Yesterday's KPMG Retail Sales Monitor showed that Internet sales in November were 17% higher than a year ago. Recognising that garden centres cannot ignore e-commerce, the HTA is running a series of forums during January. See more... Read more
Garden companies must be very careful about signing any document from Expo-Guide. A signature is likely to commit them to payment of €1181 a year for three years. See more... Read more
News has been released today that discussions between Webbs Garden Centres and Garden Organic are at an advanced stage for Webbs to take over the commercial operations at Ryton Gardens. See more… Read more
Garden retailers across the country including almost 1000 members of the HTA, will be supporting the BBC’s attempt to coordinate the world record planting of 650,000 trees in one hour on 5th December. Read more
Some garden centres are winning free publicity by creating newsworthy events and passing the news to their local press. Read some of the stories published in the last week. Many cover unusual ways to launch Christmas. See more... Read more
The Commercial Horticultural Association has moved its administration to Gardenex in a move to drive the association forward and boost its profile. See more … Read more
The HTA has re-launched its Market Update report with advice that retailers should focus on the family this Christmas, offering traditional, good quality gifts that are not too expensive. See more... Read more
Peter Dawson looks forward to the Southern Growers Exhibition at its new location, Roundstone. He also reviews the latest HTA research, which suggests soft and top fruit suppliers are missing out. See more... Read more
After recent government announcements on R&D funding, Neil Bragg, chairman of the HDC, tells Peter Dawson, “I find the whole situation quite disturbing. Where do ornamentals now fit into the Agricultural Horticultural Development Board?” See more... Read more
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has announced a number of key appointments following its AGM held on 21 October. Read more
Garden retailers are to blame for the fact that rose sales are not increasing as much as they should be. If retailers put the effort in and maintain their roses in peak condition it could transform the market. See more... Read more
The latest ‘Meet the Buyer’ event organised jointly by the Gardenex and PetQuip export federations will provide British companies with the opportunity of meeting with a leading garden retailer from Dubai, the largest DIY/building material retailer in Estonia and a French mail-order and internet sales company. Read more
Garden Expo 2010, a new addition to the garden business calendar, is scheduled to take place next year on 28 - 30 June at Stoneleigh Park in Coventry. With Glee and GAFA following in September, suppliers to the garden industry have a difficult choice: where and when to demonstrate their products. See more…. Read more
Totally Tools and Totally DIY, the post Christmas trade shows that have moved from Earls Court to join the Spring Fair at the NEC, have changed halls. See more... Read more
It was sad to see Glee Nursery a shadow of its former self this year. Stalwarts like Allensmore, David Austin Roses, John Woods Nurseries and The Anglia Group plus the Italian trio of Colvi Franci, Vannucci and Zelari were very much to the fore. But the problem the show organisers face is how to stop the decline. See more... Read more
The inaugural Garden Expo in June 2010 is to be a 2-day tradeshow to match the HTA’s National Plant Show. At the same time Hozelock, Stewart and Fiskars / Sankey have been announced as sponsors. See more... Read more
Haws Watering Cans has secured a major order from Canada as a direct result of exhibiting in the British group organised by Gardenex at this year’s Spoga. Other exhibitors are following up on significant export enquiries received at Spoga and a recent Meet the Buyer event. See more... Read more
Wiseweather predicts yet more unsettled weather for December with a wet and windy Xmas for most with gales in places. Read more
Garden centres that have been paying a license fee to Phonographic Performance Ltd for playing recorded music to the public may be in for a refund. See more... Read more
GCA figures confirm that October was a good month for garden centres. Outdoor plants have continued to sell well and there has been a strong start for Christmas lines. See more... Read more
Despite the recession, profitable nurseries and garden centres are selling for the same or more than a year ago, according to Quinton Edwards, who have completed a number of sales recently. See more... Read more
Mirror Group has signed a three-year agreement to become the national media partner of The Edible Garden Show, which takes place for the first time next March. See more... Read more
Wiseweather says we should expect a colder, wetter month, with snow appearing in the North. For details see more… Read more
Half the stand space is booked for next years inaugural HTA National Plant Show, which is being held at Stoneleigh on the 29th and 30th of June. So far, 51 British nurseries and importers have confirmed their space. To see who has booked, see more... Read more
The Retail world is changing. The new frugality won't go away when the economy comes back. Click and collect has seen dramatic take-up. We need to adapt. ...The consumer is looking for bite size indulgence... There is likely to be a brutal budget. Read the key points from the HTA conference. See more... Read more
Members of GIMA, the association for garden suppliers in the UK, have voted unanimously to give exclusive backing to Glee as the trade associations split over which show to back in 2010. See more... Read more
Kernock Park Plants are the latest nursery to join A.L.P. (The Association of Liner Producers). The Association already consists of 7 of the country's leading liner producers including Aline Fairweather, Fromefield Nursery, New Place Nursery, Seiont Nursery, The Northern Liner Company, West End Nursery and Wyeplants Ltd. