Garden Centre Retail December 2024

Welcome

Welcome to the December issue of the Garden Centre Retail magazine.

This is our last issue of the year – a year that has been difficult for our sector for a number of reasons. But one thing that always shines through is the resilience and ability to adapt that separates this industry from many other retail sectors. It’s something that should be celebrated and reflected on over this month and beyond.

Whether it’s new product areas, sustainability initiatives or special events that drive customers through your doors, many other sectors wouldn’t have the ability and inventiveness to keep pushing forward when times look bleak. It’s not been successful for everyone this year, but others have thrived and gone on to build even better businesses.

2025 is shaping up to be a very similar propostition to this year, with further challenges set to test and push the boundaries of successful businesses, but we have full faith in this industry to keep pushing the envelope and to continue to defy the odds.

We will be back with the January issue at the start of next year, and we are determined to continue to support you and your businesses. We’re looking forward to speaking with more and more of you next year so we can help showcase the brilliance that is out there, whilst hopefully inspiring new ideas in all different areas of the business.

Thank you for all your support this year. Here’s to a successful festive period –we’ll see you on the other side.

Joe

Wilkinson

Joe Wilkinson Head of content

ONE THING THAT ALWAYS SHINES THROUGH IS THE RESILIENCE

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Budget reaction from the GCA CEO Peter Burks shares his thoughts on the government’s budget announcement

2025 for GIMA members

GIMA members share their thoughts on the product trends for next year

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How the changing demographics are going to affect garden centres?

Andrew Burton of Playdell Smithyman shares the need for garden centres to adapt to shifting demographics

5 marketing trends for 2025

Fay Clarkson of Honest Communiations gives an insight into marketing trends

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17

22 25

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31

35

Ferns

Is cash really dying?

We uncover cash’s surprising comeback and its enduring societal value

25 years of Blue Diamond

Alan Roper shares insights on building the UK’s largest garden centre business

The Blue Barn at Tong Garden Centre Yorkshire Garden Centres expands into pets through The Blue Barn partnership

AI in garden centres

Edwin Meijer highlights AI’s potential to transform garden centres

Open banking

We explore the need for smarter retail credit solutions powered by Open Banking

Pet ownership statistics

Rising UK pet ownership highlights growth potential for the product sector

Celebrating excellence: The GIMA Awards

We’re delving into 2024 GIMA Awards winners, finalists, and sustainability champions

We explore the range of ferns available commercially for garden centres

Lighting products

A round-up of products in the lighting sector

Products at the Pet Innovation Expo 2024 A round-up of pet products seen at the expo

And lights will guide you home...

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The GCA reaction TO THE BUDGET

GCA CHIEF EXECUTIVE PETER BURKS SHARES HIS REACTION TO THE BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT

The budget was not too kind to our industry, or indeed to any small or medium-sized businesses.

I can never follow a politician’s logic of adding more and more costs to a business. Where do they think this money will come from, or are they happy knowing that ultimately prices will go up and our customers will be paying more for the same? They probably think, if indeed they ever do, that it isn’t their problem.

The additional costs that the budget has added just pile on top of the significant cost increases that we have seen in recent years from living wage increases, shipping, energy, and so on. It has been interesting talking to our members to hear what they are doing to try and combat this, and there are a lot of initiatives being investigated. Plants still make up about a third of total sales in most members garden centres, and it is within this category that there lie good opportunities for increasing retail prices without appearing to get out of line with your competitors.

My suggestion is to visit your local plant retailers and investigate the prices of some key lines, which in my experience will vary by quite a lot. As we all know, the same plant can be offered for sale in many different-sized

PLANTS STILL MAKE UP ABOUT A THIRD OF TOTAL SALES

pots, and of course, you inevitably get wellgrown plants and some batches that aren’t so large.

Challenge your buying team to ensure you are getting the biggest plants available in the size of pot you wish to retail. You can then position your price at the higher end of the local price structure, hopefully increasing gross margin without affecting sales.

As an industry, we do tend to work on a cost-plus method of coming

up with our retail prices, but can customers understand that and can they see why similar products are different prices?

I recently did some work involving a selection of artificial flowers. There was a good range, with almost every different flower having a different retail price. I asked the buyer why this was happening. They all cost us different amounts, came the reply. We compared similar-looking flowers and decided to price them all at the higher price. This resulted in no less sales but a better gross margin. It’s worth looking at ranges like this to see if there are small amendments you could make to get a better result.

Another simple exercise is to look at the most profitable areas of the garden centre and see if you can make more of them. Restaurants have been doing very well for several years now, our Barometer of Trade is showing a good increase of plus 11.5% year-to-date.

Could you increase the size of the area devoted to this and take this from an area that doesn’t create as much profit? If you already have a restaurant, why not add a coffee shop? Change the seating, ambience, etc. I’m told by members this adds new sales and does not detract from your existing offer. There is much to consider trying to make more from what you already have.

About Peter Burks

Peter Burks, CEO of the GCA, is a fully trained horticulturalist and has worked in directorial and senior management roles for over 40 years. Peter helped set up/run the multi-awardwinning Sanders Garden World in Somerset. He also became regional manager of the South West for Wyevale Garden Centres, and general manager for Trelawney’s in Cornwall, as well as managing Fermoy’s Garden Centre in Devon. gca.org.uk

has in store What 2025

AS THE NEW YEAR FAST APPROACHES, GIMA MEMBERS OFFER THEIR PREDICTIONS FOR 2025, WITH INSIGHTS INTO WHICH TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES RETAILERS SHOULD BE CAPITALISING ON TO KEEP THOSE TILLS RINGING OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

Without knowing what the weather has in store for us in 2025, it’s difficult to know much about how the core gardening season will fare; however, there are plenty of drivers for change that are creating opportunities for retailers across the sector.

Sustainability and final phase-out of peat One of the biggest predictions for the year ahead is a continued interest in sustainable and responsible products that actively promote

or reduce their impact on the environment. “Greenkey Garden and Home has seen a huge focus on sustainability and environmental impact from customers,” says Alexandra Mangan. “We believe these two trends will grow significantly in 2025. We know that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact their garden can have on biodiversity and the wider environment. Consequently, we’ve seen a substantial rise in sales of our insect habitats and sustainable hedgehog homes. We predict that this growth in sales will continue well into 2025, as the UK public looks for small ways to help the environment. Consumers are also more mindful of the types of products they are choosing. Our FSC-certified broom and brush range has been a hit, as more consumers are choosing sustainable garden products.”

garden. Expanding on its popular Micro-Drip range, GARDENA will introduce the solarpowered AquaBloom L, which can water up to 30 plants without an outdoor power source or tap. The system uses much less water than traditional irrigation methods, and with a pre-set timer, users can water their plants when evaporation is minimal. GARDENA will also add the new Easy and EasyPlus water controls in 2025, allowing gardeners to set their own bespoke, waterefficient irrigation schedule.”

This sentiment is echoed by GARDENA, as channel sales manager, Edward Cantle explains how greater consideration for natural resources is shaping its offer for next year: “In recent years, more people are becoming conscious of how much water they use in their homes and gardens. In response, GARDENA will grow its range of watering solutions in 2025 to help people use less water in the

Following a management buyout by David and Craig Hall last year, Deco-Pak has implemented a new strategic direction focused on sustainability, innovation, and enhancing customer value. managing director, Craig Hall says, “Looking forward to 2025, we anticipate that consumer demand for environmentally responsible products will only continue to grow. We are excited to continue leading the way with innovative, sustainable solutions that meet the needs of garden centres and consumers alike.”

Despite ongoing uncertainty over the deadline for the peat ban, the industry is still pushing ahead with innovation in the category

to ensure gardeners are armed with peat-free and peat-reduced growing media that does the trick.

Durston Garden Products has impressed with a brandnew peat-free collection that is set to make waves in 2025, having outperformed both peat-free and peat-based competitor products in independent growing trials. Formulated using a winning blend of ingredients that are unique to Durstons in the UK, including Gro Fibre and Gro Boost, the new peat-free range ensures healthy plant growth and optimal moisture control without the nitrogen lock-up that can pose a problem in other peat-free composts.

RocketGro announced that it will have pushed past achieving net-zero carbon emissions, so the business will actually take more carbon out of the atmosphere than it produces. Managing director Toby Thomas says: “We are on a carbon capture journey, growing the crops at our farm, which we use to create our amazing products, along with renewable energy to power more than 13,000 homes. It is all one virtuous circle. It is not an exaggeration to say that every time a gardener buys a bag of RocketGro compost, they are actively taking carbon out of the atmosphere.”

Top trends

Dan Durston explains, “We’re really excited about the 2025 season because we know our consistent and reliable peat-free composts will help gardeners grow confidently without peat. We recognise the importance of building consumer confidence in the category and, by utilising a brand-new ingredient, Gro Fibre, which supports moisture retention and doesn’t lock nutrients, we’ve created a range of products that actually outperforms peatbased media.”

Meanwhile, Somerset-based peat-free compost producer, RocketGro says it is on a journey to become the world’s first climatepositive compost brand. Having completed a CO 2 capture plant at its biogas facility,

Trend forecasters predict that consumers will favour layered colours and fun touches in their homes and gardens in 2025. This has been seen particularly in outdoor decorative lighting, which had a great year in 2024. David Eaton, Trade Director & Co-Founder of Solar Centre explains, “Last year was a fantastic one for us, as many of our exciting prospects turned into reality. We’ve seen significant growth in the decorative garden lighting market, with

innovative designs like mushroom lights capturing customers’ imaginations. Looking ahead, we anticipate this trend will only grow stronger, with more homeowners seeking unique and whimsical ways to enhance their outdoor spaces.”

Hug Rug’s in-house designers have highlighted and created trend-driven pieces to add to its existing doormat collections. “Consumers have started to gravitate towards fun and bright pieces to create a focal point in their rooms, which we have brought to life in our ‘beady stripe’ design,” says brand director, Lizzie Mosley. “Our customers love that our Hug Rugs are washable, so we’ve brought this into our brand-new area rug line too. We’ve launched brand new rug sizes in our already popular Sense range, made from recycled plastic bottles, and created a brand-new range of eco-washable rugs, which come in a range of designs.”

