Garden Trade Specialist - Issue 26

GARDEN

TRADE SPECIALIST

Volume 2 Issue 26

Weather woes fail to dampen GCA members’ sales

Page 6

GIMA launches 2025 Consumer and Design Insights+Trends Report

Page 17

Christmas tree growers adapting to overcome a changing climate

Page 28

WITH 50 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN FASHION

Explore the popular range of women’s fashion brought to you by our fashion teams from chic knitwear, in-trend coatigans, pullovers, dresses and printed tops.

www. paramountknitwear.com

CONTACT

E-Mail: ashraf@paramoutknitwear.com

E-Mail: sales@paramoutknitwear.com

E-Mail: design@paramoutknitwear.com

Office Phone: +44 (0) 1162630044

Mobile Phone: +44 (0) 7890 170786

LONDON. PARIS. NEW YORK. HONG KONG. SHANGHAI. DHAKA.

QUALITY GARMENTS

ALL SEASON COATIGANS, CHIC KNITWEAR & SMART CASUAL WEAR

PUBLISHED BY EUROMEDIA ASSOCIATES LTD

10 Ashfield Road, Chorley, PR7 1LJ

Tel: 01257 267677

Fax: 01257 267711

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Emma Hatherall

EDITOR

Nick Lavigueur

nick@euromediaal.com

ADVERTISEMENT SALES

Nichola Newton

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Sheila Helm

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Elle Creamer

Editor’s LETTER

Hello all and welcome to another packed edition of Garden Trade Specialist.

I hope you’ve had a profitable summer so far despite the particularly bad Great British weather. As I’m sure you’ll agree, gardening and weather are intrinsically linked and the sector, by and large, is influenced by what’s happening outside.

Well Mother Nature has certainly made it complicated for procurement leads this year. I’m no meteorologist but from what I can remember of 2023 our typical seasons have not played out as you would expect.

It’s been hot when it should be cold, wet when it should be dry and far windier than normal, certainly where I live. So kudos to you if you managed to adapt your stock and sales to meet the ever changing demands of customers this year. As our so-called ‘summer’ now winds up, a number of trade shows are coming up where you can check out the latest and greatest products available to the industry and try and decide what stock you’d like to invest in for the future.

If you happen to be heading to the Autumn Fair don’t forget to pick up our latest edition of the Garden Trade Specialist in the press lounge. The last thing I’d like to mention is a nice little story from our friends in the mainstream magazine sector that suggests the thirst for gardening products is as strong as ever.

The publishers of the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine revealed recently that their May edition secured the highest monthly revenue in 15 years.

The issue sold 164,576 copies on the newsstand, generating £1.4m in Retail Sales Value (RSV), an increase of 6.3% YoY. They have put the magazine’s success down to extensive trade marketing and promotion, as well as a PR campaign that generated national television and print coverage.

Here’s to hoping we can all enjoy similar success and benefit from the continued demand the sector has enjoyed over the past few years. As ever, if you would like to be featured in our magazine, do not hesitate to get in touch.

Nick Lavigueur

PRINTED BY Buxton Press Ltd.

IN THE NEWS

Weather woes fail to dampen GCA members’ sales

The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) figures for the two key months of summer suggest most members are enjoying good sales.

The BoT figures for June 2023 have revealed outdoor plant sales heated up while garden sundries and hard landscaping also enjoyed a decent

surge.

GCA member garden centres recorded outdoor plant sales were up by 27.08% when compared to June 2022, garden sundries were up by 14.14% and hard landscaping leapt up 9.95%. June’s BoT results also revealed sales of seeds and bulbs were up 13.65%, clothing was up 12.79%, food hall & farm shops sales also came in positively for the month at 10.84%, while pets & aquatics sales enjoyed a slight lift of 1.47%.

The only category in the 13 which the GCA records each month from members that was down for June, was gifts at -0.5%.

Chief Executive of the GCA, Peter Burks, also revealed that customers continue to make good use of garden centre cafes. He said: “The good weather extended the gardening season very nicely, giving

Image courtesy of iStock

Many categories show strong performance despite sixth wettest July ever

Image courtesy of GCA GCA Chief Exec Peter Burks

plants a massive increase in sales and garden sundries and hard landscaping a very nice late season boost too.

“The hot weather slowed up members’ restaurants’ growth but catering remains very positive, up by 15.97%. It’s nice to see that furniture & BBQ sales were up at last, at 12.27%.

“Some of this was due to the good weather and people starting to entertain in their gardens again, but also many members had price reductions in this category during June and this helped to bring positive sales. It’s also great to see all areas and turnover bands now in the positive year-to-date. Overall sales for the month, across all members, came in at 15.47% with a year-to-date variance of 0.8%.”

Meanwhile, July’s report has delivered more confidence inspiring figures considering the inclement weather that many suffered for weeks on end. It was one of the worst starts to the summer holidays ever and the sixth wettest July on record for the UK as a whole. Northern Ireland and parts of North West England experienced their wettest July ever.

Despite the endless rain, customers still flocked to garden centres for supplies. Food hall/farm shop was up 14.39% and the seeds & bulbs category was also up 11.88%. Pets & aquatics leapt up by 4.15% and gifts by 8.24% when

compared to July 2022. Clothing fell by -1.01, hard landscaping to -10.77% and garden sundries down to -8.85%.

Peter Burks added: “Sales in July held up remarkably well considering the very dull and wet weather we had to endure.

“This was greatly helped by catering yet again, the biggest single category this month by some distance, at +30.35%, and supported by plant sales, both indoor, +12.55%, and outdoor, +11.1%.

“The huge drop off in furniture and BBQ sales, -40.9%, was not surprising, but was certainly most unhelpful given the stock everyone is trying to clear.”

“Once you take into account inflation it would indicate that sales volumes are running well behind last year still.”

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an upto-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

The BoT reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

Image courtesy of iStock

Image courtesy of GCA

New GCA GROW food safety and health & safety courses launched

Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) e-Learning platform expands to 16 courses

The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) e-Learning platform has introduced five new compliance-based e-Learning courses covering food safety and health & safety.

This launch is the first of three planned releases throughout 2023, which will see a total of sixteen e-Learning courses covering various food safety and health and safety topics added to GROW.

The GCA’s Instructional Designer for GROW, Antony Snow, says: “We are excited to be working on this with Opus Safety – one of the UK’s leading providers of safety training.

“The safety of our members’ employees and their customers is essential, and these courses, which have been tailored specifically for the garden centre industry, will provide comprehensive safety training that will enable employees to enhance their skills, improve their safety practices, and help to create a safe working environment.”

The new courses are as follows:

Food Safety

1. Food Hygiene Essentials

2. Allergen Awareness

Health & Safety

1. Legionella Awareness

2. COSHH Awareness

3. Working at Height

The GCA’s GROW modules cover a range of valuable topics to help employees

gain knowledge and confidence in products and services to provide customers with the best service and advice.

Peter Burks, GCA Chief Executive, explains: “We are always working on developing GROW and increasing our offering to cover topics our members need. GROW is designed to help improve an individual’s knowledge so they can assist others in the workplace, whether colleagues or customers. Many members have told us how effective it is in giving their staff confidence while providing essential education and training for them too.

“It’s available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so personnel can use it when it suits them. It’s a cost-effective way of delivering training and personal development, which enhances the customer experience when visiting a garden centre, and this benefits everyone.”

GROW started as an initial idea, thought up during a strategy meeting of the GCA’s executive committee, to bring education and training tailored to individuals employed in the garden centre industry.

It is a self-funding and non-profit making facility with any surpluses being reinvested into the ongoing development and improvement of GCA GROW. Currently there are 110 modules and more than 12,000 users throughout the UK.

These modules include a wide range of topics that cover horticulture, customer

service, food safety, regulated sales and health and safety.

The accredited food safety and health and safety topics are categorised as either level one or two.

All the modules have been written by experts in their field and are designed to apply to a garden centre environment, with the content for the horticultural modules drawing on the vast experience of members within the GCA. Peter adds: “Garden centres interested in signing up to GROW can find out more on our website www.gca.org.uk/ gca-grow-information or email grow@ gca.org.uk.”

The new courses are available immediately to existing subscribers and the GROW e-Learning facility is available to GCA member garden centres, as well as to Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) garden centre members too.

The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

Image courtesy of GCA

Gardena push for bigger slice of UK watering market

German firm says it has seen ‘significant growth’

Europe’s number one watering brand, GARDENA, is celebrating continued growth across the watering and hand tools categories, after a successful spring and summer season in the UK. The UK gardening market has grown after a small decline in 2022, with the watering category seeing positive growth. GARDENA has made significant growth in the garden watering market, gaining shares in the hose, sprinkler and spray gun categories, reinforcing GARDENA as a strong brand in the UK watering market.

GARDENA has also overperformed with positive growth in the hand tools market. Opening over 100 new Garden Centre doors since January this year and launching in a number of DIY chain stores, GARDENA is committed to continuing its growth, with further investment into the UK market.

GARDENA has confirmed a 5-year investment plan to support new and existing customer growth.

Channel sales manager Edward Cantle says; “Seeing just how far GARDENA has come over the last few years is truly astounding. Following our most successful GLEE to date, it is clear that the thirst for high-quality, reliable gardening equipment is out there. We have invested in our team, in a national marketing campaign, and in our online and offline resources - the investment is truly paying off.

“We have strengthened our presence in Garden Centres and have become the preferred brand for many independent centres and small chains. Working closely with our customers, we create eye-catching point of sale and clear communications with regards to the quality and compatibility of GARDENA

products.

