gtn Advice & information for garden centre professionals
AUGUST 2019
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Glee 2019 – putting gardeners first Understanding what gardeners want and meeting those needs is a key focus for Vitax this year as it continues to meet the demand for specialist products and eye-catching point of sale materials. With additions to key brands, visitors to Glee 2019 will be taken on a visual journey of how a combination of striking packaging, specialist products and promotional merchandise can help drive sales and increase gardener knowledge. Taking centre stage will be Vitax’s specialist feed range. Comprising of nine feeds, including Acer Feed, Clematis, Olive Tree and Rose Food, the range has helped gardeners choose the right product for the right plant.
Mark Butler, national sales manager at Vitax, says: “Glee isn’t just about launching new products, it is about how companies such as ourselves show we have listened to consumers and produced products which will sell. “Gardening appeals to all and a new generation of gardeners is driving the trend for specialist feeds. Ensuring they choose the right product to get the best from their plants is paramount to the purchasing decision. “Simple and clear point of sale material is essential, but so is providing the right type of product in the right packaging so it can be displayed both in and outdoors. “Last year we launched Acer Feed and
SBK sales on the rise As the demand for glyphosate-free products continues to increase, Vitax’s SBK range is in strong demand, with sales maintaining year-on-year growth. Consisting of SBK Brushwood Killer in both a concentrate and RTU, plus the successful addition this year of SBK Tree Stump Killer, the long established weedkiller is proving popular with gardeners looking for an alternative which will treat tough weeds. Mark Butler, national sales manager at Vitax, says: “SBK is well-known amongst both gardeners and general consumers for its quick and effective results. “Glyphosate-free products will continue to rise in demand and SBK has become a popular choice.” 4To find out more about the SBK range, visit: www.gardenworld.co.uk/our-products/ weed-control/ Olive Tree Feed to the market, both which have had good success and exceeded all expectations.“
4To find out more about Vitax, visit: www.vitax.co.uk or please visit us at Glee: Hall 8, Stand C30-D31.
Packaging takes top GIMA award for second consecutive year Vitax has scooped one of the garden industry’s top marketing awards for the second consecutive year for the design of its new Plant Guard range. Recognised as one of the garden industry’s most prestigious award ceremonies, Vitax received the GIMA award for ‘Best Consumer Product Packaging’. This is the second year the company has won the award, after receiving the accolade in 2018 for its specialist fertiliser weatherproof pouches. The judges stated the ‘striking design’ and the clear ‘positive message of caring and protecting plants’ were two of the key reasons for Plant Guard’s success. David Griffiths, marketing manager and product packaging designer, says: “Plant Guard has been designed to ensure organic and environmentally-conscious gardeners can choose a pest control product quickly and know it is non-toxic to bees and is a natural defence to pests. “To win a coveted GIMA award for the second year running in the same category is fantastic, especially amongst such strong competition.”
Vitax was also named as a finalist in the ‘Best New Product’ category for Vitax Acer Feed.
GIMA Awards
Recipe for growth
What’s new in plants
Food and drink advice from HTA Catering Conference p30
Award winning plants from the HTA National Plant Show p20-22
8-page special section on all the winners
gtn AUGUST 2019
Advice and information for garden centre professionals
SOLEX SPARKLES Report and pictures from the outdoor leisure exhibition
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Shaping the retail side of RHS Wisley How new store and plant centre has transformed one of the UK’s most popular gardens
Greatest ideas Inspirational themes from award-winning teams
INTERVIEW
Shaping the retail side of RHS Wisley The new retail shop and plant centre at RHS Wisley opened in June. GTN’s Trevor Pfeiffer met Damien Powell, Head of Retail for the RHS, to discover more about this new venture. As former buying director of Merlin Entertainments, Damien Powell has helped to shape the retail side of major visitor attractions like Madame Tussauds, The London Eye and AltonTowers. So it’s no surprise to find that the new retail and plant centre at RHS Wisley is a stunning operation. It was interesting to discover how Damien viewed the new store and plant centre – had RHS Wisley now become a garden centre, a gift retailer and an attraction retailer, as well as being one of the UK’s most-loved gardens? “I think we’re a combination of all three,” said Damien. “The garden is a visitor attraction with just under 1.2 million visitors per year. That means it is a busy attraction with days when 5,000-7,000 people come through the doors.
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“The demographic of the people varies dramatically by season and by month. We’re really strong on gifts. We’ve got a book section, which has one of the largest horticultural book selections in Europe. We’ve also launched a large area of outdoor living. “Then we move through a more traditional sundries area into houseplants where we’ve invested in quite heavily and we’re seeing dramatic growth. “But the crowning glory is the plant centre. We will always be a plant retailer. Our plant centres are known for their selection and variety. And what we try to do here is really inspire people with the way we are laying things out. Whether you’re an absolute expert or whether you’re a beginner or somewhere in the middle,
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there’s something out there for you. “We’ve tried to lay it out in a way that inspires as you walk through out into the plant centre. If you know your Latin and you know your A-Zs then that is there for you but if you’re not that experienced, there are plants by colour, plants by type, plants by area, and lots of links to the garden. Whatever is looking good in the garden, we’ve tried to pull that together in collections as well.” Damien explained that about 74 percent of people who shop in the RHS Wisley store and plant centre have generally been in the garden first, while the rest are just making a visit to the store. “The new building itself is beautiful and we’ve invested in a good quality fit that is pretty timeless so we know it will last and will move with us over the years. “We’ve gone for something that is internally very fit for purpose. The fixtures have been designed to showcase the products. We’ve invested a lot in our lighting as well and there are ranges here that were
INTERVIEW
EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Garden Trade News, Potting Shed Press Ltd Dairy Drove Thorney Peterborough PE6 0TX Tel 01733 775700 Fax 01733 775838 gardentradenews@tgcmc.co.uk www.gardentradenews.co.uk
stocked in the old plant centre and gift shop, but now they just look and feel completely different in this space and a lot of that is to do with good lighting.” Whist the new space does have a bigger physical footprint the impressive thing is the increase in linear display space. “If you look at square meterage of floor space it is 15 percent more but in linear meterage of display area it is about 49 percent. Because the fixturing is more efficient than the old slat wall at the top and then trestle tables and glass shelves which was very 70s style. Whereas these fixtures are custom made and they hold a lot more stock. We’ve got less back-of-house storage space for gift and sundries because we want to focus on the shop floor. It’s beautifully displayed but we want to be able to hold bulk so we can cope with more people coming through. “We fill in the mornings and then we want the staff on the shop floor to be engaging with our customers, helping them, supporting them with their purchases, giving them advice.