Finally, as people strive to put their own stamp on their spaces, Stewart – who celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025 – is set to introduce 50 new product SKUs, carefully crafted to cater to evolving consumer needs. “These products will focus on enhancing garden spaces, blending functionality with aesthetics. With an emphasis on designs, the new range will cater to consumer needs across all spaces, from expansive gardens to small balconies.”

Here’s to a successful year for the industry, with plenty of chances to increase basket spend.

About GIMA

GIMA is a membership organisation of around 170 companies representing the majority share of suppliers and manufacturers in the UK gardening industry. Its goal is to promote the commercial, trading, and industrial interests of its UK- and EU-based members. Run by a team of professionals and governed by a council of members, GIMA is funded by membership subscriptions and services. Its extensive range of services and support caters to all members. gima.org.uk

HOW ARE THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS GARDEN CENTRES? GOING TO AFFECT

WITH A SHIFTING POPULATION LANDSCAPE, ANDREW BURTON EXPLORES THE EVOLVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GARDEN CENTRE INDUSTRY

It’s a changing world. It seems that since 2020, we have been going through an ever-evolving life. The word ‘Permacrisis’ hit the Oxford English dictionary in 2022, a word describing the feeling of living through a period of war, inflation, and political instability. Two years on, and I feel we are still in this situation with ongoing and new events all over the world. In the UK we have seen changes in government, which has led to the new budget, which will cause challenges in our garden centre industry, and the ongoing change in our demographic.

JUST

HOW IS THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE UK CHANGING AND WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT

So, just how is the demographic of the UK changing, and why is this important to garden centres.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports the UK population rose to 68.3 million by the middle of 2023. This uplift was largely due to net international migration, and the total population of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland grew from an estimated 67.6 million in mid-2022 to 68.3 million in mid-2023.

According to Sky News, this is the largest annual numerical and percentage increase since comparable records began in 1971.

Sky News added with the exception of 2020, during the covid pandemic, officials said it was the first time there had been negative “natural change” in the population since 1976, and that the natural change in population, which is the difference between births and deaths, fell by 16,300. Previous projections from the ONS suggested a negative reading would not occur until the mid-2030s.

There could be an additional one million people aged 85 and over in the UK by 2036 When we consider that The Office for National Statistics projects the population will increase by 6.6 million people (9.9%) between 2021 and 2036, which includes a net migration of 6.1 million people and about 500,000 more births than deaths, this is going to have an impact across the UK in many ways.

The ONS stated that the UK’s population continues to grow, but at a slower rate than previously, and that the UK population has grown year-on-year since 1982, and according to the BBC, they say that figures could be an additional one million people aged 85 and over in the UK by 2036.

The UK population is projected to increase further; our 2020-based interim national population projections suggest the UK population will surpass 69.2 million by mid-2030 and reach 70.5 million by mid-2041.

When I consider the data that shows that

the UK’s age structure is shifting towards older ages (reported due to declining fertility rates and people living longer), I started to consider this against garden centres core customer demographics. The ONS state that the number of people of pensionable age relative to the size of those of expected working age is increasing. The UK life expectancy at birth in 2018 to 2020 was 79.0 years for males and 82.9 years for females, and the ONS now predict that life expectancy at birth in the UK in 2020 is 87.3 years for males and 90.2 years for females.

So, what does this mean for garden centres? Simplifying it, the core demographic is getting larger.

The Horticulture Trade Association reports that two-thirds of British adults visit a garden centre annually with 78% of British adults have access to a private garden. That’s approximately 43 million people in the UK, and 62% of those with a private garden use them to grow plants, trees, and flowers, which is approximately 26 million people.

As the population changes, the customer needs and wants are also likely to change, and customers may have different focuses. However, if we reflect on the growing population and growing

age demographic and consider that if the same percentage of people have access to a garden, then this gives garden centres a lot more customers to aim at as the year rolls on.

As the population changes, the customer needs and wants may also change

An issue that raises its head is the need to house an ever-growing population and, where possible, give them a garden. In the recent budget set down by the government in October 2024, over £5bn was allocated to boost housing in the form of support for housebuilders, Affordable Homes Programme, and investment into the development of sites across the country. Of this £5bn, Rachel Reeves said £3bn of additional support would be given to SME housebuilders and the build-to-rent sector in the form of housing guarantee schemes to

support the private housing market. One of Labour’s pre-election pledges was to create a further 1.5 million homes over the next parliament.

I’m not looking at this with rose-tinted glasses; firstly, the change and uplift in the number of people in the UK won’t happen overnight. But when I consider the long term, our industry is one that changes with change, adapts, and pivots all the time. The opportunity is there in the future, the capability to grab that opportunity is there to be seen in our garden centre industry. With a little confidence and with a good strategic approach, we know our industry will maximise these opportunities. Despite budget challenges, the garden centre industry is known for resilience.

I feel that the best thing for our industry to do in the future, is do what we always do – plan for it, think ahead, adapt, develop, stay positive, and in short, get ready for change and evolution.

About Andrew Burton

Andrew Burton works for Pleydell Smithyman as an associate director, focusing on garden centres and farm shop advice, with an overarching aim of business strategy and development. He provides site development, and commercial and operational support. He sits on the Farm Retail Association Council and previously on the Garden Centre Association Board. andrewb@pleydellsmithyman.co.uk

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5 MARKETING TRENDS to look out for in 2025

FAY CLARKSON, OPERATIONS AND ACCOUNT DIRECTOR AT HONEST COMMUNICATIONS, THE CHOSEN PR AND SOCIAL MEDIA AGENCY OF MANY GARDEN BRANDS SHARES THE TOP MARKETING TRENDS PREDICTED TO HAVE A BIG IMPACT IN 2025.

THE POWER OF THE NANO INFLUENCER

Influencer marketing is by no means a new trend, and it’ll continue to be a powerful tool for reaching target audiences. Next year, though, the focus will shift away from bigname influencers to micro and nano influencers — those with smaller, highly engaged followings. It’s no longer all about the size of the following but about the quality of those followers and their level of engagement.

Garden centres, for example, can benefit from partnering with local, green-fingered enthusiasts to draw in customers in the area, while brands with specialist products can collaborate with niche content creators who have a significant influence in that area of the market.

By carefully selecting smaller but more relevant influencers and nurturing genuine, long-term relationships, the authenticity of the relationship will shine through, and brands will gain access to a goldmine of engaged individuals.

AI IS HERE TO STAY

We’ve all been talking about it this year, and unsurprisingly, AI is only going to get bigger in 2025. By leveraging AI in the months to come, marketing teams can maximise efficiencies, enhance customer experiences, and provide more tailored content for consumers.

AI-powered tools such as chatbots will drastically improve customer service by offering instant support to visitors, while algorithms will analyse and segment customer data in a matter of minutes, allowing marketeers to curate personalised campaigns for different demographics. Content and graphic generation platforms can even create those assets, allowing businesses to produce copy and visuals for emails or blogs in a fraction of the time.

Of course, while AI can streamline these processes, brands must maintain that human touch to ensure content aligns with their voice, values, and audience – there is no substitute for authenticity.

A HYPER-PERSONALISED TOUCH

In 2025, with the use of sophisticated data analytics, brands can offer hyper-personalised experiences that truly target audiences and provide genuinely useful and relevant information for every individual.

This could include anything from recommending specific plants or products based on a customer’s location or shopping habits, to tailoring advice based on previous queries they might have asked.

This hyper-personalised approach will mean marketing teams can create more relevant content, improve the overall shopping experience for customers, and increase that allimportant brand loyalty that will ultimately drive repeat purchases.

THE RISE OF SOCIAL COMMERCE

Social commerce is set to become a major trend in the coming year, as more consumers turn to social media platforms to discover and purchase products directly. In fact, it’s expected to account for over 16% of all e-commerce spending by 2025.

Brands can take advantage of this by creating shoppable posts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, where users can browse and buy with a few clicks. Integrating e-commerce with social media will not only simplify the shopping process but also enhance product visibility, making it easier for businesses to showcase new products and plants while reaching a broader audience.

Of course, it’s important marketeers don’t forget that social platforms aren’t purely shopping sites – content must remain engaging, inspirational, and interactive to avoid putting off followers in the first place.

DIGITAL PR DONE PROPERLY

The aim of the digital PR game is to secure coverage on websites with a high domain authority score that will include a link back to your website, as this will boost your own ranking while helping to position you higher on search engines.

In 2025, though, it’s all about combining these high DA rankings with the right readership for an effective backlink strategy. For many gardening brands, this could mean securing coverage in the likes of gardens illustrated, homes and gardens, and the english garden, as well as those national newspapers with a strong DA score and a relevant audience.

Because sure, a link from a strong website is great for SEO, but what good is it if the people reading that article are never going to be interested in the products or services you have to offer?

IS CASH REALLY DYING?

WHEN THE WORLD PUSHES TOWARD DIGITAL PAYMENTS, NEW RESEARCH REVEALS CASH’S UNEXPECTED RESILIENCE, FAVOURED BY GEN Z, VALUED FOR PRIVACY AND INCLUSIVITY, AND ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY LOYALTY. COULD GOING CASHLESS ALIENATE BUSINESSES FROM THEIR CUSTOMERS?

As the world of retail edges evermore into the digital space, garden centres risk alienating their customers by following the trend of removing a cash payment option. It’s time for a rethink on cash strategies.

New research titled, Why Won’t Cash Just Die?, by cash management solutions specialists PayComplete, reveals retailers need to look closer at their strategies. The report, which challenges common misconceptions, surveyed 5,000 people across the UK, USA, Germany, France, and Spain, uncovering insights from the public.

The survey ranged across the gender, age, and geographic spectrums and earnings levels. Over half (59%) say using physical money fosters inclusivity, helping local communities thrive, and 89% picked cash as their widely-used payment method.

access from their shopping choices. Nearly half (46%) are moderately or extremely concerned about businesses collecting their data from card payments.

More than two-thirds (69%) carry cash regularly, and 80% of those come from households with an income of £96k per year.

One in three (33%) cash users falls within 25-44, and nearly two-thirds (60%) are in the mid-range earning brackets between £19k and £64k. Over half (56%) are employed or selfemployed, illustrating cash’s appeal among working adults across broad income range.

More than half (52%) agree that cash will continue to have an important role for society for the foreseeable future. Nearly a third (29%) of respondents aged 18-24 prefer cash, highlighting its appeal among younger demographics as spending power grows.

