my own shop, then cannot and will not expect my staff to put themselves in harms way. They have worked tirelessly over the last 9-10 months and do not deserve to be treated poorly for their efforts. It is for this reason that we deeply regret to announce that effective immediately, Brookside Garden Centre will be closing until Tuesday 29th December so as to keep our staff safe.

To all those who have supported us through these testing times, we thank you and wish you a safe Christmas and we hope to see you soon.

Yours,
Simon Shead Owner

Simon suggested that other garden centres should follow his lead where customers are not following guidelines. "Money doesn't save lives, staff save companies," he added.

This morning Simon and his team have been busy sorting e-mails and phone calls.  "all saying good and positive views with lots of excellent comments and congtratulations to us for taking this action."

The ‘Sustainability Trend’ really isn’t a trend and those that do should stop referring to it as such.

Following the events of 2020 it’s crucial that some time is spent by everyone focusing on the new-significance of sustainability, the environment and climate change. It’s also crunch-time for all businesses to get real about their part in finding and implementing a solution.

The global pandemic has fast-forwarded this movement by five years...  Read the full article in the 2021 edition of GTN's Sustainability Directory that is being delivered this week with the December issue of GTN.  If you ca't wait for your copy to arrive you can read it on-line here:

In lieu of trade shows in the new year, Heaven Sends are pulling out all the stops to deliver an amazing Showroom preview of New Christmas 2021 early next year. 

Heaven Sends’ fabulous new Christmas 2021 collection will be available to preview & preorder from January 4th 2021. Their Showroom, based centrally in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands spans two floors of product ranges, full of inspiring displays. 

Despite the lack of trade shows in the coming year, Heaven Sends will be presenting their usual fantastic variety of new product, beautifully showcased alongside their bestselling everyday, home & gift ranges at their Showroom. Spanning two floors, the Showroom is even more expansive than their usual landmark stand at Harrogate Christmas & Gift and NEC Spring Fair. It houses the entire collection away from the busy shows, offering a relaxing atmosphere with refreshments, whilst still offering the convenient location of being 20 minutes away from the NEC. 

For those unable to travel there will be virtual showroom visits available, alongside the usual buying options of a visit from their wonderful on the road Angels. The Heaven Sends ‘Angels’ are on hand to do everything possible to welcome visitors in the way they feel most comfortable. 

To help us follow Government Covid Guidelines, spaces are limited, so reserve your appointment early to avoid disappointment. Spaces are already filling up fast for January 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 info@heavensends.com or call  +44 (0)121 351 7457. 

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

Heavensends.com

As we head towards the start of a new year it is a time for reflection and hope. In this article, in GTN's December issue, we have gathered thoughts and opinions of representatives from across the industry looking back over the strangest of years as well as looking forward with hopes and aspirations for 2021.

Additional feedback from Mark Osborne, Chairman of LOFA and Sales Director of Outback International (UK):  "WHAT A YEAR !

"One of the good things to come out of this year is the fact that everyone has gone gardening crazy. Not being able to travel or leave our homes for any length of time has meant that the garden has been the place to be.  

"The garden products category has performed well with retail expanding by 18.6% over the past 4 years to £6.32billion. 

"It seems our sector in particular has had one of the best trading years ever which is great news for LOFA and its members. 

"The Garden Leisure sector has been the least affected by the Covid-19 emergency.  This was because many adults were staying at home and using gardens/outdoor spaces during lockdown. While this will limit growth prospects during 2021 as the UK economy recovers, this sector will continue to be one of the most dynamic, reflecting the increased emphasis on garden and outdoor spaces within the home environment. Although the market is dominated by DIY and garden centres there is evidence that the role of the internet will and has increased.  

"Exposure to online sales has been boosted during lockdown and it is expected that many more retailers will increase their online presence to offer more garden products online for home delivery going forward.  The shift towards online means that we are opening up our industry to a whole new audience, in particular younger consumers. A younger audience means that there is a need for specialists to provide more information and interaction in the way they are most used to retrieving content and advice. 

"Online is crucial for this younger demographic and without dedicated services and resources store-based specialities face losing this consumer base to either non-specialists or online-only retailers. Specialist garden centre stores and suppliers should be helping this new demographic in their search for gardening products. 

"With 27% of more consumers buying and shopping locally there is a possibility that smaller more niche retailers in local areas will start to look at and home in on garden products. Meaning this is another route to market that needs to be tapped into. 

"Travel restrictions also had a major impact and working from home is now the new norm for some, being unable to leave home other than to exercise elevated the importance of personal outdoor space. Spending patterns on home and garden products rose 13% during lockdown, such a positive view towards expenditure suggests that investment both in the short and longer term on garden products is set to grow. Segments of the market such as garden leisure are best placed to benefit from this trend as consumers increasingly look at outdoor space for leisure and other activities. 

"Covid is a global crisis and has had a major impact on supply chains, it affected every stage including production, wholesale, trade, distribution channels and retail.  Major suppliers, such as China suffered as borders were closed with this impacting on delivery of products to the UK and across the world.  LOFA members were concerned about demurrage and detention costs in the early part of the year but there is still also some concern about the return to normality in 2021. Any loss of scaling back in production, or disruption to trade, may well impact on stock availability for distributors or retailers. We are seeing the effects of this now as the amount of goods being shipped are causing the opposite effect that was encountered at the beginning of the year, with shippers increasing their rates as well as the ports not being able to handle the influx of products. 

"Overall spending has fallen as a result of Covid due to the impact of the lockdown and the impact on household finances. 43% of consumers were cutting back on non-essential spending however, in terms of spending on the home and garden this is a category not as significantly impacted as others.  As lockdown eased there was a willingness to spend and knowing that restrictions may be in place for some time a growing number of consumers made the decision to invest in their home and garden where they have been spending a considerably amount of time. The warmer weather in April, May, June also played a huge part in the uplift of sales, coupled with the restrictions on travelling abroad. 

"Gardens and outdoor spaces are areas for relaxation and wellbeing and furniture and cooking products appear better placed to achieve this balance appealing to a much broader range of adults. Building on this upsurge in interest on the use of gardens for leisure garden furniture and bbqs performed exceptionally well. 

