Gardman CEO Stewart Hainsworth is to step down from the business, the sundries and wild bird care products company announced this morning.

Hainsworth, who joined the business in 2013, is to pursue an international opportunity within the drinks sector, where he spent most of his earlier career.

Jonathan Halford, Gardman’s executive chairman since 2012, takes immediate day-to-day control of the business “to transition to a new CEO in due course”.

The senior management team will remain in place, tasked with continuing the development of the company’s competitive trading strategy.

In a statement, Halford said: "The senior management team have worked tirelessly over the last 18 months and made significant contributions to the growth of our business, proven by our Jan-Feb sales which confirm a 21% increase on 2014.

“Leading this approach, Stewart enabled us to create a more dynamic and flexible business and successfully introduced new initiatives to bring us closer to our customers. I’d like to thank him for his efforts during a key period for Gardman and to wish him success in his future career.

“I am dedicated to taking the company through the next steps in its strategy, focusing on trading our core categories harder for the benefit of our customers and their consumers.” 

Halford continued: “The developments recently undertaken have provided Gardman with an even stronger retail foothold. I fully endorse our strategy to build a consumer-focussed business, using brands and innovative products to drive growth.

“We have a very clear vision for the future, with a strong and committed management team and supportive Investors which will allow us to invest further in growth both here in the UK and internationally.”

Staff and customers at Baytree Garden Centre in Spalding and at Bosworths Garden Centre in Kettering have been getting in the mood for Garden Re-Leaf Day on Friday 27 March by taking ‘Glovies’ of their staff at work.

‘Glovies’ are the new Selfies and they’ve caught on a big way since glove suppliers Briers put their promotional weight behind the idea. Posted on social media (#glovies), they’ve been drawing attention to Garden Re-Leaf activities at garden centres throughout the country.

At Baytree Garden Centre the Holbeach Chapter of the Fen Fatales were first to get in on Glovies directly after General Manager Nigel Wallis recieved his copy of GTN along with the complimentary pair of Greenfingers Gloves from Briers.

Bosworths have a competition online, Facebook and Twitter for the funniest #Glovies to win Afternoon Tea for Two.  They are also holding a special Garden Re-Leaf quiz at the centre on Thursday 26 March, when they will aim to raise funds for Greenfingers, Garden Re-Leaf’s nominated charity.

If you have not yet organised events or activities for Garden Re-Leaf Day, there’s still time to check out the ideas on the website (www.gardenreleaf.co.uk).

Horticultural celebrities from TV and radio are busy recording questions, wearing Glovies of course, for the 2015 Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day Quiz.

Popular stars of TV and radio Christine Walkden and Chris Beardshaw are currently recording questions for the quiz, along with their BBC Radio 4’s Gardener’s Question Time colleague Eric Robson and BBC weatherman Peter Gibbs. Other well-known gardening experts such as Anne Swithinbank, Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness, Matthew Biggs and Matthew Wilson (Greenfingers Chairman) are also contributing to the esteemed quiz.

All monies raised from the quiz, with questions this year written by Andy Bunker of Altons Garden Centre and produced in the studios of Garden Radio, will once again go to the Greenfingers ‘Rosy Cheeks’ campaign. The campaign aims to provide much needed gardens for children who spend time in hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating inspiring gardens and outdoor spaces for them to relax in and enjoy.

The 2015 Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day Quiz is available to all garden centres, gardening societies and other organisations and is the perfect way to participate in the fourth, annual Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day, which takes place on 27th March 2015.

For £100 participants will receive a pack containing all they need to host the quiz – it includes a special CD or Mp3 download of pre-recorded questions (and answers) to play to the audience, everything needed for the picture round, and a bonus pack of fundraising ideas, hints and tips.

Bosworth’s Garden Centre in Burton Latimer were one of the many garden centres that received great interest in last year’s Garden Re-Leaf Day Quiz. Marketing Co-ordinator, Jonathan Biggs, said: “The quiz was so easy to run, our teams were delighted to hear celebrities’ voices asking the questions, and the ‘heads and tails’ game was great fun.”