The death

Gen-Z drives the cash revival, with 29% choosing it as their preferred payment method. Contrarily, debit cards, not cash, are the top payment method for those aged 65+ globally.

Cash protects 50% of consumers surveyed feel uncomfortable about the amount of data organisations can

“All the noise around the death of cash is just that. While digital and electronic payment providers have worked to kill and downplay the importance of cash in consumers’ lives, our research shows it continues to hold a significant place in the payment ecosystem, customer satisfaction, and in maintaining and strengthening communities,” said Simon James, CEO of PayComplete.

“Over half (59%) of users say physical money supports the inclusivity of all community members. While a similar number (52%) agree that cash will remain prominent in society. Businesses that turn their back on it risk alienating local communities.”

In fact, the UK shows the greatest emotional reaction to cash, even ahead of Germany (60%)

THE UK HAS THE GREATEST EMOTIONAL REACTION TO CASH, EVEN AHEAD OF GERMANY AND THE US

and the US (52%). These findings challenge CMOs, who invest in creating the positive emotional associations with their brands.

Cash

and the emotional ties

Some reasons why consumers value cash stem from emotional connections. Physical money fosters strong connections with community and shows loyalty to favourite shops. They also recognise its role in financial education for young people.

Simon concluded: “Those who think physical money is dead will be shocked. It plays a vital role in consumer lives and society. Going completely cashless poses risks for any business that values customer experience, reputation, or profitability.” Visit paycomplete.com

of experience, shared 25 YEARS

WHEN ALAN ROPER TOOK THE HELM OF BLUE DIAMOND – ONE OF BRITAIN’ S TOP GARDEN CENTRE BUSINESSES – THERE WERE FEW HE COULD TURN TO FOR GUIDANC E ON HIS AMBITIONS AND CHALLENGES. AT THE GARDEN CENTRE EXPO IN OCTOBER, HE SHARED A TALK REFLECTING ON HIS JOURNEY, WHICH GCR NOW PRESENTS...

Sometimes you just need to validate your instincts. That’s what gives you the courage to move forward and plough your own furrow.

Which is what I’ve been doing for the last 25 years.

The journey for me started out 35 years ago. I had an ambition to develop a garden centre group in the UK. It was defined and is defined today, on the principle of a point difference, targeting a younger demographic as well as the older demographic and aspiration.

At the beginning of my journey, I started with a Tory politician and a private equity firm. Politicians and private equity didn’t mix. So, after the start of the journey, setting up a couple of centres, one of which I bought back, Nailsworth, I came across Blue Diamond in 1999. I wrote them what today is referred to as the Yellow Letter, whereon the letter I put down my dreams of building a garden centre group on the values that I spoke about earlier. So, I want to share that journey with you, and the ethos I built, the culture I built, and the decisions

I took to build the garden centre group that Blue Diamond is today.

That’s how big we were, back end of 1998 going into 1999 when I joined. Where we sit now, this year we’ll do just over £330m. To put it in context, Dobbies will be around £260m when they once were over £300m. British Garden Centres stands at £162m.

The first lesson is that you’ve got to think of garden centres as eight businesses – not one. If you think of it as one business, you will fail. Garden centres need passion. It’s one of the secret ingredients, which is why independent garden centres are so successful. They have energy; they have passion, and they have the dedication of every single member of the team.

I am an independent at heart. I’m not a corporate guy. I learnt that in life when someone called me an entrepreneur. I went away and looked it up in the dictionary, and it is that dedication, passion and energy that you can achieve if you run eight businesses, not one.

So, the businesses break down as follows:

Plants

£31 million

Gardening

Fashion

Home

£31 million

£19 million

£19 million

Christmas

£10 million

Garden leisure

£10 million

Food and restaurants

£46 million

You have the eight pillars. If one fails, the other seven are still strong. And then if you have flat corporate structures, you get a jack of all trades, master of none approach, which at best limits opportunity and at worst the business collapses.

I call this vertical ownership. Each of the heads, they have vertical ownership. Believe it or not, the managers in my stores do not get involved with the retailing. I have nothing to do with it. They have ownership over the retailing. The family, the business building, the culture, the team, they have ownership over the customer service levels and they have ownership over the stock management, but they do not have ownership over the retail.

Find the people that want to have ownership, that have the passion. Empower them to own their own businesses. With vertical ownership, eliminate unnecessary layers. I often hear terms like ‘merchandisers’ and ‘buyers,’ but in my business, if you’re going to work for me, you’re a category manager. You’re not a buyer; you own the birth of the product, and you’re responsible for the decline. You learn along the way – you own your successes, you own your failures, and you learn from it, and you grow from it. How

can you learn if there are layers in between you buying and managing the merchandising?

Buying is a collective decision. It’s not an egocentric one. I don’t have any buyers who make solo decisions. I form people with an eye for product, and we have a collective that makes those decisions. Any buyer that’s on his own will have an ego because the industry suppliers do very well at putting them on pedestals and inflating their egos for them.

The other thing I learnt is to build roles around people, not people around roles. In my team, which I’m immensely proud of, I have people going back 20, 25 years, and they’re not doing the roles that they did originally. Because they failed at some of those roles. But I knew within them, they had a particular talent. I built a role around that talent, and they’ve stayed with me ever since.

If you’re going to give ownership, have visibility. I am a numbers guy as much as

IT’S A CORE MEASUREMENT THAT EVERYBODY FOCUSES ON IN THE BUSINESS

I like to think I’m creative. I have this setup that measures customer conversion. I know how well any customer that walks through our stores is converted by a particular department or product. By measuring the conversion, we can tell how good a retailer they are. And then we rank them. One to 46. Not by the size of their business, but how well they convert their customers. And then they can look at the people who convert much higher up, and they can target those people by doing a simpler formula

with their own customer numbers and work out if they were converting the customer formula. It’s something I came up with 18 years ago, and it’s a core measurement that everybody focuses on in the business.

If you’re going to be in retail, and I know it’s a cliche, it’s been around for years, but it’s so true: retail is detail. As much as you give ownership, which you can do through measuring, you can see in an instance, within a week, whether the decisions they’re making are good or bad; if it’s not quite right, dive into the detail with them.

Find out what went wrong, and allow a learning process to begin. Learn about why something’s not working. And indeed, if something’s a success, dive into the detail and really understand what’s driving that success.

I said to myself a long time ago, if I fail, I don’t want to look in the mirror and blame it on the fact that I didn’t listen or stick to my

vision or my ethos. I was prepared to fail on my own terms. I was prepared to fail on those terms, but no other terms. If you do this, it causes a loss of progress, obviously, confusion, and doubt, and it weakens loyalty, because your team does not know what you stand for or what your vision is. And then you lose them.

Deliver a point of difference for your customers. You are fully capable of deciding your own destiny. Everything that we do –the designs, the shop fit designs, our own brand packaging – everything is done in-house. There’s no outside involvement from anybody in our group, and the big advantage is that it delivers you a point of difference.

Don’t leak profit. It sinks businesses. I’ve been in business for 35 years, and what we’re going through now with the inflation and the cost increases that we’ve experienced, and when you look ahead, we’re probably going to go through the most economic choppy waters

that we’ve been through in a long time, for quite a sustained period. So, you want to make sure that you’re not leaking profit.

What do I mean by leaking profit? It’s the profit gap. I work on the principle of a bought-in margin. The margin that you do a deal with the supplier, the retail price you put in, that’s your bought-in margin. And then you end up with a net margin. That net margin is after promotional discounting, manual discounting, dodgy discounting, friends discount, family discount, shrinkage, and damages. This creates a profit gap: our target profit gap is 2.7.

businesses doing this in garden centres, like Nigel Long at Longacres – working on value, consistently driving volume.

The second way is disposable incomes. I prefer the latter, targeting customers who are looking for an aspirational experience, a point of difference.

Define your customer. Many years ago, back in 1995 when I owned Nailsworth in the Cotswolds, I recognised the importance of targeting customers who were looking for a place to shop for plants, clothing, and gifts, with a focus on those who valued a premium shopping experience. We were the first garden centre to stock Brio toys and sell fashion –building a midweek customer base.

There are two ways you can target – you can go for a value-conscious approach; there are a lot of successful retailers doing this. In fact, if you look in general in retailing, whether it’s The Range, Home Bargains or B&M, they’re hugely successful. And there are very successful

The food retailers don’t assume customers visit just because they need food – they target specific demographics. It takes time to build an ethos and a customer base that understands your offering.

I get very upset from time to time if, when people join us, they don’t sign up to our vision. They start trying to trade down the volume if they don’t really understand what we’re trying to do. Suppliers also struggle to understand when we stop selling successful products to maintain exclusivity and differentiation, catering to high-disposable-income customers who value uniqueness.

It’s in their DNA, and you need to feed that, your tendency can be to try and just harvest everybody, but then I’m afraid you get stuck in the middle of nowhere.

I wrote a retail ethos many years ago, and I put in there, “we aim to drive emotion per square foot as much as we do profit per square foot.” This emotion is something that a customer will feel when you go into your favourite retailing space or hospitality space – tingling excitement from unique products, aspirational merchandising, and exceptional customer service.

We target the AB1 demographic – about 60 per cent of our customers are AB1, and our basket spend in 2023 was £46.95 on average in the group. When I look for garden centres to purchase, I look for AB1 locations.

WE

AIM TO DRIVE EMOTION PER SQUARE FOOT AS MUCH AS WE DO PROFIT

I don’t have a marketing department; instead, we have a design department for signage and product packaging. The best form of marketing is customer satiation. If customers feel fully satisfied, they’ll spread the word, especially through social media.

This is a big principle of mine. I do not like debt. I hate debt. When I started out in 1999, we didn’t have any money. We had to earn the money. The first thing I had to do was turn a loss-making business that was about to go bust into making money. I did that in the first year or two.

Grow within your means; don’t get impatient. Our gearing is in the mid-teens; we have very low gearing levels, which allows us to take opportunities that turn up all at once. We couldn’t if I got impatient and just kept growing on high levels of debt. It doesn’t suit me. I like to sleep, and I like to have a sustainable business.

Alan Roper’s journey with Blue Diamond exemplifies the power of passion, innovation, and strategic thinking in building a successful business. By fostering a culture of vertical ownership, empowering dedicated teams, and maintaining a clear vision, he has transformed Blue Diamond into a market leader. As it continues to grow, his insights and ethos will undoubtedly inspire the next generation within the sector.

