Marshall is back… again

If you were starting a new garden centre venture right now, would you be bold enough to only curate a range of garden and home products that are made in the UK and or have a sustainable story, only sell peat-free composts and only stock plants grown in peat-free media with not a black plastic pot in sight? Nicholas Marshall and his team at the newly formed Country House Group have done just that, starting with a plant and home centre at Windlesham, and with aspirations to open many more new plant centres at stately homes across the country over the coming years… In this article, GTN catches up with Nicholas and his team to hear about this venture and what makes it so different from anything they have tackled before.

Windlesham Plant and Home Centre, part of the Lavershot Barns complex, is a location that means a lot to Nicholas Marshall. It was once the HQ for his Country Gardens group – his office is now a kitchen showroom! There is also a pinetum on-site, reputedly planted by his great, great grandfather, the plantsman, Joseph Hooker. Most recently the site was better known as Windlesham Garden Centre, a former Wyevale site. Now the Country House Group, which Nicholas heads up as CEO, has taken out a lease on the centre to create a different sort of garden centre experience.

So, what has made Nicholas return to the garden centre industry when he could have easily and gracefully retired? “You couldn’t keep me away”, he professed. He continues, “I love the garden centre industry and I loved Country Gardens where we first started. All the people that helped make Country Gardens, are still with me and we decided that we wanted to go back to our roots and do another Country Gardens. Only this time we wanted to choose where we wanted to be. We thought ‘do we want to be in a retail park?’ The answer was no. We would much rather be in a country setting, in, for example, a large country house. A place where people, the customers, would immediately recognise

A really attractive and pleasant retail environment aimed at creating a different experience, inside and outside with carefully curated product ranges.

as a nice place to go. And so that is what we are aiming to do, with Windlesham as our first site and others in the pipeline.”

Supporting British Made and Grown

“We are aiming to sell all British products. Fifteen years ago we all used to be proud of buying British and then along came the EEC and we didn’t mention that anymore. There is going to be a massive reaction to us leaving Europe, which is why we are going to start buying British, supporting British companies, British nurseries and buying less from abroad. During my time at Wyevale, we got to the stage where 8590% of our plants were British. We were proud of this and our customers loved it – plants with locally grown or British grown always sold first.

“We grill every supplier to make sure they are aware of our very stringent guidelines. Some have been surprised but on the whole, they get it. Each time we find something British – it’s a moment to celebrate. If we feel like that I am damn certain the customer will feel like that too. Of course, some people don’t give a damn where products are from but I’m sure there are many of those customers visiting garden centres. On the whole, this will suit some people that will like the concept.”

A sustainable journey

As well as the buying British route the Country Homes Group are stocking products that are sustainable, peat-free – an area that Nicholas believes that customers are ahead of suppliers on. “Concerning peat-free all the suppliers are working on this and they have to. It has been a huge learning curve for the whole industry and some, like us, are moving forward with this. It is the same with plastics and we are doing what we can to reduce the use of plastics – this is challenging for products like hosepipes. It is criminal the amounts of plastic that we are throwing away. Customers expect us to be at the forefront. We are moving forward as much and as quickly as we can do things the right way. It is the customers’ choice but wherever possible we want to give them the choice of doing it the right way. I think that most people identify with that. If somebody gives me a sensible alternative I will use that – and I think most of us are like that.” I would like to ensure that as a sector as a whole we start to understand the importance of growing stock in recyclable pots – why wouldn’t you? I am amazed having come back into the sector after a period away to see how far behind the curve the entire sector is – it’s shocking. It is a sadness. I am on a crusade to support the movement to reduce single-use plastic in our sector.”

Team spirit

Brand values begin at home

Nicholas has pulled together an experienced team, including Chief Operating Officer Lorrie Roberston and Retail Operations Director Martin Andrews – who he has worked with throughout his garden centre industry career. “We all know what we think, and between us, we have worked with over 5,000 people across the sector – a really strong network. We all get calls from old colleagues asking us to remember them Country House Group has a clear picture of their when we come to their region”, he says. brand for customers and staff alike. Chief Operating The team have always placed great importance Officer, Lorrie Robertson explains, on training and career opportunities “Our brand values are all about the customer wants at the end what of the We grill for the staff they take on. Martin Andrews says, “When I first joined day. We are very clear on the sort every supplier Country Gardens 28 years ago I was of customer that our plant centre to make sure overwhelmed by the morale and appeals to. Those quality and range, that and appreciate also want to they are aware camaraderie of changed to this the day group. This hasn’t – there was a come and enjoy a really attractive and of our very unique pulling together and team pleasant retail environment. But it is stringent spirit. Ten weeks into operations at more than a retail an experience. environment, it’s guidelines. Windlesham I feel we have the same attitude – it is all about everyone

“The engagement with the brand sharing and being part of it.” starts with the staff. You have to ensure that people Nicholas adds, “We’ve always supported young that you employ, especially the young people, that people and given them career opportunities. At you invite to become part of your team, really share the Garden Centre Group and Wyevale, we worked your values and understand your values. We are very through Pershore College and Leiths to ensure not much moving in a direction that is quite different, I only useful, interesting and engaging staff training assume, to other garden centres. but also it was career building, which is incredibly