"This year also highlighted the importance of environmental matters for many adults and the visible impact of Covid on traffic and pollution, environmental issues are assuming greater priority especially among young adults. The important issues like reducing the use of plastic, or carbon footprints from manufacturer to customer is very important. 

"Environmental responsibility is important for many consumers when shopping from a garden product retailer. Adopting a commitment to the reduction of plastics is especially important overall, with 39% ranking this as a top three factor, while offering products made from sustainable materials is a top three ranking with 34%.

"A lot of manufacturers are addressing this issue but it will be a continual process and something that should be a priority for all manufacturers."

GTN's December issue is winging its way to readers in the post right now and includes the 2021 edition of GTN's Sustainability Directory.

RETAIL SALES MANAGER  

The company 

Whistler Grills is a relatively new business selling premium stainless steel gas barbecues and outdoor kitchen units here in the UK. After a fantastic Summer Whistler Grills is now expanding their sales team to cover the Garden Centre channel and various other retailers. 

The role

We’re looking for an experienced sales person who has a proven track record in a sales environment. Someone who is active in the market place and preferably already has contacts in the retail arena, though this is not essential.  

You will be working within a small highly motivated team who are contributing to the exciting development of the Whistler brand. We operate remotely, so the role will be based at home though you will be expected to work predominantly out in the field.  

Package

An initial 3-month trial basis, £25k base salary with a negotiable commission rate on top. You will require your own telephone, laptop and vehicle, though company expenses can be claimed.  

Please email your CV, cover letter and contact details to our Marketing Manager at megan@whistlergrills.com. Deadline for Applications 24th December 2020.

They’re back, all be it in a virtual form.  GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards are back for 2020 to celebrate all that’s great about garden centres at Christmas through the pages of GTN and the GTN Xtra e-mail newsletter and now we can announce there's over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won:

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team – Sponsored by Woodlodge - £500 stock for the winner
• The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team – Sponsored by GTN Bestsellers -subscriptions worth £580 for the winner
• The Greatest Festive Food Hall Team – Sponsored by Garden Radio – 1 years’ service with bespoke messages, worth over £500 for the winner
• The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Team – Sponsored by SOLEX - 2 x Hotel Rooms at SOLEX 2021 for the winner
• The Greatest Christmas Pets Team – Sponsored by Smart Garden Products, Zöon -£500 stock for the winner
• The Greatest Christmas Community/Charity Initiative – Sponsored by Kaemingk – A display from their UK showroom for the winner
• The Greatest Social Media Christmas Marketing Idea – Sponsored by Glee – 2 x Hotel Rooms at Glee 2021 for the winner
• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video – Sponsored by Premier Decorations - £500 stock for the winner
• The Greatest Winter Garden Care Sales Team – Sponsored by Elho - £500 stock for the winner
• The Greatest Covid Safe Christmas Display Team – Sponsored by Global Journey - £500 stock for the winner
• The Greatest Group Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by DCUK - £500 stock for the winner
• The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team - Sponsored by Ascalon - £500 stock for the winner
• The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by Kaemingk- A display from their UK showroom for the winner
• The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by Festive - £500 stock for the winner

It's simple to take part, all you have to do is start taking photos of your displays and ideas now, remember to include a photo of the team, send an e-mail to trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk, and we'll get back to you with more details.  We're also raising money for Greenfingers Charity to help create more gardens at Children's Hospices during 2021.

Here's more detail about the categories for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2020

• Very important – As GTN’s Greatest Awards are all about the great teams of people working in garden centres we do need a photo of the team involved in every entry!

  The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team – Who has been “The Greatest” at maximising houseplant sales in the run up to Christmas 2020? What new houseplant merchandising ideas have you implemented this year?

  The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team – Which Outdoor Plant Sales team has been The Greatest at making the most of plant sales this Autumn and Winter?  Who has been the most creative in making real Christmas Tree purchases a great event despite the social distancing?

  The Greatest Festive Food Hall Team – As festive food sales in garden centres continue to grow, which garden centre team has been The Greatest at creating sumptuous Festive Food displays and maximising sales?

  The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Team – Who has made the most of the great opportunity to sell BBQ’s, firepits, canopies, outside heaters and garden furniture during this pandemic Christmas season?

  The Greatest Christmas Pets Team – We all love to spoil our pets at Christmas, so which garden centre Pets team have been The Greatest at merchandising pet products and services for Christmas 2020?

  The Greatest Christmas Community or Charity Initiative – Christmas is a time for giving, so this Award is for the garden centre team who have executed The Greatest Christy fundraising activity or local initiative that gives back to the community.

  The Greatest Social Media Christmas Marketing Idea – This year more than ever, Social Media has played such an important part in every garden centres marketing activity.  But who has created and executed The Greatest Christmas Social Media campaign?

  The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video – The Christmas Video headlines may go to John Lewis but which garden centre has been super great in creating their very own Christmas video as part of their marketing activity?

  The Greatest Winter Garden Care Sales Team – With an estimated 3 million new gardeners this year there has never been a better time to merchandise gardening products as Christmas gifts.  Which garden centre Garden Care team has put their ‘Christmas jumpers’ on and really sold gardening to customers through the festive period?

  The Greatest Covid Safe Christmas Team – Being able to trade through Lockdown 2 meant every garden centre had to be at the top of its game for creating and maintaining a Covid safe retailing environment.  This special award will go to the team that went that extra mile to make customers and staff feel really safe.

  The Greatest Group Garden Centre Christmas Team – Who are The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Team overall from a garden centre that is part of a group of 10 or more centres?  The judges will be looking at your photo tour or video to see how you’ve made the most of Christmas as part of your garden centre group.

  The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team – In many ways small garden centres can have the real creative edge at Christmas so this award is for the team who made Christmas extra special for their customers in a small garden centre.  Send your photo tour now, plus a photo of the team of course!

  The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team – Probably the most competitive category in The Greatest Christmas Awards, which mid-sized garden centre team has made the most of Christmas and maximised sales despite all the social distancing requirements?

  The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team – Which of the large garden centres teams are The Greatest at Christmas in 2020.  Send us your photo tour and make sure you include all your Christmas areas and the teams as the judges will be looking at overall Christmas merchandising, not just your Christmas displays.