The Blue Barn

An interview with Michael Bates, managing director

EXPANDING THE HORIZONS – THE BLUE BARN AND TONG GARDEN CENTRE ARE REDEFINING PET RETAIL

Yorkshire Garden Centres has announced that Tong Garden Centre will host a brand-new pet concession in store, with local business The Blue Barn taking up residence in October 2024.

The 1500 sq ft concession stocks a wide range of pet supplies and animal feed, covering everything from small animals and poultry to horses.

Established in Pool in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, in 1984, The Blue Barn is a family-run business that got its name from the large blue barn it started trading from, and this is its first foray into a multi-site operation.

Pet Innovation speaks with Michael Bates, the owner, to discuss the partnership, the opportunities, and the synergies between the two businesses.

Give us the history of The Blue Barn and the company itself.

The Blue Barn was founded in 1984 — it’s our 40th birthday this year. I got involved when I bought the business nearly four years ago.

My background is in commercial roles in retail. I spent nearly 20 years at Morrisons, where we grew from a regional to a national player, and I was also on the board at AO.com and ran a couple of smaller businesses as MD. I worked with some inspiring retailers- Ken Morrison and John Roberts- and business leaders along the way and learned a lot about looking after customers.

I was made aware that the previous owners of The Blue Barn were selling the business and had always liked it as a customer and was able to complete the purchase.

Over the past four years, I’ve sought to build

that The Blue Barn has for service, for expertise and value. I inherited a really good team with a lot of experience and expertise in the sector and it’s been about building on that foundation. We’ve launched online, and have a couple of vans that are out servicing households within a 20-mile radius of the shop five days a week. Most of our online customers are local pet owners and smallholders.

And then we started dog grooming about 12 months ago. We have one full-time groomer and an apprentice groomer offering that service.

of people who are trained to share their knowledge and experience with customers, and that’s what we are.

And why the garden retail market? How did the partnership with Tong Garden Centre come about, and why did you decide to take this route for your second store?

I contacted Tong’s MD, Mark Farnsworth, to explore whether there were opportunities to work together shortly after they bought a garden centre business in nearby Otley. We were both ambitious for our respective businesses, and I think we could both sense some real synergies. I had a desire to extend our base from a single store. Mark at Yorkshire Garden Centres had been looking at how to develop their pet food and accessories offer, and the timing was right.

They’re a Yorkshirebased retailer

too, and whilst they’re obviously a much bigger business than we are, their values and culture felt like a good fit.

I’ve got a strong central team and capacity from a warehousing point of view to operate more than one shop. Mark and his team could see the growth in the pet food market and felt that there was an opportunity to capitalise on that. Tong was already selling pet snacks and accessories before we came along. But I hope in us they have seen a level of expertise and a level of range depth that is difficult to emulate. You’ve really got to understand the product and the customer and the market and have a team

How’s the partnership working? Is it a manned concession within Tong Garden Centre?

Yeah, it is; that was important to me. I didn’t want to do a pop-up shop or to wholesale products from a corner of the garden centre. With the reputation The Blue Barn has built for service, for knowledge, and for range, it’s important to me that when we build out, we continue to have that reputation. I didn’t want to dilute that. A staffed concession was the right way to go.

I spent a lot of time over the summer visiting garden centres with pet food shops across the country, just trying to get my head around what best practice in the industry looks like. That was a valuable experience, and it convinced me that there is an opportunity beyond accessories, toys, dog beds, and treats.

We’ve been able to bring pretty much the full range that we’re selling in our Pool in Wharfdale shop over to Tong.

Do you think that’s because there is a lot of synergy between target audiences? What was it about Tong that made you believe you were able to operate there? In terms of your customer demographic, is it well represented within Tong as well? Yeah, I think it is. There’s a real kind of

complementary overlap there. Tong has got a footfall of customers, many of whom will be pet and animal owners, and they will be buying their feed and their accessories from somewhere. If we can make it easy for them and present a strong enough retail offer to them, then hopefully they’ll start buying it from The Blue Barn at Tong.

At the same time, though, I believe that by doing this right, we can also attract new customers to Tong, and that Tong can become a destination for pet food. People who perhaps don’t shop at Tong now will come along, buy our pet products, and then enjoy the broader shopping and restaurant offer that Tong has.

One of the key discussion points in the garden retail sector now is that diversification and making sure that there are always reasons to visit. A phrase that’s been thrown around to me recently is that it has that department store feel. I think that fits quite nicely into it, doesn’t it?

I think that’s right. Tong has got several concessions; I think we’re the 5th or 6th, so for them it’s a well-established model. One of the

key considerations for us was the position in the shop, and we’ve got a site within the main garden centre that enables customers to pull up right outside the door for us to carry heavy bags into cars. A lot of people I spoke to said you will struggle to sell big bags of dog food and animal feed from a garden centre, and that may well prove to be the case, but what we have done is set it up well to give ourselves the best chance.

Yorkshire Garden Centres is amongst the market leaders in our sector for their sustainable goals. How does that align with what you are trying to do? Was that an influence in exploring this opportunity? Their approach to sustainability is impressive and market-leading in the sector. The two businesses are both family-run and Yorkshirebased and we both support the use of local suppliers where we can, and that felt like a good, complementary fit.

What does the team look like within The Blue Barn at Tong now? How many staff members have you got, and what’s the hierarchy there? We’ve got a manager, a senior sales role, and

then we’ve got two assistants. It’s a light team, but it’s broad enough to cover seven days a week of trading.

Are you looking at bringing over the kind of dog grooming element of things if space allows?

I wouldn’t say never. Space will be a big constraint. The point about that department store style offering - having a breadth of offeris important, and dog grooming would extend the services that are available. I’d love to be able to do that in time.

Yorkshire Garden Centres has six stores in total now. Are you looking to partner with the other stores as well?

Let’s make this one work first!

How long is the business contract for?

It’s long enough for us to really have a chance to build a sustainable, long-term business and to grow the reputation to become a key part of Tong’s offer. I want people to come to Tong because of The Blue Barn, and if that happens, then it’ll be a win-win for us all.

IHow AI Can Transform Your GARDEN CENTRE

n today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant strides across various industries, including the horticultural sector. For garden centres, AI offers a plethora of opportunities to enhance operations, improve customer experiences, and drive sales. This feature explores the multifaceted ways AI can revolutionise your garden centre, making it more efficient and customer friendly.

FOR GARDEN CENTRES, AI OFFERS A PLETHORA OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE OPERATIONS

Introduction to AI in garden centres

BACK IN OCTOBER, AT THE GARDEN CENTRE EXPO, EDWIN MEIJER OF GREEN SOLUTIONS SPOKE TO THE AUDIENCE ABOUT HOW AI CAN BE A FORCE OF POSITIVITY IN THE GARDEN CENTRE SPACE. GARDEN CENTRE RETAIL TAKES THE POINTS OF THE TALK AND SUMMARISES THE SESSION.

Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables computers to learn from data and perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as recognising patterns, making decisions, and generating content. While AI is not a new concept, its accessibility has dramatically increased with advancements like OpenAI’s GPT models, making it a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes.

Enhancing product photography

One of the most compelling uses of AI in garden centres is in product photography. Traditional product photos often fail to capture the essence and appeal of plants in real-life settings. AI can generate high-quality, contextually relevant images that resonate with customers. For instance, tools like Mocha.AI allows you to upload a basic product photo and create a variety of realistic scenes that match your target audience’s environment, whether it’s a modern apartment, a countryside cabin, or a suburban garden.

Imagine a customer browsing your website and seeing a peace lily not just against a plain white background but beautifully integrated into a cosy living room setting or a lush garden. This not only makes the product more appealing but also helps customers visualise how the plant will look in their own space. By selling an experience rather than just a product, you can significantly enhance customer engagement and drive sales.

Generating engaging content

AI can significantly streamline the process of creating engaging content for your garden centre’s website and social media channels. Tools like ChatGPT can generate detailed product descriptions, care guides, and blog posts. By providing a well-structured prompt, you can ensure the AI produces content that matches your brand’s tone and style. For example, a prompt for generating a plant description might include details about the plant’s growing conditions, care tips, and benefits, resulting in a comprehensive and

informative content that enhances your website’s SEO and customer engagement.

Consider the example of a peace lily; a well-crafted AI-generated description might include information on its preferred light conditions, watering needs, and benefits such as air purification. This not only educates customers but also builds trust in your expertise as a garden centre. Additionally, AI can help generate seasonal content, such as tips for wintering plants or creating festive holiday displays, ensuring your website remains relevant, and engaging year-round.

Social media and marketing

Maintaining an active and engaging social media presence is crucial for modern businesses. AI can help generate creative and engaging social media posts, complete with relevant hashtags and emojis. By leveraging AI, you can quickly produce content that keeps your audience informed and entertained, driving more traffic to your garden centre.

For instance, you could use AI to create a series of posts highlighting different plants each week, complete with care tips and beautiful images. AI can also help you respond to customer enquiries on social media, providing quick and accurate answers to common questions. This not only saves time

but also ensures a consistent and professional online presence.

Personalised customer experiences

AI can also enhance the customer experience by providing personalised recommendations and support. For example, AI-powered chatbots can assist customers with plant care advice, product recommendations, and even troubleshooting common gardening issues. These chatbots can be available 24/7, ensuring that customers always have access to the information they need.

Imagine a customer visiting your website and being greeted by a friendly chatbot that asks about their gardening needs and preferences. Based on their responses, the chatbot can recommend suitable plants, provide care tips, and even suggest complementary products such as pots and fertilisers. This level of personalised service can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Inventory management and sales forecasting

Effective inventory management is critical for any retail business, and garden centres are no exception. AI can analyse historical sales data and predict future trends, helping you optimise stock levels and

reduce waste. By understanding which products are likely to be in demand, you can ensure that your garden centre is always well-stocked with the right items.

For example, AI can help you identify which plants are most popular during different seasons, allowing you to adjust your inventory accordingly. This not only reduces the risk of overstocking or understocking but also helps you make more informed purchasing decisions. Additionally, AI can analyse customer purchasing patterns to identify trends and preferences, enabling you to tailor your product offerings to meet customer demand.