“The linear increase is 49 percent overall but it flexes by different categories. It’s actually closer to 70 percent in plants so we are carrying more stock and looking more carefully at what we are stocking. Where we know we’ve got volume lines we will be holding the right amount to cope with demand. “I think shoppers nowadays are savvy to what is something worth. We’ve put it into a beautiful environment, but if we over-price it people will know. We do a lot of competitive shopping, so we make sure we are in line with the average market price. We’re very conscious that we don’t want people to come here and assume that we are expensive just because we’re in a good environment.” A key difference we noted from most garden centres is that there are real plants throughout the whole shop area. “It’s important that we keep plants as a horticultural link as you go through the shop. The houseplant team look after them all the way around. You won’t find any artificial plants or silks here at all.” Continued on page 4
THE GTN TEAM Editor: Neil Pope neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk Associate Editor: Mike Wyatt mike.wyatt@tgcmc.co.uk Director: Trevor Pfeiffer trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk Publisher: Mandy Davies mandy.davies@tgcmc.co.uk Advertising: Alan Burdon alan.burdon@tgcmc.co.uk Ben Greenwood ben.greenwood@tgcmc.co.uk HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Tel 01733 775700 or email subscriptions@gardentradenews.co.uk Subscription rates UK: £145 Subscription includes a password for full access to GTN Online plus a weekly copy of GTN Bestsellers OUR PUBLISHERS GTN is published by Potting Shed Press Ltd, who also publish: * www.gardentradenews.co.uk website * Weekly GTN Xtra and Pet Trade Xtra newsletters * Garden Radio * Official Glee Catalogue and Glee Daily News Online – the only official guides to the garden industry’s leading annual trade show SMALL PRINT All material © Potting Shed Press 2019. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the express permission of the publishers. The information contained in this publication is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Potting Shed Press Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in this publication or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned, is hereby excluded.
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August 2019 3
INTERVIEW
The journey from the garden takes visitors through RHS Exclusive gift ranges, into gift food, homeware, fashion accessories, books, children’s products, outdoor living, garden sundries, houseplants, RHS advice area and then out into the plant area. “This is my first time in the plant centre world. The plant side of things is a big learning curve for me but it’s about the customer experience and about how we are laying things that make it more customer friendly,” said Damien. “And then coming out into the crowning glory of the plant centre, all these fixtures have been designed to be really inspirational in the way they are merchandised, lots of colour, lots of impact. So you can do nothing but come out and shop. “The thought process, that came to using corten steel for the bold displays is around using different textures and looks and feels and things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in a garden centre. My biggest want was that we use fixturing that is different shades, different textures, different finishes so when you come and see it’s something you’re not expecting to see and therefore draws you through. “I didn’t want it to be a sea of benches and beds. You need those to do the volume and do your A-Zs but this bit wants to be truly inspirational. There are lots of different textures and finishes – wood, concrete, corten and stainless steel – and when you put it all together it creates that visual impact. “Then we have a central colonnade through which we’ve got three large hero features and that’s what we’re using to showcase what’s looking good in the garden at the moment.” The signage throughout the plant area is very impressive and it links in with watering system, making it all look very stylish. “I think signage can be one of the things that is
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not always thought about but it’s important. We have a consistent look and feel. “We’ve reintroduced our plant collections as well. That is something we used to be known for and now we’ve invigorated that. We’ve seen a massive uplift in pot sales because we can now have more in the sight lines. “We’ve got six specialist nursery showcases dotted around. They are on rolling programs so as a particular plant goes out of season something else will come in. The British nurseries are really important to us so we want to make sure that we are heroing those. I want people to discover them as they wandered around the place, because that encourages people to shop the whole space if they are looking for something different.” Space planning analysis on the plant area as well as the gifts and sundries is run on a regular basis, which is why there was a 30-metre display of ferns as their opening gambit. It was being well shopped too. Statement trees are dotted around the
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plant area. not just in the tree section. Damien explained: “I think it softens and highlights there are bigger pieces about to purchase, in pots, so you can see how it would potentially look at home.” Damien ends our tour by saying: “I don’t think we are really seen as a destination plant centre yet and we have to be careful how we get there. Whilst I would love for us to be that, we need to look at infrastructure because we don’t want people to have a bad experience when visiting the garden. So, there is a balance to be had. What we’re focusing on at the moment is making sure that we are converting and maximising our garden visitation as much as we can.” It will be interesting to see how the new Wisley Shop and Plant Centre develops over time, but I expect it will be featuring high in the GCA Ruxley Rose Awards before long. 4You can see a full GTN Photo Gallery from RHS Wisley in GTN Xtra at www.gardentradenews.co.uk
GCA REGIONAL AWARDS
It’s time to celebrate
Garden centres teams up and down the country have been celebrating success in the GCA regional awards. Here’s a look at which centres have been rejoicing. NORTH WEST
NORTH EAST
Garden Centre of the Year: Barton Grange Garden Centre (DGC) and Fron Goch Garden Centre (GC)
Garden Centre of the Year: Tong Garden Centre (DGC) and Cowell’s Garden Centre (GC)
Garden Centre of the Year: East Bridgford Garden Centre (DGC) and Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne (GC)
Customer Service Award: Barton Grange Garden Centre
Customer Service Award: Cowell’s GC
Customer Service Award: Webbs of Wychbold
Environment and Community Award: Fron Goch GC
Environment and Community Award: Cowell’s GC
Innovation and Creativity: Bents Garden & Home
Innovation and Creativity: Cowell’s GC
Environment and Community Award: Baytree Nurseries & Garden Centre
Most Improved Centre: Klondyke Holland Arms GC
Most Improved Centre: Langlands Garden Centre – Shiptonthorpe
Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Bents Garden & Home (DGC) and Fron Goch Garden Centre (GC) Best Garden Products Retailer: Barton Grange Garden Centre (DGC) and Klondyke Lady Green Garden Centre (GC) Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: Bents Garden & Home (DGC) and Fron Goch Garden Centre (GC) Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Hayes Garden World (DGC) and Fron Goch Garden Centre (GC)
MIDLANDS
Innovation and Creativity: East Bridgford Garden Centre Most Improved Centre: Notcutts Garden Centre, Wheatcroft
Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Tong Garden Centre (DGC) and Coletta & Tyson (GC)
Best Garden Centre Restaurant: St Peters Garden Centre (DGC) and Stratford Garden Centre (GC)
Best Garden Products Retailer: Tong Garden Centre (DGC) and Cowell’s Garden Centre (GC)
Best Garden Products Retailer: Planters Garden Centre – Tamworth (DGC) and Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne (GC)
Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: Wentworth Garden Centre (DGC) and RHS Harlow Carr Plant Centre & Gift Shop (GC)
Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: East Bridgford Garden Centre (DGC) and Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne (GC)
Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Tong Garden Centre (DGC) and Klondyke Garforth Garden Centre (GC)
Best Outdoor Living Retailer: East Bridgford Garden Centre (DGC) and Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne (GC)
NORTH THAMES
SOUTH THAMES
Garden Centre of the Year: Perrywood – Tiptree (DGC) and Squires Garden Centre – Shepperton (GC)
Garden Centre of the Year: East Stewarts, Christchurch (DGC) and Squires Garden Centre – Hersham
Customer Service Award: Scotsdale Garden Centre
Customer Service Award: Garsons Garden Centre – Esher
Environment and Community Award: Poplars Garden Centre
Environment and Community Award: Stewarts, Christchurch, and Garsons Garden Centre – Esher
Innovation and Creativity: Perrywood Most Improved Centre: Squires – Stanmore
Innovation and Creativity: Squires – Badshot Lea Most Improved Centre: Poundbury Gardens
Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Poplars (DGC) and Squires – Shepperton (GC)
Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Millbrook Garden Centre (DGC) and Knights – Godstone (GC)
Best Garden Products Retailer: Aylett Nurseries (DGC) and Sunshine Garden Centre (GC)
Best Garden Products Retailer: Polhill – Sevenoaks (DGC) and Squires Garden Centre – Woking (GC)
Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: Tiptree (DGC) and Squires Garden Centre – Shepperton (GC)
Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: Garsons – Esher (DGC) and Squires Garden Centre – Hersham (GC)
Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Altons (DGC) and Squires Garden Centre – Stanmore (GC)
Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Ruxley Manor (DGC) and Squires Garden Centre – Hersham (GC)
Results from the Wales & West, Scotland and Ireland regions will be reported in GTN Xtra and the September issue of GTN.
