Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

Garden Centre Retail ISSUE 45

•

PEOPLE • PRODUCTS • PROFIT

August/September 2019

YO U R S PEC I A L GLEE EDITION T H E WA R A G A I N S T

plastic

AN INTERVIEW WITH

MIKE BURKS

THE GARDENS GROUP BREXIT

WHAT DOES THE INDUSTRY PREDICT?

23 Cover.indd 1

TRANSPORT

ARE YOU MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS AT EVERY STEP?

25

CATERING FOCUS

PREPARATION FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON BEGINS

30 27/08/2019 16:51

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W elc om e

WELCOME TO...

Garden Centre Retail I

t’s that time of year again. The good and great of the garden retail industry converge on Birmingham’s NEC arena for the annual pilgrimage to Glee.

It’s the sixth show Garden Centre Retail has been to, and the show’s appeal has certainly grown in that time. In 2018, the show was the best it has been for a long time – the exhibitors were all fantastic, the content in the seminars was well received, and the retail lab was the pièce de résistance.

It looks like 2019 will offer more of the same.

We’ll be there in force over the course of the three days, so, if anyone wants to catch up with any member of our team, get in contact and we’ll see what we can do.

Onto this issue: we’ve got a fantastic interview with the GCA’s chairman-elect Mike Burks. Mike was fantastic on the stage at this year’s GCA conference, interviewing current chair Mike Lind and cricket legend Kevin Pietersen. The interview sheds light on The Gardens Group’s history, and their plant-focused ethos.

We have now started to approach the festive season too.

We’ve got an article showcasing some of the independent garden centre’s plans for their Christmas menu, as well as a round-up of the latest products set to hit the shelves during the holiday period.

That’s it for now. See you at Glee!

CONTACT Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA EDITORIAL Managing Editor – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 577 Head of Content – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 593 Features Writer – Frankie Youd frankie.youd@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Contributor – Rachel Gordon proarbeditor@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Subeditor – Katrina Roy katrina.roy@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Subeditor – Sam Seaton sam.seaton@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 591

Joe Wilkinson Managing Editor, Garden Centre Retail joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com

The good and great of the garden retail industry

ADVERTISING Sales Executive – Beth Doran beth.doran@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 583 Horticulture Careers – Liam Colclough Tel: 01903 777 570 liam.colclough@eljays44.com PRODUCTION Design – Kara Thomas, Kirsty Turek Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd MANAGEMENT Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson Director – Lisa Wilkinson Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson MARKETING AND CIRCUL ATION Client relations – Amber Bernabe amber.bernabe@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 581

Joe and the GCR team

Subscription enquiries – Beth Doran beth.doran@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 583 Garden Centre Retail is published bimonthly by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2019 subscription price is £95. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, non-commissioned photographs or manuscripts.

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Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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27/08/2019 16:59

What is Strulch Strulch © is a light and easy to use garden mulch made from wheat straw for organic gardening. A patented process is used to ‘preserve’ the straw so that it lasts for up to two years and gives an earthy brown colour.

Strulch has a neutral pH and can be used throughout the garden on borders, raised beds, around cultivated fruit and on vegetable plots.

• Spend less time weeding Strulch reduces weed growth by up to 95% • Save water Strulch helps retain moisture around plants • Improve your soil Strulch enriches soil and its structure • Use all around the garden Strulch is suitable around flowers, shrubs, fruit and vegetables • Save time and money Strulch, the straw garden mulch, lasts up to two years, spreading the cost, saving water and fertiliser, making your plants grow healthier and stronger and giving you more time to relax.

• Slug and Snail deterrent The physical properties of Strulch together with the embedded minerals deters slugs and snails

Want to stock Strulch - The Straw Mulch with Slug and Snail Deterrent?

Visit our website to see how we advertise our stockists. Our extensive advertising campaign generates ‘hits’ on our site.

Each bag covers 3 x 1sqm. Minimum order 1 pallet x 48 bags delivered within 3 working days. Discounts for multiple pallets.

Call for a quotation: 01943 863610

www.strulch.co.uk 01943 863610 info@strulch.co.uk

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C ont ent s

Garden Centre Retail ISSUE 45

•

PEOPLE • PRODUCTS • PROFIT

August/September 2019

YO U R S PEC I A L GLEE EDITION T H E WA R A G A I N S T

plastic

CO NTE NT S

AN INTERVIEW WITH

MIKE BURKS

THE GARDENS GROUP BREXIT

WHAT DOES THE INDUSTRY PREDICT?

TRANSPORT

ARE YOU MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS AT EVERY STEP?

23

GLEE

07 NEWS

35 PLANT FOCUS

55 INTRODUCTION

38 GIMA

57 SEMINARS

41 SEEDS

59 PRODUCT LAUNCHES

Mike Burks, The Gardens Group

17 HR MANAGEMENT

Five ways independent businesses can improve

18 PLASTIC

What is the garden retail market doing to reduce plastic?

27/08/2019 16:51

Event director Matthew Mein’s thoughts

A touch of the tropics Ranges, ideas and innovations for Glee

12 INTERVIEW

30

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

PRODUCTS

BUSINESS

PREPARATION FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON BEGINS

25

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NEWS

A round-up of the latest news from the sector

CATERING FOCUS

Multiple seed companies display their products

42 PAVING

Products on offer from various UK companies

45 CHRISTMAS

Prepare for the festive season

49 ANATOMY OF A PRODUCT

An overview of Glee’s panels and experts Exciting products launching at Glee

61 GO AND SEE

here to find the industry’s favourite stalls this year

35

Europium’s Olly Aroma Diffuser

23 BREXIT

The impact Brexit could have on garden centres

25 TRANSPORT

Tuffnells explains the importance of high-quality transport

27 THERMOFLOR

Building towards success

30 CATERING FOCUS

Fabulous food – and not just for the festive season

www.gardencentreretail.com

Contents KR.indd 5

45 Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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27/08/2019 16:53

Suttons Seeds NEW look A to Z for 2020

Including...

ANTIRRHINIUM CALENDULA COSMOS BEGONIA DAHLIA FOXGLOVE GERANIUM HOLYHOCK LUPIN

FLOWERS A Z

KALE LEEK LETTUCE LEAF SALAD ONION PARSNIP RADISH SPIANCH TOMATO TURNIP

Unsurprisingly EASY...

Our comprehensive customer favoured “new-look” A-Z range includes new and exciting Flower & Veg ranges for 2020...

H

is for...

NEW RANGES

7 NEW fun & exciting Houseplants

to

P

to

is for...

PRAIRIE PLANTS

6 NEW prairie garden varieties to bring colour, structure and sound to your garden!

Plus these other new and popular ranges

GROW SALAD this Summer

James

botanWiocng’s al in

fusi ns

Native Wildflowers

BY APPOINTMENT TO

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN SEEDSMEN SEEDSMEN SUTTONS CONSUMER SUTTONS CONSUMER PRODUCTS LIMITED, DEVON PRODUCTS LIMITED, DEVON

As seed purveyors since 1806 we have all the gardener's favourite seeds, together with our yearly introduction of exciting new varieties.

Unsurprisingly Suttons!

PL

AN TS

Q

E

Want to join our retail partnership?

2020 Retail Catalogue UIPMEN

T

British

Grow with Suttons 2020

Suttons Consumer Products Ltd.

Woodview Road, Paignton, Devon TQ4 7NG, UK

www.suttonsretail.co.uk

Advert template.indd 32

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN SEEDSMEN SUTTONS CONSUMER PRODUCTS LIMITED, DEVON

retail@suttons.co.uk

As seed purveyors since 1806 it’s no surprise we have all the gardener’s favourite seeds, together with new and exclusive varieties.

4729_Cover sec.indd 1

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN SEEDSMEN SUTTONS CONSUMER PRODUCTS LIMITED, DEVON

www.suttonsretail.co.uk

The complete

A Z range to

For information on the complete Suttons 2020 seed range please contact us on:

01803 696400

retail@suttons.co.uk

4729

Registered in England & Wales No. 284448

01803 696400

A Z

VEGETABLES

LOBELIA

and finally...

01803 696400

retail@suttons.co.uk 24/04/2019 07:48

www.suttonsretail.co.uk 27/08/2019 17:06

N ew s

NEWS CENTRE Direct purchasing from China made easy with new joint venture

C

hina Direct UK, formed by Frank Sandford, Neville Stein and Larry Lee – head of the China Horticultural Association – will help with direct purchasing from Chinese manufacturers.

Stein will continue to run his consultancy practice, whilst taking a role in this new company. He will support the business development alongside Sandford.

Sandford, who has been with Boningale Nurseries, has run a retail plant supply firm in the past. He has a solid background in the garden retail industry. Together, and with Larry Lee, they have formed Direct Garden Source.

Stein says: “There are opportunities for garden centres to better profits by buying from Chinese companies. Yet many people get put off by the complexities of the process.

“Our new joint venture aims to take the hassle out of purchasing direct. It will allow garden retailers to merge purchases from many

www.gardencentreretail.com

News.indd 7

manufacturers into one delivery.

“The process handles all the customs forms, quality control processes, paperwork and delivery”.

Lee and Stein trialled the process last Spring. Several garden retailers took part in the first buying trip. hanks to the success of that buying trip, February 2020 will see retailers undertake another one.

The company website enables direct buying from Chinese manufacturers, without frequent buying trips.

Sandford comments: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for all retailers to reap the benefits of direct purchasing from China.

The smallest order is 1 x 20ft container of mixed product.

With certain products, retailers should be able to achieve well over a 60% gross margin.” www.directgardensource.com

Chelsea garden is rebuilt at Tong Garden Centre

A

Chelsea Flower Show garden has been rebuilt at the Bradford Garden Centre, a plant donor for the garden.

The plant team at Tong Garden Centre sourced and supplied over 600 plants for LAND, a multi-sensory garden and textile installation and buyer. Plants buyer Steve Smith says: “We were delighted to be invited to be the plant partner for LAND and it will be great to have a little piece of Chelsea.”

LAND was a collaboration between founder of The Plant Room, Zosia BerkietaLewis, and textile designer

Laura Slater. The pair were invited to the iconic show after organisers saw the LAND installation at the London Design Festival last year.

Tong was recommended to them for plants by TV gardener, Katie Rushworth, who also has a show garden at Tong. Tong’s marketing manager, Jo Dales says: “It’s fitting and fabulous that a garden was made possible due the generosity of Yorkshire and northern businesses. We’re looking forward to sharing this little piece of Chelsea with our community.” www.tonggardencentre.co.uk

GCA record for new members

T

he GCA has seen a record number of new members join in 2019, with 10 signing up so far this year.

These include three centres from the Klondyke Group, an additional centre for Perrywood Garden Centre, as well as six other independent garden centres from across the country.

Iain Wylie, GCA’s chief executive, says: “We’d like

to welcome all of our new members: Bellis Brothers, Buckingham, Dunbar, Haddenham, Parkers Garden Company, Perrywood Sudbury, Waresley Park and Klondyke’s Edinburgh, Livingstone and Polmont.

“It is a real pleasure to welcome a record number of new members joining us within a single year. We have already received interest from other centres which will only increase this record total even further. www.gca.org.uk

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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27/08/2019 16:54

A dv er t or i al

BRINGING BRANDS TOGETHER AMES UK is all about bringing like-minded businesses together to create a strong portfolio of retail brands.

Bringing People Together Following their first full season in the garden market, the recently formed group are already celebrating significant progress. Integration of the ales arketing operations of elkay, a acienda and oodshaw is now complete, allowing the team to focus on their goal to bring a fully oined-up service to their customers.

Dedicated to supporting their independent retail partners, AMES UK provided merchandising materials and support to over 500 centres across the UK in 2019

The range of Plant Avenue Pots is the latest new category launch for AMES UK

huge part of our new, unified approach has been to create a combined nation-wide sales force that really understands garden centres. his well established and dedicated team of sales professionals and supporting merchandisers now provides the complete service’ for garden centres across all the categories served by , including aggregates and landscape products, water features, outdoor cooking and heating, wooden furniture and garden structures, pots and containers, as well as garden d cor.

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23/08/2019 11:39

A dv er t or i al Bringing Ranges Together We’re taking the best of what each business has to offer to deliver stronger products, tailored promotions, new merchandising solutions, and great cross-category sales opportunities. Sarah Winn, Group Marketing Director, said: “Our customers can expect to see some exciting developments when they visit us at GLEE this year. Being part of AMES UK has enabled us to invest further, not only in new product innovation, but also to look at the development of brands and how we can exploit their strengths to appeal even more to the typical garden centre shopper.”

Licensing of RHS into three new categories is just one of the exciting brand developments that will be launched at GLEE 2019

The RHS Lindley botanical art collection was the inspiration for the creation of four new statement water features with retail prices starting at £399.99 The AMES UK brands will be all together at GLEE 2019 in the centre of Hall 6, where each of the key brands will have its own dedicated display space. Antony Harker, AMES UK Managing Director, is keen to emphasise that the principle of demonstrating how product categories can be merchandised effectively and most profitably in garden centres remains the main ob ective.