Enhancing in-store experience

AI can also improve the in-store experience for customers. For instance, AI-powered kiosks can provide interactive plant care guides, helping customers choose the right plants for their needs. Additionally, AI can be used to create personalised shopping experiences, such as recommending complementary products based on a customer’s purchase history. Imagine walking into a garden centre and being greeted by an AI-powered kiosk that asks about your gardening preferences and needs. Based on your responses, the kiosk

can recommend suitable plants, provide care tips, and even suggest complementary products such as pots and fertilisers. This not only enhances the shopping experience but also helps customers make informed purchasing decisions.

Streamlining operations

AI can automate various operational tasks, freeing up staff to focus on more strategic activities. For example, AI can handle routine tasks such as scheduling, inventory tracking, and order processing. This not only improves efficiency but also reduces the risk of human error.

Consider the example of inventory management. AI can automatically track stock levels and generate reorder alerts when inventory is running low. This ensures that you always have the right products in stock and reduces the risk of stockouts. Additionally, AI can analyse sales data to identify trends and patterns, helping you make more informed purchasing decisions.

Data-driven decision making

AI provides valuable insights that can inform decision-making processes. By analysing customer data, sales trends, and market conditions, AI can help garden centre managers make informed decisions about product offerings, marketing strategies, and operational

improvements. This datadriven approach ensures that decisions are based on accurate and up-todate information.

For example, AI can analyse customer purchasing patterns to identify trends and preferences, enabling you to tailor your product offerings to meet customer demand. Additionally, AI can analyse market conditions to identify opportunities for growth and expansion. This not only helps you stay ahead of the competition but also ensures that your garden centre remains relevant and competitive in a rapidly changing market.

ensure that they use AI in a responsible and ethical manner.

The integration of AI into garden centres presents a wealth of opportunities to enhance operations, improve customer experiences, and drive sales. AI can transform operations by generating personalised recommendations and optimising inventory management. By embracing AI, garden centres can stay ahead of the competition and provide exceptional value to their customers.

AI offers a wide range of benefits for garden centres, from enhancing product photography and generating engaging content

Ethical considerations and challenges

While AI offers numerous benefits, it’s important to consider the ethical implications and potential challenges. Issues such as data privacy, security, and the potential for bias in AI algorithms must be addressed. Garden centres should ensure that they use AI responsibly and transparently, maintaining customer trust and complying with relevant regulations.

For example, when using AI to analyse customer data, it’s important to ensure that data is collected and used in compliance with relevant privacy regulations. Additionally, it’s important to ensure that AI algorithms are free from bias and do not discriminate against certain groups of customers. By addressing these ethical considerations, garden centres can

BY

EMBRACING AI,

GARDEN

CENTRES

CAN STAY AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION

to providing personalised customer experiences and optimising inventory management. By leveraging AI, garden centres can improve efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive sales. However, ethical implications and challenges must be considered to ensure responsible and transparent use. By doing so, garden centres can harness the power of AI to transform their operations and provide exceptional value to their customers.

OPEN BANKING:

an easier way for consumers to make use of retail credit?

Two-thirds of Brits have used or plan to use retail credit during the Christmas season. Moneyhub’s Christmas Retail Credit Report reveals that retail credit users spend an average of £1,012.55 over the holidays, with £759.71— nearly three-quarters—financed through retail credit. It also highlights how Open Banking can help lenders and retailers better serve customers and manage lending risks.

The report also uncovered the challenge many consumers face with using retail credit at Christmas, with 64% of people struggling to repay it, suggesting that many enter the new

year burdened by new debt. Furthermore, nearly a third (28%) of credit-using Brits have fallen into collections or arrears on purchases made for Christmas. To meet repayment obligations in the New Year, over half (53%) of those who struggled with repayments have cut back on spending, 24% take on extra work, and 16% sell items. Retail credit includes credit offered by retailers or banks that allows consumers to purchase items and pay for them later through a store credit card, buy-now, pay-later plans, or installment payment options.

“For many people, the excitement of holiday spending can quickly become the stress

of managing repayments in the new year,” said Suzy Homewood, managing director of decisioning at Moneyhub. “New regulations such as the FCA’s consumer duty, and the upcoming

Buy-now, pay-later rules, have made it clear to firms that they need to do more to understand their customers’ financial situations, not just at application, but throughout the term of their loan.”

What is Open Banking?

Put simply, Open Banking is a financial services model that allows consumers to share their financial data with third parties, such as banks, fintech providers, and retailers. Open banking uses application programming interfaces (APIs) to share financial data, such as bank account information and payments, across institutions. This data is only shared with the explicit consent of the customer.

Is it a better way to do retail credit?

Lenders struggle to balance consumer safety with providing satisfying accessible retail credit. While traditional credit checks - widely used across the industry - have been effective historically, they are becoming outdated, overly simplistic, and unfair to many as they are based on bias and averages. These checks often lack the granular, real-time insights into income and expenses that lenders need to assess customers fairly. To lend responsibly and sustainably, lenders need to adopt more detailed and up-to-date data analysis methods.

Since 2018, accessing customers’ financial

IT’S ESSENTIAL FOR LENDERS TO ADOPT MORE DETAILED AND UP-TO-DATE DATA

ANALYSIS METHODS

data has become dramatically simpler.

Open Banking rules mean that consumers to granted access to licensed providers access to financial data. The FCA, Open Banking enables authorised organisations to access customers’ transaction data from banks, building societies, and financial institutions to understand their financial situation.

Suzy continued: “Customers no longer want to be treated as a cohort, instead expecting for decisions to be made ‘about me,’ rather than ‘people like me.’ Open Banking provides detailed insights into an individual’s real-time income and spending. This enables lenders to evaluate customers fairly, ensuring better outcomes for individuals, also protecting vulnerable customers from falling into debt.”

Other findings from The Christmas Retail Credit Report include:

• Generational Divide: Younger shoppers aged 18 to 24 struggle more than older generations to pay off their credit card balances from Christmas. Nearly half (43%) of those aged 65 and older pay off their retail credit within month compared to only 15% for the 18-24 age group.

• Credit Confusion: Nearly half (46%) of UK shoppers find lenders’ retail credit confusing. Two-thirds (66%) want to understand how lenders approve or decline retail credit applications.

• Documentation Demanded: Bank statements (37%), salary slips (28%), summary of spending (15%), and statements from savings accounts (13%) when consumers apply for retail credit. Consumers struggling with repayments receive more requests for salary slips.

Suzy concluded, “Open Banking does not just benefit lenders By elevating the customer experience and refining credit assessments, the Open Banking helps retailers foster stronger brand loyalty. When lenders and retailers work together to offer a more personalised approach to credit decisions, they not only elevate the shopping experience and reduce lending risks but also help retailers meet consumer demand safely.”

To download the full ‘Christmas Retail Credit Report’, visit moneyhub.com

What is the state of the

PET OWNERSHIP LANDSCAPE?

PET INNOVATION TAKES A DETAILED LOOK AT THE STATISTICS AND DATA SURROUNDING PET OWNERSHIP IN THE UK, AND HOW THE MARKET IS CHANGING AND ADAPTING TO THE MODERN LIFESTYLE

Many families in the UK now count a four-legged, furry friend amongst their ranks.

Many people say that pets complete a family; others say that pet ownership is a chance to take responsibility for a life form outside of their own.

Since covid, the pet ownership market has shifted, with many pet owners using their pooches or moggies as surrogate children, and the trend of ‘pet parenting’ is on the rise.

But how has pet ownership changed?

According to the PDSA’s Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2024, 51% of adults in the UK own a pet, which has decreased from 53% as of last year. No surprises, but dogs and cats are the most common pets, with 28% of adults owning a dog and 24% taking responsibility for a cat.

There will be approximately 10.6 million pet dogs in the UK in 2024, and 10.8 million pet cats. Since 2011, the dog population has been steadily increasing, from 8.2 million in 2011

to the current figures of today. However, cat ownership has remained relatively stable over the past decade.

The pet rabbit population has dived

had their pet for one year or less (150,000 rabbits). These percentages have remained stable over the past eight years.

In 2024, 38% of pet owners are new to owning their pet species as an adult, up from 34% in 2021 and 36% in 2022, but unchanged from 2023. This includes 22% who have never owned any pet species as an adult, a figure steady since 2021. New pet owners tend to be younger (18-44), have a university degree or higher, earn over £50,000, live in households of three to four people, work full-time or study full-time, reside in urban areas, and Among dog owners, 42% have never owned a dog as an adult, an increase from 34% in 2021 and 39% in 2022, but

the same as in 2023. For cat owners, 33% are first-time adult cat owners, consistent with 2021, 2022, and 2023. Rabbit owners are more likely to be first-time owners, with 44% having never owned a rabbit as an adult, down from 51% in 2023 but similar to 2021 and 2022.

Pet acquisition

In 2024, fewer dog and cat owners acquired their pets from rescue or rehoming centres. Only 17% of dog owners got their pets from these sources, down from 22% in 2018. This decline is mainly for UK-based rescues, with 12% in 2024 compared to 18% in 2020 and 17% in 2021.

However, dogs from abroad via rescue centres increased to 5% in 2024 from 3% in 2020, though this is lower than 6% in 2023.

For cats, 29% were acquired from rescue centres in 2024, like 2023 and 2022 but lower than 34-38% between 2018 and 2021.

to pass pets to acquaintances.

Similarly, 28% of cat owners got their pets from family, friends, or neighbours in 2024, higher than 23-25% in recent years.

The proportion of cats acquired from breeders rose to 8% in 2024, compared to 6-7% in previous years.

There has been a notable decrease in cats acquired as strays, from 11% in 2018 to 6% in 2024. This could indicate a reduction in the stray cat population or a change in people’s willingness to take in strays.

The proportion of dog owners who got their pets from breeders in 2024 (33%) is lower than in 2019 (38%) and 2020 (37%).

Conversely, more dog owners (16%) acquired their pets from family, friends, or neighbours in 2024, up from 11% in 2019 and 12% in 2020. This trend may reflect increased relinquishment rates reported by rehoming organisations, with owners preferring

Pre-ownership behaviour

Pet owners must understand their pet’s needs before taking on the responsibility of ownership. We asked owners what they did before choosing their pets. The most common response was having previous experience, with 36% of pet owners citing this, higher for rabbit owners (41%) compared to dog (34%) and cat (37%) owners.