  The Greatest Christmas Supplier – This is an award that every garden centre who makes an entry in one of the categories above will have a chance to vote for.  It’s simply for the Christmas supplier they feel has been The Greatest for their business in this unique year.

We all love to see other centres displays and ideas, especially at Christmas, and as Lockdown 2 and now Tier 4 travel restrictions make that difficult what better way to provide a solution for everyone than inviting garden centres to submit their own photos and videos as part of GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards.

The closing date for entries is Thursday December 31^st, after which our panel of esteemed Greatest Christmas Awards judges, including Santa himself, Roger Crooks, along with his Christmas Elves: Steve Myatt, Andy Campbell, Trevor Pfeiffer, et al will sift through all of the entries and make further enquiries as necessary before the results are announced in GTN Xtra 24^th January 2021 and as part of GTN’s January issue which includes our first ever Christmas Products Directory.

STOP PRESS:  The winners of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2021 will now be announced live during Glee's Festive Focus Day on Thursday 21st January.  See gleebirmingam.com for more details

So, what are you waiting for, get snapping, remember to take a photo of the team, and send an e-mail today to trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk to get your entry registered.

See a sneak preview of some early entries in GTN's December issue, out this week, and on-line here:

Grovewell Garden Centres reveal how the WinRetail system from Corby & Fellas has been a great addition to their business, praising its reliability and user-friendliness. 

Grovewell Garden Centres. established by Edward Boult in 1999 with the transformation of a plant nursery to garden centre  in Tenterden, is a family owned and operated business. Building upon the success of his first site, the business has expanded with four garden centres, all in Kent now part of the Grovewell family.

Having run without an EPoS system since their inception, a decision was made in 2019 to introduce an integrated Retail Management Control and EPoS system. 

Matt Davies, who is in charge of EPoS operations said: “We decided to review the market to see what systems were likely to suit our particular needs and style of operation. We looked at several ‘possibles’, all of whom had garden centre experience. We arranged for software demonstrations and spoke to several garden centres that had recently introduced EPoS systems, to see what experiences they had. 

“I was very impressed with WinRetail from Corby & Fellas(C&F), and having seen a demonstration of their software we decided that C&F comprehensively ‘ticked’ all our boxes:

• WinRetail has an excellent track record and is well rated amongst its users as being comprehensive, robust and reliable
• They are experienced in dealing with garden centres, with a long list of garden centre customers, both large and small
• Their online and telephone support service is well regarded, with positive feedback on response times and service levels 
• They have experience in implementing EPoS systems into sites with no previous EPoS experience which, of  course, applies to us
• They have been established for a long time (since the 1980s I believe) and are clearly a well-run and stable business   

“We made our decision to run with Corby & Fellas at the beginning of the year, and started the implementation process in June (2020). We provided C&F with the data needed to create the various files and tables needed. I must say that the whole process went very smoothly, and we were able to go live with a pilot site, in Canterbury, during September. After one month, the pilot was deemed to be successful and we rolled out the system to our other three centres. 

“We really appreciate the reliability of their system, the team have found it very user-friendly and we’re all excited for the future.

“I’m happy that we chose Corby & Fellas and pleased to say that they and their software are living up to our expectations.”

For more information visit www.corbyfellas.com

2021 marks a very special occasion for the annual Garden Re-Leaf Day event as this special FUNdraising day (March 19th, 2021) celebrates its 10th anniversary! Looking rather different to previous years as we navigate a new normal, there’s still a whole host of different ways to get involved in this ever-popular charity day that not only kick starts the gardening season but also raises much needed funds for the Greenfingers Charity.

Since its inception in 2012, Garden Re-Leaf Day has been a key event within the garden retail calendar. Each year hundreds of people from across the industry, including suppliers and retailers, come together to undertake an incredible series of fundraising events. During the last 9 years the event has raised in excess of £660,000, all of which has gone towards helping the charity design and create gardens in children’s hospices throughout the country.

In 2021, Garden Re-Leaf Day, like many events, will take on a virtual element to enable more people to get involved from the comfort of their own homes and offices, and to ensure the necessary social distancing can be maintained. To make things a little easier for individuals and teams working within strict Covid-secure measures, the window of FUNdraising will be extended to the whole of March too. This extra flexibility provides more opportunity for not just the garden retail sector to get involved, but for supporters of the event to enlist the support of friends, family and their local communities, to make the 10th anniversary event the biggest and best yet.

As well as great activities in garden centres across the country, the much-loved Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge will be shaped differently, with participants invited to walk from their homes, offices or local garden centre. The normal 10 and 20-miles walk and 100- mile cycle goals will remain, though new ideas are welcomed! Why not go floral or dress up in green to generate some buzz in your local area or commit to walking or cycling further throughout the whole of March to raise even more for Greenfingers?! The possibilities are endless.

Speaking ahead of Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021, Greenfingers Director of Fundraising and Communications, Linda Petrons, said: “Despite all the current challenges, and with a growing waiting list of hospices that need our help we would love the 10th anniversary of Garden Re-Leaf Day to be the best yet. Over the last decade Garden Re-Leaf has become such an important part of not just our fundraising activities, but also for the garden retail sector as, for many, the event marks the beginning of the key gardening season.

“Each year we are blown away by the many ways people support and fundraise for us, and whilst we appreciate we have to do things a little differently, we hope that the 2021 event will be full of unique and exciting activities that will bring us together despite the distance between us all.”

How to get involved

Registration for the 2021 event goes live on January 1st, and Greenfingers is also on the lookout for sponsors of the event. From t-shirts to fundraising packs, medals to certificates, there are a wealth of sponsorship opportunities up for grabs. To find out more please contact Linda Petrons by emailing linda@greefingerscharity.org.uk

FUNdraising ideas for Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021

You will find a host of ideas in the Garden Re-Leaf Fundraising pack but here’s a few ways you can get involved and help Greenfingers to continue creating magical gardens in children’s hospices across the nation:

1. Plantathons are perfect for generating some buzz instore whilst simultaneously generating more stock and donating to Greenfingers. Previous events have included 12- and 24-hour Plantathons.
2. Hold a virtual quiz, with a minimum donation for all entrants.
3. Raffles and tombolas are a great way of getting lots of people involved. Gather prizes from around your store, or ask friends and colleagues to donate prizes, before selling raffle tickets ahead of the grand unveiling of the lucky winner!
4. Cake sales and coffee mornings – are simple yet effective FUNdraisers.
5. An online auction is a great way to raise funds and involve your f
6. Team up with friends and colleagues to complete a virtual walk or cycle challenge. Set yourselves a target – 100 miles for example – and work together to achieve it. Walk around your local area, on a treadmill, whatever it takes! Keep in touch via Zoom to keep the group enthusiasm going!