“Our customers can expect to see great merchandising solutions designed to fit garden centre environments, as well as hundreds of exciting new products. It’s really a question of taking the best elements of what we do and replicating it effectively across new categories and new brands. When you pull them together, the overall effect is so much stronger!”

Introduction of the RHS brand to a range of horticultural sands and grits has seen a huge uplift in sales for the category. The range is undergoing a further update for 2020, including new packaging and merchandising

Kelkay.indd 4

The RHS brand has proven its resonance with garden centre consumers, and Kelkay have already enjoyed considerable success. Now their relationship with RHS has been extended to three new categories, all of which are at the heart of the garden centre demographic. For 2020, the RHS brand will endorse a range of wooden garden structures and four new composite stone water features, as well as three hand made feature bird tables.

The RHS Hanbury Arch with Planters takes its design from an iconic bridge at the heart of RHS Garden Wisley. RRP £299.99

The RHS Hanbury Bird Table is one of a series of three designs, all of which are hand made in the UK using pressure treated FSC timber. Prices start at £179.99

23/08/2019 11:41

Growing since 1973

y r u x u l d d A s s e l r fo Discover Our Range of High Quality Greenhouses and Gardenrooms www.norfolk-greenhouses.co.uk Advert template.indd 3

020 3011 2040

trade@norfolk-greenhouses.co.uk 27/08/2019 14:35

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

BUSINESS 12

THE INTERVIEW Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group

17

HR MANAGEMENT Five ways independent businesses can improve

18

PLASTIC What is the garden retail market doing to reduce plastic?

23

BREXIT How Brexit could impact garden centres

25

TRANSPORT Tuffnells explains the importance of high-quality transport

27

THERMOFLOR Building towards success

30

CATERING FOCUS Fabulous food – and not just for the festive season

Business Cover.indd 13

27/08/2019 16:20

B u s i nes s I nt er v i ew

AN INTERVIEW WITH

MIKE BURKS

THE GARDENS GROUP Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, talks about the history of the business, as well as its community and plant-focused ethos

G

arden centres are uniquely placed, potentially more than any other local business, to be a true benefit to their communities. The clearest demonstration of this is simply the normal, day-to-day running of centres themselves, providing top quality plants, furnishings, gifts and more, all in order to improve the quality of life of their customers. Simultaneously, they also have the potential to act as genuine community hubs for those lucky enough to live in close proximity to them.

Again, this is easily demonstrated through the increasing popularity of onsite catering, which invariably provides not only restaurant-quality food, but also a place for friends to happily while away

12

Interview.indd 12

the hours in each other’s company. Other community-centred initiatives currently being rolled out by businesses across the UK meanwhile include gardening clubs, employment initiatives and so on.

One business taking full advantage of this opportunity to bring people together is The Gardens Group, which is spread across three sites in the south-west of England. Indeed, when we caught up with owner Mike Burks, he seemed just as proud of what he and his wife Louise were bringing to people’s lives as he is of building the business up from nothing over the last 30 years.

Experimental urban extension The oldest of the group’s three centres is Castle Gardens, which was established

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

www.gardencentreretail.com

27/08/2019 14:21

I nt er v i ew B u s i nes s

in 1987, in the original walled kitchen garden of the Sherborne Castle estate in orset. his was followed five years later by rimsmore ardens in Yeovil, on a site formerly occupied by a fruit farm. he most recent and, arguably, the most fascinating location is oundbury ardens on the outskirts of orchester. oundbury is an experimental urban extension’, designed according to the architectural views and principles of the rince of ales. Fittingly, oundbury ardens can be found next to a statue of the ueen other in the centre of town. iscussing the origin of the business, ike said e began essentially by following the example provided by my parents, who used to run their own garden centre situated in a walled kitchen garden. hen ouise and I left university, we decided that was a good model and found our own site in herborne Castle. hat’s how the whole thing started.

In the years following the opening of Castle ardens, we decided that we wanted to expand the business, and an obvious way to do that was by having a presence in Yeovil. here is a big orset omerset divide, and over the course of the first few years we were getting very little trade from the latter. rimsmore ardens now services that customer base. s mentioned, the third centre or the baby , as ike calls it is oundbury ardens, a pro ect which is of particular interest for two reasons. he first is that it can be seen as essentially the culmination of everything that had been achieved by the business up until that point, with he ardens roup being specifically chosen

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Interview.indd 13

as a preferred retail partner of the uchy of Cornwall. econdly, oundbury is also unusual in that the centre is situated right in the middle of the main central s uare of the town itself. his means that not only does it possess somewhat of a uni ue atmosphere when compared to other sites, it also has to operate without a goods-in area, something which clearly presents some uni ue challenges. peaking of the experience of opening the third site, ike says oundbury was strange in that they came to us, which in turn enabled us to convert the site something which would have been far too expensive without the support of the uchy of Cornwall. he business is situated in an old ictorian farm, with the restaurant at the front of the building where they used to keep the threshing machines. he main s uare of oundbury itself is a bit like a cross between enice and ath, so it’s obviously an incredible environment in which to operate. e continues ne of the uni ue challenges of operating there comes from being situated close to the other shops in town, as well as only having a limited amount of room. s such we decided that we wouldn’t have a goods-in area at all. e basically figured that the other businesses manage without one, so why shouldn’t we here’s no storage space on the site, and in terms of the offer, everything is predicated on ust in time buying, something which has now become second nature. bviously, that means our staff running the store have to be incredibly organised. ltimately, it’s ust an 

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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27/08/2019 14:22

B u s i nes s I nt er v i ew

accelerated version of how we run the rest of the business, but we really did have to hit the ground running.”

As might be expected, in order to get Poundbury Gardens up and running straight away, Mike had to bring in as many ualified people as he could find as uickly as possible. ne huge benefit of having two other sites nearby was the ability to draw on a supply of incredibly experienced people on relatively short notice in order to fill the breach.

He says: “We had a really strong team when we opened the site, while at the same time needing to find the opportunity to help develop other people who were coming through. With that in mind, we filled the senior positions with people from Castle Gardens and Brimsmore, and promoted internally from there. We also

ne hu e benefit o ha in two othe sites nea b was the abilit to d aw on a suppl o inc edibl e pe ienced people on elati el sho t notice brought in expertise from elsewhere as the time has gone on.” ccording to ike, the other benefit of having two other sites nearby is the

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Interview.indd 14

ability to “lean on them” if there is ever a temporary shortage in terms of stock.

Old fashioned philosophy The Gardens Group is built around a very specific, community-orientated ethos. This not only provides the business with a unique identity, but also benefits the community in uestion.

That could be through the work it does with local schools, involvement in over 100 gardening clubs, or The Green Shed workshop initiative at Castle Gardens which provides hands-on, practical work for adults with learning disabilities and memory problems, including dementia.

Mike and Louise also subscribe to what some might describe as a old-fashioned philosophy when it comes to the retail offer itself. To put it another way, they feel that a garden centre’s core identity should be predicated around plant sales.

“We set out at the beginning to deliberately have gardening dominate everything that we do, and that’s still the case. That’s what we’re interested in, and it’s where our expertise comes from.

“So, when it comes to the layout, visitors can always get to plants and horticulture within about 10 paces of the entrance.

That’s the same all year round, including at Christmas, which represents a large percentage of our business towards the end of the year. It’s the same with our restaurants, which are situated primarily to add to the feel of the sites rather than simply to just drag people into them.

“When it comes to selling the plants

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

themselves, again the trick for us is to keep things relatively simple. The stock has to be of high quality, sourced from nurseries that we’ve worked with for years and that we trust implicitly. Our staff also really know their plants, and there’s always expertise on offer all year round.”

Mike’s views and philosophy may not line up with those of other businesses, particularly when it comes to what a garden centre should be. In his response, he is diplomatic but resolute.

“We all have to adapt to the business landscape. Some people diversify massively in an incredibly sophisticated and well thought out way. Many of the more successful garden centres have thought it all through and they’re very good at it. My concern sometimes, however, is that you can end up with ‘spot the plant’ centres where you have to fight your way through all kinds of clothing and tran uillity C s before you find anything even remotely related to gardening.”

Given how passionate he is, Mike’s attitude towards the selling of plants appears fundamentally connected to his business’ place in the world around him. Gardening is, after all, good for the environment, particularly if it’s carried out in a sustainable fashion, something which in turn is good for people.

“If you run a business in a community, you have to support that community,” says Mike. “For us, being seen as a place where that happens is fabulous. It’s also the right thing to do, both for society and the business.” w

www.gardencentreretail.com

27/08/2019 14:23

magrini high chairs The Magrini Breeze commercial high chair stacks up to 8 high for easy storage and comes in a choice of colours that will not fade or peel.

The strong, sturdy design allows your smallest customers to feel safe and the chair pushes up to the table to create a relaxed family mealtime.

The Breeze high chair is manufactured in the U.K.

by Magrini.

tried & trusted by young professionals safe - strong - stacks Tel:t:01543 sales@magrini.co.uk• • w: www.magrini.co.uk 01543375311 375311 • •Email: e: sales@magrini.co.uk www.magrini.co.uk

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27/08/2019 14:37

Introducing brand new Spring & Easter decorations Autumn Fair, NEC, 1-4 September 2019 Hall 20, Stand H42-J43 floral silk FP 210x265.indd 1 Advert template.indd 5

sales@floralsilk.co.uk 01778 425205 www.floralsilk.co.uk 19/08/2019 14:43 17:22 27/08/2019

H R M anag em ent B u s i nes s

5 WAYS

INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES CAN IMPROVE THEIR

HR MANAGEMENT For some, hiring a HR manager isn’t an option – but there are still ways to handle HR matters effectively

W

hen you are an independent business, HR management can seem daunting.

However, it’s an essential part of running a successful business.

Ensuring you are able to manage your human resources effectively is not only important for staff retention, but it can also help your business become more efficient and, ultimately, more profitable. ere are five ways independent businesses can improve their HR management.

1

Go digital

If you’re an independent or small business owner, your time is precious and keeping track of a host of paperwork is the last thing you want to do. Using a self-service online platform (such as HR Essentials, BrightHR, CezanneHR or Breathe, amongst others) provides a cost-effective solution for business owners looking to manage any day-to-day HR matters that may otherwise prove challenging.

Many of these platforms offer multiple packages, unique features and varying degrees of customisation – make sure to explore the different options.

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HR.indd 17

2

Outsource

In order to improve the management of your human resources, you don’t have to employ an in-house HR manager.

Outsourcing to HR specialists can give you access to all the relevant documents and advice you will need to ensure your business is compliant with the latest HR regulations – without the overheads of an HR manager’s salary.

3

Keep the correct information for all staff

4

Maintain a library of HR tools and documents

One of the most effective ways to improve HR management is to centralise the important documents relating to your staff. An online hub is the easiest way to store your documents – it also provides you with a fairly straightforward way to make any amends should staff members change job titles, or if you take on new staff.

Similarly to having the correct information stored for all staff in your business, creating a centralised database of key documents such as

contracts and handbooks can streamline the HR management process. If collating all the relevant documentation sounds like an HR nightmare, don’t worry. Those easy-to-use digital platforms previously mentioned are all readily available and designed to have a suite of documents stored on an online portal.

5

Keep information up to date

An error that can prove costly to independent and small businesses is failing to keep employee data and documents up to date and ensuring that they are legally compliant.

By ensuring all policies, handbooks and employment contracts are accurate, both you and your employees know where you stand. Up-to-date information and data can also help you protect your business should certain issues arise, such as a disgruntled employee looking to claim against the business.

Thorneycroft Solicitors deliver highquality legal services to businesses and individual clients throughout the UK. They can be reached at employmentteam@ thorneycrofts.co.uk w

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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23/08/2019 11:53

B u s i nes s P las t i c

WHAT IS THE GARDEN RETAIL MARKET DOING TO REDUCE PLASTIC USE? As a naturally green industry, garden centres and their suppliers should be at the forefront of the ecological and sustainable movement. One criticism levelled their way though is the use of single-use plastics in packaging, and the difficulty in recycling certain items. So, what is the industry doing to change this?

S

ince David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II and it’s shocking plasticfocused finale hit the silver screen at the end of 2017, our focus on the planet has increasingly intensified.

The public has become more aware of its duty to the environment, and aware of the importance of reducing the use of plastic in their every day lives.

Garden centres offer so much to the environment. Their main line of business entirely regards nature, adding greenery into gardens countrywide. They’re also at the forefront of the fight to help wildlife within British gardens, pointing out

Baker of Webbs of Wychbold and I have recently contacted our local authority to see what we could do to help. He wrote to the local councils, only to find out that many will not accept plastic plant pots in recycling. However, I visited the reprocessing plant for our counties and discussed it further with them.

“They had heard of the taupe plant pot and welcomed a visit to discuss the

situation. I took a whole selection of polypropylene pots with me, including some from Pöppelmann’s TEKU range, as well as trays and other examples in taupe and black. We put them through the plant, and every single non-black PP pot was identified by the infrared scanners and sorted into its correct plastic category.

