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"Every single thing we do is driven at the moment by trying to manage the risk to customers and staff"
Garden Centres put the positive stories about retailing during Lockdown 2
Over the weekend, GTN Xtra has been speaking with garden centre owners and managers about how they have been pro-actively managing customer safety during Lockdown 2...
"Everyone has to be thoughtful and help. And that's the message we're trying to get across.”
“We spent a huge amount time last week, expanding the queues to two and a half rather than two metres and made them wider outside to make sure people are social distancing."
“We're being quite respectful about the fact that we're really fortunate to have been able to stay open.”
Read comments from Ayletts, Bents, Blue Diamond, Altons, Stewarts, St Peters, Perrywood, Green Pastures, Klondyke, Glendoick, Pughs, Baytree and Planters
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Four tips to maximise your garden centre on a budget
GTN Promotion
With many planned investment projects on hold at present, garden centres can make small, cost effective design changes that could impact positively on footfall and profitability. Garden and farm centre design specialists, Catering Design Group (CDG), share some creative tips here on how to revamp on a tight budget...
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Hillier to Open New Garden Centre at Syon Park Estate
Hillier Garden Centres and the Syon Park Estate have announced the Spring 2021 opening of Hillier Syon Park...
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British nurseries are amongst the most eco-friendly on the planet, not that you’d know from watching Gardeners’ World
Peter Seabrook is sick and tired of our industry being critised, particularly by TV gardening presenters. So in The Sun at the weekend he put forward this case in answer to the critics...
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Restaurant gets star billing at redeveloped centre
A superb new restaurant and coffee lounge called the Summerhouse is one of the many impressive features of a transformed garden centre in Hampshire...
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GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards are back!
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...
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Change at the top for family-run Highfield Garden World
Gloucestershire’s leading independent garden centre has strengthened its management team with the appointment of a new board member. Tim Armstrong, who has been General Manager at Highfield Garden World for five years, joins mother and son team Joan and Tim Greenway, plus Planteria Manager Jon Mason, on the Board of Directors.
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Sales jump by 20% to record mid-November levels
We’re halfway through Lockdown 2 and despite fewer people being allowed in garden centres, volume sales jumped last week by 20% to set a new record in sales volumes terms for the third week of November...
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Plants are selling at record levels during Lockdown 2
It’s mid-November and plant sales are still over a third up on previous years. Are you ready for a boom in plant sales in December? There’s no sign of sales flattening out just yet...
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Container issues continue to escalate at UK ports
LOFA reported two weeks ago of the congestion that is causing major problems at UK ports, this crisis is now escalating, and the situation is now being highlighted by the BBC who are reporting on the struggle and financial impact this it is having on UK businesses...
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HTA launches Sustainability Roadmap to guide UK horticulture towards leading edge of sustainable business practice
“Not only is it in our interest to collaborate on ambitious targets, but the climate emergency means people will rightly look to us for the highest standards. Sustainability can be achieved by balancing impacts on people, planet and profit. When businesses work towards this and all three aspects of sustainability are in place and mutually supportive, we can deliver lasting benefits to the environment...”
Read more and download the Charter
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All the latest news from the world of pet products
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Back to business for industry exhibitions
Organisers of the PATS and AQUA exhibitions have welcomed news that the business events sector will be able to re-open under the revised Tier system when current Lockdown restrictions are lifted on December 2...
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The Most Jumperful Time of the Year Fundraiser starts tomorrow!
Tomorrow, Tuiesday 1st December, Natalie Porter of Happy Plants will embark upon a slightly ridiculous mission to wear a different Christmas Jumper for each day of advent, finishing up on Christmas Day...
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Work starts on site for largest Dobbies in South West
Building work has started on the Designer Outlet Cotswold development off the M5 in Gloucestershire, which will include the largest Dobbies Garden Centre in South West England...
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Possible Christmas tree shortage due to Danish mink cull
The UK could be facing a Christmas tree shortage after Denmark’s Covid mink cull impacted supply, experts have warned...
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Henry Bell clinches deal with Future Marketing Group
Pets and wild bird food producer Henry Bell has secured a one-year contract with independent garden centre group, Future Marketing Group (FMG). The company will be the primary supplier of wild bird care for FMG’s 20 nationwide garden centres, supplying its full range of over 130 products...
