GTN Xtra - GTN Xtra - Issue 2 2018

It was a challenging Christmas, say UK garden centres
Christmas 2017 feedback from Altons, Aylett Nurseries, Bents, Brechin Castle, Chessington, Fresh @ Burcot, Fron Goch, Gates, Haskins, Langlands, Perrywood, Poplars, Silverbirch and Squires.

UK garden centres have experienced a challenging Christmas trading period, according to a survey carried out by GTN Xtra, with the wintry weather making life difficult in some areas of the country...

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Record breaking growth for Farplants’ Christmas offering

Farplants’ 2017 Christmas campaign has seen a 68% increase in sales over November and December. The West Sussex plant wholesaler introduced 11 new ranges this year, which includes for the first time, pot grown Christmas trees...

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Top 20 Christmas Products for 2017 revealed

GTN Bestsellers, the UK's weekly report of garden centre sales, has spent the Festive period analysing all the weekly EPOS data supplied by garden centres to create the Top 20 and Top 100 Christmas Products charts for the 2017 season...

See the full Top 20

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Bord na Móna: at the forefront of developing top quality growing media

Founded over 80 years ago, Bord na Móna Horticulture is the leading Irish supplier of growing media and barks in Ireland and the UK...

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Further growth for Tildenet with Fleximas acquisition

Tildenet has announced it has acquired the specialist textiles and netting supplier Fleximas. As a long established, family run company, the Fleximas ethos mirrors that of Tildenet, with great service and customer care at the forefront of the business...

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Ivyline and Greenfingers, anyone for tea?

Leading indoor pot suppliers Ivyline have announced their first tie-up with the garden Industry charity Greenfingers. They are donating 25p from all sales of the Happiness Teacups to the charity...

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Garden centre’s future in doubt after housing application

The future of a garden centre in Bath has been plunged into doubt after the site’s landowner applied for planning permission to turn it into a building development...

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Barton Grange in the news following jet fuel tank discovery

Barton Grange made headline news this week after a Tornado fighter jet fuel tank was reportedly found in the garden centre’s car park...

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Former England rugby player to speak at GCA conference

Former England rugby player Matt Dawson MBE will share his team building and personal commitment expertise with delegates at Garden Centre Association's (GCA) 52nd annual conference which takes place in Warwickshire on January 21-24...

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Notcutts celebrates successful 120th year

Notcutts, the family-owned garden centre business, is celebrating after a successful 120th anniversary year. Throughout 2017, Notcutts marked their 120 years in business and recognised the family that helped make it the success it is today...

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Each year we endeavour to be better, eat better and exercise better. Make this the year you succeed by signing up to one of the Garden Re-Leaf challenges to raise money for Greenfingers Charity...

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Gardenex secures funding for major trade exhibitions

The Gardenex export federation has been successful in securing cash grant funding for four major international garden trade exhibitions in the Government’s latest bidding round...

First exhibitor group visit to Myplant & Garden, Milan.

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The next big step in garden retail

The Garden Retail Experience (TREx) will take place in Beursfabriek at Nieuwegein – centrally located in the Netherlands – on February 7-8. TREx is a unique annual information and inspiration event for the international garden retail industry...

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Praise for PATS on reaching 10th Sandown milestone

Pet companies have been congratulating PATS, the UK’s number one pet trade exhibition which will be staging its 10^th Sandown show in March. Those firms who exhibited at the first PATS Sandown in 2009 agree that over the years the show has proved to be a great platform for launching new products and services.

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GTN December 2017/January 2018 Issue OUT NOW! To view a digital version click here

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The Tildenet Group appoints James Hollingworth

James Hollingworth has joined The Tildenet Group as Product Development Manager working across all their brands...

Discover the benefit of plants and gardening in 2018, urges HTA

According to the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) many of the most popular resolutions, such as exercise more, eat more healthily, take a more active approach to health, learn a new skill or hobby, spend more time on personal wellbeing and with family and friends, can be achieved through gardening and engagement with plants.

Retail Sales Director appointed by Quantil

Quantil Ltd has announced that Mark Clementson has joined the board of directors as Retail Sales Director...

Fabulous free activities at Squire’s Pet Weekend

Squire’s Garden Centres in Badshot Lea and Stanmore have a very special Pets & Aquatics event on Saturday 27^th and Sunday 28^th January...

New chairman of Growing Media Europe

Former vice chair Stefaan Vandaele has officially taken over the chairmanship of Growing Media Europe from Norbert Siebels, who stepped down from the position in the course of his upcoming retirement end of 2019...

The best of last week's

If you missed last week's GTN Xtra, below are the most-read stories...

Bunnings UK boss to take a three month break

Peter "PJ" Davies, the boss of Bunnings Homebase in the UK is to take a three month period of leave in mid January...

Much loved industry figure passes away after cancer battle

Kernock Park Plants have announced the sad news that Mark Taylor, the company's Business Development Manager, has passed away following a five-year battle against cancer...

OBEs for Colin Squire and John Athwal

Two stalwarts of the UK garden centre industry, Colin Squire (pictured) and John Athwal have been awarded OBE's in the New Year's Honours list...

2017: A year of transition for the garden centre trade

It’s been a strange year, yet for all that an oddly exciting one when you begin to peer into the detail – a year of transition in which the garden industry has continued to adapt, albeit cautiously, to a rapidly changing retail world. In this special edition of GTN Xtra, associate editor Mike Wyatt looks back at 2017...