“Having run a few garden centres myself, their important. Good horticulturalists are like hen’s direction of travel hasn’t really changed a great teeth. We like to give people opportunities in our deal which is interesting. And nor has the appetite team – we need 100% commitment and hard work. to address issues such as sustainability and the We encourage our team to share their ideas - if it environment. These are things dear to all of our goes wrong we can talk about it and when it goes hearts and so we are actively promoting organic right we celebrate it.” garden care, peat-free gardening, we are 100% You can’t underestimate the value of listening behind UK grown plant stock and wherever possible Nicholas says, “Listening to customers is much

more important than retailers realise. Garden centre bosses should listen to their staff about the conversations they have with customers. Every time I go into Waitrose I ask the till operator – does your boss ever ask what you think, what customers say to you – no! What we shall be doing here is when staff are on their coffee breaks – they will fill in a short questionnaire – what did customers ask you today and what didn’t they like. That is my other big beef – nobody in retail has a complaints department anymore. That’s what you want – when you have got a complaint you need it to be clear where to take it to get it sorted.”

Adapting to the changing customer

As well embracing British made and sustainable products the Country House group are also moving in other directions – in tune with what customers want. Nicholas takes up the story, “Our customers want to buy plants that are ready to go. Naturally, these larger plants are more costly as you do not get many on a trolley. Why not have a micro-nursery at the garden centre, buying in plugs and growing them on until they are ready to sell as bigger specimens. This is an approach we are experimenting with. I’m experimenting myself in my old greenhouse at home – its easier with some plants than others.”

“I do believe there has been a radical change in the way people garden – and the nurseries haven’t spotted this change. In the DIY’s, chain and independents there are lots of plants in small pots. Customers want big plants, looking good in flower – achieve that and they will buy multiples with price not really a consideration. As an industry, we need to change our mindset and provide what the customer wants.”

The new gardener?

When it comes to identifying where customer growth will come from Nicholas is quite clear in his thinking. “People have always been looking for new. At one stage everyone was saying we need to go attract younger gardeners - I don’t buy this. The fact of the matter is that when you get to a certain age you get more interested in gardening. The young go to the DIYs for value. As you get older you realise the value of your garden more and the value of your house and garden together – plus you have got a bit more money to spend. The reality is that there of plenty of gardeners out there – it is just a question of getting them from other people’s garden centres. In this street alone (alongside Windlesham are Hilliers and Longacres) there is a turnover well above £20 million. All we need is some of those customers.”

“People will come because we more accurately represent what they want. The products that we are stocking will attract people of a certain type. If you want the cheapest possible, most garish watering can there is a place for that. If on the other hand, you want something made of metal, that will look nice in your garden, then we have got it – and it is British made. I think we will find that the people will find us, mostly. But, of course, we are using modern technology to do that as well.”

“The average garden centre customer is middleclass. Why? Because they have a garden. If you own a garden, you own a house therefore you are likely to be middle class. This makes it quite convenient as you can identify people that are middle class and then you say right what do middle-class people like and like to do. That makes it very easy to reach them. At Windlesham, we have A/B/C1 customers on our doorstep. A lot of people here have gardeners who come in and shop on their client’s behalf. We also have ladies that lunch that come in and purchase – it works well. We don’t mind competing as we are not like any other garden centre.”

Lockdown has undoubtedly made people appreciate the value of their gardens more. With people working from home and gazing out of their windows thinking they really must tackle an

Plants grown in peat free composts and only peat free growing media on sale at Country Homes Group’s Windlesham site

outdoor project that they have been considering for years. Foreign holiday spends have been diverted to the garden instead. Will these newcomers disappear? No says, Nicholas. “Once they start gardening they will keep doing it – every project leads to another. As a result of the pandemic, the young are getting into gardening because they are now spending a lot more time outside – my children in their 20’s/early 30’s are evidence of that.”

Opportunities for Garden Retail

Nicholas believes that garden centres have a good future ahead of them. He says, “I’ve always said that customers come to garden centres to buy plants –everything else is an afterthought – and that’s how it is. That’s why we always used to design garden centres with a polytunnel entrance so that people come in through plants. Supermarkets, rather cynically, do similar - by bringing people in through fruit and veg to indicate they are doing fresh. In our case it is real – and it is working very successfully.

“The future for garden centres is much more about the independents – as customers prefer to shop locally, where they know the owners, the people and where customer service will be at the fore. Local garden centres do that best. The legacy of COVID 19 is that people will not want to shop with large numbers of people in long, long queues. They will prefer to go to small places – this is particularly true for the older customers.”

Next Steps

So what does the future hold for the Country House Group? How many centres are they likely to end up with? Did Nicholas ever consider buying any of the Wyevale centres? Nicholas explains, “We have a strong pipeline of sites lined up and hope to have a further two up and running next spring, pending planning. These belong to two of our non-executive directors and are on the Somerley Estate in the New Forest and the Raynham Estate in Norfolk. I have no idea how many we will end up with - we are developing at our own pace and following our noses. This time there are no private equity firms or venture capitalists pushing for a return. All they want to do is look for angles to do it quicker or take costs out of the business. For most businesses payroll makes up the highest % of costs and if you were to reduce that it would mean getting rid of our half our staff – the effect on sales would be catastrophic. I wasn’t interested in buying any of the Wyevale centres – we have done that. This time I wanted a new concept, to go onto country estates where we will be much happier. We will be in a position to choose where we want to go with lots of options moving forward.”

Watch this space!