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Janssens Greenhouses – over 70 years of heritage
Vitavia is the UK distributor for Belgian company Janssens Greenhouses. Here Andrea Wells of Vitavia interviews Peter Janssens, owner and CEO of Janssens Greenhouses...
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Garden centre gets new appearance thanks to Smiemans
A metamorphose will soon be created by Smiemans Projecten for Tronsholen Garden Centre, member of the well-known Hageland chain. With a new entrance and the replacement of all facades, this centre in the southwest of Norway is getting a complete upgrade.
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GTN November issue now on-line
GTN's November 2020 issue, published this week, is now available to read on-line below:
Read GTN's November 2020 issue here
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Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox...
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Garden centre customers find happiness in houseplants in October
Customers at garden centres across the country boosted their spirits by buying houseplants during October (2020) according to the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade report...
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Two-thirds more gardening this Autumn – Wow!
Growing media volume sales were up by 60% again last week. As a result the GTN Bestsellers Growing Media index now sits at +2.9% vs last year and that’s with zero sales being recorded during the seven weeks of Lockdown 1...
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End of season pot bargains and houseplant care star
Whilst the steam appears to have run out in terms of garden product sales growth vs last year, sales so far during November have been on a par with the average of the previous seven years so a creditable performance really considering we are in Lockdown with all of its Social Distancing restrictions...
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HTA reacts to new December tier arrangements
Reacting to the news today that England will be returning to regional tiered approach from 2 December, HTA Director of Policy and Communications, James Clark, said: “It’s good news that garden centres can continue to operate as well as growers and landscapers. Together they form an important industry which contributes to the wider economy..."
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Gonks fly through tills as Christmas sales jump up
Christmas sales are back in the positive after three weeks of Lockdown shopping according to the Garden Centre Epos data supplied for GTN Bestsellers...
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A Christmas feast for your garden birds
Christmas may look different for many of us this year, but your garden birds will be just as hungry as ever! In the winter there’s less food available in the countryside so any food you put out in your garden or balcony will be very gratefully received. Here’s a quick RSPB guide to what you can put out and foods to avoid.
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The best of last week's
If you missed last week's GTN Xtra, below are the most-read stories...
A Perfect Storm Hits the Garden Market
"This is both the challenge and the opportunity facing the entire supply chain to the world of the home and garden. Seeing this year as a one-off ‘boom’ is to misunderstand the fundamental shift in consumerism from the frivolous, to the family & home.
Following on from GTN October issues' compilation of New Gardener Research we invited Phil Pond of Scarlet Opus, who provide future lifestyle, consumer & design trend intelligence for garden sector manufacturers & retailers, to give a wider perspective on what has changed during 2020 and the previous five years and the implications for garden retailing over the coming years...
Read the full article in GTN's November Issue here
Sales fall by 5.5% in Lockdown 2
The first full week of Lockdown 2 in England saw total garden centre sales volumes fall by 5.5% but still match last year’s volumes despite lower footfall...
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“The Smart Show must go on…line!”
Smart Garden have launched their online Virtual Showroom enabling all customers to ‘visit’ the Company’s Eureka facility at Peterborough...
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Five creative ways to enhance your takeaway service during lockdown
With catering operations currently restricted to takeaway only under Covid-19 lockdown, here are some creative steps you can take to adapt your existing service to make the most of your catering potential at this time. This advice is supplied by the Catering Design Group...
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Profits up at Notcutts in year to February 2020
Notcutts have announced another year of profit growth in the year ending February 2020 with operating profit up 13.5% to £1.72m...
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Garden Centre Photo Tours
If you've missed one of our popular photo tours of garden centres then click on the links below:
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers following a 12-month refurbishment costing £15m...
Read more and see GTN Xtras photo tour of the new centre
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Charles Stubbs, Lewis Fox and Nemanja Tintor, along with the rest of the BGC team, were proud as punch yesterday as their 58th centre at Thatcham in Berkshire opened...
See GTN Xtra's exclusive photo tour of the new centre
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
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.
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