“We have also recently invested in our Newton-Aycliffe showroom, highlighting our 2024 innovations, ready to welcome customers to the world of GARDENA. We will not be taking our foot off the pedal, we have ambitious plans for continued growth, supported by marketing, logistics and a very passionate team.” With over 50 years of experience in innovation, GARDENA is the number one watering brand across Europe. Based in Ulm, Germany GARDENA is the preferred brand for millions of passionate gardeners across the globe. For more information about GARDENA, to become a stockist, or speak to your local GARDENA sales rep, head to https://www.gardena.com/uk/about/ salesteam/

Image courtesy of Gardena

Hallstone Announces Exponential Sales Growth

Hallstone, part of the Rolawn group, has recorded a “marked increase” in sales for the first half of 2023 – including seeing bulk bag revenue surge by more than 50%

Having relaunched as a trade only brand in March this year, Hallstone, which is known for its premium landscaping products, has announced that sales of its bulk bag products are up over 50% on last year’s figures.

Hallstone supplies bulk bag products including premium topsoil, bark mulch, wood chippings and compost, to a network of over 400 trusted stockists across the UK.

Taking the decision not to sell directly online, Hallstone instead updated its branding and website with the express intention of driving customers to trade stockists, a tactic that is working well for the firm - Hallstone’s merchant channel being 47% up on the previous year and the number of Hallstone stockists increasing by 63%.

Hallstone, which experienced the growth between March and June 2023, attributes the rise to the brand becoming a dedicated trade-only supplier, and to the new direction more effectively communicating the significant benefits of Hallstone to stockists and merchants.

Jonathan Hill, Sales Director at Hallstone said: “We have a clear, simple focus; consistent, reliable, premium landscaping products to the trade, at competitive prices.

“We’re very pleased to see that our new approach is being so well received by trade customers, it speaks volumes about the products and the service we provide.”

Hallstone, which has also achieved a 99.3% customer satisfaction rate, forecasts a continued increase in demand and is confident that by providing reliable, consistent landscaping products that it can

continue to meet and exceed market expectations.

For more information on Hallstone please visit: https://www.hallstone.co.uk

Image courtesy of Hallstone

Wyevale Nurseries announces two key appointments

Leading commercial nursery confirms new Purchaser and Sales roles

One of the UK’s leading commercial nurseries has brought in two new faces in key positions.

Martin Chaplin has joined as a Purchaser while Daniel Maskew has been appointed as an Amentiy Sales Executive.

In his new position at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, Martin will be supporting, driving and assessing purchasing processes, and bridging communication and support across departments.

The 47-year-old, who comes from Croston in Lancashire, explains: “Joining Wyevale Nurseries is very exciting; its history, reputation and brand values place the company very highly in the industry. It feels like a sleeping giant and it’s exhilarating to be welcomed in and be part of its future ambitions.”

Martin has held purchasing roles in horticulture for many years and joins Wyevale Nurseries with a wealth of knowledge of growers and suppliers across Europe.

Commercial Sales Director, Ian Wright says: “We’re delighted to welcome Martin to Wyevale Nurseries. He will strengthen our team tremendously and help us to achieve our company vision of being a recognised leader in the horticultural industry.

“Purchasing is a vital component of

supply into the landscape sector. Martin will be a huge asset during what is a challenging period in our development. There’s plenty to contend with such as market consolidation, import legislation and restrictions, as well as our need to go completely peat free in the future and to continue with and reinforce our already exemplary biosecurity initiatives.” Martin has previously worked as a Garden & DIY QVC Buyer and as an Ideal Shopping Direct Senior Buyer in its Leisure Department. He also volunteered for the Good Sam Project through Covid and created a Men’s Shed Mental Health Project in Croston. He is no stranger to the horticultural industry having started his working life, aged 14, collecting trolleys at weekends at Auldene Nurseries. He was then supported through his training and Business & European Studies course by the garden centre too.

Daniel, 33, who comes from Perton near Wolverhampton, said: “I’m delighted to be joining Wyevale Nurseries. The opportunity to work with a nursery of such prestigiousness is hugely exciting. I look forward to supplementing an already experienced and knowledgeable sales team with my 15 plus years of horticultural experience and commercial awareness.”

Daniel was previously employed by Boningale Nurseries as its Sales Manager and also spent four years there as a Sales Executive.

Ian Wright, Commercial Sales Director at Wyevale Nurseries, explains: “We’re delighted to welcome Daniel on board. He has a plethora of complimentary experiences gained throughout his career so far in the horticultural industry. He joins us in very challenging but exciting times and we look forward to him getting stuck in. His role will include bringing in potential new customers and building upon our current, already exceptional, customer base.”

Daniel’s career to date has included spending more than 10 years in retail, managing a family-run garden centre. He also has two years commercial nursery, hands-on, experience including propagating, growing and husbandry. To add to this, he has around five years amenity sales experience including most recently managing a sales team of four. He also has Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Level 1, 2 & 3 qualifications. For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, please call 01432 845 200 or visit www. wyevalenurseries.co.uk.

Images courtesy of Wyevale

Daniel Maskew

Martin Chaplin

Mountfield donate mowers and tools to ‘Children’s Hospice South West’

The Mountfield team relish the chance to help charities whenever they can and were pleased to donate mowers and gardening tools to the team at Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

CHSW works tirelessly to bring hospice care and joy to children and young people living with life-limiting conditions.

For more than 30 years Children’s Hospice South West has been providing care and support for children, young people and their families from the point of diagnosis or recognition of a life-limiting condition and beyond. The team are dedicated to making the most of short and precious lives through the provision of the best possible care at each of their 3 hospices.

The gardens and grounds are an integral part of enriching the lives of the children and their whole family, and Mountfield were over the moon to have helped with a donation of three mowers and a selection of gardening tools.

Gary Hatch, Maintenance Manager at Little Bridge House, commented: “This is a very kind and generous donation by Mountfield, and we are delighted that Children’s Hospice South West were thought of for this wonderful gift.

“A lot of our current gardening equipment has seen many years of good use, so some new lawn mowers, a blower/vac and a

brush cutter will make a big difference.

“We pride ourselves that the grounds to each of our hospices are always kept to a high standard, so that the children, young people and their families can really relax

and enjoy the gardens when staying with us.” If you would like to know more about ‘CHSW’ and how you can donate to them please visit www.chsw.org.uk, here you will also be able to read about all the available

help they can offer children and young people with life limiting conditions, and their family. The three hospices are: Little Bridge House in Devon, Charlton Farm in Somerset and Little Harbour in Cornwall

Image courtesy of Mountfield

The Gardens Group announces Planet Mark results

Annual audit reveals carbon reduction of 29.3%

The Gardens Group has revealed the results of its annual audit by sustainability certification scheme, Planet Mark, reporting significant carbon reductions across its three garden centres in Sherborne, Yeovil and Poundbury.

During its third year as voluntary members of Planet Mark, which is backed by the Eden Project, The Gardens Group has achieved a 29.3% absolute carbon reduction. Engaging its 160-strong team at all stages of the process, from idea generation and target setting to measurement and review, The Gardens Group began by establishing key areas for improvement that would need to be measured, including Buildings, Travel, Waste, Water, Procurement and Home Working. Through hundreds of new initiatives, pushed forward by smaller groups of staff assigned to each task, the independent garden centre group has managed to substantially reduce carbon emissions in nearly all areas during 2022. Over the past year, The Gardens Group measured significant reductions in carbon emissions relating to waste, business travel and buildings. Procurement emissions remained steady,

while water emissions saw a slight increase following a large reduction during 2021. This came despite considerable investment in rainwater collection initiatives, including the integration of a brand new 50,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank into an underground Victorian brick-lined well and plumbing system, highlighting the challenges posed by The Gardens Group’s weather dependent requirement for watering its stock. Having introduced dozens of eco-friendly initiatives across Castle Gardens, Brimsmore Gardens and Poundbury Gardens over recent years, from water collection projects to reducing delivery miles through innovations in route planning and offers, The Gardens Group decided to join the Planet Mark community in order to implement a framework that would facilitate more substantial progress in its efforts to reduce the business’ impact on the environment. Through Planet Mark’s process of engagement, education, measurement and reporting, The Gardens Group has already achieved significant carbon reductions and is now working towards becoming a net zero business.

Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, commented: “Looking after the environment has always been central to our ethos, but our work with Planet Mark has allowed us to put structured plans and communications in place to ensure that everyone can play their part. As a result, environmental impact is now at the forefront of our minds in everything we do. On setting out, we were hoping to see steady success across all areas of carbon reduction, but I’m delighted to say that we have surpassed these expectations and are now

reducing carbon emissions by big percentages each year. Through our links with the Garden Centre Association, we’re feeding these ideas back into the garden centre industry as a whole and we also encourage the team to help apply these sustainable principles to community projects. By engaging with our customers and supporting their own sustainable initiatives, including at schools, garden clubs and community groups, the benefits of our efforts are felt far beyond the confines of the garden centres.”

Image courtesy of The Gardens Group

Wyevale Nurseries sponsored Tatton designs win Best Long Border, two Golds & three Silver Gilts

Five of the Wyevale Nurseries sponsored ‘Sensory Long Border’ designs featured at the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Flower Show at Tatton Park won top awards including Best Long Border (July 19-23, 2023).

The designs were by final year University of Gloucestershire Landscape Architect students who visited the nurseries for a 2022 open day and selected their plants earlier this year.

Ian Wright, Commercial Sales Director at Wyevale Nurseries, explains: “We’re absolutely delighted to be able to share this wonderful news and to have been part of these amazing wins.

“Five of the six entries sponsored by us, featuring our plants, scooped awards. It’s a tremendous achievement for everyone involved and we couldn’t be more pleased for them all. They’ve worked so hard and their brilliant concepts paid off.

“‘A Pocket of Peace’, designed by Daniel March, Hallie Abbott Trangmar and Adam Rowley, took a Gold and was also named by the judges as winner of Best Long Border.”

Fellow students, Anne Watson, Caitlin Lewis and Úna Nolan also won a Gold for their design – ‘The Garden of Vivacity’.

Anne said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this award. What an amazing collaboration with Caitlin and Úna. Thank you to the University of Gloucestershire for the opportunity and thank you Wyevale Nurseries for sponsoring the garden/supplying the beautiful plants. A dream fulfilled!”