6 August 2019
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GTN PROMOTION
Primeur celebrate GIMA New Product Awards With a unique garden range made from Recycled Rubber Tyres, Primeur is exceptionally proud to have gained their second GIMA award, this year in the ‘Decorative Pots & Planters’ category. The planters received such great feedback from the judges, they also awarded Primeur one of the main prizes of the night – the GIMA Sword of Excellence. “Winning the GIMA Landscaping product for our Recycled Rubber Garden Borders in 2018 was a massive achievement, especially being so new to this market, and we wanted to build on the success of the Rubber Edging and Stepping Stones by adding new, innovative products,” said Sales Director Jenny Douthwaite. “Our new range of recycled rubber planters will be a key feature on our stand at Glee 2019. The GIMA New Product Awards always showcases a high standard of entries from strong industry suppliers. To win the ‘Decorative Pots and Planters category was outstanding but to be awarded the coveted ‘Sword of Excellence’ has left us speechless! “We would like to thank all our customers for their support this year, we look forward to seeing you all at Glee and showing you the new planter range.” Tyres are a large global waste problem. Over 2.5 billion tyres are manufactured globally each year and when they reach the end of their life they are often sent to landfill or burnt. Recycling tyres is becoming more and more popular with companies developing many uses for the waste product to be repurposed. Primeur’s new range of Recycled Rubber Planters offer a unique product which won’t break if they fall and won’t crack or disintegrate, even in the coldest temperatures. Being made from recycled rubber tyres makes these planters the most hard wearing on the market; when you think about how resilient a tyre is – it is waterproof, it doesn’t
What the judges said “With this range based around recycled materials being used to deliver stylish, practical and commercial products, we believe the Tierra Verde Recycled Rubber Planters represents everything we as an industry should be striving for.” About the winner: “Although there are frost resistant pots readily available, no other planter
8 August 2019
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can endure the same extreme temperatures or wear and tear without breakage. Eco-friendly made from recycled rubber and includes integral self-watering chamber.” What the judges said: “Eco-friendly, stylish and at a good price. A sustainable and commercial product in a competitive marketplace.”
GTN PROMOTION
slip on a wet road, it doesn’t rot or attract mould, it withstands extreme temperatures and it lasts for years. All these properties are transferred to our planters as well as the rest of our recycled garden range made from the rubber. The new range is supplied with a SelfWatering reservoir which will keep plants refreshed, and part of this system is a rubber plug which allows the planters to be used indoors and out.
The Primeur team will be showcasing their Recycled Rubber Borders and Stepping Stones at Glee alongside their Mighty Mats range of doormats (pictured below), so make sure you make time to come along to see them on their stand in Hall 19 (D10-E11).
SEE THE EXTENSIVE RANGE OF MIGHTY MATS FROM PRIMEUR AT GLEE
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August 2019 9
OUTDOOR LEISURE
SOLEX SIZZLES SOLEX celebrated another successful show last month with both exhibitors and visitors agreeing it had been a highly profitable event. Here are some of the highlights. LOFA’s marketing manager Gina Hinde, who organised her first SOLEX exhibition, has said she has been extremely pleased with the response from exhibitors and visitors to the show. Here Gina (pictured right) reveals what it has been like to organise her first SOLEX. How did you find your first SOLEX show as organiser? It was great, I had a great time meeting everyone and getting my bearings, but it was also a huge learning curve and I learned a lot. Now I have the first one under my belt it gives me more of an idea of how I can improve on future shows. Were you happy with how the three-day exhibition went? I was very happy, everyone was really kind and positive about the event and despite one
or two hiccups it all went smoothly. Did you get lots of positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors? I did get some very positive and constructive feedback from both exhibitors and visitors which I will now act upon to make SOLEX 2020 bigger and better. Were you happy with the quality and numbers of visitors attending the show? I was very happy with the quality of visitors and the visitor numbers – they were slightly up on last year so that made me smile. What are the dates of next year’s show? Next year’s show is from 7-9th July. When do you start planning for the 2020 exhibition? I have already started!
Visitors were wowed by a unique product from Riley England, which allows the consumer to play American pool, have a game of table tennis and also dine on the same table. Constructed with all weather conditions in mind, the Riley Neptune table will create a great social centre piece for home gatherings and garden festivities. Riley were among the first in the world to offer a billiard table that converted in to a dining table. Now the company has introduced the Riley Neptune American Outdoor Table, a sevenfoot American Pool table that can convert easily into a dining table.
Lots of interest was shown in the new Kadai Log Store and the Winter Warmer display unit containing the Tula Firepit. The new circular Log Store is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and provides the perfect shelter to store away logs and kindling while also keeping a garden nice and tidy.
10 August 2019
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OUTDOOR LEISURE
Introducing hybrid systems From 2020 all Grillstream BBQs will come with LeisureGrow’s revolutionary Hybrid System. The new system lets users decide whether to cook on gas or charcoal each time they cook by simply lifting the grills and either adding or taking away charcoal from the BBQ. Now cooking on a Grillstream with charcoal is just as easy as cooking on gas by using the burners to light the charcoal and then turning them off for that traditional charcoal BBQ taste. To support the New Hybrid System for Grillstream, the LeisureGrow team has made investments in some great POS and marketing tools for Grillstream including videos, shop-in-shop retail solutions, and packaging.
GLATZ are the leading worldwide parasol experts, a Swiss family company with more than 100 years’ experience. As their exclusive UK partner, AEL are chosen and trusted by discerning customers, offering the most comprehensive and innovative choice of parasols on the market. AEL supply a premium line of centre pole and cantilever parasols that offer UV protection from the sun with UPF 50+ rating, available in a wide range of styles, sizes, base options, LED lighting and protective accessories. Quality fabrics include a choice of up to 70 bespoke colours in the Class 4 & 5 fabric range.
Outback launched their Hybrid BBQ solution with models that feature charcoal cooking, lit by the gas burners, alongside traditional gas BBQ burners. MD Mark Osborne said: “New for 2020, every model of the three-burner Ranger Magnum, four-burner Jupiter, and six-burner Signature will come with a charcoal basket. “We’re working with a UK production company who manufacture very dense charcoal briquettes so you can light this briquette with gas underneath the charcoal baskets, get it to a stage where it’s just beginning to burn then turn off the gas and it will continue burning and you can cook on it as charcoal.”