The internet is a key source of information for prospective pet owners, with 33% looking online before choosing their pet. This is higher than in previous years, except for August 2020. More dog owners (40%) used the internet compared to rabbits (34%) and cat owners (25%). Additionally, 9% of owners sought advice on social media, highlighting the need for reliable, evidence-based information online.

Veterinary advice was sought by 9% of pet owners before choosing their pet, the highest in the past seven years. This was more common among rabbit (12%) and dog

(10%) owners than cat owners (7%). PDSA has promoted pre-purchase consultations with vets since 2015 to help potential owners understand the responsibilities of pet ownership.

Only 24% of owners researched the cost of owning a pet before choosing one, an increase from 18% in 2022 but still low. This is

IT’S CRUCIAL FOR PET OWNERS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PET’S NEEDS BEFORE TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OWNERSHIP

concerning as many owners underestimate the minimum monthly cost of pet ownership. More dog (29%) and rabbit (26%) owners researched costs compared to cat owners (17%).

13% of pet owners did no research before choosing their pet, down from 19% in February 2020. This positive trend suggests a growing awareness of the need for knowledge before taking on a pet. Cat owners (18%) likely to skip research than dog and rabbit owners (both 10%).

Owners who did no research were less likely to get their pet from a breeder (7%) or rescue centre (17%) compared to those who did research (25% and 24%). They were more likely to rehome pets from family, friends, or neighbours (32%) or find strays (9%) compared to those who researched (18% and 2%).

Understanding breeder licensing regulations remains low, with only 35% of dog owners checking if their breeder was licensed.

Raising awareness and improving access to licensing information is essential for improving the welfare of breeding dogs and puppies.

When choosing a reputable breeder, 73% of owners saw their pet with its mother, higher for dog owners (75%) than cat (63%) and rabbit owners (51%). However, 25% of dog owners did not take this crucial step. Additionally, 52% of owners visited their pet more than once before taking it home, consistent with 2022. 23% of dog owners and 8% of cat owners checked if their breeder would complete

a contract like the Puppy Contract or Kitten Checklist that helps to ensure responsible breeding, buying, and welfare of pets.

The cost of living challenge

The rising cost of living affects 26% of dog owners (2.8 million dogs), up from 23% in 2023. So, 35% of owners have made cost-saving decisions, like giving up luxuries (20%), cutting food expenses (16%), and reducing energy use (12%), 90% report increased pet care costs. 8% of dog owners delayed vet visits due to expense, consistent with 2022 and 2023. No change in the proportion of dogs missing preventive healthcare due to cost, with 11% not vaccinated and 10% not neutered.

Understanding and education

Owning a pet significantly improves the lives of 91% of owners, with 88% reporting better mental health and 69% better physical health. However, pets need their five welfare needs met to thrive. Despite the UK Animal Welfare Acts, only 17% of owners know about these needs, though this is an improvement from 14% in 2022.

The PAW report’s consistent methodology over 14 years reveals changes in pet care. The dog population has grown, while the rabbit population may be declining. The rise in new pet owners since 2021 has stabilised, and more owners are researching before acquiring pets, highlighting the importance of education campaigns.

Some remains unchanged, many rabbits living alone and in inadequate conditions. The proportion of dogs and cats receiving preventive

OWNING A PET SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES THE LIVES OF 91% OF OWNERS

22% of cat owners (2.4 million cats) say the cost of living has impacted their pet care, with 10% switching to cheaper cat food and 4% cancelling pet insurance. Additionally, 89% of cat owners agree that pet ownership costs have risen.

31% of cat owners have made personal cost-saving decisions, like giving up luxuries (16%), cutting food expenses (14%), and reducing energy use (11%). These proportions are similar to 2023, showing that high living costs continue to affect many cat owners.

healthcare has remained stable, which is positive given the financial pressures on owners. Encouragingly, rabbit diets have improved, with more owners feeding appropriate amounts of hay.

Overall, while pet ownership brings significant benefits, ongoing education and awareness are crucial to ensure pets’ welfare needs are met.

✓ Meadow, Timothy, Rye, Silky Soft Hay

✓ Barley Straw for pet bedding or pond nets

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✓ Meadow, Timothy, Rye, Silky Soft Hay

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✓ Barley Straw for pet bedding or pond nets

✓ Barley Straw for pet bedding or pond nets

✓ Barn dried

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✓ Premium Quality

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✓ Dust extracted

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GTHE 2024 GIMA AWARDS

HONOURING INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND EXCELLENCE IN GARDEN RETAIL

IMA is proud to announce the winners of the prestigious 2024 GIMA Awards which was held at the start of November at the stunning Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. The ceremony recognised the finest innovations, outstanding performances, and remarkable contributions that have been made within the garden retail sector by a host of dedicated and passionate suppliers and manufacturers.

Honouring the brands, products, and initiatives that have made a significant impact across multiple categories saw 17 winners crowned, all carefully selected by this year’s judging panel. The panel was, this year, made up of Blue Diamond’s Alan Roper, Sharon McNair from Yorkshire Garden Centres, Josh Novell of

Polhill Garden Centres, Haskin’s Andy Harriss, Scott Provan from Klondyke, plus Garden Trade News’ Trevor Pfeiffer, Michael Perry aka Mr Plant Geek, and Jade Galloway-Harrison from award sponsors, eBay.

With the judges’ work done, it fell to wellknown comedian, presenter and Sunday Times bestselling author, Tom Allen to unveil this year’s winner’s rollcall. Captivating the audience from the off, Tom brought his unique sense of wit and observational comedy to proceedings, helping to make it a night to remember.

GIMA director, Vicky Nuttall said of the event: “We’ve had the most incredible night! The room was packed full, laughter was ringing out from all corners, and we have a list of winners that truly demonstrates how much our sector is

dedicated to finding new solutions, showcasing innovation and helping our nation’s gardeners to fall in love with gardening season after season.

“The biggest thank you to everyone that has made tonight possible. From our sponsors and judges to those that entered and, of course, our winners. You’ve all made this a truly magical evening!”

The winners

One of the most coveted accolades is the GIMA Sword of Excellence, and this year saw Sipcam Home & Garden scoop it for the second year in a row, thanks to the success of its Slug Stoppa. The judges said: “The choice was simple. True innovation, and a dual-purpose product.” Highly commended for the Sword of Excellence was given to Westland for its Kent & Stowe SureCut Cutting Range.

Elsewhere, the GCA Supplier of the Year Award, was given to Westland Horticulture, with a shortlist made up of the AMES Companies, Woodmansterne, Meadow View Stone and Woodlodge. The GCA said of Westland: “There were plenty of strong contenders for the top spot this year, but with just one vote in it, Westland just beat everyone else with their complete category and range propositions, backed with superb services levels.”

This year, it was Doff Portland that walked away triumphant, having been awarded the Gardenex Export Achievement Award, just pipping VegTrug and David

Austin Roses who were awarded finalist status. Talking about their selection Gardenex said: “Doff Portland Ltd is our winner of the Export Achievement Award due to its strategic expansion in the EU and strong investment in proprietary authorisations. Coupled with exclusive partnerships and success in securing product registrations for biocides and slug control across multiple EU countries. Their impressive growth, achieving multi-million pound in EU turnover, and recognition for best in market in France contributing to their success along with a King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, makes Doff this year’s worthy winner.”

scooped the HTA sponsored Sustainability Award. The judges’ comments for selecting Primeur were: “Primeur continue to evolve a great eco range of products, this time creating further diversification within the multi-awardwinning Tierra Verde range of planters.”

This year’s sustainability crown was given to the team at Primeur for its Tierra Verde coloured collection, which

A ‘Sustainability Champion’ was also selected within each category (where relevant), celebrating the different ways sustainable solutions are being brought to market.

Product Awards

Garden Care –sponsored by Decco

Winner: Sipcam

Home and GardenSlug Stoppa.

Finalists: Sipcam

Home and Garden

- Organic Superfood Concentrated Liquid Feeds, Vitax - Vitax Organic All-Purpose Feed, Pelsis Ltd.Green Protect Box Tree Moth Trap, Westland Horticulture - Westland Lawn Care Collection.

Category Sustainability Champion: Sipcam

Home and Garden - Organic Superfood

Concentrated Liquid Feeds.

About the winner: It’s a spray that creates invisible barriers on plants, deterring slugs/ snails from going near them. Unlike harmful slug products, Slug Stoppa is pesticide free and leaves slugs unharmed whilst also promoting healthier growth for plants. Slug Stoppa also has a unique spray pouch using 55% less plastic than a plastic rigid plastic bottle.

What the judges said: “We love that this product both feeds and protects plants at the same time.”

Growing Media

Winner: Southern Trident Ltd - Harmony Gardens Multipurpose Compost with added John Innes.

Finalists: Westland Horticulture - Westland

Houseplant Potting Mix, RocketGro - MultiPurpose Compost 50L, Westland Horticulture

- Boost All Purpose Compost.

Sustainability Champion: Southern Trident Ltd - Harmony Gardens Multipurpose Compost with added John Innes.

About the winner: It stands out as the first

carbon-neutral, PAS 2060 accredited peatfree compost, distinguished by its extensive quality testing and customer satisfaction. Its innovative packaging, made from 60% recycled content and fully recyclable, positions it as a leader in sustainable gardening products, setting new industry standards for eco-friendly practices. What the judges said: “A good mix of ingredients, with added loam and John Innes - and the first claiming to be carbon neutral too.”

Garden Tools, Machinery & Implements

Winner: Westland HorticultureKent & Stowe SureCut Cutting Range

innovation, presented fantastically and positioned commercially so it sells really well.”

Growing Planting Equipment & Sundries

Winner: Smart Garden Products

- GroZone Perfect Propagator

Finalists: Westland Horticulture - Flopro Metal Multi Spray Gun, Deco-Pak - Chelsea Horticultural Seashells, Elho - Green Basics Strawberry Pot. Sustainability

Finalists: The AMES Companies UK LtdAmes Tools Carbon Steel Digging Spade, GARDENA UK - GARDENA SuperCut

Outdoor Leisure – sponsored by LOFA

Winner: Zest Outdoor Living - Terraza

Outdoor Kitchen Range Set

Finalists: Maze - Roma Rope

Weave Corner Dining Set with Rising Table - Clay Stone Grey, Zest Outdoor Living - Stirling Arbour, Woodlodge ProductsW Garden Living –Panama, Woodlodge ProductsW Garden LivingSoft Furnishings.

