It might have been a grey November day, but the 50 members of the GCA who set off on a route around London’s top retailers were filled with Christmas cheer. Their mission was to capture new ideas in merchandising, display, signage and lighting, to take back to their own centres and incorporate into their Christmas offering.

Starting at Southwark Winter Market, the walking tour wound through Covent Garden, to Hamleys, Liberty, John Lewis, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and finally the Burlington Arcade. Some of the group even managed to squeeze in the Christmas market in Leicester Square and the new look M&S in Oxford Street.

A clear favourite was the planting outside Covent Garden. Simple but effective it included fruit boxes and carts (harking back to Covent Garden’s past) overflowing with evergreens and bold red cyclamen. Sold in every planetaria, it was easy to see how similar planting and displays would work in any garden centre.

The tour was hot on the heels of the GCA Northern Tour to see how Christmas is done at  Klondyke Heigh Lee in Knutsford, The Hollies Farm Shop, Bents Garden & Home and Newbank Garden Centre.

See the gallery of pictures below for more Christmas ideas...