Garden centres wanting to take part should register on the Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day website, and can also take advantage of free publicity for their events, by filling in the simple form online at www.gardenreleaf.co.uk/register-an-event. Once registered, each individual event appears on the site’s ‘events’ section, and is searchable by area to help the public find their local participating garden centre.

The quiz is just one of many ways to raise funds for Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day. Other retailer participation ideas include in-store sponsored cycle rides, as well as fun family day activities such as making cress heads and sowing Sunflowers – the Home Garden Association’s plant of the year for 2015. Suppliers can also get involved with the Loose Change promotion.

To ensure maximum exposure for your event, make sure to register soon via www.gardenreleaf.co.uk/register-an-event. To order your 2015 Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day quiz pack, explore other opportunities for supporting the 2015 event as a supplier, or participate as a retailer, email info@gardenreleaf.co.uk.

Our client is a well-respected and established company who supply the retail sector via traditional and also new media, internet and TV shopping avenues. They are currently looking to recruit a buyer who will be responsible for purchasing live product, hard goods and Christmas gift product for all sales areas against a list of dedicated suppliers.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Purchase plants/bulbs/tubers/fruit/packaging/potatoes/sundries/fertiliser, based on the forecasting model, ensuring quotes are obtained in advance.
• Place reserves ahead of forecasts to secure exclusives/unique crops by liaison with sales heads.
• To monitor product sales information to keep excess plant purchases to a minimum with ideally no surplus by financial year end.
• To assist with a report to sales and management teams on surpluses every week.
• Responsible for Product availability information (Delivery Window for Product availability).
• Communicate changes in product specification (plug/pot size changes etc) to all relevant parties and ensure any BOM changes are actioned. 
• Date management – responsible for product date changes.
• Where stock available is less than required sales, make timely decisions in liaison with sales, to allocate who gets what and action any other relevant decisions… 
• Delay/Status Change/Refund items as required.
• Substitutions – Recommend substitute product where appropriate (in line with company horticultural guidelines), and then organise information for Customer Care to do sub notes for dispatch on a timely basis.
• To be actively involved in purchase negotiations to ensure maximum discount and best terms are achieved without compromising product quality.
• To visit trials and to attend shows globally.
• To ensure that amendments to purchase orders are always complete for both quantity and timing.
• To control and manage budgets assigned to job holder.
• Liaise with Production for the despatch plan on capacities.
• Quality control – visit every supplier once a year, and major suppliers quarterly, or more often if dictates 
• Be aware of all quality claims, month end stock, and wastage.
• Responsible for stock at other locations. 
• To continually improve company and intercompany communication through team meetings and feedback mechanisms.
• To assume responsibility for own training and development in partnership with the line Manager.
• Continually update own commercial and company knowledge in order to make effective contributions towards the running of the company.
• To perform any other reasonable duties as required by the Head Buyer.

For a confidential discussion, please call Brad Peck at MorePeople on 01780 480530 quoting reference #7146

Our client is a leading nursery who supply their own garden centres with bedding and other top quality plants they are looking for:

A candidate that can demonstrate their ability to Plan, organize, direct, control and coordinate activities of workers at all stages of growing, harvesting, packing, distribution and selling to the highest standards in terms of quality and efficiency.

A hands on manager of people with past experience of growing on a commercial seasonal plant (ideally bedding plants) nursery with excellent I.T skills to include Microsoft office and ideally some experience of a stock control system.

We need someone who can hit the ground running, quickly identifying quality and efficiency improvements and put systems and procedures in place to meet the business demands. Working under their own initiative, they will be responsible for all day to day activities within the nursery.

This is a development role with the expectation that a successful candidate would progress to Nursery manager in the future.

For a confidential discussion, please call Brad Peck at MorePeople on 01780 480530 quoting reference #7115

I am currently seeking an assistant manager for a site that belongs to a chain of garden centres based in the midlands. 

I am seeking a competent retail manager to join the senior leadership team of this centre to help drive the turnover of the store with a real emphasis on customer service.  

The centre is plant focussed but also has a good deal of indoor departments. The number of departments will grow as planned investment at group level will develop the site. 

Experience as a retail manager previously would be ideal but enthusiasm and attitude will be just as important in finding the right candidate. Supervisory level would be required but it does not have to be in a garden retail environment.