“The particular company I visited, Severn Waste Services, were extremely 

They’re also at the o e ont o the fi ht to help wildlife within itish a dens plants that are perfect for pollinators, and selling items such as bird boxes, hedgehog houses and bug B&B’s. But one thing that could be improved upon is their persistence to pop the plastic bubble, whether through insisting that manufacturers reduce the plastic in their packaging or helping to recycle plastic pots.

William Blake, general manager of St Peters Garden Centre in Worcester, is taking his fight for plastic recycling to his local authority. “There has been a lot of discussion amongst GCA members about reducing plastic waste, especially as there is such a large amount of it in the garden centre industry currently,” he says. “Nick

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Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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27/08/2019 14:16

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P las t i c B u s i nes s

helpful, and really appreciated my input. Within a week of the visit, they had updated their website (which lists exactly what can and can’t be placed in the recycling bins) and they met with the county council to advise of the acceptance of non-black PP plant pots, which is great news for the people of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.” owever, this wasn’t the final step for the collaborators. Will said: “As garden centres, St Peters and Webbs of Wychbold are now actively advertising and informing this to our customers, both instore using posters, but also through social media.

“We were initially inspired to do something about this issue after David Chilvers of Bransford Webbs Plant Company – a GCA Associate member – pioneered a taupe pot initiative in 2018.

“A group made up of the largest growers in the UK came together and established that they needed to change the colour of the plant pot to enable them to be recycled. This has now been widely adopted and the majority of plants grown in the UK, from Spring 2019, are now done so in recyclable PP plant pots.”

Burgon & Ball, the south-west-based manufacturer of garden products, has come up with a fantastic innovation to not just help with the recycling of plastic pots, but to put a serious dent in the use of them in the first place. he aper ot Maker is a tool that gardeners can use to make 3 different sized pots from discarded newspaper. The pots are sturdy and fully biodegradable, so the seedlings can be transplanted, pot and all.

Evergreen Garden Care has a dedicated R&D team working on short and long term alternatives for single-use plastic, in collaboration with the plastic and recycling industries. “We are leveraging technical and product knowledge from other industries and trialing new materials in our factories before submitting our

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product/packing to EU and UK Regulatory registration,” explains customer marketing manager Jane Hartley.

She continued: “Evergreen Garden Care has some of the most advanced research and development facilities in the world. Science-based innovation has a significant role to play in the sustainability of gardening, so we have invested over €10 million to work on improving our environmental profile for our growing media and gardening care products and packaging.

“Development, testing and approval can take up to three years, so we have a long list of packaging/products currently going into registration in anticipation of our reduction of single-use packaging.”

A UK supplier of wood-based biomass fuels, White Horse Wholesale, is aiming to meet the demands of an increasingly plastic-conscious public, by releasing their pre-packaged EcoBlaze Kiln Dried Birch Firewood and Kindling in environmentally friendly cardboard boxes.

Matthew Stretch, head of sales, stated: “When harvested and processed correctly, firewood is a fantastic sustainable way to heat your home. Nonetheless, as consumer demand for pre-packed firewood can hit a uarter of a million

units a week, most of those packs are supplied in plastic bags. Therefore, it just made sense to support the general public’s desire to move away from plastic and supply our firewood in sustainable, recyclable cardboard boxes.”

Increasing public demand for plasticfree products is supporting the growth of Loughborough-based brushware manufacturer Charles Bentley & Son too.

The 159-year-old company has achieved 5 growth in the last two financial years.

Charles Bentley, managing director, commented: “As an established company,

Firewood is the original source of fuel, and when harvested and processed correctly it is a fantastic sustainable way to heat your home it’s vital we show leadership and adapt to changing times. We are proud to utilise our skills while leading change and to have this as the driving force behind winning major contracts with well-known brands.”

Times are changing, and garden centres are amongst the best retailers in reacting to change. They’re leading the way in this fight expect other retail markets to follow soon. w

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27/08/2019 14:45

B r ex i t B u s i nes s

THE BREXIT VIEW

We ask industry experts how Brexit could impact Garden Centres in the future

B

rexit. It’s a word we’re probably all fed up with, but it’s going to affect us all one way or another, depending on the outcome in the near future.

We’ve asked Alan Roper, managing director of garden retail giants Blue Diamond, and David Little, MD of the independent Poplars Garden centre and chair of the Future Marketing Group, for their views.

The chain

Alan Roper, Blue Diamond.

“The UK became the world’s fifth biggest economy, complete with high disposable incomes (ranked 15th in the world) due in no small part to its close ability to trade with Europe without tariffs or restrictions for the past 46 years.

“Like any retail industry, we prosper on disposable income – no one can seriously believe that this country can decouple from the trading engine of Europe without a deal and expect the consequences to be nothing other than recessionary – the like of which we will not have seen for a generation.

“If this happens, which seems likely,

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it will have a drastic impact, shrinking disposable incomes. The impact on businesses will be acute, resulting in reduced investment, overhead cuts and inevitable job losses as the economy contracts.

“Sterling’s weakness will result in further inflation, which in itself will shrink household spending budgets. There will be other countless consequences.

“Applying a cursory knowledge of economics and an application of rational thought, as opposed to ignorance and a populist nationalist vision, will help anyone understand that no deal will be very self-harmful.”

The independent David Little, Poplars Garden Centre “I don’t think very much will happen in

the Garden Centre world. History shows we actually do well in times of economic downturn – if we have one.

“The grass will still grow; customers will still get hungry and Christmas will not be cancelled. Imports might become a little more expensive – we’ll pass it on or buy elsewhere.

“Unemployment may rise slightly, and other sectors may struggle. New opportunities will present themselves and we will embrace change as we always do.

“I doubt interest rates will move very much, and any bumps in the road will be small and soon behind us. The sun and rain will continue to have a bigger impact on sales than anything else including Brexit.”

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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23/08/2019 11:26

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T r ans p or t B u s i nes s

HOW TRANSPORT CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR GARDEN CENTRE Tuffnells discusses the importance of meeting seasonal demand and delivering goods in pristine condition

I

n spring and summer, garden centre retailers pull out all the stops to ensure plants are attractively displayed and have the right mix of tools and accessories in stock. Transporting live, fragile or bulky goods is a challenge, so we caught up with David Kumar, from irregular freight specialist uffnells, to find out how to meet seasonal demand and deliver goods in pristine condition.

Whilst there’s plenty of scope for garden centre growth, retailers know how competitive the sector is. They’re vying with supermarkets and stores for customer spend, but might lack the same buying power, so cannot afford to cut their prices.

This is why, on top of staff knowledge

With so many options of carriers, you need to find out which is capable of maintaining the standards expected and passion, garden centres are typically judged on product quality.

A good manager knows that carefully handling plants and big-ticket items is not confined to the in-store team alone they need freight carriers to uphold the same standards. See what David recommends to ensure customer satisfaction: Choose the right packaging oods damaged in transit are costly for returns and reputational damage. As tempting as it is to cut packaging costs, remember that you still need to take extra care with delicate live plants and bulky furniture.

Forecast the weather... and demand Whilst nobody knows whether the great

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British summer will bring a heatwave or torrential rain, it’s important to prepare for your peak in advanced and anticipate any spikes in customer demand.

The latest trends, seen at trade shows and in the media, will influence what products you sell but there’s no point waiting until a scorching weekend to order barbecues.

Instead, check the weather in advance, and stagger orders through the week to ensure goods are available when you need them.

Get to know your carrier With so many options of carriers, you need to find out which is capable of maintaining the standards expected. The size of its fleet will determine where you can deliver (Tuffnells have 37 depots around the UK, ensuring all areas are easily accessible), while features like curtain-sided trailers allow large items to be unloaded quicker.

Weigh up the costs Transporting irregular freight tends to

be more expensive, since much of it is carefully handled by people rather than machines. But even though the initial outlay is higher, a specialist carrier can help you avoid costs of returns and damaged goods.

There are other ways to keep costs down. firm offering kerbside delivery, for example, can complete more dropoffs, compared to those who take orders into customers’ homes or businesses.

Sa ety rst I’d urge garden centre retailers to partner with a logistics firm that takes a proactive approach to safety. This could include fitting vehicles with cargo (safety) nets to protect drivers and parcels against falling objects, and tail lifts that enable drivers to unload pallets of heavy items without causing injury.

David Kumar is an experienced Regional Sales Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the package/ freight delivery industry. www.tuffnells.co.uk w

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Helping garden centre retailers grow for over 50 years We are incredibly proud of our work within the Garden Centre industry. Whether you are looking to refurbish your existing site, expand your customer offering or tie in your brand we would be delighted to help.

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27/08/2019 15:12

T h er m of lor B u s i nes s

BUILDING

TOWARDS SUCCESS Garden Centre Retail speaks with Christian Gombert, marketing and development director of DCG, about the role of the company following hermoflor s incorporation

B

ack in 1 00, . rimbergen enior became the first greenhouse builder of estland. e created uite some interest from his smithy and workplace in oeldi k by making high- uality metal glasshouses, mainly for growing grape vines. he glasshouses became larger as the years went by, and developed to become greenhouses with several interconnected roofs.

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In 01 , hermoflor oined forces with the elgian company eforche Construct, with the two becoming partners. It clicked perfectly with the company that has also been in the same family for many generations. he eforche Construct brand For on represents sustainable and high- uality glass roof structures. his fits in perfectly with the famous hermoflor uality. ogether, they are creating C eforche Construction roup . e believe that a warm and endurable relationship is best when it comes to clients, says Christian. e like to do business in a pleasant and personal way. e believe it is important that we come to know our clients and what their preferences and re uirements are.

We can then finely attune our services to this.”

A garden centre serves a very specific function in its environment, something Christian notes ur challenge is to ensure we provide this function in such a way that the greatest possible added value is created. o build a garden centre or, rather, to build a successful garden centre involves more than ust producing building drawings, manufacturing parts and engaging contractors. he added value of hermoflor already starts well before the first building drawings when we carry out market research, provide consultancy services, insight into commercial opportunities and threats, consult about the optimum range for local markets, and explore the best way to present products, explains Christian.

If you are thinking of having a new garden centre built, you probably already have a location in mind. efore we design, we will examine the market around 

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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B u s i nes s T h er m of lor a new garden centre with clients. We analyse the composition of households, distribution of income and travel distances of potential customers. We will also create a picture of direct and indirect competition. Based on this information, our clients can take the decision to actually implement the project, to possibly adjust the concept or format or to wait for an alternative location. Our goal is not necessarily to build a building come what may. We want to create a place where you can grow.”

In addition to selecting a location and the area on which building will take place, a smart layout of your garden centre is also key. After all, there are rules of thumb about routing and presentation that will ensure that customers can easily find their way to the products that they want.

“Together, we will examine the needs of the market and the composition of a range that fits in with this and your personal

In addition to selecting a location and the area on which building will take place, the smart layout of your garden centre is also key preferences” Christian comments. “Next, we produce a floor plan based on this range with the optimum number of square metres per product group. The routing that we propose using in your new garden centre will take into account the preferences of both hit and run and fun shoppers to guarantee the highest sales and an excellent return on investment.”

Developing a garden centre is not the same as building an office building or

greenhouse. You cannot even compare it to developing a supermarket or shopping centre.

“If you run a garden centre, you sell a unique combination of products including living plants and animals. Ranging from technically complex solar control systems and ponds with living fish to kg bags of turf,” Christian explains. “From carnivorous plants that prefer a tropical climate to tulip bulbs that you would prefer to present cold and dry. And then we have not even mentioned veranda garden furniture, garden tiles, the hospitality section or the play area. A modern garden centre also sells an experience: a day out.” hermoflor has its own team of specialised architects who are fully aware of all the ins and out of the ‘green shop’.

They, for example, know what the best routing is to guide customers along the different product groups in the most enjoyable fashion: unheated greenhouse, outside area, heated greenhouse, catering, the tills; the building experts will ensure the correct layout for the different climate and commercial zones.

so that we can easily adjust and perform maintenance later. It concerns specialised system construction using steel, aluminium and glass.

“When we develop and build a garden centre, about 80% of the complex is produced in advance in a made-tomeasure manner at our partner Deforche in Belgium. More than 100 professionals work there in the expert production of steel columns and spans, aluminium frames, wall elements and other components. When building your garden centre on site, we use many internally developed tools including special construction site lifts that follow the roof slope for the comfortable and safe installation of roof structures.”

“We believe the long term is important as a family-run company. We use our expertise and experience for the following generations and create future-proof companies. The relationship with our clients is often transferred from generation to generation. This means that we come to know our clients through and through. You can see that in our work!” w

The next step

From here, the next step in developing a garden centre is to calculate the technical structure. Christian says: “The architect works closely together with our own structural engineers and draughtspersons, who again specialise in garden centres, greenhouses and other large glass buildings. When building greenhouses, we base ourselves on standard sizes common to the sector

28

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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CONTACT Wiebachstraat 9, Kerkrade, NL-6466 Tel: +31 (45) 541 14 58 Web: www.thermoflor.com Email: info@thermoflor.com

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B u s i nes s C at er i ng F oc u s

FABULOUS FOOD AND NOT JUST FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON Christmas is on the menu – but, when it comes to exceptional eating, the independent sector is keeping diners coming back for more all year round to appeal to range of palates. However, Christmas can be a very busy time, leading to the need for shoppers to take a pit stop to recharge their energy levels, meaning a great cake and coffee selection can be extremely popular.