For more FUNdraising ideas or to obtain a copy of the 2021 fundraising pack drop Linda a line, she’d love to hear from you.

Cherry Hill Garden Centre is facing the ‘crazy’ prospect of having to remove a miniature golf course and play area from its site near Middlesbrough after being served with an enforcement notice from the local council.

In a bid to save the popular family attractions the centre has now submitted a planning application to Hambleton District Council.

Cherry Hill director Peter Wilkinson said he accepted planning rules were necessary but had been dismayed by the decision to serve the centre with an enforcement notice.

He told the Yorkshire Post that the miniature golf course and play area had proved popular, encouraging a wider range of customers to shop at the centre.

“The only thing that required planning permission was that we used concrete tubes as vertical planters and some were touching just over the two-metre limit. It's very petty, but if it needs planning permission, it needs planning permission.”

Plant sales almost held their own year on year last week, down just 1.7% but 7% ahead of the same week in 2018 and 23% ahead of 2017.

Winter flowering plants, especially planted bulbs and houseplants were the big winners during the second week of December.

• Poinsettia moved up one place to be the No 1 Bestselling plant of the week.
• Planted snowdrops, Galanthus were the highest re-entry at No 15.
• Potted tulips re-entered at No 45.

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.

After the record trading week, volume wise, at the end of November, garden centre Christmas sales have tailed off. But with one full weekend’s trading still to come there’s plenty of opportunity for Christmas to sell out and for garden products to sell in high volumes as Christmas gifts.

Now’s a good time for us to wish you all a Happy Christmas and hope you are able to grab a well-earned rest after this pandemic affected year.

Before you switch everything off though, please do get your entries in for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards. There’s over £7,000 of prizes to be won!  See the details on www.gardentradenws.co.uk or e-mail trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk.

Happy Christmas!

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

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 10%
• Growing Media Top 50 – up 60%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – up 29%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 5%
• Christmas Top 50 – down 28%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 50

• All Plants with Barcode index – down 2%
• All Items with Barcode index – down 9%

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.

Dobbies Garden Centres has hit a major fundraising milestone, raising over £1m for UK-wide charity, Teenage Cancer Trust.

Teenage Cancer Trust is Dobbies’ National Charity Partner, having established a formal partnership in 2019 and collaborating on a number of projects since 2014. 

Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the seven young people aged 13 to 24 diagnosed with cancer every day.

Over the years, the fundraising efforts have been led by Dobbies’ team members at each of the stores across the UK, plus from paper carrier bag purchases and the sale of the dedicated Teenage Cancer Trust rose.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO at Dobbies, said: “We take great pride in our ongoing partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust and we are extremely proud to mark this fundraising milestone. The incredible work of the charity inspires our team members nationwide and we are looking forward to continuing these efforts in the new year.”

Kate Collins, Chief Executive, Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Raising £1million is no mean feat - it’s an incredible achievement and the team at Dobbies should feel very, very, proud of themselves. 

“The money they’ve worked so hard to fundraise is already having a truly life-changing effect on the lives of teenagers and young people with cancer across the UK. It means that we’ve been able to provide young people with expert nurses to support them through treatment, dedicated youth workers to help them cope with anxiety and isolation, and a network of other young people to chat to.

“On behalf of everyone at Teenage Cancer Trust I’d like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone involved – you are all heroes.”

This year, Dobbies and Teenage Cancer Trust are thanking local heroes across the UK. Tying in with Dobbies’ Christmas advertising campaign, positioning Dobbies as ‘not your average garden centre’, both organisations are celebrating ‘not your average people’, with gifts given to those who have supported their local community in 2020.

For more information visit dobbies.com.

Pictured: When Grace met Freddie. To celebrate raising £1million, Grace Higgins, Senior Relationship Manager from TCT was invited to meet Freddie the Poodle, the star of the Dobbies’ Christmas advertising campaign, at their Santa Paws event at Atherstone.

Following its acquisition of Adobe Wholesale and The Garden Foundry, Woodlodge, the UK’s leading brand for pots, containers and garden décor, is to further expand its offering for garden retailers with the introduction of its new Snowlodge Christmas Décor range.

This exciting new offering of around 1,400 festive products represents Woodlodge’s first foray into Christmas décor and will include popular product lines such as stars, wreaths, baubles, ornaments, figurines, lighting and festive plushes, all of which will meet Woodlodge’s exacting standards and high levels of quality assurance.

To support the new launch, Woodlodge will be introducing a Snowlodge Christmas Décor catalogue in early January, while a dedicated 336 square foot showroom display with an adjacent coffee lounge will be opened at Cranmore Conference Centre in Solihull from 12th January until 31st March. This showroom will be open to retailers to view the full collection and place pre-season orders for stock delivery ahead of August.

Talking about the latest addition Woodlodge’s rapidly expanding range, Managing Director, Michael Wooldridge said: “There is no question that festive décor represents big business within the garden retail sector, and we wanted to bring to market a unique offering that combines innovation with quality, helping to provide retailers with a real point of difference with potential to capture a greater share of the expanding Christmas market. Our customers know they can rely on Woodlodge for providing unrivalled customer service and product excellence, so ordering their Christmas stock from us will provide peace of mind.

“Snowlodge Christmas Décor is an exciting development for us, and we are confident that the market will respond positively to the carefully curated portfolio of products that have been selected to drive sales during the crucial Christmas season. We look forward to unveiling this exciting offering to both new and existing Woodlodge customers in the New Year,” Michael added.

Woodlodge will be taking orders for its Snowlodge Christmas Décor range between 12th January to 31stMarch 2021, with deliveries to retail outlets due to start from 31st August.

When the special exhibition at the Cranmore Conference Centre opens its doors next month, Woodlodge will also be showcasing its new Honey & Wild range of garden décor, a unique collection of fun, quirky products that follow the company’s acquisition of Adobe Wholesale and The Garden Foundry in July. The cutting-edge collection fuses art with entertainment, offering widespread year-round appeal and acting as a powerful sales driver during key gifting periods of the calendar.

To further enhance the experience and maximise opportunities for visitors who missed out on Glee@Woodlodge earlier in the year, Woodlodge’s Root Indoor range of pots, pot covers and design-led accessories for 2021 will also be on display. The line-up encompasses classic, contemporary and floral designs that have been tailored to appeal to a broad customer demographic by offering a wide spectrum of styles to match any home interior.

To book your place at the dedicated showroom to view the Snowlodge, Honey & Wild and Root Indoor ranges, please contact sales manager Abigail Stocker by emailing showroom@woodlodge.co.uk . The showroom will be open by appointment only with numbers limited to a maximum of 60 people in order to keep the area Covid-secure. It will be open from Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 5.30pm, with the final appointment of each day taking place at 3.30pm.

The new 2021 Snowlodge catalogue will be available from 4th January 2021 as both a digital and hard copy catalogue. For more information, please contact Abigale Stocker or by emailing pots@woodlodge.co.uk.

Further details about Woodlodge’s market-leading collections can be found at www.woodlodge.co.uk

Klass ladies wear has signed a lease to open a new clothing department in March 2021 within Bourne Valley Garden Centre in Surrey. 

Klass is a family business based in Rochdale employing over 450 staff throughout the UK. The ladies wear range is currently available in over 150 retail sites, of which half are in garden centres. 

Designed for the more ‘young at heart’ lady, Klass is recognised for its style, quality and value for money. 

Paul Elding, owner of Bourne Valley Garden Centre, said:  “I am delighted to welcome Klass ladies wear to Bourne Valley and look forward to their 1,500 sq ft department opening in March 2021. Since Edinburgh Woollen Mills lease ended earlier this year, we have been looking to introduce a fashion retailer known for their modern designs in keeping with our core customer and Klass certainly fits the bill. Their approach throughout our negotiations has been one of creating a long and fruitful partnership which has been very refreshing.”

Klass director David Cohen commented: “When I first visited Bourne Valley it was clear there was a real appetite for a quality ladies wear brand so its very pleasing to have been approached by Paul and his team. It’s been a strange year but Klass continues to seek expansion within garden centres and are in a unique position to take advantage of any opportunities that present themselves.”

Klass contact: email david.cohen@eleganze.com or call 07715 495 967. 

As the exclusive UK distributor for SBM Life Science products, Stax has added the new Provanto Smart Bug Killer to its long list of gardening and seasonal ranges. Those ranges already include other leading SBM brands such as Baby Bio and Toprose.

This new SBM product strengthens the company’s extensive offering of market-leading gardening and horticultural products, and sets a new standard for bug control. It features a unique 3-in-1 formula designed to minimise the risk to non-target pests, and also acts faster and lasts longer than other insecticides.

“After seeing its amazing results, we’re confident that the new Provanto® Smart Bug Killer will be a big hit with our customers,” explained Stax Purchasing Director Simon Wright. 

"SBM are a very significant player in the gardening solutions market and our ongoing partnership as their exclusive distributor allows us to offer a huge range of top-quality products to both independent retailers and national retail groups alike," he added. 

Scott Williams, UK & Ireland Sales Manager for SBM Life Science, said: "The release of our new Provanto® Smart Bug Killer is another exciting part of our journey towards becoming a worldwide leader for home and garden solutions

. 

"We have a strong relationship with the team at Stax and have always been impressed with the dedication they have shown our business. Over the past six months, they have ensured the supply chain is as solid as it could be during a difficult time, and that's why we had absolute confidence in making them our preferred distributor.”

Stax is the UK’s number one non-food wholesaler and provides genuine trade-only support for independent retailers throughout the nation. Its offering spans an extensive selection of market sectors including gardening, hardware, building, decorating, electrical, plumbing, homeware, bathrooms and kitchens.

Completion of the 12,000 sqm garden centre for Plantorama is in sight. Smiemans Projecten started this spring with this project in the city of Tilst.

A new 9,000 sqm garden centre is also being built in Hørsholm for this successful garden centre chain. Despite the Corona virus, Smiemans has succeeded in realising both locations in eight months.

Durability

Being responsible for the environment plays a major role at both garden centres. In addition to the standard LED lighting, green roofs and PV panels, Smiemans has developed special wide rain gutters to collect as much rainwater as possible and prevent nuisance during heavy rainfall/ a rain storm. Plantorama uses this rainwater for the irrigation of their plants.

Experience centre

In addition to the extensive range of products, there is also a special animal department for visitors. And while children are playing in Playland, you drink or eat something in the extensive restaurant. "We think it is important that customers can enjoy themselves and relax with a cup of coffee while they are with us. It should be part of the experience. We are specialists in creating atmosphere and experience." says Peter Vang Christensen, owner of the Plantorama garden centre chain.

Final work

Everyone is now working hard to finalize the two projects. At this moment 3 different types of screening are being installed in Tilst; a Christmas cloth, bird netting and a roller  shading cloth. Plantorama's 13^th garden centre in Hørsholm is also nearing completion. Smiemans started construction there in July. Both locations will open their doors in the spring of 2021.

It is record breaking time at Garland Products where Tony Robson scooped the ‘Sales Agent of the Year’ award for the third time, during a year when the company has already achieved an unprecedented £2 million sales growth.  

Tony is responsible for the company’s sales of garden care and DIY products in the North West and achieved an impressive 23% growth in sales over the year.

The runners-up was Julie McLean who covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Oxford and surrounding areas. Third place went to Andy Looby who is responsible for sales in the Midlands.  

The awards are based on a system that rewards continual growth over a 12-month period. 

The awards were announced during the Garland Products’ annual sales meeting, which this year took place for the first time by video link. 

Following the sales meeting, Garland/Worth Gardening’s sales director, Mark Dedman said: “Congratulations to all of this year’s winners. Their achievements have helped us to drive sales through to a new level.  

