In This Issue
One good week and gardening sales get going
Petition to get garden centres in Scotland and Wales open again as soon as possible gains momentum, but they still need our help
Hozelock adds to popular trigger sprayer range
Floralsilk opens impressive purpose built showroom
Stock up on smiles for 2021 with DCUK
Get set go – supporters confirm plans for Garden Re-Leaf
Online garden products retailer sold to private equity firm
Plant sales point to a summer of colour
elho earns Certified B Corporation status
Scotsdale warehouse extension gets green light
HTA reports tough trading conditions in January
Record manufacturing output and inventory holding to serve increased customer demand
March decision date for spoga+gafa
Garden centres in Top 10 list for 'popular local retailers'
Not all topsoils are created equal!
Cost and time reduction for nursery management
Altons BBQ World, Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange, Baytree, Busy Bee, Groves, Pengelly, Pughs, The Old Railway Line and Squires Badshot Lea are the winners of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards
Christmas Future Trends at Glee's Festive Focus Day
GTN's Christmas Special Issue - read on-line here
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Plant feeding frenzy boosts garden product sales
HTA reacts to post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland
Early Birds and better weather send growing media sales crazy
HTA’s OMC agree to form group to communicate industry’s future research needs
Cold weather boost for Wild Bird Care
BHETA moves Exclusively Show to August
Understanding and developing ornamental horticulture in China
The best of last week's
Joules acquires digitally led retailer Garden Trading
Pearson Memorial medal awarded to Adam Wigglesworth of Aylett Nurseries
AMES UK invest more than £1m in infrastructure and people in response to increasing market demand
Looking forward to better weather
New Board Members and Future Chairman confirmed at GCA AGM
The green shoots of recovery
From Seeds to Suet, Honeyfield’s continue to innovate
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Squires Badshot Lea - Christmas 2020
Perrywood at Christmas 2020 - with correct photo gallery now...
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Pet brands triumph in Product of the Year awards
ChickenGuard achieves record worldwide sales
OATA seeks urgent government action over import problems
Virtual Petindex is open for registrations
Send us your news and great ideas

Contact us with your news.

Email trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 07973 504214

 

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The green shoots of recovery
GTN Xtra Promotion

 

Spring is in the air, and with it, a sense of hope. Although this current lockdown has been exceptionally challenging for many businesses, garden and farm centres have been in the fortunate position of being allowed to stay open.

 

With limited destination retail experiences for people to enjoy, no doubt this has reaped the benefits of a wider demographic and increased footfall. But it’s important to maintain this when mainstream retail opens up again.

 

Specialist designers, Catering Design Group (CDG), walk us through some fresh ideas to maintain and nurture growth ahead.

 

Hue got me at hello

  • Colour can be a form of non-verbal messaging, subliminally affecting how we feel when we walk into a space. 
  • Having the right colour palette not only reflects your ethos and values but can enhance the customer experience. Visiting a garden or farm centre is one of life’s pleasures so it’s important that you meet expectations in every area of your centre, including your catering operation. Naturally, this space should complement your retail and outdoor spaces. 
  • One way of doing that is by using colour creatively and using the psychology of colour for maximum input. A change of colour is a quick, cost-effective and impactful way of refreshing your eating spaces.

A story of sustainability 

  • Over the last 12 months, there has been a shift in how we view the world and what is important to us as humans, such as kindness, interest in community, health, wellbeing and the environment. There’s an opportunity for garden centres to embrace this and reflect these values in your food offer and surroundings.
  • Everything from natural textures and organic shapes to the use of patterns inspired by nature tell a story about your ethos.  
  • Even the tiniest finishing touches like your choice of serving bowls, your menu design or light fittings can spark an association with sustainability in a customer’s mind, speaking volumes about your quality standards, values and sustainability. 
  • These design elements let visitors know that you care about the environment, energy efficiency and the community in which you operate. 
  • Think about placing story boards with pictures and details about some of your local food growers and artisan producers to share the provenance of your ingredients. 

Think technology

  • There is no doubt that the garden centre visitor demographic is changing, with younger people now waking up to the joys of gardening and outdoor spaces. 
  • Unfortunately, there is also no doubt that social distancing will be with us for another while so anything you can do to make the customer experience safer and more convenient is a plus. 
  • A well-designed App for ordering food will reduce queues, waiting times and transaction handling for this techno-savvy customer-base. Special offers and loyalty bonuses can be easily added, with the potential to increase sales and repeat business. 
  • With the growth virtual platforms and on-line purchasing, all generations have become far more tech savvy so tap into that as there is a big opportunity for garden and farm centres to use technology to drive business growth. 
  • The use of technology is relevant to the way that we design the restaurant/remote food areas. For example, if customers pre-order via an App, we will be thinking about collection points or table delivery from a design perspective.

Embrace the great outdoors

  • Even when lockdown restrictions lift, many of us won’t feel entirely comfortable eating together in an indoor restaurant or café. 
  • Giving visitors a choice of interesting eating spaces throughout the centre will add to their overall experience.
  • For example, you could consider introducing moveable pods to broaden your food offer such as a takeaway juice bar, hot beverage station or a quirky place to sell street food or pizzas for increased revenue. 
  • The advantage of smaller, moveable pods is that these can tailored to suit your food offer, style and branding. 
  • Attractive outside seating areas also offer more flexible options for anything from takeaway picnics to al fresco working lunches or meetings.

 

Nurturing Potential

Ideas & inspiration to grow your catering operation

 

To request a copy of CDG’s free booklet on how to make the most of your garden or farm centre catering space, please contact Steve Hutchings

steve.hutchings@cateringdesign.co.uk

 

Catering Design Group (CDG) is one of UK’s leading restaurant and commercial kitchen design companies, offering a full design service to clients throughout the retail, leisure, hospitality and education sectors. http://www.cateringdesign.co.uk If you would like to know more about how CDG can support your vision, contact Steve Hutchings, director of CDG on 07736 479342 or email steve.hutchings@cateringdesign.co.uk

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