Top brass

Wentworth Garden Centre in South Yorkshire offers festive choices from late November to Christmas Eve, and it also offers a variation on its highly popular afternoon teas, with seasonal sandwich fillings and mince pies. ll sandwiches are made in-house, with cakes being made

by Wentworth’s patisserie chefs. The afternoon teas offer waitering service and are served in a dedicated room set off the Walled Garden restaurant.

Wentworth also has late night shopping during the Christmas period, with visitors regaled by a brass band while snack foods are also available. Commercial manager Robert Monk adds: “Gift vouchers for afternoon teas for two have proved hugely popular as Christmas presents. We offer standard or deluxe versions with a glass of Prosecco.”

T

here’s no doubt about it, the UK’s independent garden centres offer some of the best food around, and Christmas is an opportunity to pull even more of the stops out.

Even so, the festive season is not always the easiest of times for garden centres.

Cold weather and hard ground means that gardeners may put off visiting until new plants arrive in the spring. nd although Christmas trees and decorations provide important income replacements, there is competition in this market with garden centres competing with high streets and out of town stores.

There is, however, one major advantage which can place a garden centre in a class of its own – offering up a top-notch restaurant experience.

30

Talking turkey

The chains may disagree, but independent garden centres arguably have the edge when it comes to the best catering. For example, have a browse on rip dvisor.

The independents win hands down for positive reviews. But, Christmas meals can create uncertainty, with a need for menu changes and additional ordering. It would seem that there is also a need to strike a balance, dropping favourite fish and chips for roast turkey could alienate customers. number of garden centre managers pointed out that not everyone celebrates Christmas and even those who do, may not be fans of mince pies. They need to keep a mix of customers happy, from locals to overseas tourists arriving in coach parties, which means food must continue

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

Catering focus.indd 30

Everything stops for tea

Christmas afternoon tea is also a big deal at the Twig and Spoon restaurant, which is part of Woodlands Garden Centre in Kent.

Director James Barr says this is the fourth year the meal will be offered – a Christmas lunch is also available.

Teatime food, it seems, can be particularly tempting for garden centre shoppers. ames says lmost everything is done on site and so the Christmas tea will contain special cakes, pastries and sandwiches. We serve the tea in a separate room and it’s become so popular, we have to take bookings.”

The Twig and Spoon’s menu is based around organic and free-range food, and he adds that every effort is made to offer plenty of vegetarian choices with glutenfree options also available. Over 90% of

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C at er i ng F oc u s B u s i nes s

items are made from scratch, including cakes, biscuits, chutneys and preserves with 95% of ingredients locally sourced.

The independent advantage

Being vast in size may mean packing in more customers, but smaller can make for a more personal dining experience.

Muddy Boots Café is a compact establishment and part of the proudly independent Rowan Garden Centre in Buckinghamshire. It has many delighted customers who want food that is freshly made and never out of a packet. There is no huge emphasis on festive meals, but specials are added regularly. This year will also see a Christmas skillet dish – a one pot meal which is roasted in the oven.

Drinks and cakes will also change where possible to reflect the season. he reviews of the caf reflect customers’ satisfaction and Jonathan Baker, manager of Rowan Garden Centre, says It’s about being small and flexible, not being restricted by head office rules.

Having ownership means you can show passion, care and attention to detail and the bottom line profit is not the be all and end all. Extra care is taken on everything.

Farm, coffee from a roaster from outside Bath called Dusty Ape, and eggs from “just up the road”, while bread is from familyrun bakery, Hobbs House.

One key point is that prices remain reasonable – so a full English breakfast is £7.95, sandwiches are £5.95 and a Sunday roast is £11.95 – this could provide food for thought for some of the chains using mass-market supplies and/or reheat from frozen. A further development at Lowden has been an elegant marquee, which is used for a range of events (such as weddings) but could potentially cater for parties at Christmas.

Will Blackmore, Lowden’s business development manager, explains that Christmas menus are planned during the summer. To ensure the catering team can source locally where possible and manage supplies, the Christmas lunches are only available on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with turkey generally being offered as part of the Sunday roast offering too. “We ask for bookings and this has worked well – it helps us know we have enough of everything – typically we’ll have around 60 bookings a day for a Christmas lunch.”

Christmas catering – top tips

• Christmas afternoon tea with waitress service and homemade cakes can be more of an experience than the standard lunch service • Vegetarian, vegan and glutenfree should always be available as options within a Christmas menu • Expand the cakes and pastries over the Christmas period – consider upgrading coffee to satisfy the growing number of coffee enthusiasts • Food ‘destination’ garden centres focus on local and high-quality ingredients – ensure customers know this if they are part of your Christmas offering via your website and other marketing • If Santa is in residence, then breakfast, lunch or tea can be tied with a grotto visit But, he agrees that not everyone wants a large meal at lunchtime, and many simply want a sandwich, tea and a slice of cake. In fact, Lowden’s cake counter – which also has scones and biscuits – employs around three of the 10 chefs focused on producing a vast array. Turkey and sprouts may have their devotees, but if anything is going to lure in shoppers this Christmas, then it is likely to be this.w

Prime produce

Lowden Garden Centre in Wiltshire has a unique proposition for its customers – the food served in the restaurant comes from the onsite farm shop, which is packed full of quality produce from nearby suppliers.

Chefs simply take what they want to put on the menu.

Locally sourced food includes beef from nearby Great Ashley

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A dv er t or i al

NEW Wild Bird Products W k Ba Si e oneyfield’s wild bird food is now available in 5kg bags. Currently with 25% EXTRA FR that s k or the price o k here the ingredients allow, oneyfield’s wild bird foods contain cereals and other seeds grown on Fair o Nature’ farms. hese farms grow special areas of seed-bearing crops to provide food for farmland bird species, such as linnets, skylarks, and buntings. This means that oneyfield’s bird food not only feeds the birds in your garden but looks after the birds in our countryside too! Our new 5kg bags are available in the following varieties: • Quality Wild Bird Food on’t row ild ird Food • Robin Wild Bird Food unflower earts • Peanuts

NEW Urban Garden Wild Bird Feeders These are available in small and medium sizes and are finished in sleek black. heir uick release lids enable easy filling and re-filling, and a uick release base allows for efficient cleaning. The range consists of the following: • Seed Feeder • Peanut Feeder • Nyjer Seed Feeder • Fat Ball Feeder unflower eart Feeder • Suet Block Feeder

NEW Easy Clean and Fill Wild Bird Feeders Designed with a secure, screw top lid to enable uick and easy filling and re-filling.

They also feature an easy, quick release base which is removed by squeezing the two buttons enabling very efficient cleaning. hese feeders are available pre-filled with oneyfield’s food, a convenient, ready to use solution. The range consists of the following: eed Feeder available empty or pre-filled • Fat Ball Feeder (available empty or pre-filled unflower eart Feeder available empty or pre-filled • Peanut Feeder (available empty or pre-filled uet ellet Feeder available pre-filled only ealworm Feeder available pre-filled only Cottage Garden Wild Bird Feeders Large bird and squirrel proof, these beautifully made feeders feature a decorative butterfly topper. The cottage garden range will complement any garden and consists of the following: • Fat Ball Feeder (NEW for 2019) • Peanut Feeder • Seed Feeder NEW FSC approved Wooden Bird Tables These are ideal for use in the garden or on the patio. They are pre-drilled and marked for easy self-assembly as well as being flat packed for ease of transportation.

They are fully manufactured in the

We have had a busy 12 months here at oneyfield’s and our latest brochure has doubled in size! It features 50 new products covering a variety of foods, treats, feeders, and bird tables. Let us introduce you to some of our exciting NEW products...

UK, using only quality FSC timber (wood from responsible sources).

The range includes: • Alford Bird Table • Chelmsford Bird Table Why not check out our pre-filled, robust uarter pallet instore display unit that holds 10 flatpack bird tables, a great way to display and save space!

Call 08452570232 and speak to your local representative today or visit our website www.honey eldswild ird.co.uk for further information on all our new ranges.

You can also find oneyfield’s ild ird actively on social media

on’t forget to come visit us at on stand 8A30-B31 we have some fantastic show offers running!

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

PRODUCTS 35

PLANT FOCUS A touch of the tropics

38

GIMA Ranges, ideas and innovations for Glee 2019

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SEEDS Industry-leading seed companies share best-sellers

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PAVING Products on offer from a variety of UK companies

45

CHRISTMAS Preparation for the festive season begins

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ANATOMY OF A PRODUCT Europium’s Olly Aroma Diffuser

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GREENHOUSES WALL GARDENS COLD FRAMES ACCESSORIES

For more information contact your nearest retailer or visit vitavia.co.uk @VitaviaLtd Advert Untitled-4 template.indd 1 13

01473 218100

info@vitavia.co.uk 27/08/2019 21/08/2019 15:14 14:02

E x ot i c P lant s P lant F oc u s

A TOUCH OF

the tropics

Could warmer, wetter weather allow for more adventurous horticulture? And if so, should garden centres look at spicing up their stock?

Getting the right mix of stock can be a difďŹ cult balancing act for garden centres – ditch too many of the tried and tested annual bedding plants and they will lose customers, but if they fail to offer the more unusual specimens, then some will look elsewhere.

Customers are increasingly seeking out exotic plants after witnessing them in action at RHS shows or when visiting renowned gardens.

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Plant Focus.indd 35

ogan otanic arden, for example, focuses on plants from the southern hemisphere, including ustralia, outh and Central merica and outh frica. he garden is situated right at the south-western tip of cotland and is warmed by the ulf tream, allowing plants to do well here, even though they would not survive elsewhere. eanwhile, customers may have read about how climate

change could mean more exotic plants can be grown at home. eports have detailed fruit sprouting from banana plants and Chinese windmill palms are now often seen in many areas of the , while the tropical canna lily, which comes in fabulously bright shades, has become a garden centre favourite. ut, a word of warning even though there may

indeed be more likelihood of growing a wider range of plants, there remains plenty of weather and care curveballs.

Current weather patterns are creating periods of drought and also intense rain exotic species may well be more delicate and after perhaps doing well initially may fail if they are impacted by extreme ďƒ¨

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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P lant F oc u s E x ot i c p lant s conditions. Some do far better in containers and need to be brought in over winter and many will need some protection – advice is key to growing success.

The customer who pays £20 for an exotic plant is likely to be unhappy if it dies soon after purchase. So, staff must be able to advise on the right care and remind customers that if they cannot provide this, then a hardier species may be more suitable.

There are a growing number of suppliers now offering exotic plants backed by advice, and one of these is Desert to Jungle, based in Somerset.

Owner Rob Gudge founded the nursery 10 years ago –

Staff must be able to advise on the right care and remind customers that if they cannot provide this, then a hardier species may be more suitable today, it has a vast collection, including over 80 varieties of agaves, the largest section of bamboos in the southwest and a wide range of banana and palm trees. He is passionate about exotic gardening and his customers

36

are too – while many plants are posted out, plenty also come to visit in person to track down rare species.

“Business is really growing and we like to push the boundaries in terms of the plants we offer,” says Rob. But, he emphasises that suggestions of exotic plants being readily grown because of climate change is a red herring. “Advice and being prepared to put a lot of work into care is essential. You can have several years of mild winters and then something like the cold wave in 2018 turns up and kills off many plants.”

He says there are a number of exotic nurseries in western Cornwall for a reason – the conditions suit the plants.

But even those who are in the east or far north can enjoy the unusual if they can create the right environment. “Somerset can experience extremes and freezing conditions – you need to keep your plants sheltered.”

Rob adds that simply selling what is almost certainly going to be a more expensive plant is not enough. “You may get a plant that looks like it will survive in desert conditions, but it actually needs a huge amount of watering, such as tree ferns.

“A really special plant may not be the easiest to grow and this is why guidance on care is so important. Mass-market cheap plants grown in bulk

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

Plant Focus.indd 36

in Holland and people won’t expect them to last, while a rare banana or ornamental ginger may not be easy, so we are on hand to help.”

Mark Straver, CEO of wholesaler Hortus Loci, initially started his career by setting up a garden centre and also worked with Crocus, the online retailer. His business is now highly specialist, and he sources and provides plants for worldwide clients and shows, often working with leading designers. Hortus Loci also offers customers a planting service. There is a subsidiary retail plant offering, although this also specialises in larger, more unusual plants.

“There is demand for special plants, which is why we will attract customers who want an olive tree which is over a hundred years old for £365, compared to buying from a supermarket for £9.99,” says Mark.

He adds that service and plant knowledge is paramount: “Too often people will take chances with plants and not realise how much water they will need. We are often watering for eight hours a day and this is why you need staff that really understand the needs and habits of

particular species to explain the right care.”

As for climate change, he agrees there remain many uncertainties and the UK does not have the climate of parts of the Mediterranean. “Citrus fruits are popular, but in the UK, customers will typically have them in pots and in colder weather keep them in orangeries.”

Even though exotic plants require knowledge and more maintenance, customers continue to seek them out.

Carl Cooper, managing director of Evergreens Landscaping in Norfolk, also runs plant supplier Turn it Tropical, offering a range of premium exotic plants: “I’ve recently set up the plants side as a separate business as there has been so much demand.

Interest has grown in part from social media and people wanting to grow exotic plants, and they may not be able to source them locally.”

He grows from seed and brings some plants in, and while most plants are sold online, customers can visit his nursery, which is in a polytunnel. “There are some plants you can leave outdoors, and clearly warmer climates will suit some plants more.

People want rare plants. Even if there are challenges, tropical plants can certainly flourish given the right advice.” w

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27/08/2019 09:47

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GI M A GL E E 2 0 1 9

GIMA MEMBERS AT GLEE GIMA braces itself for Glee 2019, with an array of new ranges, ideas and innovations

Glee 2019 is set to showcase a bumper line-up of innovation from GIMA members, who are gearingup to reveal a new generation of products that offer huge Campingaz potential to drive Attitude 2100 EX garden centre sales in 2020 and beyond.

Neudorff will launch a new Vegan Society accredited range of products.

Vegan products have been in the line-up for some time, but the brand now has the stamp of approval across new and existing products. Neudorff’s sales and product manager Jude Beharall said: “Demand for vegan growing products has grown massively in the past few years.

Our range already includes vegan-friendly liquid feeds, and to market them more effectively, we sought accreditation from the Vegan Society. We will introduce a new vegan product to the trade at Glee.”

Specialist plant care will be a focus for Westland with the launch of four specialist composts which the company says will “enhance plant defense capabilities and create natural disease resistance”. Similarly, two new Feed and Protect products are being launched by Westland for rose and buxus.

Woodlodge will appeal to the UK’s growing band of environmentally conscious consumers with a new pot collection crafted from eco-friendly bamboo, while an addition to the William Morris collection will be revealed, too.

Another one to watch is Johnsons Lawn Seed, which has two launches – one of which will “reveal the solution to a lawncare problem that consumers have

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GIMA.indd 38

been craving for decades,” according to consumer manager, Guy Jenkins.

New and improved products will be revealed by Garden Pride Marketing.

Manager Maxine Finnegan said: “We have taken on board suggestions for new merchandising stands and adaptation of long-standing products, as well as new, unique pieces. We will have new products and merchandising solutions, and one or two surprises.”

Announcements of new partnerships are in the pipeline for Glee, too. Vitavia will reveal that from 2020 it will be the new UK distributor for Janssens greenhouses and garden rooms from Belgium. Marketing manager Andrea Wells said the alliance “adds a new dimension to our existing successful business and we look forward to adding market share for Janssens alongside Vitavia’s growing brand.”

Burgon & Ball will be launching a major new collaboration with a household name, with exciting new developments in existing partnerships, too. There’s a new category of RHS-endorsed tools, and a new direction for the successful Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball collection.

With outdoor living a key area of Glee, Charles Taylor will unveil their exclusive new Gold Range of outdoor seating which is pressure-treated and comes with a 20year guarantee. All the range is available in picture boxes to help with point of sale.

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

Continuing the theme of outdoor living, Campingaz will introduce a range of table-top gas barbecues called the Attitude range.

The company says the range pairs “sleek, urban styling with pioneering precision cooking, in a compact, portable package”. Key features include one-touch InstaStart ® ignition and a digital temperature display.

Glee, however, isn’t just about launches.

Materials to help retailers maximise sales are high on the agenda, too. Garantia, a supplier of garden products ranging from water butts to raised beds, plans to throw the spotlight on its new range.

Similarly, visitors to the Vitax stand will be taken on a “visual journey of how a combination of striking packaging, specialist products and promotional merchandise can drive sales and inspire confidence in gardeners .

There will be additions to key brands, with Vitax’s specialist feed range taking centre stage.

Vegepod will be highlighting the eco-friendly properties of its range. Head of UK sales and operations, Neil Urry, said: “We’ve worked hard to get the brand established and will be going full throttle at Glee.” w ABOUT

The Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) is a membership organisation of around 150 members representing the majority share of suppliers and manufacturers operating within the UK gardening industry.

Formed in 1999, its goal is to promote the commercial, trading and industrial interests of UK and EU-based companies supplying the UK garden industry.

www.gardencentreretail.com

23/08/2019 11:50

Watering plants?

Water plants the easy way...

The H2O2Go cart safely transports pressurised fresh water for easy plant care. Water is dispensed using a spray gun or other interchangeable nozzle. It is very easy to use, yet has no batteries or electrical pump, so requires no charging and little or no maintenance.

• Save time and labour by streamlining the watering process • Less time spent refilling watering cans means you can spend more time on other tasks (cart holds 50 litres, approximately 10 watering cans’ worth) • Reduce wastage through easy, effective watering • Well-watered plants last longer!

• Easily manoeuvrable even when full and has a small space footprint • No pumps or electricity required • Simply fill up from a mains tap and GO! • Improved Health and Safety, due to the reduced risk from leaky watering cans and trailing hoses. Also, no need to close off sections of the garden centre whilst watering!

www.h2o2gocarts.com 0208 4619 386 info@h2o2gocarts.com

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27/08/2019 15:18 15:17

WI N ON E

OF

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THE GARDEN TRADE FAIR COLOGNE, 01.–03.09.2019

THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE – SECURE YOUR FREE ADMISSION TICKET FAST! Make sure you are among the first 50 participants and win your day ticket for spoga+gafa today!

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We‘re keeping our fingers crossed for you!

The largest garden trade fair in the world | Trend theme City Gardening | The world‘s biggest selection of grills & BBQs as well as outdoor furniture and decorations | Inspiring POS solutions | Trendshow Outdoor Furniture & Decoration | Outdoor Kitchen World | Smart Gardening & Battery Innovations Tel. +44 1425 48 68 30 e-mail info@koelnmesse.co.uk www.spogagafa.com

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27/08/2019 15:19 03.07.19 13:14

Seeds L at es t P r odu c t s

SEEDS

Novelty Chilli Shaped Ceramic Planter Taylors Bulbs Contains Chilli ikito F1 seeds and compost row your own chillies in a novelty chilli shaped ceramic planter imensions 1 x x cm Ideal for growing on windowsills Launch date utumn 01 RRP . www.taylors-bulbs.com

MicroGrow Grow Sow Simple asy to use kit includes everything needed, ust add water No soil needed. row using a hydroponic mat, used by professional growers No mess, no fuss grows anywhere, even on an office desk icrogreens contain up to 0 more concentrated nutrients than the fully grown counterparts Introduces nongardeners to growing and engages with your millennial customers Launch date pring 0 0 RRP 1 . www.buildandgrowco.com

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Multi-coloured Mixed Radish Breakfast Seeds King Seeds ow arch to eptember arvest oots ready to pull approx.

weeks after sowing

adish plants do not re uire transplanting and if sown carefully, thinning is not necessary. ow a few seeds in any spare areas for a uick crop ow small patches every few weeks to have a continuous supply to harvest. ull and en oy whilst young and tasty ix contains Forum, lovana, ampouch and Felicia varieties uni ue colour mix of French reakfast long rooted types. Contains roots that are pure red, red with white tips, pure white and a uni ue purple with white tips. Ideal for adding colour and interest to salads asy to grow sow thinly in shallow drills 1.5cm deep with 15 to 0cm between the rows. uring hot weather, water the base of the seed drills first before sowing seeds and covering with dry soil Launch date eptember 0 0 RRP C www.kingsseedsdirect.com

Seedball Singles Collection imple way to grow wildflowers from seed no digging or expertise re uired Created by conservation scientists to help and inspire more people to grow bee and butterfly friendly wildflowers t under 10, it’s a ideal eco-friendly stocking filler inner of ift of the Year 01 co-friendly arden etail wards 01 est New ardening roduct and onest ohn 01 ift of the Year nder 0 Launch date February 01 RRP www.seedball.co.uk

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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L at es t P r odu c t s P av i ng

PAVING Bowland Stone’s Prestbury Paving Bowland Stone • Available in 3 contemporary variations • Guaranteed to bring the ‘wow’ factor • All kits can be used as a standalone feature • Prestbury Wave and Chevron are available in a choice of two colours • Prestbury Stone is also available in two colours

SAHARA Smooth Sandstone Kelkay • Calibrated to a consistent 20mm thickness for trouble-free installation • Sawn edges allow slabs to closely abut for a smooth continuous finish • Durable and strong as well as low maintenance • Subtle layers of light and dark sand give a glorious and interesting finish • Available in 300mm square and 600mm planks to give a range of layout options Launch date September 2018 RRP From £4.99 per slab or 5 for £20 www.kelkay.com

Launch date 2019 RRP £169.99 (Wave or Chevron), £189.99 (Prestbury Stone – Grey or Limestone) www.bowlandstone.com

Porcelain Collection Meadow View Stone • Highly durable material • Finely textured, fade-resistant surface • Naturally non-slip surface • Low maintenance choice • Frost-proof Launch date September 2018 RRP £70 for 10m² www.meadowviewstone.co.uk

Toscana Almond (1200x600mm) Global Stone • Multi-award-winning range and was featured in a Gold Medal winning garden at RHS Chelsea 2019 • Stunning appearance has made this product a bestseller • A contemporary concrete effect, with muted colours to let colours of flowers pop • Large format porcelain paving Launch date 2019 RRP £58.34 per m2 www.globalstonepaving.co.uk

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Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

Latest Products Paving.indd 42

www.gardencentreretail.com

23/08/2019 12:00

If you’re looking to sell your garden centre…

…we’d be delighted to hear from you.

We have over 25 years industry leading experience helping hundreds of individuals and companies to maximise their assets from the sale of garden centres, plant centres and nurseries.

Our reputation for expertise, professionalism and confidentiality speaks for itself, but to find out more about us, visit: alexandermackie.co.uk 01732 522222 info@alexandermackie.co.uk

Sustainable fire logs, made from recycled coffee www.coffee-logs.com Find us on stand 6S19

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We love simple, we love unique!

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...from design to install For over 45 years Clovis have been working with their clients to make the most of their outside space, how can we help you?

A well placed canopy, or covered walkway, can transform your outside sales space from a seasonal to an all year round destination for your customers.

Call us today for a free no obligation quote on 01622 873907 www.clovis-canopies.co.uk info@clovis-canopies.co.uk

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C h r i s t m as L at es t P r odu c t s

CHRISTMAS Journal Wrendale Designs Includes daily planner pages and 1 different recipes to try ages for planting profiles ach month has tips and suggestions lenty of space for garden plans and sketches RRP 1 .00 www.wrendaledesigns.co.uk

Meg Hawkins Collection Tilnar Art Fairtrade product oth recycled and recyclable Individually gift boxed andmade lastic free and recyclable RRP From 1 . to www.tilnarart.co.uk

Antique Chic Theme Range 6ft Tree Pack Fizzco Trade hemed range is created in incolnshire akes the hard work out of choosing the right decorations Includes lights, tree and bauble hangers Contains everything needed to create a Christmas centrepiece. imeless trend to suit any room RRP www

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.

Shimmer for Prosecco and Shimmer for Gin Popaball dds sparkles and flavour to your drinks erves 1 imple cocktail making egan friendly reat for parties, Christmas drinks and weddings RRP £7.49 www.popaball.co.uk

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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L at es t P r odu c t s C h r i s t m as

Mulled Winter Punch Belvoir Fruit Farms

CHRISTMAS

ade using honest ingredients you can trust with no artificial sweeteners, colourings, flavourings, or preservatives Can be served hot or cold hen gently heated its combined flavours of nutmeg oil, mixed spice extracts and uices of blackcurrant, red grape, elderberry and orange exude a merry essence an excellent alcohol-free alternative to mulled wine.

You can always add a glug of red wine if you’re hankering after a little more yuletide spirit.