Other Wyevale Nurseries sponsored winners included Sarah Marsh, Shereen Khatoon-Jaan Din and Imogen Reeves. Their design ‘Staying in Touch with the Garden’ scooped a Silver Gilt. It will be donated to the Hospice of the Good Shepherd in Chester after the show.

Ian adds: “We also saw Silver Gilt wins for ‘Coastal Whisper’ – designed by Mia Thompstone, Joseph Parker and Henry Monnington and ‘Forager’s Haven’ by David Cockburn and James Hill. Our sixth sponsored garden at the event was ‘Coral Scape’ – designed by Yunhui Luk, Ethan Fincham, David Dycha.

“More details of the gardens and some of the plants that were included in each can be found on the show’s website page here https://www.rhs.org.uk/ shows-events/rhs-flower-show-tattonpark/news/2023/sensory-long-borderstatton.”

Wyevale Nurseries’ product selection is envied across the industry and the talented team regularly introduces new, award-winning plant varieties. Its main business is to supply garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, please call 01432 845 200 or visit www. wyevalenurseries.co.uk.

(L-R) Anne Watson, Caitlin Lewis and Una Nolan, who won a Gold for their design – ‘The Garden of Vivacity’

Garden Connect launches a comprehensive plant database, including photos and descriptions

Garden centres, growers, and trade nurseries can now access an extensive database filled with over 300,000 photos of 75,000 different plant species through Garden Connect.

This database provides detailed descriptions and more than 25 characteristics per plant species. Ideal for usage in webshops, stores, brochures, and marketing.

Save costs with affordable licences without surprises

Professional photos are crucial for selling plants but can be difficult to create and expensive to purchase. With Garden Connect’s solution, users have unlimited access to the full database for a fixed annual fee. Without any hidden costs or limited licences. The photos can be used both online and in print, such as in magazines, brochures, and in-store. This enables all businesses in the garden industry to showcase a comprehensive and high-quality assortment. Growers, trade nurseries, and retailers can all benefit from the database.

Save time and get started with plant data and photos immediately

Thanks to the user-friendly system

allowing access to our plant data and photos, users can save time and start immediately. They can easily download the plant data through the dedicated portal or provide an Excel list, after which the plant data will be provided in the desired format. Furthermore, the information is accessible through an API, allowing direct integration with other systems, such as webshops, ERP, or PIM systems.

Curated by plant experts

Garden Connect has a team of experienced plant experts who have gathered high-quality and extensive data. Users can trust the information they receive is accurate and reliable. With over 25 plant properties available per plant species, it is easy to provide customers with detailed information. Google-friendly texts in 20+ languages

As an online marketing agency, Garden Connect understands the importance

of unique plant descriptions. Thanks to the company’s innovative solutions, all descriptions can be uniquely written for each user. Additionally, the texts can be written to adopt the corporate identity and tone of voice. This leads to improved positions in Google, increased website traffic, and more sales.

In-store signs

Retailers and growers can also utilise the plant data for in-store signage. With the wizard in the Garden Connect platform, personal price and information signs can easily be created. By using photos and plant properties, professional signs for the store can be generated in no time.

Contact

For more information and access to the extensive plant database of Garden Connect, please contactinfo@ gardenconnect.com or visit www. gardenconnect.com

Image courtesy of Garden Connect

Photosynthesis For St Albans Garden Centre Using £180k Solar Power Investment To Drive Growth

A Hertfordshire-based nursery and garden centre is investing in driving sustainability with the support of a six figure loan from Lloyds Bank.

Aylett Nurseries, based south of St Albans, used the funding to invest in 455 new solar panels for its site, which will provide renewable energy for 30 per cent of its annual electricity consumption.

The new solar panels also follow previous investments in electric vehicle chargers for customers and LED lighting throughout its centre, as it aims to set an example for protecting the environment.

Aylett, which was founded in 1955, has previously introduced advanced computer-controlled greenhouse systems to ensure that heat and energy use is optimised throughout the growing process.

The family business, which has 70 staff across its nursery and garden centre, also has its own advice centre, where visitors can learn how their gardens can positively impact the environment. As well as investing in new technology to improve sustainability, Aylett grows as many plants as possible on its site totalling nearly 330,000 sq ft, helping to avoid transporting products from elsewhere.

Adam Wigglesworth, director at Aylett Nurseries, said: “Forward-thinking is at the heart of how our business operates, and the investment in the new solar panels is a prime example of that. We know our customers are hugely engaged with the environment, given they’re keen gardeners, and we want to do all we can to make a difference.

“Becoming more sustainable is crucial to our growth, as well as being the right thing to do. In time, we’ll save money on our energy bills which we can re-invest elsewhere in the centre, helping to improve the customer experience and the range of what we can offer. The future looks bright and the support from Lloyds Bank is putting us in a position to flourish.”

Aaron Rodway, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Investing in sustainability is increasingly becoming a top priority for businesses across

Hertfordshire and beyond. Adam and the team at Aylett are setting an example of how to invest responsibly and make the changes that matter to their customers.

“The business doesn’t rest on its laurels, and it has a track record of investing in new tech. That’s helped to keep Aylett moving forward and make itself a modern business in a modern world. We’ll remain by the business’ side as it continues to invest and evolve.”

Image courtesy of Aylett Nurseries

GIMA launches 2025 Consumer and Design Insights+Trends Report

The ever-popular GIMA trend report is set to return this September with three webinars

more of the research and consumer marketing content that was gathered whilst identifying the trends.

The Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) is just a few weeks away from unveiling its key consumer insight report.

Three webinars to present the report have been confirmed, providing delegates informative and interactive insight into those trends that are set to shape consumer desires, attitudes and aesthetics in 2025.

Created in partnership with trend expert, Scarlet Opus – GIMA’s longterm trend partners, the report will explore what’s driving change and the fundamental shifts impacting consumer behaviour. With a keen focus on gardening and outdoor living, this is the only content of its kind available in the UK and will address everything from colour and materials to shapes, patterns and textures.

Taking place on September 12th, 13th and 14th, the team from Scarlet Opus will use the webinars to delve deeper into those trends that will shape garden retail in 2025. Not only this but they will walk delegates through how this exclusive content can help future proof new product development, visual merchandising, packaging and marketing plans.

Every webinar delegate will receive direct access to the online event, where Scarlet Opus will present the report. A copy of the webinar recording, plus an exclusive e-book, will also be made available to delegates post-event, unveiling even

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “We’re excited to have Scarlet Opus onboard once again to guide us through this trend forecast. The level of detail and insight that they have provided previously has been lauded for its incredible value by previous delegates and I have no doubt that those in attendance this September will echo these sentiments. Having the ability to plan ahead is vital for futureproofing, and for standing out in a crowded marketplace, and I know that our 2023 delegates will be demonstrative come the 2025 season – watch this space!”

To find out more, or to book your place for the webinar, please visit www.gima. org.uk or call 01959 564947.

To find out more about the forthcoming Scarlet Opus – 2025 Insights and Trends Report please visit www.gima.org.uk/ events/scarlet-opus-2025-insights-andtrends-report/

Meet the team at Scarlet Opus

Phil Pond

Phil’s earned a reputation of excellence for his creativity in product development and marketing. His focus is specifically the lifestyle, consumer and design sectors working for retailers and manufacturers. He has been a regular speaker at business events around the world for the past 15 years; from Las Vegas to Vancouver, Melbourne to Dubai, Budapest to Istanbul and the UK. Outside of Scarlet Opus, Phil enjoys passing on his marketing expertise to students and business start-ups via an international lectures programme which has included Lancaster, UCLAN and Teesside Universities.

Shelley Bou Chrouch

Shelley is Scarlet Opus’ resident strategist with over 15 years agency experience in marketing, trend forecasting, and branding. She spent 13 years in the UAE developing a strong understanding of the Middle Eastern market. She has a passion for rebranding and loves working with fearless brands who are ready to make change. Shelley has worked with a diverse range of clients, providing brand strategy and development consultancy services to the Dubai Sports Council, Islamic banking in Kuwait, niche fragrance brands, and H.E. Fahed Bin Al Shaikh on the Autism Trust Foundation. Fascinated by culture, behaviour, and innovation, her core focus is tracking + analysing industry trends, studying shifts + changes across the consumer landscape, and identifying new opportunities – applying her skills to build strong Brand Strategy. When not identifying key trends, Shelley also moonlights as a GIMA Awards judge!

Son of Founder of Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds Departs Amid Company Shakeup

Dave Carey Moves On After Shareholders Take Control of Suffolk Based Firm

Jerry Wilson, Partner at Harwood Private Capital, said: “Harwood is a long term, considerate investor committed to supporting our portfolio companies to realise their full potential.

The family of funds within Harwood Capital Management Ltd has increased its shareholding to take full control of the group that owns Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds Limited.

The Suffolk based business is known for its distinctively branded seed packets and horticulture products, which are much-loved by gardening enthusiasts around the world.

The transition comes 18 months after Harwood backed the management buyout of the business, taking a material minority shareholding in the company. Harwood said its aim was supporting Mr Fothergill’s future growth and development to take an increased share of a multi-billion global market. Now, following an initial period of post-deal transition, augmenting the senior management team and infrastructure investment, including new servers, customer service software and the introduction of learning and development programmes to upskill the workforce, a shareholding restructure sees Harwood assuming full control. It also sees the departure of CEO Dave Carey, the son of one of the original founders, who is leaving the business. Trevor Parker, a highly experienced specialist adviser to private equity

backed firms who had previously spent several months in the business, is returning to provide operational and strategic support to the management team.

He said: “Mr Fothergill’s Seeds is a much loved, global brand with great products and loyal customers.

“A business is rarely about one individual, and the family that is the Mr Fothergill’s Seeds team is no different.

“The Mr Fothergill’s Seeds family comprises a fantastic team of highly knowledgeable and experienced employees.

“I built a very close working relationship with them during the time I have already spent in the business. I look forward to building on that as we launch exciting new products and implement new systems and technology across the group.”

Dave Carey said: “I am proud of the part I have played in a business which has grown into the international operation it is today, however, after 23 years at Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds I now feel the time is right to leave, secure in the knowledge that the group is in the experienced hands of people who share the values that have underpinned its success to date.”

