Blogs

Sue Benson, Managing Director at The Market Creative, offers five tips on improving the customer experience by improving garden centre marketing.  

1. Share expertise

Educating customers through garden centre marketing will show off your expert knowledge and increase their trust. From what bulbs to plant and how to look after your garden to what to buy next, make your expertise known with posters and banners scattered throughout. Consider displaying a chalkboard with bespoke information about the week’s weather and what plants are best to buy, putting visitors in the right…

The GIMA Day Conference took place on 12th April at Ettington Chase Hotel, Stratford-Upon-Avon, with over 65 members in attendance. With a packed agenda, the day tackled everything from the Bank of England’s current economic forecast, foreign exchange rates, GDPR and two industry stalwarts sharing an insight into their careers and hopes for the future. An overview of GIMA’s current activities completed the day-long conference.

There has been a rise in the popularity of farmers markets as people turn to their local suppliers in support of the local community because of Gazebos. In fact, research by Zoopla* highlighted how properties near a farmers market are likely to cost £87,180 more than the wider county area, showing the knock-on effects of this popularity. Stephen Evans, Managing Director at Market Gazebo World examines the rise of farmers markets in the UK and how gazebos play an important role in increasing footfall.

Leading UK lawn seed supplier Johnsons Lawn Seed is continuing to campaign for quality within the consumer market and looking to address the persistent problem of ‘shrinkflation’, i.e. packets being filled with less seed, or bulked out with cheaper, substandard seed. It’s a problem that continues to negatively impact the supply chain, says Consumer Manager Guy Jenkins.

Many manufacturers and suppliers have been reducing the overall content of their products on retailers’ shelves. Weights are being reduced but the prices do not fall in line, whilst packaging continues to increase in…

OSMOUK Post Fix is a strong, easy-to-use, and fast-setting solution that allows users to fix a post in a matter of minutes.

Whether you are installing garden posts or sports poles, OSMOUK Post Fix is the ideal product for those who are looking for a cost effective, lightweight alternative to concrete.

OSMOUK Post Fix is a DIY product for use on small projects that require a quick and easy solution. With no complicated installation process and no need for any tools or fixings, everyone can use OSMOUK Post Fix. Applications include fences, garden lights, post boxes, signs,…

Produced by FIRA to give a greater understanding of fire safety issues that may concern those buying or selling outdoor furniture, the LOFA Outdoor Furniture Flammability Guide provides a basic introduction to the LOFAssured Scheme with essential information for retailers and consumers.

One of the conditions of LOFA membership is that members must adhere to a code of conduct, part of which is compliance with all current legislation. The new guide explains that, in order to achieve LOFAssured status, LOFA members must pass an audit process supported by Hertfordshire County Council…

Alec White, nurseryman and peony expert of Primrose Hall Peonies shares his predictions for the peonies that will be seen at the Royal Wedding in May and gives his reasons for singling out these specific peony varieties. Primrose Hall is one of the UK’s largest growers and only UK specialist peony grower.

“If I were a betting man I would put my money on at least one of these stunning varieties of peonies featuring in the Royal Wedding. Meghan Markle is a self-confessed peony lover, sharing many…

ONE OF the UK’s leading nurseries, Wyevale Nurseries, has seen a growth in sales of its range of specimen shrubs and has increased its own production by 300% in the past three years.

Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford has created additional bed space on its nursery for specimen shrubs and has extended the range recently to include several native hedging varieties to keep up with demand.

Adam Dunnett, Sales and Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, said:

“Our new specimen beds are quarter of a hectare each and the total additional area space is half a…

Woodlodge, the UK’s leading supplier of garden pots, horticulture products and garden ware, is leading the way this summer by setting the standard in customer support, product merchandising and introducing a new POS printing service.

Eye-catching POS Printing

To entice customers in-store, Woodlodge offer its own in-house printing service to create an eye-catching point of sale across all its ranges, which include Heritage Garden, Feather, Chelsea Terrace, Vintage and Rustic Garden.  Retailers can use this service to print targeted and personalised content that will convey…

Now spring has officially sprung so can the Quit That Itch campaign, as we can finally say hello to warmer weather, lighter evenings and beautiful flowers in bloom. However this season also brings with it a rise in tree and grass pollen which can be an irritation to both you and your furry four-legged friend.

Skin and coat complaints in dogs are most commonly seen during the spring and summer months. To help dog and cat owners across the country support the health and wellbeing of their pets Lintbells, manufacturer of the UK’s No.1 Veterinary Skin and Coat Supplement* YuMEGA has…

A lot of garden centres are using their webshop as a showroom for their physical store. The customer journey starts online but ends offline in a brick and mortar store. But how do you make sure that you are easily found via Google? Here are 5 practical tips to improve your local findability.

1. DON’T FORGET THE META-DESCRIPTION

The meta-description is a short text that will be visible in the Google search results and, as such, rather important.

If you want to make sure to be found in your own region, you will have to make sure to communicate your place…

With national pet month well and truly underway, we’re seeking the best gifts to spoil our favourite furry friend with.

During our exploration of pup goodies we have discovered Nineteen 87, a relatively new super-premium pet food that is made in a bakery in rural North Wales. The range is created through a continuous baking process and uses 50% fresh chicken, beef, lamb or salmon from UK based farms in each flavour. Full of delicious botanicals and scrumptious nutrients the range is sure to fuel pups with all the best energy whilst boasting a wealth of sophisticated flavours.…

There is a flourishing trend for inner-city gardens across the towns and cities of the UK with the advice from GARDENA, and with bank holiday season fast-approaching this offers the perfect opportunity to tend to the garden and tackle the jobs that may have been neglected over the cold winter months.

With the Easter, Early May and Spring bank holiday’s just around the corner, GARDENA provides this handy guide to help city-dwellers find their green-fingers and cultivate their own green haven, whether that be vast and sprawling, a minimal balcony garden or even a communal space or…

Small but perfectly formed, keepsake cards are the perfect size for the finishing touch to smaller items of giftware jewellery and flowers.

Created from original paintings by owner and artist Caroline Crawford, the artwork is then printed into small folding cards. Inspired by current trends in the industry Caroline paints the images in watercolour, using colour pallets including the ‘white range’ to compliment current trends and occasions; These are then printed on beautiful silk sustainable board and all the cards are printed here in the U.K and sold in packs of fifty.

The…

The Plant Heath Coordinator at one of the UK’s leading nurseries has created an Information Pack on biosecurity to help address the recent concerns related to the topic within the industry (March, 2018). 
 
Kyle Ross from Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford has created a Plant Health Information Pack to hand out to customers to raise awareness of potentially damaging pests and diseases that are currently threatening the horticulture industry. 
 
Twenty-four-year-old Kyle explained:

“We feel it is important that businesses working within the sector are aware of…

With the first day of spring falling on Tuesday 20th March, its time to find the most beautiful blooms with longer days and lighter nights are finally in sight. When we think of spring we think of newborn lambs, hearing the birds begin to sing, and of course flourishing trees and colourful flowers.

To get you through the last few weeks of winter, last minute rental provider Snaptrip.com shares the best blossoming places to visit this spring.

1.       Daffodils at Bodnant Garden

The daffodil is the proud emblem of Wales, and the country is home to some of the most…