LillyPuds Without Nuts & LillyPuds Alcohol Free LillyPuds ame delicious flavours and uality ingredients expected from illy uds, whilst also appealing to a much broader and inclusive spectrum of consumers who want to en oy this traditional pudding during the festive season. he alcohol-free and nut-free puddings mean illy uds now offer something for everyone regardless of their allergies or dietary re uirements remium and local ingredients ade in small batches RRP 5 g for 1 . 5 www.lillypuds.co.uk

Emma Britton floral etched glassware Emma Britton Floral designs on the glasses reat price point ecorative feature for a dinner table display arious si es and products available esigned and finished in the RRP wine glass .50, champagne flute , tumbler , carafe 1 www.emmabritton.net

RRP .50 5cl www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

Cranberry & Orange Mince Pies Cartwright and Butler ix scrumptious cranberry and orange mince pies resented in a beautifully blue tin opped with flaked almonds ade with traditional sweet mincemeat RRP .50 www.cartwrightandbutler.co.uk

Slumberdown Scented Pillows Slumberdown Infused with scents to boost moods ransform any room into a relaxing haven elps everyone unwind from a stressful day Comes in two scents reat stocking fillers RRP . www.slumberdown.co.uk

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Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

Latest Products Christmas.indd 46

www.gardencentreretail.com

23/08/2019 11:55

• Christmas Tree Stands and Skirts • Commercial Tree Display Systems • • Netting Funnels and Accessories • Pin Stands and Drilling Machines •

The Market leading supplier of Christmas Tree Stands and Accessories in the U.K & Ireland

Quick Stand 8 Cinco 8 Advantage Linen Tree Skirt Sales & Distribution The Christmas Cabin Limited, CV13 0BD T: 01455 293 097 E: office@thechristmascabin

Sales & Marketing The Christmas Cabin Limited, NG33 4SP T: 01780 411 144 E: sales@thechristmascabin

NEW DESIGNS FOR AUTUMN/WINTER 2019 Visit us at the Autumn Fair: Stand 9G100-F101 or please contact us for our trade catalogue: Tel 01460 75686 www.classiccanes.co.uk

TEMPORARY AND SEMI-PERMANENT STRUCTURES – A QUICK WAY TO MAXIMISE YOUR BUSINESS POTENTIAL. DESIGNED TO FIT AROUND YOUR EXISTING PREMISES

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E LE tG 1 a s -2 eu 0 se d E2 d an tan me 8 S Co Hall

100% recyclable packaging

01458 442688 www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk

DURSTON GARDEN PRODUCTS LTD, AVALON FARM, SHARPHAM, SOMERSET BA16 9SE

Come check out our new ECO-Friendly products for 2019!

Hall 6 - Stand 6U01

Contact: Colin Higgs | T: 01476 576289 |E: sales@neatideas.tv | www.neatideasdirect.co.uk Untitled-2 1

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E u r op i u m P r odu c t s

OLLY AROMA DIFFUSER Cutting edge ultrasonic aroma diffuser technology The Olly ultrasonic aroma diffuser produces a cooling stream of humidifying scented mist. No heat, and Olly’s auto shut-off feature makes it safe to use around children and pets. An adjustable mist setting enables the Olly to run for 18 hours, our longest run time yet!

Fully-integrated Bluetooth connectivity and speakers Olly has a fully-integrated Bluetooth speaker which links to any Bluetooth device, allowing you to play your favourite sounds. Whether you want soothing sounds as you slip into blissful sleep, or a happy playlist to start the day right, the possibilities are endless.

Colourful rainbow mood lighting Watch as the Olly slowly cycles through a mesmerising rainbow of vibrant hued lighting, or freeze the light at any point in the spectrum to match your mood or décor.

The Olly’s LED array has a lower energy consumption and lasts longer than traditional bulbs, making this the ideal choice for environmentally conscious consumers.

Revolutionary red-spectrum, colour-changing, sleep-enhancing light The Olly’s red-orange spectrum, colour-changing light feature gently cycles through a range of hues, from the red end of the light spectrum, minimising blue light in your environment. As blue light makes your brain think it’s daytime, this helps your brain get ready for sleep.

Versatile – A scent to suit every mood You can change the scent various times to suit your mood. Start the day with the warm, rousing scent of madebyzen®’s HAPPY, or put some pep in your afternoon with the fresh scent of CLARITY. Wherever your mood takes you, the Olly will help you get there.

Launch date: September 2019 RRP: £69.99 Tel: 0161 257 3644 Email: info@europiumworld.com Web: www.madebyzen.com

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A dv er t or i al

CSY RETAIL SYSTEMS

MIGRATE 23 EX-WYEVALE STORES TO THEIR VECTOR EPOS SYSTEM CSY Retail Systems are one of the leading suppliers of EPOS to garden centres across the country. During Wyevale Garden Centres ‘sale of the century’, CSY have successfully migrated Wyevale’s data onto 16 new sites using our EPOS system Vector. With another 7 sites imminent, 30 years of garden centre retail experience and over 100 centres using our system, you can be rest assured that CSY can provide the perfect EPOS solution for garden centres.

With a trouble-free go live process, CSY can guarantee to meet targets on your dates whatever the circumstances. Each new client works with our Project Manager to ensure that your data is migrated, equipment is installed, and sta are trained. Therefore, ensurin the garden centre can get back to doing what it does best, making customers happy.

“CSY gave us the reassurance that the system could be installed and operating within a three-week window and this was achieved as promised,” AWBS purchased Oxford Garden Centre from Wyevale in September and were ready to serve their customers with our tills the ver same month. The installation of the s stem was smooth and as promised with very little disruption, we were also all very impressed with how seamless the data migration process was,” added att Tait, eneral ana er of .

We also moved 4 Wyevale centres over to In-Excess garden centres. At the point In-

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Excess took over there were no telephone lines or internet connections at any of the centres.

Getting the systems up and running as soon as possible was our main priority so they could open for business. “CSY were there as the old T ame out and all the ne kit ent in.

We were trading within 4 hours the very next day,” said Managing Director of In-Excess, Carl Chambers.

As well as installing into new garden centres

we have also had the chance to work with one of our ustomers a ain. e first orked ith Raglan Garden Centre in 2008, but our systems were replaced when Wyevale purchased the garden centre in 2014. However, we are thrilled to be working with Martin, Alex and the Raglan team again, “there was a huge sigh of relief when the team were told that Vector 7 was being installed, one even commented ‘great no more queuing at the tills and frustrated

27/08/2019 15:33

A dv er t or i al

customers’,” said Chairman of Raglan Garden entre, artin avies. The terminals are ompa t and fit ell ith the look of the entre.

The s stem is ver user friendl and our till operators quickly learned the process of using the terminal, usin them ith onfiden e the same day we opened.”

One of our biggest customers, Blue Diamond Garden Centres, has been crowned ‘the second largest garden centre retailer’ after purchasing 16 centres from Wyevale. With the help of the CSY team, 9 have currently been migrated, with the remaining 7 to be done in September 2019.

With a dedicated Account Manager, Project Manager, in-house helpdesk and on-site training we are always able to mobilise quickly to make sure all the centres went live smoothly. “Having used the Helpdesk Live Chat option in the past, I was amazed at the speed of the response which immediately answered my question,” said Karen Hughes, Operations Director at Raglan arden entre. To ensure all the entres ere happy and ready to start serving customers we provided them with on-site training to get them up and runnin . The installation team were extremely professional and supported our teams providing one to one training during the visit,” added Karen. With regards to project management, we are is always ready to answer any installation questions and to make sure all the installations are going to meet the deadline, “Dave has been great, he has handled all my issues e ientl and provided us ith additional training on-site,” added Wyatt from AWBS’s Oxford Garden Centre.

Our most recent garden centre customer to migrate from Wyevale is Highdown Garden Centre. We installed the systems in time for their grand opening at the beginning of August.

Thank ou for helpin make it happen.

The team at i hdo n arden entre have

been enjoying serving our customers with your shiny new kit.”

CSY have a wealth of experience migrating customers from a previous EPOS supplier as well as helping customers ho are ne to . The years of combined experience the CSY team have means we can fully support and help our customers new and old.

“We are delighted to be able to help so many new garden centres and provide them with our Vector system,” said Managing Director of CSY, Ross Pierrepont.

Contact for more information info@csy.co.uk www.csy.co.uk 0115 948 4848

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27/08/2019 23/08/2019 15:33 13:19

A dv er t or i al

The unique printer range from Star that turns Traditional and Tablet POS upside down Star is widely acknowledged as the leading hardware innovator in the move from traditional POS terminals to tablet POS featuring lower cost hardware that can be mobile or fixed and easily upgradable as your business grows.

With software that is flexible, low cost and progressively scalable according to individual business needs, tablet POS is growing in popularity amongst retailers of all sizes.

Up to now making the transition to tablet POS has been expensive.

Recognising this, Star has developed the compact and stylish mC-Print™ series featuring 58mm and 80mm print width models with 5 hardware and software interfaces including innovative Cloud technologies able to control select USB connected peripherals from multiple wired or wireless devices - all at a much lower cost than previously available on the market.

With the unique functionality of 5 interfaces for both traditional and tablet POS, the stylish and compact mC-Print series precisely meets the needs of multichannel retail by providing a future-proof solution ensuring a seamless transition from traditional to tablet POS. Offering Star CloudPRNT™ technology for remote PC-free printing of receipts and tickets directly from a web server to Star mC-Print2 or mC-Print3 printers, this low

Advert star mobile.indd template.indd 1 23

cost and versatile Cloud printing solution is ideal for Click & Collect orders.

The entire mC-Print series is Cloudready including the entry-level, lowest cost 58mm mCP20 with LAN and USB interfaces. Other models in the range offer additional Bluetooth connectivity, direct communication and charging with Apple iOS devices as well as 2 USB host ports for local or cloud-based peripheral control of Star’s SCD222 customer display and/or Star’s 1D barcode scanner or the Symbol/Zebra DS9208 2D barcode scanner.

The mC-Print series provides a robust, space-saving solution that meets the evolving needs of garden centres today, supporting diverse product and service ranges as well as generating future growth. Whether printing receipts, loyalty coupons with high quality graphics or taking restaurant/café orders, mCPrint delivers at every level.

For an alternative POS solution, the latest addition to Star’s renowned TSP100 futurePRNT™ series is the TSP143IIIU which, alongside the mC-Print3, has the unique ability to simultaneously communicate with and charge an iPad directly via the Apple

supplied lightning cable for reliable USB communication. This removes the insecurity of wireless connection and seamlessly combines the flexibility and cost savings of tablet POS with the reliability of traditional POS. Easy-to-use with simple paper loading, long battery life and rugged design, Star’s range of small Bluetooth mobile printers are ideal for printing high quality receipts and labels directly from tablets and smartphones while on the move. For enhanced flexibility, the range includes USB charged Bluetooth 4.0 mobile printers that can connect with an Android or Windows device and multiple iOS devices.

Star printers are compatible with a variety of POS software - please visit www.Star-EMEA.com for more details.

27/08/2019 15:36

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

GLEE PREVIEW

55

INTRODUCTION A summary from event director Matthew Mein

57

SEMINARS The where and when for Glee’s expert-led seminars

59

PRODUCTS LAUNCHES New, exciting products at this year’s event

61

GO AND SEE Where to find the industry’s favourite stalls

Glee Cover.indd 13

27/08/2019 16:04

Come and see us at the Glee Trade Show 10-12 September 2019 NEC Birmingham STAND: 19E14-F15

Bathgate Horticulture’s

vast product range helps retailers to improve the customer buying experience and deliver great results for keen gardeners >> Visit Bathgate Horticulture at Glee for a chance to WIN an Apple iPad <<

01270 762 828 sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

01270 762 828

01270 762 828

01270 762828

sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

bathgatesilica.co.uk

sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

bathgatesilica.co.uk bathgatehorticulture.co.uk

bathgatesilica.co.uk

01270 762 828 01270 762 828

sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

bathgatesilica.co.uk

sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

bathgatesilica.co.uk

INDEPENDENT

bathgatesilica.co.uk

IMPARTIAL

INVALUABLE

Quinton Edwards are market leaders in the disposal, acquisition and letting of freehold and leasehold Garden Centres throughout the United Kingdom for nearly 30 years.

We are Chartered Surveyors offering a wide variety of Commercial Property Services to include:

• • • • •

Sales/Lettings Acquisitions Valuations Consultancy Lease Renewals

• • • • •

Rent Reviews Rating Concessions Energy Performance Certificates Expert Witness

In our current financial year, we have undertaken over 150 reports with a total value of over £360 million.

If you would like further information about the business or the services we offer please contact Simon Quinton Smith or Rachel McMordie.

Quinton Edwards Chartered Surveyors, Bartholomew House, 38 London Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1JX quintonedwards.co.uk sales@quintons.co.uk

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27/08/2019 15:37

Introduction Glee

W

elcome to Glee 2019! We have got lots of exciting brands, products and features at Glee this year, and we’re confident our visitors will not only connect with some great suppliers, but also find their next best sellers.

The New Product Showcase and The Retail Lab at Glee are must-visit features at the show and, as always, were specifically designed with retailers’ needs in mind.

The New Product Showcase is the place for buyers to discover the newest and most unique products on offer at Glee, while The Retail Lab provides an exciting and inventive feature area, showcasing future products, in-store experiences and merchandising trends.

Priding ourselves on bringing our visitors the very latest product innovations, concepts and insights, all of our features are carefully curated to help retailers take as much inspiration back to their stores as possible, so they can start implementing the ideas and concepts they see straight away. Glee’s Retail Growth Theatre and Pets at Glee stage have some fantastic sessions and panel discussions on the agenda, set to provide retailers with valuable tips and tricks about how to better sell, market and grow their businesses.

Glee 2019 offers three fantastic days of sourcing, selling and inspiration. I wish

Glee 2019 offers three fantastic days of sourcing, selling and inspiration everyone a very enjoyable and profitable Glee 2019 and look forward to seeing everyone onsite at the show.