All Purpose Loppers, GARDENA UK - GARDENA 18V MultiCleaner AquaBrush. Sustainability Champion: Westland HorticultureKent & Stowe SureCut Cutting Range.

About the winner:

The new SureCut range comprises of loppers, shears and secateurs that have been thoughtfully engineered with the Reflex Energy System, designed to enhance performance and ease of use. This unique innovation results in maximum comfort with minimum effort when cutting, as each tool features rubber bumpers that are designed to absorb shock and promote a gentle rebound. This significantly reduces the jarring sensation for a comfortable and ergonomic experience that also ensures enhanced durability of each tool. What the judges said: “Great technical

Sustainability Champion:

Woodlodge Products - W Garden LivingSoft Furnishings.

Champion: DecoPak - Chelsea Horticultural Seashells.

About the winner: Its innovative features streamline the propagation process, offering a userfriendly solution that empowers gardeners to achieve successful plant growth with minimal effort. A significant advancement in the industry.

What the judges said: “Perfect value on a small scale and simple to use –a very smart product.”

About the winner: This outdoor kitchen is designed to give a choice of configurations and not be simply linear. The range includes additional units that can be purchased separately allowing for flexibility. The attention to design ensured it reached an attractive RRP making it attainable to a wider demographic across different income levels – aspirational but affordable. What the judges said: “Fantastic value for money, looks great and has sold well.”

Garden Landscaping

Winner: Altico Garden ProductsNatural Slate feature piece.

Finalists: Altico Garden Products - Pure & Natural Pebbles & Cobbles, Zest Outdoor Living – Tall Botanical Greenhouse, Deco-Pak – Eco-Stone Glass Chippings.

Category Sustainability Champion: Deco-Pak –Eco-Stone Glass Chippings

About the winner: A multipurpose, decorative and natural landscape piece that can be used to create a variety of beautiful garden features. Edge beds and borders, make intricate pathways,

zone outdoor spaces or use to create dramatic architectural effects.

What the judges said: “Genuinely different and makes a great look accessible to the consumer.”

Garden Clothing & Gifts

Winner: Phoenox Textiles Ltd - Hug Rug Bee 3

Finalists: Treadstone Products - Warm ‘n’

Waterproof Garden Glove, Treadstone ProductsClipGlove Activity Boots, Mr Fothergill’s Seeds Ltd - Pudsey Wildlife Attracting Flower Mix.

Category Sustainability Champion: Phoenox

Textiles Ltd - Hug Rug Bee 3.

About the winner: A new design, drawn

and created specifically for The Bumblebee Conservation Trust to raise funds and awareness for their charity, launched at Hampton Court Garden Festival.

What the judges said: “A great design, great value and to top it all, British made. What’s not to like?”

Pet Care, Aquatics & Wild Bird Care

Winner: Satchville Gift Company - Earthy Sustainable Bird Feeder Collection.

Category Sustainability Champion: Satchville Gift Company - Earthy Sustainable Bird Feeder Collection.

About the winner: Uses sustainable material to make it more innovative. Products look good and blends in with nature when used in the gardens. Trials have shown that the birds love them and use them continually.

What the judges said: “A really well-presented, complete range of products with a great eco-message.”

Garden Lighting, Water Features & Ornamentation

Finalists: Wildlife World - Frogilo, Smart Garden Products - Yak Popcorn, Wildlife World - “Woolie” the Sheep”

Winner: Smart Garden ProductsRainbow Flaming Balloon.

Finalists: The Solar Centre - Seattle

Ash USB Solar Table Light, Altico Garden Products Ltd - Jada

Self Contained Water

Feature, Smart Garden Products - Magic Mushroom, Smart Garden ProductsMaris Solar Lantern.

Category

Sustainability Champion: MazeAthena Solar Light

About the winner: A pioneering feature that offers a mesmerizing flame-like appearance, making it a standout decorative piece.

What the judges said: “An amazing pick-up line that has ‘lit-up’ sales.”

Decorative Pots & Planters

Winner: Primeur Ltd - Tierra Verde Coloured Collection.

Finalists: Elho - The Coffee Collection, ElhoJazz Round, Capi Europe BV - Metallic Copper Groove Planter, Woodlodge Products - EcoMade Hemp Indoor Planter.

Category Sustainability Champion: Primeur Ltd - Tierra Verde Coloured Collection.

About the winner: New colours give customers a wider range to choose from when creating their displays. Options for different colours, shapes and sizes allow for endless different styling options.

A quick and easy way to upgrade the exterior of a home.

What the judges said: “Stylish with a good strong eco-message that’s easy to understand.”

Marketing Awards

Best Point of Sale Material

Winner: Keter UK Ltd - Stewart Balcony Range Stand by Keter.

Finalists: Satchville Gift Company - Earthy Sustainable Tree Display, Meadow View Stone - Project Themed, Point of Sale Displays, GARDENA UK - GARDENA Multi-Function Stand and POS, Altico Garden Products LtdPure & Natural Pebbles and Cobbles, Treadstone Products - ClipGlove Activity Boot Display Stand.

Category Sustainability Champion: Satchville Gift Company - Earthy Sustainable Tree Display.

About the winner: The majority of stands within this product category are metal, designed for a specific selection of products and have little by way of visual graphics to attract the eye. This stand, however, is bright, bold, flexible in content and immediately tells the story of the products it holds.

What the judges said: “This stand highlights the products features and benefits to great effect, helping to generate more sales.”

Best Multi-Channel Campaign –sponsored by Garden Centre Retail

bring everyone closer to nature in a sustainable way, and highlights the joy of wild bird feeding.

What the judges said: “A beautifully crafted and engaging multi-channel campaign seen by 25 million consumers.”

Best Social Media Campaign

Winner: Westland Horticulture - Westland Beneath the Leaf campaign.

Finalists: Elho - The Coffee Collection social media package, Westland Horticulture - Peckish For Nature: Year-Round Communications Campaign, GARDENA UK - Flymo – First Cut Sunday.

About the winner: In recent years, houseplant sales have surged, with the HTA reporting a 12% year-over-year increase in December 2023, and nearly half of Britons purchased a houseplant in 2022. Recognising this growing market, Westland launched a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness of its houseplant product collection and educate consumers on maintaining a thriving indoor jungle. What the judges said: “This campaign taps into what has been a growth market in recent years. It’s perfectly aimed at keeping consumers engaged with some great content ultimately driving sales.”

Winner: Westland Horticulture - Peckish ‘Colour in Your Garden’ campaign.

Finalists: Westland Horticulture - The Westland Garden newspaper, Evergreen Garden Care - Miracle-Gro “Have yourself a Gro-ment” campaign, GARDENA UK - Grow With GARDENA.

About the winner: Peckish launched its biggest ever media campaign on TV on Christmas Day 2023. ‘Colour in Your Garden’ was a multiplatform campaign with a £1.5m investment that reached over 25 million consumers. In the new creative, viewers are treated to a spectacular show of the vibrant colours of wild birds enjoying being fed with Peckish. The captivating scenes encapsulate the essence of Peckish, revealing how the brand truly does

FERNS

FTIMELESS AND VERSATILE, FERNS ENHANCE GARDENS WITH LUSH TEXTURES, BIODIVERSITY AND YEAR-ROUND CHARM

erns are a timeless addition to any garden, offering lush greenery and a variety of textures that can transform outdoor spaces. For garden centres, stocking ferns can be a strategic move to attract a diverse customer base, from novice gardeners to seasoned horticulturists. This article explores the reasons why garden centres should stock ferns, the types of ferns available in the UK, their growing conditions, characteristics, and style ideas for incorporating them into garden designs.

Ferns are incredibly versatile plants that can thrive in various environments, making them suitable for a wide range of garden styles. Their ability to grow in shady areas where other plants might struggle makes them an essential addition to any garden centre’s inventory.

Ferns are generally low-maintenance plants, requiring minimal care once established. This makes them an attractive option for busy gardeners or those new to gardening.

These plants can improve air quality by filtering pollutants and increasing humidity levels. They also provide habitat for various wildlife, contributing to biodiversity.

With their delicate fronds and rich green hues, ferns add a touch of elegance and tranquillity to gardens. They can be used as ground cover, in hanging baskets, or as focal points in garden beds.

Types of ferns

The UK offers a wide variety of ferns, each with unique characteristics and growing requirements:

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Known for its feathery, light green fronds, the Lady Fern is a deciduous fern that thrives in moist, shady conditions.

Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)

This hardy fern is characterised by its robust, dark green fronds and can tolerate a range of soil types and light conditions.

Hart’s Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)

With its strap-shaped, evergreen fronds, this fern adds a unique texture to garden designs. It prefers shady, moist environments.

Soft Shield Fern (Polystichum setiferum)

This evergreen fern has soft, feathery fronds and is well-suited to shady, woodland gardens.

Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis)

A large, deciduous fern with striking, bipinnate fronds that turn a beautiful bronze in autumn. It prefers wet, boggy conditions.

Growing conditions

Ferns are relatively easy to grow, provided their basic needs are met. Most ferns

prefer partial to full shade, although some species can tolerate more sunlight if the soil is kept moist. Ferns thrive in well-drained, humusrich soil. Adding organic matter such as leaf mould or compost can improve soil structure and fertility.

Consistent moisture is crucial for ferns, especially during dry spells. However, they should not be waterlogged, as this can lead to root rot. Hardy ferns can withstand cold winters, but tender species may need protection or indoor cultivation during colder months. High humidity levels are beneficial for ferns, making them ideal for shaded, sheltered spots in the garden.

Lady Fern

Male Fern

Hart’s Tongue Fern

Characteristics

Ferns are unique in several ways. Unlike flowering plants, ferns reproduce via spores, which are typically found on the underside of their fronds. Fern fronds come in various shapes and sizes, from delicate and feathery to bold and architectural. They unfurl from tightly coiled buds known as crosiers or fiddleheads.

Some ferns are evergreen, providing year-round interest, while others are deciduous, dying back in winter and re-emerging in spring. Ferns can adapt to a wide range of environments, from woodland floors to rocky crevices and even aquatic settings.