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It’s not a parasol, it’s not a gazebo, it’s not a pergola, it’s a Panalsol. And it caused lots of interest on the Kettler stand, awarded Best Large Stand at SOLEX. Now available in two sizes – 3 x 3m and 4 x 3m – the Panalsol has RRP of £899.
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OUTDOOR LEISURE
What they said: Exhibitor and visitor feedback Mark Osborne, Chairman of LOFA, said: “The big comment has been the amount of newness here this year, genuine innovation, genuine trends that people have acted on, and then brought new and innovative products to the marketplace.” So, we asked exhibitors and buyers. is this the tipping point from weave to contemporary garden lounge furniture? Richard Searle, Kettler, who were showing the Jati & Gabon, top end contemporary garden lounge furniture and already have one stockist who is doing well over half a million with it, said: “I think weave is still growing. Where a lot of the traditional dining has died away, the market has opened up for more contemporary aluminium furniture.” At Hartman, Paul Facey said: “There’s obviously a bigger representation of modern contemporary furniture than has been in the past but there is still this dilemma from weave still dominating sales at the moment. It will probably be flattening out now rather than growing. I would say that it’s not the tipping point this year but it could well be next year” Jodie Grimmer at LeisureGrow added: “It’s refreshing to see less weave, but weave is still a good 85 percent of sales on the shop floor. It’s a balance between putting over something which looks nice, whether it’s a rope set, a big aluminium deep-seated lounge set. It’s still got to justify that shop floor space. I think that’s the nervousness. But it’s coming.” Hugo Douglas Pennant and Martin Bell, the directors of Bramblecrest, said: “There is definitely a shift towards aluminium, but calling it a tipping point is too much. There is plenty of mileage left in weave furniture. Five years ago we sold a lot more dining sets compared to sofa sets. Now the dining
sets are definitely on the decline with a trend towards sofa sets, although wealthy customers may have both.” However at Norfolk Leisure, Debbie Waudby said: “I would say 100 percent for Norfolk, it’s contemporary aluminium. With our aluminium it’s the design, the practicality, the brand.” On the garden centre side, Justin Williams of Fron Goch, told GTN: “That is the million dollar question! We might say it’s when not if. We can see contemporary style taking hold throughout Europe, but we know from our recent politics we dare not use Europe as a guide! “Customer’s love new and will always be attracted to it but for our customers it must deliver comfort and practicality and it will need to fit in with their property and building materials. In today’s climate customers will price-check and compare value for money too. “For us I think this will be a slower
transition, even with all the new products at Solex I suspect 70-8 percent of sales nationally may still be through weave in the coming year. New products drive our industry, so hopefully I am wrong. I often am!” Tammy Woodhouse of Millbrook Garden Centre said: “It was great to see some more variety from the brown weave but I’m not sure we have quite reached tipping point yet.” And our final word on Solex 2019 goes to Alan Roper, of Blue Diamond, who have just bought another six centres from Wyevale: “I have never seen such an eclectic mix of furniture. Everyone is predicting the demise of weave but no one really knows the direction of travel that future garden furniture will take. I don’t believe that any one type of furniture will dominate as it has before, plastic, wood, weave etc. The modern metal look will grow over time but I’m not sure it will completely dominate. Variety will be the watch-word.”
Tom Chambers announced outstanding results on their return to SOLEX with orders for outdoor furniture and their new range of covers exceeding all expectations. Stephen Millington commented: “Retailers loved the all new Prestige Range of Covers in a contemporary two tone grey/black and green/black fabric. This innovative material which is new to the UK market has a water repellent ‘Tom Chambers Rainguard’ specialist coating. The covers are PVC free, extra heavy duty and not only offer thorough protection for garden furniture but also look stylish in any garden or on a patio. The 7 year guarantee gives the re-assurance that the range is going to give many years of protection.” Experience comfort, design and quality could be found on the Hartman Outdoor Products stand. Demonstrating innovative design features for exceptional outdoor living spaces, Hartmanl showcased its stunning resin weave furniture, contemporary cast aluminium sets, innovation with a new ceramic glass top, as well as adding a touch of European flare with the new Excellence collection. Visitors were invited to take part in a fun interactive Jamie Oliver competition with a chance to win a signed copy of the chef’s new book – VEG.
As part of the Zest 4 Lesiure’s collaboration with Cardiff Metropolitan University on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, the company was joined on their SOLEX stand by lecturer Gareth Barham and Luke Roberts, KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) Product Designer. Both Luke and Gareth had the opportunity to talk to customers and see how the company exhibits its range of award-winning furniture. Luke is part of Zest’s new KTP product developments project team which has been focusing on product innovation and customer satisfaction.
12 August 2019
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GTN PROMOTION
DuraOcean wins Best New Product Award
The ground-breaking DuraOcean from LifestyleGarden, the world’s first commercially available range of outdoor furniture made from nets, ropes and plastic waste recovered from the world’s oceans, won the coveted Best New Product Award at SOLEX 2019. Judges at SOLEX described the new DuraOcean range, which sets the benchmark for sustainable usage of materials and design, as the ‘clear winner’. They praised parent company ScanCom for bringing to market a commercially viable ‘ocean plastic’ product at a time when tackling plastic waste is at the top of the agenda for the UK’s growing band of environmentally-conscious consumers. The Best New Product Award was presented by Mark Osborne, chairman of the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association (LOFA), on the opening day of SOLEX. New products were apprised by expert judging team Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the Garden Centre Association, and Chris Roberts, chairman of destination retail group Van Hage Garden Centres. Van Hage’s Chris Roberts said: “The DuraOcean is a fantastic concept and was a clear winner by miles. The process and investment that’s gone into retrieving fishing nets and plastic waste from the ocean and transforming it into a recycled garden furniture product was clearly evident. Ocean plastic is a major environmental issue that has been highlighted by Sir David Attenborough. The DuraOcean’s point-of-sale material and explanation of how the plastic recovery process works, serves to highlight an excellent product.
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“I believe that the DuraOcean presents a massive opportunity for sales in the retail sector, and also within the contract sector for chairs in cafes and restaurants, for example. It provides businesses with an opportunity to explain to the public that they’re being proactive by taking steps to improve the environment. There is no
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other product at the show that offers this opportunity,” Chris explained. The Best New Product Award was collected by ScanCom International CEO Stig Maasbol, who said: “It is truly a great honour to win. It also shows that our whole sustainability story is coming out and reaching a broader audience, which is very
GTN PROMOTION
Exclusive partnership As well as hosting the official launch event for the DuraOcean ranges, the SOLEX exhibition presented a unique opportunity to showcase LifestyleGarden’s exclusive partnership with the Eden Project. With LifestyleGarden and the Eden Project both driven by identical goals of promoting environmental responsibility and sustainability, retail buyers were introduced to LifestyleGarden’s 2020 furniture ranges, which will be supported by Eden Project branding. LifestyleGarden’s high-impact display at SOLEX also featured the Eden Project’s exclusive designs and patterns, which will drive sales in the outdoor living category with the launch of add-on sales opportunities,
important to us at LifestyleGarden and ScanCom, as a company that is focused on ‘Doing Business the Right Way’. “This award will increase awareness of what we’re doing as a sustainable business, throughout the whole company, and the DuraOcean is a very important part of that story.” Inbal Kahaner, the award-winning designer of the chair that brought DuraOcean to life, said: “As an industrial designer it’s a great privilege to play a role in protecting the environment and an honour to work for Scancom, a company that’s constantly striving to do business the right way and protect the planet. “The combination of recycled material, innovative design and perfect sitting comfort is a huge achievement that will help consumers to purchase outdoor furniture at an affordable price, upgrading their living space with a fresh, modern design while caring for the environment.