“With Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds, we haven’t just invested in a company but in the entire family of talented and committed people who bring the brand and its values to life every single day, reinforcing the enviable reputation the business has earned.

“By capitalising on the increasing interest in gardening worldwide and the focus on environmental matters, we firmly believe there is an exciting future ahead for Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds and those who work within it.

“I also want to thank Dave Carey for the part he has played over the years and wish him well for the future.”

Established in 1978 and headquartered in Newmarket, Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds is an independent horticulture supplier providing gardening products ranging from seeds and bulbs to tools and other supplementary products.

The group owns/operates multiple brands with Mr. Fothergill’s at the core, supplying its ranges to over 5,000 garden centres and retailers in the UK, complemented by its online, direct to consumer channel. The group has also been operating in Australia and New Zealand since 1989 where it has grown to become market leader. Strategic distributor relationships extend the group’s international reach into Canada, Europe and the Middle East.

Image courtesy of Google

Boyd DouglasDavies joins Glee as Strategic Advisor

High profile industry figure to engage with retailers in a bid to improve 2024 event

Top trade show Glee has announced an influential industry heavyweight will be working on planning next year’s show. With over 40 years of experience within the garden retail sector, countless volunteer roles at the heart of the industry and a new venture – The Boyd Partnership – Boyd DouglasDavies has now added Glee Strategic Advisor to his resume.

This exciting new role will see him engage with garden retailers to understand their challenges and opportunities to ensure that the event fully aligns with their needs. Boyd will work alongside the Glee team ahead of the 2024 event (25th – 27th June 2024, NEC Birmingham), to further engage with garden retailers. With his depth of knowledge Boyd has been tasked with working alongside this group of retailers to better understand their needs

and to ensure that Glee is delivering an unrivalled experience. Boyd’s findings will not only facilitate more conversation but will feed into the overall strategy for Glee’s short and long-term vision.

To kickstart his new role, Boyd will reach out to a cross section of retailers, including multiple and independent garden centres, to join him at a series of focus groups to discuss retailer challenges and opportunities to ensure that the event is fully aligned with their needs.

Regarding his newest appointment, Boyd DouglasDavies said: “Glee is the most important event for the garden retail sector, so I am absolutely delighted to work alongside the organising team. Over the coming months, I hope to learn more from Glee’s visitors about the role the show plays for them and how we can create an even brighter future for

it. Through open dialogue and honest feedback, I truly believe that together we can get to the crux of what makes Glee great and continue to build on this so that we all benefit come June 2024. It’s an exciting project, and I can’t wait to get going!”

Glee Event Director, Matthew Mein added: “Boyd is a true industry expert whose opinions, voice and experience are so highly regarded. To have him on board working with retailers to identify their wants and needs is a real coup. I do not doubt that through focus groups and access to so many retailers and buyers, Boyd will enable us to identify core growth areas that matter most to our visitors. This insight will also

undoubtedly add value for our exhibitors as they look to maximise their experience at Glee.”

Find out more

Glee connects the garden industry to inspire change, drive growth and launch innovation, with the next edition of Glee confirmed for 25th-27th June, NEC, Birmingham. Look out for even more registration incentives and the all-new Connect @ Glee online platform, where buyers and exhibitors can proactively choose who they want to meet based on criteria important to their business. To find out more or to register your interest in exhibiting, please visit www. gleebirmingham.com or call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

Images courtesy of Glee

Autumn Fair Puts Trends & Sustainability Centre Stage

Autumn Fair puts the most sought-after products, suppliers and creative thinkers under one roof.

We’re the UK’s leading wholesale marketplace for home, gift and fashion, showcasing fantastic new products from the best brands in retail. Taking place over four days from September 3rd to 6th at NEC Birmingham, this event is an experience the internet can’t provide - giving you the opportunity to make valuable connections and to touch, feel and see the latest products in person. Renowned for its inspirational and insightful content, Autumn Fair has announced this year’s focus will be on home & gifting trends and sustainability, with dedicated days for each. Visitors to the show are invited to attend trend workshops with leading global futures agency TrendBible, sustainability sessions with Products of Change, as well as presentations offering trade

show advice for new businesses, how to navigate through challenging economic times, and motivational masterclasses. Kicking off the morning session on Monday, September 4, Naomi Pollard, Head of Publications at TrendBible will deliver ‘2024 Home & Interior Lifestyle Trends’ uncovering how householder behaviours and lifestyle choices are set to underpin product and design trends for the home over the next 12 months and beyond.

On Monday afternoon join Pollard as she presents the ‘2024 Gifting and Celebration Trends’. From ideas for Valentine’s Day through to Christmas, this trend presentation will elevate your gift and greetings ranges for seasonal retail occasions to new levels.

On Tuesday September 5 join Helena

Mansell-Stopher from Products of Change on the Inspiring Retail Stage & Moda Catwalk for two sessions focused on sustainability.

The catwalk also welcomes the return of Therese Oertenblad from Small Business Collaborative who will present a practical workshop on ‘How to Approach your First Trade Show’, and Ami Rabheru from The Retail Business Hub will be looking into ‘Maximising Revenue During Tough Economic Times’.

View the schedule at https://www. autumnfair.com/

Image courtesy of Autumn Fair

Paramount Knitwear can meet your clothing retail needs

Garden retailers are being invited to explore a new source for their in-store clothing departments.

Founded in 1974, Paramount Knitwear has been supplying the UK High Street and online retailers for over 50 years. Based in Leicester, Paramount has grown into providing both Private Label production and a branded, online presence.

We now offer a tailor-made service to high street stores and independent retailers. Paramount also holds many brands including best-selling Paramour ladies and menswear brand Marcello. Over the past 50 years we have built a reputation through our business with customers across the UK and Europe. Our 75,000 sq. ft warehouse is home to constantly updated ranges in fashion knitwear & leisure wear, woven soft separates & accessories.

With the arrival of the digital platforms, customers are looking for suppliers who can understand the market opportunities. Paramount Knitwear’s position, as an online wholesale retailer and Private Label supplier, gives us a unique advantage in offering speed-tomarket retail solutions, whilst providing great design coupled with the highest quality standards, therefore we do not compromise on quality.

From our design office and showrooms based in the UK and far east, we offer our Private Label customers updates and flavours of our best- selling products with control and compliance at

needle-point.

As the clothing market re-calibrates and redefines itself, the one thread that has remained constant over the past 50 years has been our aim to offer a market leading quality product at very competitive prices backed up with a knock-out service.

What do we sell?

• Womens Knitwear, jersey & wovens

• Mens T-shirts & sweats

What are the product areas?

Pullovers, cardigans, T-shirts, tops, tunics, kaftans, dresses, hoodies, joggers, crew neck sweats, shirts.

Supply base

We have a robust network of factories offering market leading qualities.

Unique

Paramount Knitwear’s reputation in the market has been built on supplying jersey and knitwear. With the launch of our brands we extended the product ranges into woven dresses, bottoms and tops to complete our collections.

Design

The collections are beautifully designed products that are both stylish and functional to a high-quality standard.

Authentic

Contact:

Head of Product, Nadia Thiare

E-Mail: Nadia@paramoutknitwear.com

Direct Mobile: 07534 535 888

Office Phone: +44 (0)116 2630044

Web: www.paramountknitwear.com

Supply base

Designed in house where our team travels the world researching trends and managing the supply chain with the help and input of our key supply partnerships.

Ethical and social responsibility

A fundamental aspect of the way in which we conduct business is complying with environmental and social responsibilities. Minimising waste and promoting efficiency in our business and purchasing decisions.

WE HAVE A ROBUST NETWORK OF FACTORIES OFFERING MARKET LEADING QUALITIES: LONGER LEAD-TIMES FROM BANGLADESH,CHINA INDIA & PAKISTAN; BACKED UP WITH SPEED-TOMARKET FROM TURKEY & UK. ALL OUR FACTORIES ARE FULLY COMPLIANT AND COMMITTED TO ACHIEVE ACCORD REDEMPTION.

Embellished

Images courtesy of Paramount Knitwear

CJS Display Ltd has a rich history in the horticultural industry with roots tracing back over 30 years

visual merchandising products, which include plant display tables, a variety of display crates/boxes

We also offer a service were we can design bespoke range of products for customers – these range to a specific size crate to hold wool, a larger crate for Christmas display, display plinths as well as plant display tables to hold a customers irrigation system or another that wanted a higher lip on the table as their centres are based in more exposed areas and the increased lip offers better protection for their products. There is no charge for this service. If you have something in mind, contact us – if you are able to send a drawing, photo or measurements of the product you have in mind then we will start designing and send a copy of the drawing to you. From

there, if you are happy we can provide a quote – while this personal service may sound expensive its not, the quotes for our products is competitive (or so our customers tell us)

Your garden centre may already have our products in your store, as we design and manufacture Point of Sale/FSDU for many horticultural and aggregate suppliers into garden centres (we were very proud to have 9 customers using our display products at Glee this year) including Creekwood, Ivyline, Altico, Ames

Contact us today either by phone 01482 844459/07876 494676 or 07884440593, Email: office@cjsdisplay.co.uk Website: www.cjsdisplay.co.uk

Originally, Paul Jackson ran the family factory, C Jackson & Sons that specialized in producing timber displays for garden centres and suppliers to garden centres. Also they worked with Mike Hills for many years, providing full garden centre refurbishments. Unfortunately, due to the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic in 2020, the difficult decision had to be made to close the factory. Undeterred by the circumstances, Paul started CJS Display with his wife, Kirstie (account manager) and we partnered up with another local family run manufacturer with similar values and established our current business. Since then, we have been dedicated to providing high quality timber products and services to our valued customers which includes large garden centre groups to small independents. We take pride in our extensive experience and expertise in designing and manufacturing quality

With Autumn and Christmas fast approaching many garden centres like to use a variety of our products for their Christmas displays these include our trestle tables, display boxes and crates, A-frames.