"In early September, when we announced the launch of 54 new lines, including environmentally friendly and GYO products, we had sales growth of around £1 million.  

"The fact that this increase has now surged to £2 million and is still growing at an exponential rate is testimony to our dedicated nationwide network of sales agents and the support received from our manufacturing and administrative teams.” 

Cwmbran-based logistics company Bridgetime Transport is helping Festive Productions to deliver a little magic ahead of Christmas.

Bridgetime provides all of the logistics solutions for the local business, involving deliveries to residential addresses, garden centres and major distribution centres such as John Lewis, QVC Home Shopping and Wilkinson’s Retail.

The business is one of the world’s leading seasonal decoration suppliers and the UK’s number one manufacturer of British made tinsel, providing an innovative and unique range of products.

As a result of this, Festive sees a massive increase in business as Christmas approaches each year and the company depends on having a reliable and professional distribution partner to support them in meeting this demand.

Bridgetime is located within walking distance of Festive, meaning the two businesses are perfectly positioned to cultivate and nurture a strong and successful relationship.

Robbie Evans, Managing Director of Bridgetime Transport is proud of his continued relationship with Festive. This year, more than ever, he acknowledges the importance of ensuring deliveries are made ahead of Christmas.

He comments: “We are proud to support Festive each year and help them with their established, successful business.

“We offer a range of services, from parcels all the way through to pallet deliveries and having that level of flexibility seems to have created a perfect fit for both Festive and us.”

Robbie continues: “In what has been a tough year for everyone, both professionally and personally, we are pleased to be helping deliver some Christmas cheer across the country through our work with Festive.

“I am hopeful that our positive relationship will continue to deliver for many years and Christmases to come!

“Since the businesses began working together three years ago, Festive Productions has continued to enjoy success and we are happy to have played a part in that.”

Gareth Read, Operations Manager of Festive, says: “We couldn’t be happier with the work that Bridgetime have done since we started trading with them. This year has brought new challenges with the pandemic and together with the Bridgetime team we have been able to diversify to meet customer demand.

“Our premises are located within walking distance of each-other, so we really do have a fantastic level of communication and support from the whole team there, especially at this time of year being our peak.

“The months leading up to Christmas are extremely busy for us so knowing that our distribution is taken care of by a partner we can trust makes a world of difference.

“With the two businesses once again seeing their partnership succeed, it seems likely that Christmas will be delivered by Bridgetime for many years to come as our relationship grows from strength to strength.”

For more information about Festive visit https://www.festive.co.uk/

For more from Bridgetime Transport visit http://www.bridgetimegroup.com/.

Darlac, the cutting tool experts from Slough, have added a top of the range pair of secateurs to the already impressive 30 different pruners they offer.

The new Expert Titanium Bypass Pruner is going to appeal to the very keen hobby gardener and landscaper. The SK5 carbon steel blade is titanium coated for extra strength and smoother, precise cutting. 

This hard-wearing product features all the usual Darlac Expert Range benefits – slim profile anodised handles, shock absorbers for reduced impact, an inbuilt wire cutting notch, ease of use and a two-position opening mechanism. Although a premium manufactured item the suggested retail price is only £29.99.

Darlac Managing Director Tim Jeffries says: “We think the Titanium pruners are a great addition to our range and will give great service to the hobby gardener. Titanium is one of the strongest and most durable metals on the planet. Every one of our Darlac tools is thoughtfully designed to deliver high quality at an affordable price.”

The tools also come with a lifetime guarantee against defect in workmanship and materials. 
Darlac tools are available in good garden centres nationwide.

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Christmas sales for the Top 50 bestselling products slowed in the second week of December to leave the GTN Bestsellers Christmas index at 3.9% down year on year. 

Sales over the past few weeks have been affected by footfall dropping after other retail re-opened and shelves being emptied. As our index traditionally starts from Week 39 at the end of September we need to look back in the data to August to see the picture in full as that’s when Christmas started selliing through in 2020.

Christmas food and confectionery lines were the big upward movers in the GTN chart last week.

Highlights of the week were:

• Steenland Gold Net Chocolate Coins 100g moved up one place to be the No 1 bestselling Christmas line of the week.
• Grandma Wilds Embossed Christmas Tree Tin of biscuits was the highest re-entry at No 14
• Other food re-entries were Image on Food Gingerbread Reindeer at No 17 and Mackies Turkey & Stuffing Crisps at No 18.

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.

After over 25 years with Hozelock, Head of UK Sales, Peter Martin is retiring from the leading gardening business. 

In the three decades since he joined the business as a Senior National Accounts Manager, having previously worked at Fiskars for twenty years, Peter has been instrumental in driving the business forward and developing a highly successful national sales team who have continued to seek new opportunities for the business. 

Speaking of his time at Hozelock, Peter said; “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Hozelock, it is a brand which everyone from the head office employees through to the end user is passionate about. This ethos is also resonated through our distribution network and during my time at the business I have built great relationships with our broad network of garden centres, wholesalers and retailers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their support and I look forward to visiting them, in a leisure capacity, in 2021. 

Chris Hepburn, another long standing member of the UK Sales Team with over 30 years of service, will step up to the role of National Sales Manager. A familiar face to many a garden centre across the UK, Chris will take over the direct management of key garden centre group customers whilst continuing management of Hozelock’s dedicated field sales team. 

Chris said: “In taking over this role from Peter I have some huge shoes to fill, he brought an incredibly high standard to the sales team and I am determined to continue this as we move the business forward.

“Whilst there have undoubtedly been some challenges this year, the trend for DIY and gardening improvements highlighted what a fabulous opportunity there is for Hozelock to reach new audiences and I’m already busy working with the sales team to ensure we capitalise on this.  

“Hozelock’s investment into innovation means we are constantly producing products which put us ahead of our competitors in terms of performance and aesthetics. The NPD being launched in 2021 reflects our high level of standards and I am looking forward to getting these products out to market.”

Designed by gardeners for gardeners and with a 60 year heritage – Hozelock’s head office is based in Birmingham, proudly engineering and manufacturing over 75% of its products in the UK.  From garden watering, spraying and plant protection to Hozelock Cyprio pond equipment and Hozelock Pure for natural gardening – Hozelock is not only Britain’s leading watering expert, it is one of the country’s most loved gardening brands continually updating a comprehensive range of products.