“At Scancom, as individuals and manufacturers, we understand that protecting the planet and oceans for future generations is an obligation, not an option.” Each DuraOcean chair is made from 3.5kg of recovered ocean plastic, which has been transformed into a beautiful, robust and stylish piece of outdoor furniture. The award-winning product, born out of a significant period of research and development, directly addresses the global issue of ocean waste. With around 300 million tonnes of plastic waste created globally every year, and pollution killing more than 100,000 marine creatures, the DuraOcean raises the sustainability bar by showcasing how waste can be salvaged from the world’s seas and recycled into the ultimate must-have outdoor living product. The eco-friendly range launched at SOLEX with a DuraOcean bistro set, which features the Nassau FSC Eucalyptus table.
Paul Cohen, Sales Director at LifestyleGarden, said: “The DuraOcean chair has been created to tackle a global issue – ocean plastic. As company that is led by our motto ‘Doing Business the Right Way’, we feel we have a responsibility in ensuring our impact upon the world is as positive as it can be. Joining in the fight to eradicate plastic from our oceans - an issue that has been declared a worldwide crisis - feels like a natural and obvious choice. We hope that by bringing the DuraOcean to consumers, that we can play our part in raising awareness of this issue, whilst also helping people to look at the impact they have upon the world. “We do also recognise the positive commercial impact that the DuraOcean can offer retailers. As consumers look for new designs, driven by a need for green credentials, the DuraOcean(r) will certainly hit the mark. The product has a thoughtprovoking backstory, a unique design, an attractive price point, and is created to last season after season, but even then, it doesn’t stop - all DuraOcean chairs can be fully recycled at the end of their lifecycle once again minimising waste and its impact upon the world. We strongly believe that the DuraOcean chair will drive sales throughout the 2020 season and beyond.”
To find out more about LifestyleGarden and its premium-quality outdoor furniture, visit www.lifestylegarden.com and follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.
www.gardentradenews.co.uk
August 2019 15
RETAIL FOCUS
Great outdoor leisure and barbecue ideas
Be inspired by the winners of GTN’s Greatest Outdoor Living and Barbecue Awards 2019. BAYTREE OF HILGAY – Small Centre Furniture and BBQ Sales Team Gold Awards When Baytree bought their new Hilgay site in January the centre had not been selling furniture or barbecues for several years. Yet after creating a new showroom, on the way to the busy restaurant, and fitting it with bright purple carpet they have seen sales rocket to the extent that for some weekends Hilgay has out-performed the main Weston furniture sales. That purple carpet must be making a difference! And for barbecue sales, the live cooking demonstrations they’ve held every weekend have enabled them to sell more Grillstream barbecues than can be supplied on certain models. From zero to heroes are the Baytree at Hilgay team.
WITEHALL LACOCK – Large Centre Furniture Sales Team Gold Award The furniture sales team at Whitehall showed us the best joined-up thinking with their marketing activity as displays matchied really well with their Tillington Group Beautiful Gardens magazine. As ever, the team at Lacock know their market inside out. They really make it easy for customers to buy from them.
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RETAIL FOCUS
ALTONS – Large centre BBQ Sales Team Gold Award New displays for Traeger, Delvita and Extreme Lounging, along with the dynamic sales patter of the team, tipped the Gold Award to Altons again. SCOTSDALES – Large centre Furniture Sales Team Gold Award Scotsdales really put garden furniture at the centre of the business this year, inside and out! Inside they moved garden sundries to the side to allow garden furniture to be right in the centre of the shop. There was no way any customer could not walk through the displays, which borrowed the look and feel from the Bramblecrest trade stands and worked extremely well. Then outside they had more furniture displays under gazebos on the grass and wooden garden furniture ranges took pride of place either side of the garden centre entrance.
BLUE DIAMOND – Group Furniture Sales Team Gold Award At every Blue Diamond centre we visited their furniture displays were bright, light, inviting, with added splashed of different colours and the widest ranges we saw all Summer. Plus the furniture sales staff really know their stuff and are especially proud of everything they sell with the Blue Diamond badge on it.
www.gardentradenews.co.uk
August 2019 17
GTN PROMOTION
Proven trends from Pentik Reaching out to work with UK garden centres
Pentik was launched in 1971 by Founder Anu Pentik out of her enthusiasm for ceramics and leather crafts. The initial Pentik tableware and ceramic designs quickly gained a reputation for their unique shapes, fine handicraft and artisan status. In 1974, only three years after launching, Pentik opened the world’s Northern-most ceramic factory near the Arctic Circle. It is from these firm roots that the Pentik brand has established itself as an international interior design retailer with 60 proven retail outlets across Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Russia, 15 franchise stores and 22 shop-in-shop schemes in home décor and gift stores throughout Europe. Pentik is widely considered the leading supplier of superior Nordic homeware. Having recently launched their first UK retail ‘shop in a shop’ located in Belfast, Pentik will be exhibiting at Glee in September to showcase opportunities for UK garden centres. With the proven popularity of Nordic design and the fact that Pentik offer product ranges that work in conjunction with seasonality, there is a clear and powerful synergy for the garden centre sector. With a huge range of products to stock or the option to consider Pentik’s proven ‘shop in a shop’ concept where flexibility, expertise and full customer support are at the fore front of their offering, the brand is looking forward to developing relationships with garden centres with longevity in mind. The ‘shop in a shop’ concept is a turnkey solution which after dedicating a space starting at 10m2, Pentik’s experienced team will consult and manage your project offering as much assistance as you require. Installation, layout and design all forms part of the service with the added benefit of demonstrable proven success both in terms of shop layout, stock and excellent margins. If you would like to jump the queue and open discussions prior to Glee then please direct your enquiry to Michael Boulter, Pentik’s UK Manager, on +358 50 464 22 36.
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Inspired by nature, crafted by four seasons Pentik’s signature style combines Nordic simplicity, rustic nostalgia and the exoticism of distant lands to create beautiful and harmonious interiors. Pentik’s patterns depict their Northern roots and seasonal changes in the Nordic nature. The autumn colours, the serenity of winter, the spring of growth and energy, and the bloom of summer are beautifully captured in their textile patterns.
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Lovely gifts for all occasions Pentik is famous for its high-quality gifts. Their unique tableware and handmade candles bring a hint of magic to the table. Silvered reindeer candleholders are iconic Pentik products and very popular gifts. These stylish design items are timeless classics that maintain their value. What would be more beautiful than a gift full of light and warm feeling! A wide range of children’s textiles and toys offers wonderful products for home and hugging. Foxes, bears, squirrels, rabbits and owls pose in our children’s products. Pentik’s plush toys, tableware and textiles are truly loved by kids and parents alike.
4Visit our stand at Glee: 19K24–L25 4Learn more about Pentik: pentik.com/en 4Check out Pentik’s latest brochures: https://issuu.com/pentik 4Have a tour inside the world’s Northernmost ceramic factory: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gAyC1qSAJ7E
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August 2019 19
GTN PROMOTION
NOMA Garden Lighting makes Glee the place to ‘bee’ Ahead of next month’s Glee, market leaders NOMA Garden Lighting have given GTN a sneak preview of their new products for the show. The specialist team at NOMA Garden Lighting has developed a range for 2020 based on garden trends for the coming year and beyond. One of the key new product ranges is a collection of bee and bug houses. This trend for creating wildlife gardens and looking after the ecosystem in our garden is set to continue to grow, and the new range from NOMA Garden Lighting taps into this trend, with insect hotels designed to be a feature of the garden both day and night. NOMA Garden Lighting’s insect hotels are designed for bees to use for nesting and hibernation, and also incorporate NOMA’s innovative Solar 365 technology, with LED lights that work for 6 hours per day, 365 days a year, no matter what the weather. On the same theme of bringing wildlife into the garden, NOMA has created a range of brown wicker light-up animals, including stags, deer, sheep and mushrooms. Suitable for adding height and interest to a garden all year round – both day and night – they’re sure to be a hit with consumers. As with all NOMA Garden Lighting products, technology and innovation is at the core of each product: SOLAR 365 which operates every night of the year no matter what the weather, and NOMA’s Fit & Forget battery technology which is now available on NOMA Garden Lighting.
20 August 2019
‘On the same theme of bringing wildlife into the garden, NOMA has created a range of brown wicker light-up animals’
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GTN PROMOTION
Petface prepares to wow Glee visitors with over 60 new products Under the ownership of LeisureGrow Products, the Petface brand continues to go from strength to strength. The product team has been busy developing unique designs, with more than 60 new products being launched at next month’s Glee across toys, accessories, bedding, and treats. Favourite treat brands The Dog Deli and Doggy Bistro are being expanded with exciting new developments, and there are innovations to be unveiled in pet bedding too. New warehousing and distribution systems for Petface means that there is greatly improved availability of ‘live’ stock. In particular for Glee visitors, there is a good availability of all new products to be shown at Glee so customers can shop to fill their shelves ahead of the Autumn pet bedding season and Christmas gifting. John Pullen, Head of Pet for LeisureGrow, said: “We’re looking forward to exhibiting at ‘Pets at Glee’ this year. The industry continues to grow, and so do our product offerings as we innovate and expand our range
Multi-function Dog Walking Pack.
to match consumer demand for more luxury, and more sophisticated products for their pets.” The marketing team is keeping its new products under wraps until the show in September, but customers can be sure to find the same great quality ranges they expect from Petface, at affordable prices. There will also be new merchandising units available, with shipper displays and counter display units all designed to drive consumer sales.
On show at Glee, the new Microfibre Drying Coat.
NOMA and Petface will be on stand 6S50-T51 at Glee www.gardentradenews.co.uk
August 2019 21
EVENTS
The Greatest Showroom The circus is coming to Glee 2019! This year the Retail Lab – in association with the HTA will draw upon the inspiration of the bygone era of travelling circuses to provide a stunning backdrop to this year’s inspirational showcase of innovative products and merchandising ideas. The Retail Lab’s Creative Director, Romeo Sommers, tells us more about how this exciting interactive hub will shape up in 2019. This year the Retail Lab is all about entertaining both the retailer and the customer, and celebrating ‘the best’ from garden retailing. Supported by a nostalgia rich backdrop, this year’s Retail Lab will be rich in theatre. However, the main aim of the area will not be lost – in that each display and the overall effect will help to create memorable and tangible takeaway content that can help retailers and merchandisers to engage and inspire customers, driving sales and creating a point of difference in an increasingly ‘cookie cutter’ retail environment. Theatre and drama = return customers Until now, retailers have been focussed wholly on price, however the impact of online retail is placing a new pressure on brick and mortar retailers. With prices and margins being squeezed, coupled with the immediacy of online shopping, garden centres are being forced to rethink how they merchandise products, and how they approach the customer experience in-store to ensure the longevity of their business. Many of the ideas and themes showcased in the Retail Lab have been created to tackle these issues, whilst also responding to those current trends that are shaping consumer demand. With interactive elements, ‘look again’ merchandising ideas, all packaged within a new retail environment style, this year’s Retail Lab will bring together nostalgic design, reflective of the heritage of gardening, with new innovation and fresh thinking, to create future-facing garden retail.
Follow the Retail Lab journey Unlike in previous years, which has seen the Retail Lab made up of lots of smaller displays, this year the area will be a much more open space, reflective of a real retail environment. Topped by a pastel green ‘big top’, the area will be a key landmark throughout the show. This year, the feature will be a feast for the senses, utilising content that uses emotion, sound and activity that engages a customer
Introduced in 2017 to showcase the latest trends within the garden industry, the Retail Lab at Glee is designed to provide retailers, buyers and merchandisers with hands-on advice and inspirational content that they can take back to their own stores to drive sales in 2020 and beyond. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year.
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and gets them in the mood to buy. There is no doubt that the 2019 Retail Lab will be bigger and better than ever before. But more than this, it’ll be a celebration of future potential for both retailers and consumers. From fun ideas, to simple changes that will create real stand-out within both your local community, the wider garden retail sector, and amongst savvy consumers, a visit to the Retail Lab can be a true game changer. We look forward to welcoming retailers, buyers and merchandising teams to the area – in fact bring your entire team. I promise there will be something to inspire all of you! Join the Retail Lab tours Throughout the show Romeo will be leading dedicated Retail Lab tours, giving visitors explanations and further knowledge into the key insights and trends being showcased on the Retail Lab feature and also providing understanding about how to implement the trends being shown. The Retail Lab tours are operated on a first come first serve basis. There is a maximum of 30 people permitted per session. Visitors need only visit the Retail Lab to join one of the dedicated tours.
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August 2019 23
Quality background music for HTA retail members with no PRS or PPL licences for only ÂŁ495 per year
Call 01733 775700 or 07973 504214 Email gardenradio@tgcmc.co.uk
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August 2019 25
PETS
PATS Telford is BEST place for garden centres to source new pet products
PATS Telford, the UK’s number one pet industry exhibition, is the best place to source new products, according to a growing number of garden centres attending the Autumn showpiece. Visitors to PATS Telford on 22-23 September 2019 will be presented with thousands of products from more than 200 UK and international brands, making the exhibition essential to retailers seeking next year’s bestsellers. And as the pet sector has become an increasingly essential part of garden centre retailing, PATS Telford has become a vital date in the industry calendar. Here Hayes Garden World, Ambleside, reveals why PATS is the best place to source new pet products. What’s the attraction of visiting a PATS exhibition? As a prestigious garden centre with a massive presence in the North West of England it is essential that we stay on top of all trends, and PATS allows us to do just that. Going to trade shows is an essential part of our business – its massive influence on our garden centre operation cannot be underestimated. Do you see all the products you need to help you stock your pet department? We usually try and do all of our buying at one show as it saves time and resources, rather than travelling to multiple shows.
Sending buyers to trade shows involves considerable expense in staff man-hours, travelling expenses and hotel bills so having just one show like PATS Telford, which covers everything, is hugely beneficial. How important is the pet sector to your business? The pet department draws in an extra element of the general public who would not necessarily patronise a garden centre. It also adds to the general shopping experience of our customers, especially those who visit us to buy presents because it offers alternatives to the usual gift and garden lines. Is it an advantage to you as a retailer to see all of the latest pet launches under one roof? Definitely. We need to keep on top of current trends whilst minimising outlay by only attending one major trade show instead of travelling around the country. In the current economic climate we are always trying to cut our expenses wherever possible. Is it a friendly show? Absolutely, manufacturers are open to suggestions from the retail sector as to the best ways of engaging the public, with regard to the products themselves and promotional stands and material. We also welcome feedback from suppliers as to the best way of promoting their products.
For further information A full and up-to-date list of exhibitors is available on the website www.patshow.co.uk together with information on how to reach the venue and regularly updated news.
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August 2019 27
VIEWPOINT
Brace yourself for change Associate editor Mike Wyatt says the garden centre industry must face up to the extreme patterns brought on by the climate crisis, and find ways to adapt to changing consumer trends. The UK retail industry had its worst June on record, according to the BRC-KMPG retail monitor. GTN’s Bestsellers data – compiled from epos returns – suggests that garden centres, which have often bucked the high street trend in recent years, were not immune on this occasion. Our Top 50 Garden Products chart shows June volume sales were the lowest of the last six years. The BRC says sales of garden furniture and barbecues were down compared to June 2018, when scorching weather and the World Cup helped to boost impulse purchases. While we’re used to getting beaten up by ‘standard’ weather, we must now also brace ourselves against extreme patterns brought on by the climate crisis. This year’s ‘too wet (May) too cold (early June), too hot (late June)’ sequence will not be the last time garden retailers are hindered by increasing metereological randomness. The industry, though, is notoriously adaptable – and shows a continued willingness to invest in solutions, despite wavering consumer confidence coupled with Brexit uncertainty. Is this optimism well-placed? Mintel’s latest British Lifestyles Report, which tracks spending across major consumer markets, suggests it is. It says that as Brexit rumbles on, British consumers continue to spend on brands and businesses that successfully tap into the
Holy Trinity of current consumer behaviour: the ‘experience economy’, the booming health and wellness movement, and the desire to be more ethically conscious and eco-friendly. Pin those three on your staff room notice board. They may turn out to be pivotal. The ‘experience economy’ is a perfect fit with garden retailing values. Consumers, and increasingly the younger ones, visit garden centres for the experience – beauty, theatre, inspiration, coffee and cakes – not primarily for shopping. Health and wellness is another natural platform from which this industry should be able to win hearts and minds. While the HTA’s ‘Gardening is Good for You’ PR campaign is a laudable subject heading, it currently contains precious little substance. The desire to be ethically conscious and eco-friendly – few will need reminding that the tomorrow’s consumers will accept nothing less than a ‘cleaner and greener’ proposition. Clear provenance and good environmental credentials will become prerequisites as consumer awareness picks up speed. All these topics have been raked over at recent industry conferences and meetings, most recently the HTA’s Sustainability Matters. Now we need to start seeing results. Mintel reminds us that the homes and gardens sector was the fastest growing
More garden centres are using social media platforms like Instagram to get over their sales messages to consumers.
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area of consumer expenditure between 2017-18, growing by 11.6% to £68 billion. It says splashing out on homes and gardens is projected to rise a further 37.4% over the next five years. “Whether buying or renting, older Millennials are finally leaving their parents’ nest and are now turning to homeware brands to make their homes more Instagrammable.” According to Mintel research, 30% of Millennials look to social media to get inspiration on home styling. Given the welter of plant, garden and houseplant posts on Instagram, social media influencers can no longer be ignored, however much of a digital dinosaur you happen to be. Mintel associate director Jack Duckett believes offering Instagram-friendly value-oriented homewares will become increasingly important as Millennials finally begin to set up homes of their own. “We’re also seeing a rise in gardening spend due to warmer weather,” he says. And he posts that any slowdown in the housing sector similar to aftermath of the 2008 recession could mean people once again investing in their current homes and gardens rather than moving. While the core market for garden centres currently relies on a more mature consumer, this will evolve. Of course, today’s Millennials will become tomorrow’s mature consumers – but, in a world in which much will have changed politically, economically and ecologically, their great expectations will create massive challenges for retailers. Now is the time for the entire industry, from growers, suppliers and distributors to garden centres and nurseries, to consider how to shape up to the new status quo – and then how best to communicate its core values to the market with clarity, integrity and passion.