If you don’t see what you want, contact us. We are able to design bespoke products individual to customers and their needs.

All of our products are available in 4 colours our silver brown (almost vintage colour) range is very popular as it works well to showcasing popular Christmas Colours / Themes of Candy Lane, Golden, Silver.

Bespoke Point of Sale

Display Boxes and Trays

Indoor

A little bit about us, CJS Display Ltd has a rich history in the horticultural industry with roots tracing back over 30 years. Originally, Paul Jackson ran the family factory, C Jackson & Sons that specialized in producing timber displays for garden centres and suppliers to garden centres. Unfortunately, due to the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic in 2020, the difficult decision had to be made to close the factory.

Undeterred by the circumstances, we partnered up with another local family run manufacturer with similar values and established our current business. Since then, we have been dedicated to providing high quality timber products and services to our valued customers which includes large garden centre groups to small in dependents.

We take pride in our extensive experience and expertise in designing and manufacturing quality visual merchandising products, which include plant display tables, a variety of display crates/boxes.

Experts in Timber Retail Display

Fully recyclable premium artificial grass range released

New polypropylene backing introduced to boost product’s eco-credentials

The Artificial Lawn Company has launched a fully recyclable premium artificial grass product which offers all the benefits inherent in the company’s product without compromising on the quality of its performance.

This means that homeowners, landscapers or specifiers who are keen to maintain a focus on sustainability can benefit from the low maintenance, soft and vibrant artificial lawn, with the assurance that at the end of its life (anything between 10-20 years), it can be taken up and fully recycled.

The traditional latex backing of the company’s Landscape PET lawn has been replaced with polypropylene to bring it in line with the top side grass

pile, enabling the product to be lifted up and put straight into the recycling process without any additional costly and complicated steps.

manufactured from latex, which meant

Timber Displays can offer you the very best quality in pressure treated timber display products at affordable prices.

Our products are designed to increase your turnover by showing your merchandise to its full potential and to add an attractive feature to your Garden Centre or store.

We are the leading company in flood benching, saving you time and money hand watering.

Available in 2m or 4m widths, Artificial Lawn Company can do a supply only,

Timber Displays best quality in display products

Our products your turnover merchandise add an attractive Garden Centre

We are the leading benching, saving hand watering.

INSPIRATIONAL

BENCHING & DISPLAY STANDS

We specialise in timber display products for Garden Centre and the Nursery industries

Image courtesy of Artificial Lawn Company

Lithe Audio launches the iO1 – a unique All-In-One wireless ‘Indoor and Outdoor’ speaker

Award winning UK firm reveals new speaker ideal for garden centre display areas and restaurants/hospitality settings

Unlike any speaker on the market, Lithe Audio’s IPX6-rated iO1 delivers highquality audio with amp and connectivity built-in, in a choice of six simple mounting methods – and only a power source required for installation Lithe Audio, the Award-winning UK manufacturer of wireless audio systems, launches its new iO1 all-in-one wireless speaker that can be used indoors and outdoors in 6 different mounting configurations.

With a powerful amplifier and connectivity all built in, this active surface-mount speaker is easy to install and just requires power from a standard or outdoor electrical outlet or existing lighting circuit to deliver premium audio quality.

This versatile weather-resistant IPX6rated unit offers the option of wireless or data cable connection, with an optical input and two Ethernet ports. It features dual full-range woofers, titanium tweeters, and 100W RMS Power

(2 x 50W) Class D Amplifiers, delivering full high-resolution audio at 192 kHz, 24 bits.

Embedded with Airplay 2, Chromecast and Spotify Connect, it couldn’t be easier to create quality distributed audio. It’s also compatible with any other Airplay 2 or Chromecast speaker for multi-room or multi-area set-ups. The iO1 also features the latest Bluetooth technology and offers voice control with Google Home and Alexa.

Designed for areas that require high-end audio quality but can’t accommodate a traditional ceiling speaker, the iO1 can easily be installed in six different orientations — on-wall, in-corner, oncorner, ground spike, countertop, and pendent.

The built-in high-efficiency amplifier and high quality components are covered by an attractive aluminium grille in a choice of white or black finish.

“We’re excited to be launching this speaker as there’s nothing like it currently on the market,” says Amit Ravat, MD and co-founder of Lithe Audio: “It’s an active, all-in-one solution that’s configured for all the wireless protocols, easy to use and install in a choice of 6 configurations – and of course it’s weatherproof. It couldn’t be simpler – or more sophisticated!

“We’re particularly excited about the versatility of the speaker for different markets – from consumers who love the latest smarthome and home entertainment tech, to the hospitality & catering, retail and outdoor audio markets,” concludes Ravat.

RRPs are £720 for a single active speaker and £300 for a single passive speaker. See www.litheaudio.com for stockists

Images courtesy of Lithe Audio

Create opportunities in container gardening with Durstons

The rise in demand for what is a perfect growing solution for both small space gardening and flexible outdoor designs, creates a wealth of opportunities for garden retailers. Durstons have a range of great products to tap into this trend and encourage consumers who may be flexing their green thumbs for the first time.

Accessible growing

If nothing else, the pandemic gave people a greater appreciation for their outdoor spaces, whatever the size, and gave many a new lease of life, as the British wanted to maximise the area they had.

Small gardens and balconies are increasingly prevalent, particularly with new builds and in urban areas and the great thing about container gardening is that it allows people to grow and create a green oasis or even a kitchen garden in the space they have. It’s also hugely popular for people with busy lives who want a more low-maintenance garden to care for, not to mention renters seeking a quick and easy fix that won’t

mean investing money in sprucing up a property that inevitably belongs to a landlord.

There are so many perks to container gardening that makes growing accessible to a wider demographic and people with different abilities and incomes. The RHS introducing a container garden category at the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time ever in 2021 is a reflection of just how important this type of gardening is and the opportunity it presents for garden centres to inspire their customers and get them growing. The health benefits of gardening are well documented, so making it even more accessible to people not only promotes wellbeing but also opens your business up to a wider customer base. Whether it’s raised beds, hanging baskets or even getting creative with grow bags, there is a world of possibilities.

Products to inspire and support Durstons can help garden centres capitalise on this trend; supporting customers and the retailer’s bottom line at the same time!

Durstons 50L T&BOne of the biggest considerations is providing inspiration and advice to help customers realise what’s possible but you also need to have the right products for the job, ensuring they are easy to locate in store and also straightforward to use once they get them home. You want your customers to have success with the jobs they tackle and keep them coming back for more. That’s where Durstons comprehensive collection of composts, featuring their GRO BOOST technology, does the job, helping your customers to achieve outstanding results consistently and easily.

Durstons offer a dedicated Tub & Basket Compost tailored specifically to all container gardening, thanks to its additional wetting agent, promoting vigorous plant growth even in hot or windy conditions.

However, the beauty of their unique additive, GRO BOOST – a speciallyformulated blend of organic materials from renewable sources – is that when your customers pick up any one of Durstons composts, from its Multi-

With shrinking outdoor spaces and Generation Rent not wanting to put down roots in properties they may not live in long term, it’s little surprise that container gardening is proving so popular.

Purpose Compost with John Innes to its Multi-Purpose Compost Peat Free, they can expect excellent nutrient content for their plants and a compost that delivers consistently impressive results.

A winning range of grow bags and planters enhances Durstons growing media offer and is perfectly placed for catering to an increase in demand for versatile container growing products.

Durstons Veg Planter, an extra-large grow bag with added fertiliser is ideal for growing a wide range of fruit, vegetables, and salad crops, whilst a Peat Free Grow in the Bag is also available.

With a comprehensive portfolio of products suited to the full breadth of gardening applications, Durstons is a one-stop shop supplier for garden centres who want to offer a concise and proven range.

Aside from their stellar performance, the great thing about Durstons’ products is that they all have clear, concise packaging that flawlessly communicates how, where and why gardeners should use them. Striking imagery catches the customer’s eye, whilst applications and key benefits are front and centre on pack to help them make an informed decision. This includes messaging that Durstons products are made in the UK and also that all packaging is 100% recyclable.

Durstons 50L packs facing left

Linked sales opportunity

As the cost of mortgages continue to

climb and rents reach record levels, people have been forced to downsize their aspirations in favour of smaller homes to make their budget stretch. The trick is inspiring people about what they can do with the space they have. There’s a fantastic opportunity for linked sales by creating display hotspots in your plant area of flourishing container gardens, complete with products needed to ‘get the look’. Showcase mini veg gardens grown in pots, raised planters or grow bags in your ‘grow your own’ area, helping people to explore their options, even if all they have is a balcony, and also assisting them in quickly seeking out the best compost, plant food and accessories for the project. You can even highlight clever hacks, like cutting grow bags in half and turning them on their end to grow certain plants in deeper soil, demonstrating the versatility of these fantastic products. Secondary locations and smart merchandising are guaranteed to help boost basket spend, whilst providing muchneeded inspiration and advice for growers.

The trend for container gardening isn’t going anywhere fast, as highlighted by another flurry of Gold & Silver-Gilt RHS medals handed out to gardens in the Container & Balcony categories

at Chelsea this year, and social media awash with styling ideas for everything from modern container gardens to cottage-style planters. The key is making sure you have the products and inspiration in store to maximise this opportunity and help people achieve growing success with whatever space they have.

Images courtesy of Durstons

Christmas tree growers adapting to overcome a changing climate

British Christmas Tree Growers Association wholesale list is now online

By The BCTGA

As we are all very much aware, the British summertime has brought mixed weather and this has presented a challenge for growers of all crops, including Christmas trees. The biggest challenges came right at the start of the growing seasons with prolonged hot and dry weather across much of the country. While this did put significant stress on young and newly planted trees, happily, there is little sign of any significant negative impacts on mature, harvest-age trees, meaning this year’s supply will be as strong as ever. The remainder of the growing season has been productive, supporting plentiful growth due to the warm but wet conditions.