Kind regards, Matthew Mein, event director

www.gardencentreretail.com

Glee Info.indd 55

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

55

02/09/2019 09:10

Fiskars at Glee 2019: helping to build your business At Glee 2019, Fiskars will be showcasing its extensive range of innovative and highperforming gardening tools at its stand (8D80-E81), including the revolutionary new Norden Axe range.

Building on the company’s long Nordic heritage, the revolutionary Norden Axes are safe, sharp and durable. For the first time in Fiskars’ 300-year-old axe making history, the tools have a beautifully crafted wooden hickory handle.

The axes marry old tradition with new technology to produce an axe that has wide appeal with guaranteed performance.

Alongside the Norden Axe collection, the company will showcase

its ever popular garden tool solutions, enabling visitors to see the visual impact of an attractive Fiskars product display.

Campaigns to drive sales for all Fiskars continues to lead the way when it comes to the delivery of results-driven marketing campaigns to help enhance sales for retail partners. This year’s ‘0% Stress, 100% Happiness’ rewarded customers who spent £50 on Fiskars garden tools with a £10 voucher to spend on anything in the same store, if they were still happy after 60 days. The campaign received much praise from the trade for enabling business-building opportunities and driving repeat visits to retailers.

This is now being followed up with an autumn ‘0% Leaves, 100% Happiness’ campaign, which aims to capitalise on the increase in gardening activity in preparation for the winter months. Customers who purchase a Fiskars tool between 2nd September and 10th November, can

enter into a competition to win a garden makeover contribution of £3,000, or one of 10 garden toolkits worth £370 each.

Fiskars’ experienced sales representatives will be on hand to answer any questions, demonstrate the tools and advise retailers on how to get the most from the autumn campaign.

In addition, trade visitors to the stand will be able to take advantage of exclusive show discounts, as well as get further information on Fiskars’ new direct sales channel.

To find out more, visit the Fiskars stand (8D80-E81) and chat to the team.

www.fiskars.co.uk

leading innovation, indoors.

At Meadow View we have been supplying ground breaking products to the landscaping market for 25 years.

For 2020 we’re pleased to introduce the in house plant technology.

Transforming

Centres

V isit us

at G lee

Visit us at glee stand no: 19C30-D31 GCA Supplier of the Year finalist 2019 01948 841 607

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sales@meadowviewstone.co.uk

www.meadowviewstone.co.uk

27/08/2019 15:37

Seminars Glee

SEMINAR PROGRAMME Tuesday

10 September 2019

Wednesday

11 September 2019

Thursday

12 September 2019

10:30 - 11:00 | Taking it to the Next Level: Building your Online Presence Through Social Media (Intermediate) The Main Stage You have a solid following and good engagement – but how can you increase this, and what are the next steps to take your social media to the next level?

Eleanor Bougie-Smith, digital marketing manager at SocialB

10:30 - 11:00 | Social Media: First Steps The Main Stage A basic rundown on how you can use social media to grow your business.

Peter Andrews, director of Introtweet

11:10 - 11:40 | Visual Merchandising: Creating More than Just a Display The Main Stage Discover creative ways to display products and increase sales.

Kirsty Kean, lead retail project manager at Visual Thinking

11:00 - 11:30 | Getting the Most Out of New Ranges The Main Stage Henri Davis will take you through the key points you need to consider when buying for new ranges.

Henri Davis, deputy chairman/independent retail advisor at Giftware Association/Henri Davis Consultancy

11:30 - 12:15 | Just how crazy are pet owners?

Pets Theatre What are the next pet must haves?

Emma Tucker, editor at Style Tails

11:30 - 12:15 | Future Pet Retail Trends Pets Theatre What does a pet store of the future look like?

Paul Walker, director of Vital Pets

11:45 - 12:15 | The Digital Tool Shed: Enhancing your Business with SEO The Main Stage Hear from expert Edwin Meijer about how Garden Retail is benefiting from SEO. Edwin Meijer, marketing director and founder of Garden Connect

11:45 - 12:15 | Reducing Plastic Use: Industry Perspectives The Main Stage Join our panel of key figures from the outdoor and garden retail sector to discover the steps being taken to reduce plastic use.

James Clark, director of policy and communications at HTA | Neil Grant, managing director at Ferndale Garden Centre | Mike Lind, director of Monkton Elm Garden Centre | Jane Lawler, consultant at GIMA | Sarah Daniel, owner of Pengelly Plant Centre

12:30 - 13:15 | Turning Customers into Community and Long Term Commercial Success The Main Stage This will explore the value of a ‘community feel’ in garden centres and how it can translate to commercial success.

Annabelle Padwick, industry market consultant | Simon Bourne, garden centre manager at Perrywood Garden Centre | Andy Bunker, managing director at Alton Garden Centre | Helen MacDonald, director of Merryhatton Garden Centre | Joe Aldworth, marketing manager at The Old Railway Line Garden Centre

12:30 - 13:30 | Glee Buyers Power List Awards The Main Stage The Buyers Power List is Glee’s own way of celebrating the outstanding talent of buyers in the garden retail industry and their influence on the market.

11:30 - 12:15 | Pet Services: What is right for you and where to start?

Pets Theatre Vets, Grooming Parlour, Pet Café – what is the right approach for you?

13:30 - 14:30 | Grow Your Own Awards The Main Stage See who has been victorious at the Great British Growing Awards.

14:00 - 14:30 | Rooting plants and nurturing minds - The relationship between people and plants The Main Stage Discover the physical and mental health benefits to gardening with Life at No.27 founder Annabelle Padwick.

Annabelle Padwick, founder of Life at No.27 and National Growing for Wellbeing Week

14:00 - 14:45 | Pet Nutrition: What you need to look out for in the product you should be stocking Pets Theatre Demystifying the ever-expanding selection of nutritional pet foods.

14:00 - 14:45 | Animal welfare, the emerging needs of our pets Pets Theatre What do pets and animals really need?

Zara Bowland, BVSc BE MRCVS, TV presenter and veterinarian

11:45 - 12:15 | Building Sustainability into Your Operations – A Case Study The Main Stage Find out how garden centres are leading the way in operational sustainability.

Marcus Eyles, horticultural director at Dobbies Garden Centres

14:45 - 15:15 | Predicting the Customer of Tomorrow The Main Stage What are the latest patterns in consumer behaviour and how will this affect Garden Retail?

David Denny, marketing and insights manager at Horticultural Trade Association

14:45 - 15:15 | Sensible Steps for Growth The Main Stage Understand the key steps to succesfully completing growth projects at your garden centre.

Tim Mason, director of Stansted Park Garden Centre, Seapop Garden Centre and Retail Business Support

15:30 - 16:00 | A Recipe for Success: Integrating Catering into your Garden Centre The Main Stage What benefits and challenges does operating a restaurant bring to your business?

Neville Stein, horticultural retail consultant

15:30 - 16:00 | The Digital Tool Shed: Enhancing your Business with SEO The Main Stage Hear from SEO expert Edwin Meijer on how Garden Retail is benefiting from SEO. Edwin Meijer, marketing director at Garden Connect

www.gardencentreretail.com

Glee Seminars.indd 57

10:30 - 11:00 | Negotiation Skills: If You Don’t Ask You Don’t Get The Main Stage Learn from Henri Davis about how to get the most out of your supplier negotatiations.

Henri Davis, deputy chairman/independent retail advisor for Giftware Association/Henri Davis Consultancy 11:00 - 11:30 | Marketing Strategy and Social Media - Simple, Effective and Low Cost The Main Stage Discover simple, effective ways to make the most from your social media channels.

Annabelle Padwick, founder of Life at No.27 and National Growing for Wellbeing Week

12:30 - 13:00 | Getting the Best Out of Your Workforce The Main Stage Discover new and innovative ways of getting the best out of your workforce.

Keith Lawson, the events and seminars presenter at Citation Professional Solutions

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

57

02/09/2019 09:50

V

T ER

NATION

AL

KEY

D LT

ST

IN

STOCKIST LI

VE

P EST-FR

EE

Unlock more profit from pest control BECOME A KEY STOCKIST AND MAXIMISE SALES CONTACT STV ON 01953 881580 VISIT STAND 8A40-C41 www.stvpestcontrol.com

STV’s Key Stockist initiative provides retailers with an easy and profitable means of developing their business within the pest control category.

From the extensive catalogue of pest control products, STV has developed five core ranges that provide retailers with the perfect fixture to cater for all a consumer’s pest needs.

Sign up today and start benefitting from: • UP TO 5 LEVELS OF DISCOUNT • FIXTURE PLANNING

SAY YES TO THE KS... Stock all 5 Core Ranges and unlock a host of extra benefits including; • BEST BUYING PRICE • EXCLUSIVE POS • IN-STORE TRAINING • BIGGER REWARDS • PREMIUM WEBSITE LISTING*

• ON-SHELF POINT OF SALE AND SIGNAGE • PRODUCT TRAINING • REGULAR NEWSLETTER • WEBSITE LISTING* • ONLINE TRADE PORTAL* • STORE REWARDS AND INCENTIVES • LOCAL SALES AGENT & CUSTOMER SERVICE

*From September 2019

ALL PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE TO VIEW AND BUY ONLINE

Added value pots, planters and gifts

We are specialist importers and distributors of added value pots, planters and baskets for retailers, garden centres and ornamental growers throughout the UK. We source unique and innovative products that are contemporary, stylish and fun.

Our range includes planters and containers made from plastic, wood, ceramic and tin, ideal for all occasions such as Mother’s Day, Easter and Christmas.

#supportingtheretailer

Call us to arrange a visit to our showroom based in West Sussex Call : 01903 726 100

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Email : info@fargro.co.uk

www.fargro.co.uk

27/08/2019 15:38

New Products Glee

PRODUCT L AUNCHES Small Pan | Yorkshire Flowerpots

Welly Boot Station | Harrod Horticultural

Manufacturer Naylor Launch date September 2019

Manufacturer Harrod Horticultural Launch date September 2019

• Made in Britain • Guaranteed frost proof • Made from natural materials • Fired to temperatures in excess of 1000°C

• Three-in-one function – jack, scrape and store • Made in the UK from solid steel • Powder-coated finish – textured anthracite or matte black • 10-year structural guarantee • Highly durable for indoor and outdoor use

RRP from £37.99 www.yorkshireflowerpots.co.uk

RRP from £69.95 www.harrodhorticultural.com

Happy Compost | Bord na Móna

Roundup® Naturals | Evergreen Garden Care

Manufacturer Bord na Móna Launch date September 2019

Manufacturer Evergreen Garden Care Launch date September 2019

• Bord na Móna’s most eco-friendly range yet, using 30% recycled plastic for the packaging • Core raw materials are either recycled or by-products • All six new products are 100% peat-free • Manufactured in Britain and trialled extensively over two years • Range includes a 20L and 50L all-purpose compost, 50L vegetable compost, 50L rose, tree and shrub compost, 50L soil improver and 50L tomato planter

• Roundup® is introducing its weed-control Naturals range, based on 100% naturally occurring active ingredients • A fast and effective solution to keep more than 70 different types of weeds and moss at bay, Roundup® Naturals contains pelargonic acid • Roundup® Natural will be available to consumers in ready-to-use bottles, ranging from one to five litres, including the popular 5L Pump N Go format • A super concentrate formula, of 140ml to one litre products, are also available • It is fast-acting and will produce visible results within one hour. Treated areas can be replanted in 24 hours

RRP from £4.99 www.thegreenergardener.com

RRP from £6.99 www.lovethegarden.co.uk

www.gardencentreretail.com

Glee Product Launches.indd 59

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

59

02/09/2019 10:07

Tel: 01323 831888 Email: sales@timberdisplays.co.uk www.timberdisplays.co.uk Timber Displays is an established company set up to provide treated timber display products to the garden centre and nursery industries.

C Fo om ur e a O nd ak s s a ee nd us GL at EE

We have spent a lot of time this year introducing some new products to our range and these can now be found on our website.

We have continued to ensure our products are made to a high specification from pressure treated timber and designed to increase your turnover by showing your merchandise to its full potential and to add an attractive feature to your outlet while remaining competitively priced.

For further information on great quality benching at affordable prices please call

Jo on 01323 831888 or email us at sales@timberdisplays.co.uk or visit our website www.timberdisplays.co.uk

Newbuild, refurbishment

or maintenance?

10-12 September 2019 NEC Birmingham UK

See our exciting 2020 innovations and pre-season offers.

Visit us in Hall 6 Stand 6M34-N35.