Uses for ferns

Ferns can be used in various ways to enhance garden designs. Your customers could create a naturalistic woodland garden by planting ferns alongside shade-loving perennials and shrubs. Use a mix of evergreen and deciduous ferns for year-round interest.

Ferns can be incorporated into mixed borders to add texture and contrast. They can be paired with plants that thrive in similar conditions, such as hostas and astilbes.

Ferns are great for containers and hanging baskets to bring greenery to patios, balconies, and other small spaces. Compact varieties that do well in confined spaces are the better choice for this particular use.

Ferns are a valuable addition to any garden centre’s inventory, offering versatility, low maintenance, and aesthetic appeal. By stocking a variety of ferns and providing customers with information on their growing conditions and uses, garden centres can help gardeners create beautiful, tranquil spaces. Whether used in woodland gardens, mixed borders, or as standalone features, ferns bring a touch of timeless elegance to any garden.

By embracing the unique qualities of ferns, garden centres can cater to a wide range of gardening enthusiasts, from those seeking easy-to-care-for plants to those looking to create intricate garden designs. With their rich history and diverse forms, ferns are sure to remain a beloved choice for gardeners for years to come.

Soft Shield Fern

Royal Fern

Products Lighting

LIGHTING THE WAY FOR STANDOUT PRODUCTS THAT WILL ADD A SPECIAL TOUCH TO CUSTOMERS’ GARDENS

26M / 85FT “Super Festoon” Warm White Outdoor Plug-in Inter-connectable LED String Lights Lighting Legends

The Super Festoon string lights help create a warm and cosy outdoor space. The Warm White outdoor LED string lights brighten up any outdoor space which allows the creation of a relaxed setting. These lights are ideal to use all year round for outdoor dining and seating areas or entertaining friends and family out in the garden.

RRP £119.99 lightinglegends.com

The Bulb 7 String NOMA Garden Art

The Bulb 7 String from NOMA features Solar 365 technology, and will work 12 months of the year with minimal sunlight. It contains a sixhour timer, turns on at dusk and lasts for six hours to conserve power. This product is available with “The Cube” – NOMA’s exclusive lighting display box to show the bulb at its best.

RRP £25.99

noma.co.uk

WiZ Connected Outdoor Spike Light

4Lite

This robust and versatile smart garden spike light creates the perfect garden ambience with millions of colours and 64,000 shades of white. Supplied with a wall mounting bracket and spike, it is pre-wired with 2m of rubber insulated cable, dimmable via the WiZ app and includes setting schedules for different times of day, night lights and energy saving. It can be controlled wirelessly and remotely with the WiZ app or paired with voice control devices including, Hey Google, Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri.

RRP £24.99 4liteuk.com

Alya is a cordless, solar powered wall lamp in a modern and minimalist design. It is charged by sunlight during the day, and turns on automatically when detecting motion. The downwards facing light is perfect for illuminating your main entrance, driveway or other areas with a lot of traffic. Easy installation with no cables needed. Nordlux offers a five-year LED guarantee.

RRP £49.45 nordlux.com

Alya Nordlux

WiZ Connected LED Up and Down Wall Light

4lite

The 4lite WiZ Connected up and down wall light is ideal for illuminating exterior features and creating outdoor ambience. The durable, die-cast aluminium fixture has a sleek design and textured paint finish. Dimmable via the WiZ app, with millions of colours and 64,000 shades of white, schedules can be set to save energy and for different times of day. Compatible with voice control devices such as Hey Google, Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri, it can also be controlled via the WiZ app.

RRP £49.99

4liteuk.com

Atlas Solar Spotlights (Set of four)

The Solar Centre

Illuminate any driveway, path or bring a whole new look to your garden with this set of four Atlas Solar Spotlights. Featuring a compact design that makes a big impact, with no mains power necessary, your garden can be completely transformed in minutes.

RRP £69.99

thesolarcentre.co.uk

Solar Lantern Kaemingk B.V.

These beautiful, metal solar lanterns are available in two sizes and two atmospheric colours; black and green. The delicate pattern brings a warmth and high-summer vibe, giving your garden even more ambience. They work entirely on solar, so no cables needed, and almost all of the solar items come with a functioning presentation version, so you can light them on your shop floor.

RRP From £10.99

kaemingk.com

Mini Ropelight Konstsmide

The Konstsmide Mini Ropelight features 260 warm white LEDs within a clear 20-metre rope, perfect for outdoor use with its IP44 rating. This light set is ideal for festive decorations, offering both durability and energy efficiency. It enhances any outdoor space with a cozy, inviting glow, making it a great choice for creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere during the holiday season or special events.

RRP £63.84

konstsmide.se

Products Pet Innovation Zone at Garden Centre Expo

STANDOUT PRODUCTS SHOWCASED AT GARDEN CENTRE EXPO 2024, OFFERING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR GARDEN CENTRES

DogDoov Dog Beds

DogDoov

Limited

DogDoov is a new and innovative dog bed. Sold as a cover and internal net, the customer utilises old bedding and clothing from home to fill the bed themselves. No more toxic foam fillers. Customers will have the satisfaction of upcycling their old linens to make a comfortable dog bed whilst helping to save the planet.

RRP From £39.99 dogdoov.com

The Little Birdhouse: Robin & Songbird Mix

Harvest Pet Products

This premium bird food blend is crafted to provide essential nutrition for your garden’s favourite visitors – robins and songbirds. Packed with a variety of delicious seeds favoured by dunnocks and chaffinches, and nutritious mealworms for robins, this mix will keep your birds happy and healthy. This special blend is designed to support birds throughout the year with high-energy suet pellets. A unique cleaning process ensures a fresh and enjoyable meal, free from dust and chaff.

RRP £6.99 harvestpetproducts.com

Automatic Litter Box V3 – XXL PETLUX

The Automatic Litter Box XXL is designed for large cat breeds like Maine Coons, offering the largest eco-friendly solution on the market. With a 100-litre capacity, it’s durable, easy to clean, and 100% waterproof. Unique features include options for biodegradable or stainless steel trays, reducing waste without chemicals. Made from recyclable materials, this litter box is perfect for ecoconscious pet owners, supporting hygiene, sustainability, and convenience. Available in black and white.

RRP £550 petlux.nl

Calming Dog Shampoos, Eco Dog Towels, Multifit Dog & Cat Supplements

DotDotPet

DotDotPet’s award-winning shampoos have a calming fragrance and vegan prebiotic formulation. The Multifits, for cats and dogs are immune boosting with veterinary endorsed natural ingredients and are available in gummy and crunchy options. The Eco Dog Towels are 100% natural, biodegradable, versatile and award winning.

RRP Shampoos £12.99, Multifits Dry £13.99, Multifits Gummy £14.99, Eco Towels £12 dotdotpet.com

TurmerItch Paste for Pets

The Golden Paste Company

TurmerItch Paste is a natural coat and skin supplement for dogs and cats. Easy to use and made with high-quality ingredients. The company has worked closely with experts to achieve the balance of botanicals to help those pets suffering with skin and coat conditions such as grass/environmental allergies, yeast infections, reducing itchy skin and paws, repelling fleas and maintaining healthy skin and coat.

RRP £9.95 goldenpastecompany.co.uk

Tasty Timothy Hay and Moreish Meadow Hay HayDay

Totally nibble-icious premium, barn-dried and dust extracted hay boxes grown on the Hay Day farm in Yorkshire.

The business offers four different hay types: Timothy Hay, Meadow Hay, Ryegrass Hay and Alfalfa Hay – perfect for rabbits, guinea pigs chinchillas and degus.

RRP £19.99

hay-day.co.uk

Pup & Kit

The perfect solution for grazers, as a portable container or for preparing meals in advance. The Lid-It Bowl is ideal for travel or as a daycare container, is easy to clean and dishwasher safe, keeps insects away and locks in food and water. The bowl is made of stainless steel and has measurement markers. How does it work?

Simply press the logo to remove the air and seal the edges for an airtight lid.

RRP Small: £14.95, Medium: £17.95 pupandkit.com

Breeder Celect recycled paper cat litter

FibreCycle

Breeder Celect has been the go-to litter for our kittens and cats who love a clean litter tray and a greener planet.

Crafted with care from 99% recycled paper, right here in the UK, our litter is as kind to your nose as it is to the Planet. Voted Your Cat Litter of the Year 2024 and Pet Product Marketing

Retailer Recommended Cat Litter 2024.

RRP 25L £17.49 breedercelectcats.co.uk

Ramble harness

Non-stop dogwear

Non-stop dogwear Ramble harness is an adjustable harness with a handle and three attachment points. This harness is especially good for puppies or for dogs with a strong build. Ramble harness is light and comfortable with clips on both sides. In addition to the D-ring on the back, it has a loop for the tracking line on the chest. On the front, there is a third attachment point for mild anti-pull.

RRP £53.99

nonstopdogwear.com

Lid-it® Bowl With Silicone Lid

What’s coming up...

January 2025

GCA conference preview

Market resilience

Pots and planters

Garden furniture …and more!

With you from early January 2025

100% plantpowered instant soups

Championing REAL, nutrient rich vegetable powders, natural herbs & spices (no nasties)

Three delicious flavours in bold, shelf ready, recyclable packaging

Vegan, gluten & palm oil free, no added sugar Convenience without the compromise

wearesoulkitchen.com email bella@wearesoulkitchen for wholesale enquiries

VALEKA BV • Heliniumweg 14 • 3133 AX Vlaardingen, The Netherlands

Tel: +31-10 599 74 02 • info@valeka.nl • www.valeka.nl New and second hand aluminium benching: Fixed, Semi rolling, mobile and sales benches.

EXTENSIVE PRODUCT RANGE

Webb Garden Power prides itself in ensuring customers have the right tools to create their perfect garden. Whether it’s mowing the lawn, tackling weeds, or shaping hedges, Webb makes the job effortless and delivers results every time.

Webb is owned by Handy, one of the UK’s largest independent garden machinery wholesale distributors and manufacturers.

INCREASE YOUR PROFIT MARGINS

 Increase your business profit margins

 Various point of sale solutions

 Regular special offers

 Sales and marketing support: Photography & videos

 An ever-evolving range - covering manual, petrol, electric and cordless

 UK Aftercare Team for Spare Parts and Warranty Services

 All Webb products come with a 3-year warranty.

DESIGNED TO PERFORM