British Christmas tree growers are proving to be innovative in response to these new climatic challenges. For example, moving their planting from Spring to Autumn. This gives young trees time to establish themselves over the winter months, and it is an approach which is proving successful. Across the UK this year’s supply of trees are looking in great shape, meaning

retailers can continue to choose locally sourced stock, therefore minimising their ‘tree miles’ and allowing a shorter time period from cutting fresh trees to them being on the shop floor. It holds true every year that buyers should not take delivery of trees too early, to ensure their stock is in prime condition at point of sale during those key weeks in the run up to Christmas. To get your timing right, speak to your local supplier and avoid taking delivery of your trees too early. The benefits are fresh cut trees in their prime that will wow your customers.

BCTGA has published its 2023 Wholesaler List online at www.bctga. co.uk/wholesale to help wholesalers source the best quality, fresh British Christmas trees.

Nature benefits too

With rising concerns around the health of the environment and our native wildlife, the BCTGA has been proactive in finding out the nature-friendly benefits growing Christmas trees can provide. During July and August 2022, BCTGA commissioned studies on Nordmann Firs at a number of established plantations across England to evaluate how Christmas tree plantations fit into the UK’s crop production landscape. The studies showed habitats provided by Christmas tree plantations were more strongly favored by beetles than grassland. The same was shown for moths, with 100 species spotted, 800 of these useful pollinators and essential links in the food chain were sighted around the Christmas trees and adjoining woodland. Among the small mammals, bats were the most noted species with field mice also found to be abundant. A good number of hedgehogs whose numbers are rapidly declining across the country, were seen along with weasels and stoats.

The endangered native red squirrel and polecats were each spotted on four sites.

The studies clearly show the productive and important role Christmas trees as a crop can play in improving soil structure, eco-systems and wildlife habitats. Colin Palmer, who led the research said this was the first study to focus on the contribution real Christmas trees made towards carbon capture in the ecosystem.

“Previous studies have focused on the carbon footprint comparison between real and plastic trees. However, this study not only demonstrated that real trees contribute to healthy, carbon storing soils, but also showed considerable benefits to wildlife when compared to grassland and arable crops.”

Images courtesy of BCTGA

All of our Christmas trees are home grown on our expertly managed, sustainable farm and are cut to order, ensuring our customers receive the freshest trees of the finest quality!

With over 50 years of knowledge and experience in growing premium grade Christmas trees, we offer a wide range of tree varieties and sizes from 3ft to 60ft, and have the ability and flexibility to deliver them across the UK, all year round!

No Minimum order quantities For your bespoke

Christmas Trees

A JAKINS AND SONS CHRISTMAS TREES Est 1986

A Jakins and Sons is a family run business that supplies nationwide in excess of 200,000 real Christmas Trees, primarily to garden centres, wholesale markets and farm shops.

We harvest Christmas trees from many plantations throughout Scotland, Denmark and Belgium. Whether premium grade, standard grade or second grade, we pride ourselves on our quality at a very competitive price.

We supply most varieties of Christmas trees from 60cm to 5 metres, as well as pot grown trees and also of course, netting machines, netting, bases and other Christmas tree related products.

Our quality and service ensures our regular customers continue to return year after year and we continue to expand each year through new customers.

Tel: 01525 861444 Email: enquires@jakinstrees.com

GARDEN TRADE SPECIALIST

Featuring: Christmas Trees

E:

Christmas Supplies

KITCHEN END, BARTON ROAD NR SILSOE BEDS MK45 4QT

Growers of quality Christmas trees in Lincolnshire.

Quality Christmas trees grown in Lincolnshire

William and Alfred Rose have been growing Christmas Trees at Fillingham for over thirty years and have built up a wealth of experience which enables them to consistently produce the finest top quality trees. Over 30,000 new trees are planted every year with approximately 700,000 trees growing on the 100 acre plantations in Lincolnshire. The plantations are part of a traditional family estate comprising over 1000 acres of arable crops, woodland, lakes and cottages. The company supplies both cut and pot grown trees, starting from 4ft

• Nordmann Fir (high needle retention)

• Wooden blocked trees

• Reamed trees

All trees are cut as late as possible to maximise freshness and aid needle retention.

Nationwide, flexible deliveries can be arranged in a variety of vehicle sizes including palletised loads on request. Advice and after sales support is available direct from the grower. Wholesale customers include garden centres, parish councils, farm shops, retail outlets and leading hotel and pub chains. Proud members of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association

Fillingham Christmas Trees

Tel: 01427 667014

Fillingham Christmas Trees

Tel: 01427 667014 • email sales@fillingham-trees.co.uk

web: www.fillingham-trees.co.uk

• Norway Spruce (traditional UK tree)

• Blue Spruce

• Omorika

email sales@fillingham-trees. co.uk

web: www.fillingham-trees. co.uk

Discover the Perfect Wholesale Christmas Trees for Your Festive Needs!

Newsholme Christmas Trees proudly introduces its range of wholesale Christmas trees. As a family run business with over 20 years’ experience, we understand the significance of offering high quality fresh Christmas trees for your retail site.

With a commitment to quality and freshness, Newsholme Christmas Trees offers a large range of quality non-drop Christmas trees. From the popular Nordmann fir and the fragrant Fraser fir, our trees are picked by us, ensuring you receive only the best.   We can provide trees right up to 20 feet and we are happy to cater to both large and small orders to meet all of your needs. Our dedicated team

is committed to a personable service making sure your order suits your garden center’s unique preferences.

Let Newsholme Christmas Trees be your go-to wholesale Christmas tree provider this year.

We are able to supply cut and pot grown trees including:

Nordmann Fir (high needle retention) Norway Spruce (traditional UK tree)

• Blue Spruce

• Omorika

• Fraser Fir

Trees can be reamed or supplied on wooden blocks to suit the customer. All trees are cut as late as possible to maximise freshness and aid needle retention. Nationwide, flexible deliveries including palletised loads on request. Advice and after sales support is available direct from the grower.

Image courtesy of Newsholme Christmas Trees

New Christmas handicrafts from Clairefontaine

Festive paper crafting products added to popular range of premium handicrafts.

All of the items feature a stylish selection of new designs called ‘Vitamin Christmas’, which include patterns that incorporate various festive icons and colours, such as pine cones, oranges, Christmas presents and mistletoe. An A4 printed paper pad is available as part of the range. This includes 20 sheets of 160gsm paper. There are nine different patterns on the front side, which are repeated twice, plus two boards of labels to cut, along with a creative idea template to make your own gift parcel. Similarly, the origami case contains 60 sheets of 70gsm paper (sized 15x15cm), featuring 30 different patterns that are repeated twice. The decorations kit contains all you need to create a beautiful advent feature to display on the table or shelf, including four 25x20cm 200gsm printed sheets, four LED candles with batteries, a sheet of white stained-glass paper, some double-sided tape (5mm x 4m), a 20x20cm sized cardboard support base and a step-bystep instructions guide.

A set of 72 160gsm paper strips will also enable the user to create a stunning set of decorative stars to display. With six different patterns to include, each completed star has an approximate diameter of 28cm. Finally, the pack of two card envelopes are ideal for concealing a variety of gifts, including money, tickets and vouchers. Each pack features two 11x22cm sized envelopes made with 160gsm paper that incorporate two seasonal patterns.

Lawrence Savage, UK Marketing Manager for the Exacompta Clairefontaine group, said an increasing number of people are looking to share family fun through creatively decorating their homes at Christmas. He commented: “These latest handicraft products offer the opportunity to create attractive pieces that feature a joyously festive theme.

“What’s more, if stored safely they last for many years and become part of the family’s Christmas traditions.”

For more details, please visit www.exaclairlimited.com.

Images courtesy of Clairefontaine

Stars for Europe returns to shine the light on poinsettias once

more

SfE is supporting retailers and florists to drive increased poinsettia sales this festive season

Stars for Europe (SfE) – the Europeanwide marketing initiative dedicated to promoting the joy of poinsettias to retailers and consumers – is set to return ahead of the 2023 festive season, with a new content selection that will provide retailers and florists with access to everything they need to communicate to their customers the many reasons why poinsettias have come to embody the spirit of Christmas.

About Stars for Europe

For the last 23 years Stars for Europe has been working with leading European poinsettia breeders to secure longterm poinsettia sales. The initiative is currently supported by Beekenkamp Plants, Dümmen Orange, Selecta

One and Syngenta Flowers. In-depth market research and a true passion for the plants helps Stars for Europe to create annual campaigns that not only inspire retailers but also capture the attention of the consumer and shine a new light on these festive staples. Not only are long-term customers enjoying a renaissance of poinsettias but with the support of Stars for Europe, a new generation of shoppers are falling in love

with one of winter’s star performers. To date the Stars for Europe campaign is active in 22 countries across Europe, with each country enjoying extensive print, online and broadcast coverage. In 2022 the combined efforts of Stars for Europe PR partners saw the campaign feature in over 4,200 publications with a reach of over 3.1 billion. Social media activity reached an audience of over 10 million, whilst SfE videos targeting seven countries were viewed over 118,000 times. Point of sale content saw downloads peak at 129,000, while printed materials were distributed in the thousands in Germany and Poland which remain the two biggest audiences for this type of material. Talking about the campaign, Anna Kaszewiak, marketing expert at Bronisze, the biggest wholesale market in Poland, said: “Thanks to the Stars for Europe campaign, we can be inspired by interesting, extraordinary compositions and usage of this plant. The quality shown across its channels is very high.”

Maximise sales with SfE’s one-stopshop resource library

Recognising that not all retailers

have the time or resource to develop standout marketing and sales initiatives to support sales of poinsettias in the run up to Christmas, SfE has developed a library of materials that can be easily utilised or adapted to help drive consumer interest in the lead-up to and during the 2023 festive season. Available for direct download, garden centres and florists can use as much or as little material as they need.

What’s more, the content is designed to both directly and indirectly communicate the many unique selling points of poinsettias, helping to not only inspire consumers but to also better educate them on the hard work that goes into creating these floral favourites. Whether it’s highlighting the world-class breeding success,or showcasing best practice production, SfE’s content is varied, informative and dedicated to increasing poinsettia sales success.