For a confidential discussion, please call Brad Beck at MorePeople on 01780 480530 quoting reference #7072

I am currently seeking a home & leisure manager to join the team of a large independent garden centre. 

Retail management experience is a must for this role as you will be leading a large team in a busy shop floor environment.

Experience at supervisory level may be adequate but will be evaluated on an application by application basis. 

I am looking for someone who is a driven retailer. The goal of this store is to be the best and their managers need to lead from the front.

Experience from a similar quality focussed environment would be preferred

For a confidential discussion, please call Brad Beck at MorePeople on 01780 480530 quoting reference #7076

The Rising Stars 2015 Programme has received a record number of entries from garden centre staff looking to get ahead in the world of horticultural retailing.

Demand for places and the calibre of the applicants was so high that a second workshop has been planned for early April to accommodate everyone.

The programme, run by Westland Horticulture and the Garden Centre Association (GCA), is now in its seventh year and has been hugely successful to date, welcomed by the industry and participants alike.

This year a total of 31 people signed up for the programme and ultimately one will achieve the title of Rising Star of 2015.

The first Masterclass kicked off at Westland’s Merchandising Lab in Peterborough, where Ian Boardman, IBBIS (UK) director and Rising Stars facilitator, put the entrants through their paces. Ian gave hints and tips on how to increase sales and profits from every square metre in their garden centres and more importantly, how to ensure that customers have a great experience each time they visit. The Rising Stars must now put the merchandising tips they were taught into practice and measure the impact, ready for the next Masterclass in June. A follow-up session will be held at the start of April for those unable to attend yesterday’s session.

There will be three Masterclasses throughout the year in which participants will be given extensive coaching and mentoring in different aspects of retail merchandising. After the first two Masterclasses, the most successful participants will be taken through to the next round.

Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director for Westland Horticulture said: “Each year the Rising Stars Programme gets more and more successful and the standard achieved higher and higher. This demonstrates that horticultural retailing is a strong career choice, which is fantastic for the industry as a whole. We are proud to be once again supporting this initiative.

“I would like to wish all of the 2015 candidates the best of luck. I’m certain, regardless of whether they go on to win or not, they will get a lot of benefit from the experience.”

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA said: “We are all really excited about this year’s programme. Due to popular demand we will once again put forward the top five candidates to deliver their presentations at the GCA’s annual conference in January 2016 before the ultimate winner is announced at the gala dinner a day later on Tuesday 26 January 2016. Best of luck to all those taking part!”

Anyone interested in applying for the April 1 Masterclass should contact the GCA on 0118 930 8918 or visit www.gca.org.uk and complete an application form. 

Above: This year's Rising Star winner Kirsty Clark of Perrywood Garden Centre.

Even growing media sales took a dip last week, the first drop year on year for six weeks. 

That still leaves cumulative volumes up significantly but clearly gardeners are now waiting for their soil to defrost.  

Let’s hope this weekend is the trigger. In the meantime the Top 3 bestselling lines in the GTN growing media chart continue to be:

• Westland Multipurpose 50L at No 1.
• Scotts Levington Multipurpose + John Innes 56L at No 2.
• Arthur Bowers Multipurpose Compost 50L at No 3 for a third week running.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Early signs are that it could be a great year for home tomato growing.  While the overall Veg-2-Gro sales were struggling along with the rest of garden centre sales, tomato plug plant volumes held their own year on year, growing sales by 98% on last week, with seven varieties in the GTN Bestsellers Top 50.

Star performers were:

• KinderGarden Tomato Gardeners Delight moves up eight places to No 4.
• KinderGarden Tomato Sungold is the highest chart climber, up 29 places to No 14.
• KinderGarden Tomato Alicante is the highest new entry at No 18.

A notable change between the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart for week 9 this year vs last year is that there were five gardening glove lines in the Top 50 in 2014 and there are none this year. That’s another great indicator that customers are just not able to get on with their gardening at the moment.

• Growth Technology Orchid Focus Bloom Fertiliser 100ml is this week’s highest re-entry.
• Westland Fish Blood & Bone 3.5kg is the highest chart climber, up 35 places to No 10.
• Gardman Solar Swirl Marker Lights are the highest new entry at No 24.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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