For further information, visit www.hozelock.com

Garden product sales dipped again last week to be 10% down on last year. However they were 3% higher than the same week in 2018 and 29% ahead of 2017.

Garden lighting lines, crossing over into Christmas decorations were the biggest movers along with houseplant feeds and pot covers.

Highlights of the week were:

• Creative Products Bottle Light stay at No 1 for the 10^th consecutive week.
• Smart Garden 100 Led Firefly String Lights Battery Operated were the highest re-entry to the chart at No 7.
• Oasis Florist Wire Green 25g x 12 inches was the highest new entry as gardeners prepare their Christmas table centres and floral decorations.

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.

Tim Jeffries, Commercial Director at Mr Fothergills has decided to leave Mr Fothergill’s after 15 years of fun.

"I will go at the end of this month," he told GTN Xtra.

"I am not sure what the future holds after 30 years in the seed trade. I may crop up again or I may just stay on the allotment! It is just the right time for me to move on.

"Thanks for everyones support over the years both to me personally and to Mr Fothergill’s.

"May I wish you the happiest of Christmases and trust we can all get out to do a little more in 2021."

Wild Bird and Wildlife sales climbed by another 10% to almost, but not quite, get back to last year’s sales for the second week of December.

This week’s GTN chart features lines from 10 different Wild Bird and Wildlife care suppliers as this sector continues to veer away from the previous domination of just one brand.

Gardeners’ love for feeding robins in the run up to Christmas meant there were two feed lines specifically for robins in the Top 50 – Westland Peckish Robin Seed & Insect Mix 1kg moved up 13 places to No 13 and Jacobi Jayne I Love Robins 500g wsa a new entry at No 50.

Other highlights of the week were:

• Westland Peckish Daily Goodness Mealworm Suet Cake Block, pack of 3 was the highest new entry at No 15.
• Gardman Hedgehog Bites 650g moved 16 places up the chart to No 23.
• Henry Bell Filled Superior Seed Mix Feeder was the highest re-entry at No 22.

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.

WaterSafe is encouraging gardeners to put disconnecting their hosepipes and insulating outside taps and pipes at the top of their ‘to-do’ list this winter.

After a long, hot summer watering thirsty plants, it’s time to disconnect, drain and put away hosepipes to prevent them from freezing before temperatures drop across the UK.

Disconnecting hosepipes also reduces the risk of ‘backflow’ – when stagnant water is drawn back into a home’s drinking water supply, potentially causing contamination.

The UK register of approved plumbers is also advising homeowners not to neglect outside taps and pipework.  

Water which freezes inside unprotected taps and pipes can expand, causing a build-up of pressure that can make them crack and burst, causing costly damage at an already expensive time of the year.

Isolating (shutting off) the outside water supply if possible and draining outside taps will help protect them from frost damage. Fitting an inexpensive insulating tap cover and lagging exposed pipes will also give protection from winter chills.

Julie Spinks, Director of WaterSafe said: “Jobs such as mulching, pruning and protecting vulnerable plants are usually top of every keen gardener’s list when colder weather sets in. Taking the time to look after your hosepipe by storing it away will help keep it in good condition and ready for the spring.

“We’re reminding everyone to protect their home’s plumbing too and preparing outside taps and pipework for the winter makes a great start.

“If you need help locating the outdoor water shut-off valve, or with any winter plumbing jobs, make sure you use an approved plumber such as one registered with WaterSafe.”

WaterSafe’s advice supports the Met Office’s ‘WeatherReady’ campaign, which encourages everyone to think about what they can do to prepare for and cope with severe weather.

For more winter advice on protecting your plumbing and to find a local, approved plumber visit watersafe.org.uk/winter.

WaterSafe is a central register supported by all UK water companies and the seven Approved Contractors' Schemes in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Haskins Garden Centres has confirmed it will close its centres on Boxing Day this year, to provide staff with extended time with their families this holiday season.

Julian Winfield, Chief Executive at Haskins Garden Centres, explained: “Throughout what has been a challenging year for us all, our commitment has remained to the health, safety and wellbeing of our team.

“The pandemic has caused so much disruption to multiple industries including our own, but it has also prevented our staff from seeing their families. Therefore, this festive season, we have made the decision that our centres will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day to allow our valued team to spend more time celebrating with their loved ones.

“Our team has shown resilience and dedication to delivering the highest level of customer service under exceptional pressure. We hope this extended leave provision helps demonstrate our gratitude to the entire team, and gives our employees the opportunity to make the most of this well-earned break.”

Haskins has centres in Ferndown (Dorset), West End (Southampton), Roundstone and Snowhill (West Sussex). Haskins Snowhill reopened earlier this year following a £15million redevelopment at the Crawley-based centre. Haskins also recently acquired Forest Lodge Garden Centre and Birdworld in Farnham, Surrey.

The centre’s restaurants have reopened following the lifting of the recent lockdown restrictions.

For the current opening times and updates on what facilities are available at this time, visit www.haskins.co.uk for further information.

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.

Biowise Limited (T/A Wastewise) has entered into a five-year contract to supply over 40k tonnes per annum of its BSI PAS 100 certified compost to Vital Earth Sales Ltd, who, with headquarters in Doncaster, produce the largest range of peat free products in the UK, including soil improvers, growing media and topsoil.

Wastewise operates three composting facilities across the North of England processing over 200,000 tonnes per annum of organic waste, including food and garden waste.  The 40k tonnes of compost, representing approx. 80% of their total annual tonnage, will be supplied from a combination of all three sites.

“At Wastewise we promote the use of sustainable waste treatment methods to help achieve zero waste to landfill. Composting is nature’s way of recycling organic waste, being an environmentally responsible and cost-effective method.  We are delighted that this new contract with Vital Earth Sales Ltd represents a further step in ensuring that nothing we recycle goes to waste,” comments Bob Wilkes, Operations Director.

Market testing has been running since summer 2019 involving extensive mixing trials to find the right product blends. The product, under the brand name SupaGrow, is available in large bulk bags and 20L sealed bags nationwide in builders’ merchants, garden centres and retail outlets.