At a glance, the SfE resource library & how you can make the most of it • Photo bank and latest photos –expertly captured images display poinsettias in an array of settings. From rich tablescapes in reds and gold, to

room sets with contrasting creams and pinks, the Stars for Europe image library is the first port of call for many retailers and florists. Use these images to bolster your social media content, to showcase the breadth of colours, inspire consumer design within their home, or to create aspirational point of sale or posters to capture shoppers’ attention. https:// www.starsuniteeurope.eu/en/imagedatabase

• Press texts - from care tips to craft ideas, SfE’s press texts can be found under https://starsforeurope.com/en/ press-releases/. They can be edited to include individual store names to create personalised content for your local press, with the aim of not only inspiring consumers but to position each retailer as a rich and trustful resource for all things poinsettias. This year’s themes include ‘how to’ advice for creating alternative advent displays including ‘advent magic in a jar’, floating poinsettia table centres and even how to display poinsettias within a more muted interior style. Halloween also gets a special shout out, with autumn styles also offering an alternative view for poinsettia styling.

Trade focused PR content is also specifically created to provide easy to achieve ‘wins’ within the retail environment. These bitesize reads offer up top tips for driving sales including advice on point of sale, plant locations and supporting signage, staff training and tips for educating end users via marketing communication and social media activity. This “outside thinking”

provides retailers with a fresh look at the way they sell and offers new, inspirational advice that makes them rethink the consumer journey in-store and, in turn, helps consumers to see pelargoniums differently.

• Social media – from Facebook and Instagram to Pinterest and YouTube, Stars for Europe has created an online profile that offers real tangible value for retailers and florists. From bite sized content to in-depth articles on poinsettias, a deeper dive into any of SfE’s social channels will quickly provide helpful and inspirational content, content that can be quickly adapted or shared via retailers’ own channels to create an active and engaging

profile of their own. Find out more by following: https://www.instagram. com/thechristmasstar/ / https://www. facebook.com/DerWeihnachtsstern/ / https://www.pinterest.de/ TheChristmasStar/ & https://www. youtube.com/@MyPoinsettia

In addition to all of the above, SfE also offers a wealth of downloadable point of sale material. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, these resources can be used at the store entrance, by the till or next to poinsettia displays. Downloadable content includes banners, posters and POS materials, designed to create instant advertising solutions for garden centres, florists and specialist plant retailers. Additionally, in a number of countries SfE distributes printed materials direct to retailers, with one such customer, Mrs. Esslin, from 1a Gartencenter Ensslin in Germany, saying of the available material: “I really like to make use of the Stars for Europe POS materials because they are offered at a really good price and show beautiful motifs. Our customers like to take the give-aways with them, and the included care instructions are very valuable.”

Images courtesy of Stars For Europe

Little BigPaw awarded the Kings Award for Enterprise

His Majesty King Charles has awarded The First Class Pet Company Limited, the team behind the LITTLE BIGPAW brand, with the Kings Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

Little BigPaw is one of only 148 organisations nationally to be recognised with the prestigious King’s Award. The First Class Pet Company was awarded The Queen’s Award in 2018 and now has the huge honour of receiving the King’s Award in the first year of King Charles’s reign. Little BigPaw is a range of

100% natural foods and treats, all made in the United Kingdom. Launched in 2015, Little BigPaw has expanded globally taking advantage of the growing trend for high quality, natural foods. Little BigPaw is distributed through specialist pet and veterinary channels and is available in over 45 countries

worldwide from England to Ecuador, from Canada to Korea, from Sweden to Singapore and from Taiwan to Trinidad. As well as winning the Kings Award for Enterprise the company won the Pet Industry Federation Export Business of the Year 2022. Little BigPaw co-founders

Alton and Jim Weston have over 60 years’ experience between them in the Pet Trade.

For more information, please visit www.littlebigpaw.co.uk or email Karen Smith KS@ littlebigpaw.co.uk

The much-loved Extra Select brand, exclusive to Su-Bridge Pet supplies, is undergoing a packaging re-fresh.

The new look packaging was first seen with the new Indoor Bird Food range launched at the beginning of the year and is now in the process of being rolled out to their popular tubbed bird feed range, which is in double-digit growth YOY.

The new look range, with its colorful and clean design will help to inject renewed

enthusiasm from existing avid bird feeders and those new to the category alike.

From September, the range will be supported with new flip-top feeders providing everything a customer needs to feed their friendly garden visitors.

The Extra Select range doesn’t just stop at birds though, it offers almost 1000 lines for dogs, cats, small animal, poultry, fish and beyond, making Extra Select

the one-stop shop for all your pet department needs.

By choosing Extra Select you are safe in the hands of a brand that has been serving pets since the 1970’s. Contact us today on 01953 882485 or via email info@subridge.co.uk to set-up your account and begin ordering today.

David

Images courtesy of First Class Pet Company

Customers Order in Store, We Deliver to their Door!

The new in-store display bay, with fully integrated ordering system, has a multitude of advantages for both retailers and customers, compared with conventional dog bedding displays. So how does it work?

accessories through the in-store iPad terminal, or by visiting our website on their own device. This means, although the retailer stocks just a few beds, the customer will be able to access 100’s of different bed styles online.

any returns or exchanges are handled directly by George Barclay. There are two retail display options, an in-store display bay with brochure support, or a fully integrated in-store ordering system (as pictured).

Customers are able to view and compare a selection of George Barclay dog beds in store. These are contained in a single display bay, with a good selection of beds, allowing the customer to familiarise themselves with our products.

They’ll be able to access our full collection of dog bedding and

When placing an order with George Barclay, customers are incentivised to use a ‘Retailer Code’, to receive complimentary delivery. This same unique ‘Retailer Code’ will link customer orders to the retailer’s George Barclay affiliate account, adding a commission value to the retailer’s account. Retailers will be able to earn commission 24/7, without an ongoing stock commitment, carriage charges, restocking or soiled stock. There’s no need for retailers’ to setup new product data on their till systems, plus

In-Store Display Bay – supplied with six premium dog beds, themed with our George Barclay – England, lifestyle branding. Plus, retailers will receive a supply of George Barclay brochures, with their unique retailer’s code.

Fully Integrated In-Store Ordering System – featuring all the benefits of our in-store display bay (above), plus an integrated iPad terminal. Now customers can order in-store! For further information, please contact George Barclay on 01722 437477, or e-mail: sales@georgebarclay.com.

Image courtesy of George Barclay

Garden Centres Missing Out on Sales of Baby Gifts

Ziggle Baby, the multi-award winning baby gift brand, commissioned consumer research into the current demand and availability of baby gifts within garden centres.

The results showed a huge opportunity! 85% of respondents are interested in buying baby gifts from their local garden centre. 17% said that their local garden centre doesn’t sell any baby gifts at all, yet they would like it to. 36% said that their local garden centre does stock baby gifts however they felt the range available to them is currently too small, they would like more choice. Another 22% simply didn’t know what baby gifts were on offer but are interested in buying at their local garden centre. (10% said there was plenty to choose from.) The average basket spend on baby gifts bought at garden centres is £16-25. Ziggle Baby founder, Nicole Graham, commented, “Ziggle’s research shows there’s a huge untapped sales

opportunity being missed by many garden centres. Customers interested in buying baby gifts are wanting to buy from a garden centre. If not available there, they will simply go elsewhere. Even in difficult financial times, people still want to show love to family and friends by giving a gift when new babies are born. Ziggle’s wide baby range is great value for money and beautifully packaged, enabling everyone to afford to buy a little something for their loved ones.”

Respondents were females aged 25-45 who have bought or received a baby gift in the last 12 months. For more information please contactcustomercare@ziggle.co.uk

Image courtesy of Ziggle

Source Home & Gift Scales Up To Meet Sourcing Needs

With over 430 global manufacturers confirmed from 14 countries already, the UK’s only international responsible sourcing exhibition, Source Home & Gift which takes place from 3rd – 6th September at NEC Birmingham, is scaling up its accredited home and giftware line-up to meet the UK’s growing sourcing needs.

accessories, candle producers, small electronics…. and anything else that is contemporary and on trend. This sector will be bursting with newness and on trend products that will not be seen elsewhere in Europe.

Furniture

Stationery & Greetings

Source Home & Gift is co-located with Autumn Fair, bringing the entire retail supply chain under one roof and creating the “must-attend” event for the UK buying community. Visitors will discover this across a broad selection of relevant product categories including:

Homewares

One of the widest ranging categories, from everyday essentials, tableware, decorative accessories, ceramics … the list goes on. The show strives to ensure it offers the range and scale, from artisan makers in the UK that are perfect for bespoke range creation for the higher price points to opening up the Turkish ceramics manufacturing hub. Homewares is a category that is a staple of any home and gift store.

Gifts

One of the biggest categories at any show, Source Home & Gift has sourced the best artisan makers, fashion

Perhaps one of the most exciting categories at the next show is furniture. Many wholesale and home retailers have experienced a huge amount of disruption and are looking for new manufacturing options. Working with export agencies in South East Asia and central Europe, the show brings together a range of manufacturers capable of supplying the UK market. From solid wood furniture to high quality occasional items, to outdoor furniture, this edited and curated sector will bring a range of factories to the UK that will be exclusively working with Source Home & Gift.

Textiles

Textiles and soft furnishings are a perfect cross over from home to gift and make a perfect category for any lifestyle retailer. Leveraging its relationships with the textile sector, the show will bring together a range of large-scale manufacturers and smaller artisan producers that will be able to make to order, or co-create on a smaller, luxury scale.

Toys

Doubling down on sustainability is important to this sector - UK consumers need to gift kids toys that are on trend, but importantly sustainably and ethically made. Bringing together the best sustainable toy manufacturers from India and Asia, as well as smaller UK based manufacturers, this section will offer both large scale manufacturing capabilities as well as hand crafted beautiful toys that anyone would wish to gift, from puzzles to plush toys.