Visit us at the Glee, stand: 19N53 www.smiemansprojecten.com PROJECTEN

Advert template.indd 27

27/08/2019 15:42

Go and See Glee

GO AND SEE Stand 6S19

Bio-bean

Coffee Logs are compact, eco-friendly briquettes for home woodburners and multifuel stoves, made in the UK from recycled coffee grounds. This sustainable winter fuel really turns up the heat, burning 20% hotter and longer than kiln-dried wood. Made from waste coffee grounds collected from coffee shops, cafés and offices around the UK, Coffee Logs not only give your latte a useful second life, but also help to cut waste, cut emissions, and ultimately save our planet. Stop by the Biobean stand to find out more, and for your chance to win a free pallet of Coffee Logs.

www.gardencentreretail.com

Glee Go and See KR.indd 61

Stand 19102

CSY

With over 100 garden centres using CSY, it knows what garden centres look for in EPOS. Over the past 30 years, it has designed and built its EPOS to be perfect for independent nurseries/garden centres and multi-site garden centres across the UK. Its system is designed to handle all that a busy garden centre can throw at it, with a touchscreen interface for ease of use, integrated features like loyalty and gift cards, as well as real-time stocktaking, comprehensive reporting and plant labelling. If you sell online or want to, but don’t know where to start, CSY can help you integrate your website to its system, or its in-house web design team can create you a bespoke eCommerce site to fit your business. Visit CSY’s stand at this year’s Glee for a quick demonstration of its system and speak to the team for more details.

Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

61

02/09/2019 10:09

Glee Go and See

Cadeby Tree Trust

Stand Y20-Z21

EGC64091 Garden Centre Retail Ad.pdf

1

13/08/2019

Cadeby Tree Trust is celebrating its 35th year of growing Christmas trees, continuing its status as the biggest grower in England. The company prides itself in providing British-grown trees.

Based in the Midlands, Cadeby Tree Trust operates its own transport, ensuring quality service and products. The company offers the flexibility of split loads, ranging from 50 to 1,000 trees per delivery, minimizing needle loss and maximising tree freshness.

Trees are managed and harvested by Cadeby’s experienced plantation staff, ensuring even growth and attractive appearance.

Cadeby also offers a full range of tree contracting work, from planting to stump grinding, using purpose-built Christmas tree machinery.

Cadeby now welcomes Sharon ScamellKatz, who will be heading the sales team.

Sharon has nearly a decade of experience, and is well respected within the industry.

Come along to meet her at Glee!

14:12

Stand 8E30-F31

Stand 19N12 Formbar

C

M

Evergreen Garden Care

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

® Evergreen Garden Care produces high-quality garden Miracle-Gro Performance Organics products designed to help people create their own green Performance Organics from Miracle-Gro® To meet growing consumer oasis.

It the believes in the demand beauty of green space, whether it’s is the new breakthrough range of 100% natural for environmentally friendly options, a garden, a balcony or potted indoor plants, and wants to organic gardening products Miracle-Gro® has extended its full range, inspire everyone to be easily able and to create and maintain that still grows twice as big and is guaranteed covering all growing categories, their own. Established in 2017 by the carve-out acquisition to inject excitement into the gardening compost, plant food and lawns into the of Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Evergreen Garden Care category. organics category. is a passionate 800-strong team, dedicated to ensuring Gardeners can, for the first time, use organic gardeners of all levels can easily grow and protect products without having their to compromise lawn, plants, fruits or vegetables. on results, meaning they can be proud of Evergreen Garden Care will exhibiting at they Glee, not only what growwith but also how they marketing campaigns, new POS and launches. growproduct it.

The stand will feature a modular greenhouse, creating a supersized world where visitors can immerse in the brand and products.

Formbar is a trolley and basket specialist. It knows that getting new trolleys or baskets is the last task on to-do lists, but if garden centres do not have the right options for their customers then they cannot bring their purchases to the till. The better the basket or trolley, the more the customers buy as they fill it to the top.

Formbar stocks a large range of new and used wire trolleys, including standard deep and shallow shopping trolleys of every capacity, and two tier garden centre trolleys, flat beds and more.

Every shape of basket is available in wire and plastic, with and without wheels, plus stackers to suit. Formbar’s brandnew range of all plastic shopping trolleys manufactured by Polycart is proving extremely popular with garden centres as they will not succumb to the dreaded rust, are lightweight, and are easy to push over different surfaces.

Miracle-Gro® is a trademark of OMS Investments, Inc. and is used under licence from OMS Investments, Inc.

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Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

Glee Go and See KR.indd 62

www.gardencentreretail.com

02/09/2019 10:09

We love simple, we love unique!

From simple header boards to complicated POS

The revolutionary award winning raised vegetable garden bed. Making growing vegetables easy and fun for everyone!

SHINE A LIGHT ON YOUR GARDEN CENTRE BEAUTIFUL GRAPHICS FOR SIGNAGE, WAY-FINDING, RETAIL DISPLAYS, POS & SALES BOARDS

15% off Use code GCR19 at checkout

Visit Vegepod at GLEE on stand 8C75 / Hall 06-19 www.vegepod.co.uk / info@vegepod.co.uk 01737 764 940

or

ask us about our special bundle offers for garden centres

Easy peasy online ordering / friendly phone service pay by credit / debit card, PayPal or even Bitcoin!

print-2-media.com/garden-centres

•

01579 340985

See us at

Stand: 19M14

Get EPoS right first �me

Over 100 businesses throughout the UK rely on our system ranging from 1 �ll Nurseries to 7 branch Garden Centres.

Contact us today for an obliga�on free consulta�on and quote.

0115 9677439

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www.openretailsolu�ons.co.uk

27/08/2019 15:43

Glee Go and See

Harrod Horticultural

Stand 7G80

Stand 20Y30Z31

Harrod Horticultural is a place to discover distinctive UK handcrafted ranges that inspire discerning customers, and an opportunity to give customers longer-lasting quality choice. Substantial and decorative, the RHS-endorsed steel-wire range of obelisks, supports and arches are real display pieces that are sought-after by customers to add focal points around the garden or property. On other parts of the range, like the box section arches and obelisks, there are home delivery options, and Harrod will ship direct to customers.

Harrod Horticultural also has some launches, with a new boot range, featuring a clever 3-in-1 boot station to jack, scrape and store, plus boot jacks, scrapers, shoe racks and coat hooks. The Harrod Southwold Furniture Collection will be exclusively launched too, featuring traditional English blacksmith designs that are distinctive for comfort, style and quality. These are offered with home delivery options too. Harrod is looking forward to working with the retail centres, offering point of sale display and brochures to support selling the furniture range.

Stand 19C30D31

Meadow View Stone

Ivyline

For the second year, Ivyline is sponsoring the Retail Lab, which showcases unique and trend-led products. This area is a great hub for the industry to see what’s available, obtain advice and network. Ivyline will exhibit a wide-range of indoor pots and plants, including on-trend, natural woven-lined basket planters, cacti and succulent planters, terrariums, and more. It’ll also showcase some outdoor ranges, like outdoor planters, firebowls and outdoor candles. Themed collections include, ‘Inspired by the sea’, ‘Botanical’, ‘Desert Boho’, and ‘Scandi designs’ to name a few. There will be plenty to suit all tastes, and notably, the sector is increasingly attracting a younger audience. There’s a growing interest in houseplants, with cacti and succulents doing particularly well. Look out for a new category, which can only be discovered by visiting Ivyline’s Glee stand.

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Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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Meadow View Stone is a market leader in the supply of unique decorative aggregates, selling good volumes at healthy RRPs. The range encompasses core industry best sellers, paving and horticultural products, all of which are promoted with inspirational POS merchandising and in-store displays. This year at Glee, Meadow View Stone is introducing its Pot Stars Range, the latest innovation in-house plant technology.

Pot Stars is a collection of decorative smaller gravels, designed for use as pot toppers, with the option of applying a fixing, resin-based spray to bind stones together. It allows indoor gardeners to enhance their plants through a firm, but flexible, surface that prevents spillage from accidents and inquisitive diggers, and hides roots and substrates. Visitors can join Meadow View Stone at its exclusive hospitality area.

www.gardencentreretail.com

02/09/2019 09:40

TROLLEY & BASKET INNOVATIONS

Flexible contracts

to suit your business’s needs

NEW • Comprehensive product range

NEW

Motorola equipment

• On-site servicing and maintenance to preserve your existing fleet • New and refurbished options available

Analogue & digital Flexible monthly contracts

01524 833588

intouch-ltd.com/retail T: 01865 858590

E: info@formbar.co.uk

formbar.co.uk

MADE IN BRITAIN

NEW PRODUCTS GALORE FOR TREADSTONE AT GLEE 2019 Making the most of extra space afforded by a larger stand at Glee this year, Wrexham-based Treadstone Products will use the show to demonstrate continued innovation with a host of new product launches. On stand A49 in Hall 8 Treadstone will showcase new additions across all three of the company’s brands: ClipGlove, Peter Rabbit and ‘The Good Life’.

Fresh after its double win at the GIMA awards, ClipGlove will see two new promotional glove concepts added to the range, alongside a spaceefficient backwall merchandising unit.

ClipGlove gets its name from the addition of an aluminum Carabiner clip, which keeps glove pairs together when being stored away so that they do not get lost. Retailers appreciate the clip and how it prevents torn header cards and allows consumers to try on both gloves easily in store.

Treadstone’s ever-popular Peter Rabbit themed outdoor adventures range for children will be boosted with the addition of a new collection of garden clogs in both boys’ and girls’ styles.

There will be a lot of new innovation in Teadstone’s garden sundries range called ‘The Good Life’, including the introduction of a completely new product category.

Retailers can telephone 01978 664 667, email sales@treadstoneproducts.com or visit www.treadstoneproducts.com.

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Products that deliver on their promises

For over 25 years, we have manufactured quality ultrasonic animal deterrents here in the UK Our products deter cats, foxes, mice and other pests from gardens and homes.

We want to help you achieve the best with our products so we offer: Free staff training Low MOQ’s Custom packaging Continuity of supply

CATWatch is tested and approved by the RSPB Contact our friendly team to find out more:

www.conceptresearch.co.uk 01438 727183 Bowmans Trading Estate, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2DL

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Glee Go and See

Stand 6T10U11

Naylor

Barnsley-based Yorkshire Flowerpots is the UK’s only volume producer of ceramic flowerpots. It is part of the fourth generation Naylor Group, a family business which has been making ceramic products since 1890. Yorkshire Flowerpots are made from robust Yorkshire natural red clay, and fired to temperatures in excess of 1,050 degrees centigrade. They are also manufactured with a highstrength, blue core and independently freeze/thaw tested to minus 15 degrees centigrade. Yorkshire Flowerpots is pleased to be attending Glee for the 24th year, and this time will be launching five new planters at the event. Come and find out more by visiting the Naylor stand.

Stand 6U01

Neat Ideas

Neat Ideas is the original in-store media company. In-store media TV lifts products off the shelf and has that ‘wow’ factor for the customer and for the retailer. It’s quite unique in that everything is sale or return – this means no risks and a good reward. New products are introduced on a regular basis with old products cleansed. For all these reasons, you should be sure to visit the Neat Ideas stand at Glee this year and there’ll be eco-friendly and other brand new products on show. You’ll also find the team’s friendly, smiley faces to welcome you to our stand.

Vegepod

Stand 8C75

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Garden Centre Retail August/September 2019

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The Australian manufacturer of innovative raised garden beds will be showcasing its range. The company launched in the UK in spring 2018 and will be focusing on sustainability at Glee. In the midst of the ‘war on plastics’ Vegepod will be highlighting that its polypropylene beds are indeed eco-friendly, particularly when compared to timber or iron raised alternatives. With a minimum 10+ year lifespan they outlive untreated timber counterparts five-fold without the need for harvesting and deforestation. Additionally, the Vegepod eco-covers manage the climate of plants by allowing water and air to penetrate but not insects, encouraging plant growth. The self-watering functionality also reduces water usage by 80% and furthers the products’ sustainable credentials.

Vegepod is also reiterating its commitment to the UK by becoming a member of the Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA), something which the company will be celebrating at the show.

www.gardencentreretail.com

02/09/2019 09:41

EGC64091 Garden Centre Retail Ad.pdf

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Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics To meet the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly options, Miracle-Gro® has extended its full range, covering all growing categories, compost, plant food and lawns into the organics category.

Performance Organics from Miracle-Gro® is the new breakthrough range of 100% natural and organic gardening products that still grows twice as big and is guaranteed to inject excitement into the gardening category.

Gardeners can, for the first time, use organic products without having to compromise on results, meaning they can be proud of not only what they grow but also how they grow it.

Miracle-Gro® is a trademark of OMS Investments, Inc. and is used under licence from OMS Investments, Inc.

“every plant’s natural lifelong partner”

New and second hand aluminium benching: Fixed, Semi rolling, mobile and sales benches.

VALEKA BV • Heliniumweg 14 • 3133 AX Vlaardingen, The Netherlands Tel: +31-10 599 74 02 • info@valeka.nl • www.valeka.nl

Download the FREE Garden Centre Retail app today 1

Go to the App Store

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Search ‘Garden Centre Retail’

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The Ultimate Link Sale with Trees, Shrubs & Roses Increase the spend value from your customers with Empathy sales@rootgrow.co.uk

www.rootgrow.co.uk

01795 411527

Manufactured under license granted by the Royal Horticultural Society Registered Charity No. 222879/SC0382262

27/08/2019 15:51

IVYLINE

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27/08/2019 15:52