Sam Robinson, Managing Director Vital Earth Sales Ltd comments: “Although we are experts in producing topsoil’s and soil improvers, this agreement allows us to manufacturer the best peat-free topsoil in the market.  Working with Wastewise provides the assurance that our compost supply chain will remain not only constant but of a consistently high standard for a number of years to come ensuring certainty of supply for our customers.”

Composting enables a 'closed-loop' approach to producing a rich source of organic matter and nutrients for plants and crops. At the end of the process, the finished compost is screened into different product grades depending on the end market. All Biowise compost-based products are certified to BSI PAS 100 and Compost Quality Protocol standards for use in horticulture, agriculture, landscaping and land restoration.

Following a very successful year of growth, Hull-based Wastewise continues to seek opportunities to broaden its waste-processing infrastructure, which includes materials recycling, biomass and alternative fuel production facilities.

Pictured: Bob Wilkes, Wastewise Operations & Development Director and Sam Robinson, Managing Director Vital Earth Sales Ltd.

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

Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers following a 12-month refurbishment costing £15m.

The new centre boasts a retail space of 11,813 sq.m., including an outdoor plant area and 440-seat restaurant complete with a newly installed pizza oven. Additional space has also been created to accommodate 170 restaurant guests on an outdoor patio.

Up to 70 new jobs have been created to accommodate the centre's expansion. Car parking has increased to 346 spaces.  See GTN Xtra's photo tour of the new centre below.

Chief executive Julian Winfield said the Snowhill team worked tirelessly to ensure the centre was able to remain open for the majority of the project, with minimal disruption.

“We can't wait to receive our customers' feedback on our new and improved facilities,” he added. “Over the years, we have built a loyal customer following and we are proud to be able to give back to them in this way with our new expanded centre.”

Haskins acquired the Snowhill site in 2003, inheriting a number of ageing buildings.

Haskins also has centres in Ferndown in Dorset, West End in Southampton and Roundstone in West Sussex. The family business recently acquired Forest Lodge Garden Centre, Bird World and Garden Style in Farnham.

Pictured (left to right): Julian Winfield, Jamie Haskins, Ally Haskins (married to Jamie) and Warren Haskins, the group's chairman. 

The opening event was attended by the current GCA Chairman Mike Burks and three past Chairs; Warren Haskins, Sue Allen and Julian Winfield.

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 this week are here

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

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird & Wildlife Bestsellers chart for last week are here

Highlights of the GTN Christmas Products 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.

One of the UK’s favourite poultry beddings, easichick, is now available in a 20kg bale.  This new bale compliments the existing 10kg product and is ideal for larger domestic users and small holders for whom it provides economy of scale and reduces the amount of packaging used.

easichick boasts a unique treatment technology which guarantees that every bale is free from harmful bacteria, moulds and spores that can affect customers’ birds.  This is now particularly important due to the rapid increase in Avian Flu and the legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their flock indoors or netted while also taking additional biosecurity measures.

Commenting on the launch, easichick’s Marketing Manager, Emma Hudson, said: “Following requests from many of our customers, we are now pleased to offer our award winning easichick product in a larger 20kg bale.  This provides a highly cost effective and environmentally sustainable bedding option for customers with larger aviaries and coops. Obviously easichick was designed for use with chickens but is also now used widely for pigeons, parrots, finches and other small birds.” 

The easi range of animal beddings are all made from recycled clean wood making them highly environmentally sustainable. Once used, the beddings’ Organic Farmers & Growers accreditation means it can be used on gardens or farmland as a soil enhancer.

Every easichick bale comes with a free token which can be collected and redeemed against a collection of exclusive easi bedding merchandise including fleeces, jackets and travel mugs.

Enva operates seven wood recycling facilities across the UK. The wood is processed and manufactured into a range of sustainable recycled products including the company’s flagship range of animal beddings – easibed our award-winning horse bdding, easichick for birds and easicattle for dairy farmers.  

For more information on Enva’s recycled wood products click here.

Leading pet and aquatics business Interpet is growing its export programme to help meet ongoing demand for its products.

As part of it plans the company has appointed former staff member Lester Bunce as international sales manager.

Interpet, part of the Central Garden & Pet company, is expanding the global reach of its many well-known brands, including Kaytee and Nylabone, and Lester will be responsible for overseeing this.

He said: “I am really pleased to be back at Interpet and play my part in a great team. I can see all the pride, passion and drive for innovation and the ‘can do’ attitude remains at the heart of everything we do.”

Lester, who will be working on sales outside the UK, has a wealth of knowledge spanning more than 28 years in the pet industry, historically with Interpet and most recently at Mars Petcare.

Pet Brands has developed a new range of bamboo bowls, making eco-friendly pet products appealing to a wider range of customers. These bowls have been designed without compromising the high-quality finish synonymous with the brand, and are durable, non-slip and dishwasher safe.

43% of consumers are already actively choosing brands based on their environmental credentials. Products made from natural, raw materials and those in recyclable packaging are known to be popular choices, with the Bamboo Bowl ticking both of these boxes. However, as the focus on sustainability continues to gain momentum in light of Covid-19, and the recently announced 10-point plan for a green revolution in the UK, eco products must start catering to every taste.

Rachel Barrass, Product Developer at Pet Brands believes that customers don’t want to have to choose between sustainability and style: “This is a great range to stock, because there really is something for everyone in terms of design, but all of the bowls are really well made.”

The newly expanded range includes the GEO Bowl in duck egg green, with the sculptural geometric design suiting the most fashion-savvy of customers. For those looking for pet products with personality, the cute Monster Bowls certainly hit the mark, and are available in three pastel colours. The range is rounded off with the effective Slow Feeders, for those four-legged friends that need to be encouraged to take their time. 

Rachel added: “All of the products have a natural flecked pattern, characteristic of the bamboo fibres. It was important to incorporate this into the design as a nod to our choice of raw material. Bamboo is an incredibly fast-growing species of grass, which produces high levels of oxygen in the process. It is a brilliant choice for long-lasting pet bowls.”

Pet Brands Bamboo Bowls are available exclusively from wholesaler Vital Pet Group.