Greetings cards and small stationery items make for the perfect private label ranges. Bringing together a range of paper manufacturers combined with suppliers who can create anything you need, whether you are sourcing for small items or a range or gorgeous notebooks, cards, pens, pencils, highlighters made sustainably and ethically, this section will bring together a group of manufacturers capable of bringing your brand to life through products.

Packaging

Packaging is about to become big news in retail as various sustainability levies come into play. Source Home & Gift will showcase a range of packaging suppliers who have highly sustainable solutions to packaging challenges. Whether it’s biodegradable, carbon neutral or simply smartly designed to generate minimal waste, packaging is a place many retailers and brands can make wins on the sustainability front.

Technology and Services

At the same time as working with a range of manufacturers and leading factories, the show will also bring together a range of consultants, design houses and auditing agencies that can talk to visitors about any challenges they may face in their procurement or manufacturing processes. Creating a more sustainable and ethical supply chain that functions in a cost-effective way is the holy grail for many of the businesses, so each edition of Source Home & Gift will bring together some of the best companies that are looking to help buyers and procurement teams. Source Home & Gift takes place on the 3rd – 6th September 2023 at NEC Birmingham. Visit www.sourcehomeandgift.com for more information

Images courtesy of Source

Eco-friendly - recycled & recyclable Fairtrade & handmade by Indian craftsmen

NEW FOR 2023

Tilnar Art is very proud to have designed and now be launching our new AluminArk Collection of New Mini Animals and Keyrings along with our new AluminArk Garden Collection plus additions to our current collections. Autumn Fair 2023 - NEC – 3-6 September 2023 - Hall 6 Stand J30 Spring Fair 2024 –NEC- 4 – 7 February 2024 – Hall 5 Stand A20-B23

The Yorkshire Candle Company stands dedicated to igniting senses with

of Yorkshire-inspired fragrances

Their commitment to quality is evident in every aspect, from the selection of premium ingredients to the intricately designed packaging that reflects the region’s rustic charm.

The artisan candle making team at The Yorkshire Candle Company pour their passion into every candle, the process of handcrafting in small batches ensures meticulous attention to detail at every step.

The introduction of their winter fragrances heralds a festive delight. The “Christmas Kitchen” candle captures the warmth of family gatherings and festive feasts, blending cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of vanilla to evoke the joy of the holiday season. Meanwhile, the “Warm

Gingerbread” candle evokes nostalgic memories of freshly baked treats, infusing spaces with the comforting aroma of spiced ginger and brown sugar.

In a world bustling with mass-produced goods, The Yorkshire Candle Company stands as a beacon of traditional artistry. It’s a business of passion, a homage to the region’s beauty, and a testament to the enduring love of genuine craftsmanship.

The Yorkshire Candle Company product range includes over 30 fragrances across candles, wax melts, reed diffusers, room mists and candle making kits. Small order quantities are available for trade customers and we offer free UK delivery

online

www.theyorkshirecandleco.co.uk

01143272323

info@theyorkshirecandleco.co.uk

their exquisite range

Each candle is meticulously handcrafted to embody the essence of the picturesque Yorkshire landscapes.

Image courtesy of The Yorkshire Candle Company

Garden centres with coffee shops alerted to new paper cup recycling law

Reconomy brand Valpak has expanded its national service to help businesses meet the demands of upcoming legislation

The National Cup Recycling Scheme was set up to kick-start paper cup recycling. It brought together major retailers, waste management companies and UK paper mills and, in response to next year’s change in the law, the scheme is expanding to include smaller brands and cafés. From October 2025, any business with more than 10 employees which provides paper cups to staff or customers will need to report twice a year on the volume of cups sold. They will also be required to host a take-back scheme for customers and report on the number of cups being sent for recycling. As well as managing the compliance aspects, the scheme incorporates a

straightforward collection system. Valpak provides outlets with a collection box able to hold 400700 cups; once filled, businesses arrange for a collection. Each collection is weighed and logged. The cups are then delivered to paper mills around the country, where they are recycled into packaging for luxury brands. Since 2018, 185 million cups have already been recycled through the scheme.

To find out more about the National Cup Recycling Scheme, visit: https:// www.cuprecyclingscheme.co.uk

ORGANIC EXTRACTS

By Foodie Flavours

Foodie Flavours Organic Extracts

Premium Quality Organic Extracts

specially crafted for baking & cooking.

Foodie Flavours are the brand of choice for Premium Quality, Natural Flavourings & Extracts. Suitable for vegans & vegetarians. Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free. No added sugar. Lovingly crafted in the UK. Individually boxed for attractive retail display.

foodieflavours.com

To stock call 0333 222 5968

Introducing Foodie Flavours Organic Extracts, these recipe favourites are just what every home baker is looking for. These Orange, Lemon, and Peppermint Organic Extracts are carefully crafted in the UK using the finest organic ingredients. With a rich and vibrant taste, our Organic Extracts are versatile and can be used in a wide array of recipes. From baking delicious cakes and pastries to adding a burst of flavour to your savoury dishes, these extracts are a key to unlocking culinary creativity. Each 100ml bottle is individually boxed in attractive packaging, reflecting the highquality of the product and is also an ideal gift purchase.

Stock these amazing Foodie Flavours Organic Extracts at your Garden Centre Shop and offer your customers the opportunity to enhance their baking experience. With a recommended retail price of £7.99, these extracts are an affordable indulgence for food enthusiasts. Visit foodieflavours.com for more information.

Image courtesy of Beth Williams (one

Image courtesy of Valpak

Are you interested in a 100% natural and sustainable plant food?

The Natural Plant food range from Apsley Farms is made from plants, for plants!

Our liquid feed is a sustainable and natural alternative to synthetic plant fertilisers on the market, giving your plants the nutrients they need without chemicals and additives.

Proven to improve growth and yield, our crop-derived liquid feed is packed with essential NPK macronutrients, micronutrients and beneficial microbes. That means vigorous growth, bigger fruits and flowers, improved soil fungal activity and therefore, improved soil structure.

Plus it’s approved by the Soil Association so suitable for all organic gardeners. This is not your average plant fertiliser! As a sustainable product of renewable

energy production it has already helped heat hundreds of homes with green gas instead of fossil fuels.

Our plastic containers are 100% recycled and fully recyclable too, meaning that every drop of our plant food is good for your garden and good for the planet too!

Sustainability is at the heart of Apsley Farms. We’ve adopted cutting edge technologies and turned low value crops into renewable energy. We focus on a circular economy by returning the nutrients in our digestate products back

to the land as a fertiliser. Find out more the biogas process at www.apsleyfarms. com

The range includes Natural Houseplant Food, Natural Tub and Basket Food, Natural Tomato Food and Natural Plant Food, available in a selection of sizes. For more details contact Robin Stewardson at r.stewardson@ apsleyfarms.com 07932 096453

Looking for a 100% natural and sustainable liquid feed?

APSLEY FARMS’ NATURAL PLANT FOOD RANGE

Made from plants, for plants!

Our liquid feed is a natural alternative to synthetic fertilisers, delivering the full package of NPK, macronutrients, micronutrients and beneficial microbes. Apsley Farms’ sustainable natural plant food is a by-product of renewable energy production at our biogas plant in Hampshire, so by the time it’s bottled up it has already helped to heat thousands of homes with green gas! In 100% recycled plastic containers.

Image courtesy of Apsley Farms

INDX Homewares show

Independent retailers visiting INDX Homewares, curated by Associated Independent Stores (AIS), on 12th and 13th September will be granted access to a number of first-to-market exclusive offerings across Kitchen & Dining, Small Electricals, Home Textiles, Soft Furnishings, Home Accessories, Pets and more.

Over the last 10 years, AIS has been committed to continually creating a strong purchasing atmosphere for members. To enhance show accessibility a range of layout changes have been implemented for the summer show. This will include the relocation of Cookshop and Tabletop to be situated next to each other for consistency and simplicity.

Linens, Softs and Home Gift suppliers will all be exhibiting in the Platinum Suite, zoned by category to assist members in locating desired products. The summer show is set to see a number of new exhibitors including silverware brand Studio William and candles supplier Charles Farris. A number of key exhibitors are also set to return and bring with them a firstto-market offering, such as fragrance specialist Wax Lyrical and curtain supplier Ashley Wilde.

Rachel Breen, Head of Homewares Division, comments: “After such a strong February edition we’ve made it a priority to build upon the strengths to deliver value for our visitors and exhibitors and we’ve made sure to feature the best of the best from our key suppliers.

“Created by buyers for buyers, INDX

Shows are known for being welcoming, intimate and friendly, as well as the place where independents can get an edge on the big high-street stores. Being able to bring such a strong offering of firstto-market products to our members is extremely valuable to the support we offer them.”

Several Electrical and Cookshop product demos will be in action throughout the two days, demonstrating a range of cookery and drink making items. Included in the line-up are Kuhn Rikon who will be illustrating how to use a number of cooking gadgets and quality cookware to create culinary delights for you to taste on the day!

AIS members will be given access to exclusive prices, products and promotions including competition entry to win a comprehensive audit of their brand and store from leading trend agency, Scarlet Opus. Such guidance will help one very fortunate winner gain foresight into upcoming trends and how best to structure product offering to achieve success in the current buyer climate.

To register for INDX Homewares 2023, visit https://www.indxshows.co.uk/

Images courtesy of INDX Show

2023 TRADE SHOWS

Autumn Fair

3rd - 6th September

NEC Birmingham

The UK’s leading wholesale marketplace for home, gift and fashion, showcasing fantastic new products from the best brands in retail.

Four Oaks Trade Show

5th & 6th September

Near Macclesfield, Cheshire

An international exhibition covering the whole of commercial horticulture.

Top Drawer Trade Show

10-12th September

Olympia, London

Explore the newest launches and browse the trends for the Autumn / Winter season before anyone else .

LANDSCAPE Show

27th & 28th September

NEC Birmingham

The UK’s leading trade event dedicated to products, services & innovation for the design, build & management of exterior & interior landscape projects