E G A P 8 L A I C E P S
Roll of Honour
All the winning products and finalists listed and pictured inside HEADLINE SPONSOR
GIMA Sword of Excellence Winner: Primeur Ltd (Tierra Verde Recycled Rubber Planters) What the judges said... With this range based around recycled materials being used to delivery stylish, practical and commercial products, the judges chose a product which they felt represented everything the garden industry should be striving for. www.primeur.co.uk GIMA Sword of Excellence Winner: Primeur Ltd (Tierra Verde Recycled Rubber Planters) GCA Supplier of The Year Winner: Smart Garden Products Finalists: Meadow View Stone, Woodlodge Products Gardenex Export Achievement Winner: Smart Garden Products Finalists: Tildenet Gardenware, Trimetals Garden Care Winner: Hozelock (Hozelock Pure BioMix) Finalists: Vitax (Vitax Acer Feed), Block Blitz Ltd (Block Blitz Shield) Growing, Planting Equipment and Sundries Winner: GARDENA (GARDENA Metal Hose Trolley) Finalists: GARDENA (GARDENA Textile Hose Range – Liano), The Juliana Group (Juliana City Greenhouse), Itip Handles Ltd (Itip Handles) Decorative Pots & Planters Winner: Primeur Ltd (Tierra Verde Recycled Rubber Planters) Finalists: Apta (RHS Interiors Pot Covers), Woodlodge Products (RHS Interiors Pot Covers) Garden Tools, Machinery and Implements Winner: EP Barrus (Wilkinson Sword Ultralight Digging Spade) Finalists: Darlac (Heavy Duty Geared Lopper), Burgon & Ball (Corona Convertible Branch and Stem Pruner), GARDENA (Corona Convertible Branch and Stem Pruner) Outdoor Leisure Winner: Chesneys Ltd (Chesneys Heat & Grill) Finalists: La Hacienda (Santana Black Metal Firebasket and Icarus Oxidised Firepit), Zest 4 Leisure (Noah’s Arbour) Plants, Seeds and Bulbs Winner: Farplants (Spiraea Walberton’s Plumtastic) Finalists: Suttons (Suttons Pollinators and Predators Seed Range), Mr Fothergill’s (Children in Need Range)
Gardenex Export Achievement Winner: Smart Garden Products Finalists: Tildenet Gardenware, Trimetals
Garden Landscaping Winner: Forest Garden (Victorian Walkaround Greenhouse) Finalists: BJA Trading Ltd (Fence Mate DuraPost Fence System), The Juliana Group (The Halls Qube Greenhouse) Gardening Clothing and Gifts Winner: Treadstone Products (ClipGlove) Finalists: E P Barrus (Mastergrip Gloves), Fallen Fruits Ltd (Terrarium Set) Pet Care, Aquatics and Wild Bird Care Winners: RSW International Ltd (Smart Choice Dog Ball Launcher (The Stomper) Finalists: Marriages Specialist Foods (Heavy Duty Feeders), Smart Garden Products (Peacock Glass Birdbath) Garden Lighting, Water Features and Ornamentation Winner: Smart Garden Products (Bug Lights) Finalists: Smart Garden Products (Firefly Balloon and Oak Leaf) Best Point of Sale Material Winner: Treadstone Products (ClipGlove Merchandising Stand) Finalists: Smart Garden Products (Solar Cool Flame Hard Wired Stand), Woodlodge Products (Consumer Engagement Boards) Best Consumer Packaging Winner: Vitax (Plant Guard) Finalists: Burgon & Ball (RHS Gifts for Gardeners ‘British Bloom’ boxed tool gift sets), Durston Garden Products (Multi-purpose Compost with John Innes) Best Marketing Communication Campaign Winner: Westland (New Horizon Launch Campaign) Finalists: Westland (Peckish - Love Every Bird Campaign), elho (‘The Beauty of Waste’ TV Campaign)
2 GIMA 2019 ROLL OF HONOUR
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What the judges said… Following a successful push into the difficult French market, Smart Garden Products were the first UK company to receive the Jardin Plus Supplier of the Year Award. www.sgpuk.com
GCA Supplier of the Year Winner: Smart Garden Products Finalists: Meadow View Stone, Woodlodge Products
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What the judges said… Smart are a pleasure to deal with. Meaningful innovation, quick to respond, accurate deliveries and paperwork, flexible approach and nice people. www.sgpuk.com
GIMA 2019 ROLL OF HONOUR 3
Garden Care Winner: Hozelock (Hozelock Pure BioMix) Finalists: Vitax (Vitax Acer Feed), Block Blitz Ltd (Block Blitz Shield)
What the judges said‌ Great product encouraging recycling and promoting natural plant food and insecticide. Ticks lots of boxes. www.hozelock.com
Garden Tools, Machinery and Implements Winner: EP Barrus (Wilkinson Sword Ultralight Digging Spade) Finalists: Darlac (Heavy Duty Geared Lopper), Burgon & Ball (Corona Convertible Branch and Stem Pruner), GARDENA (Corona Convertible Branch and Stem Pruner) What the judges said‌ Simple, effective and very lightweight. A great quality product www.wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk
4 GIMA 2019 ROLL OF HONOUR
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Outdoor Leisure
Plants, Seeds & Bulbs
Winner: Chesneys Ltd (Chesneys Heat & Grill) Finalists: La Hacienda (Santana Black Metal Firebasket and Icarus Oxidised Firepit), Zest 4 Leisure (Noah’s Arbour)
Winner: Farplants (Spiraea Walberton’s Plumtastic) Finalists: Suttons (Suttons Pollinators and Predators Seed Range), Mr Fothergill’s (Children in Need Range)
What the judges said… Stand out product in this category, it looks stylish, sleek and contemporary. Dual purpose and has all year round use. www.chesneys.co.uk
What the judges said… Stunning colour, full foliage offering beauty in Spring, Summer and Autumn. www.farplants.co.uk
Growing, Planting Equipment and Sundries Winner: GARDENA (GARDENA Metal Hose Trolley) Finalists: GARDENA (GARDENA Textile Hose Range – Liano), The Juliana Group (Juliana City Greenhouse), Itip Handles Ltd (Itip Handles) What the judges said… Excellent quality, love the adjustable stand to give extra stability, a great feature. www.gardena.com/uk
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GIMA 2019 ROLL OF HONOUR 5
Gardening Clothing and Gifts Winner: Treadstone Products (ClipGlove) Finalists: E P Barrus (Mastergrip Gloves), Fallen Fruits Ltd (Terrarium Set)
What the judges said‌ A breakthrough in garden gloves, functional and on trend with some great designs. www.treadstoneproducts.com
Garden Landscaping Winner: Forest Garden (Victorian Walkaround Greenhouse) Finalists: BJA Trading Ltd (Fence Mate DuraPost Fence System), The Juliana Group (The Halls Qube Greenhouse) What the judges said‌ Unique, compact and multi-entry growhouse. Quirky but adds style in a smaller garden. www.forestgarden.co.uk
6 GIMA 2019 ROLL OF HONOUR
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Garden Lighting, Water Features and Ornamentation Winner: Smart Garden Products (Bug Lights) Finalists: Smart Garden Products (Firefly Balloon and Oak Leaf Wind Spinner) What the judges said… A hanging bug light with firefly lights! Who would have thought this product (left) would be such a sell out every week? www.sgpuk.com
Decorative Pots & Planters Winner: Primeur Ltd (Tierra Verde Recycled Rubber Planters) Finalists: Apta (RHS Interiors Pot Covers), Woodlodge Products (RHS Interiors Pot Covers)
What the judges said… Eco-friendly and stylish at a good price and a sustainable and commercial product in a competitive market place. www.primeur.co.uk
Pet Care, Aquatics and Wild Bird Care Winner: RSW International Ltd (Smart Choice Dog Ball Launcher (The Stomper) Finalists: Marriages Specialist Foods (Heavy Duty Feeders), Smart Garden Products (Peacock Glass Birdbath) What the judges said… A great fun product that will really sell. www.rswint.co.uk
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GIMA 2019 ROLL OF HONOUR 7
Best Point of Sale Material
Best Consumer Packaging
Winner: Treadstone Products (ClipGlove Merchandising Stand) Finalists: Smart Garden Products (Solar Cool Flame Hard Wired Stand), Woodlodge Products (Consumer Engagement Boards)
Winner: Vitax (Plant Guard) Finalists: Burgon & Ball (RHS Gifts for Gardeners ‘British Bloom’ Boxed Tool Gift Sets), Durston Garden Products (Multi-purpose Compost with John Innes)
What the judges said… Bright, tall, interactive, eyecatching and informative. www.treadstoneproducts.com
What the judges said… The right message for our time: Protect not kill. Packaging has a natural feel about it which is a great representation of the organic story. www.vitax.co.uk
Best Marketing Communication Campaign Winner: Westland (New Horizon Launch Campaign) Finalists: Westland (Peckish – Love Every Bird Campaign), elho (‘The Beauty of Waste’ TV Campaign) What the judges said… A memorable campaign, giving appealing and compelling reasons why consumers should change. www.gardenhealth.com
Sponsors
8 GIMA 2019 ROLL OF HONOUR
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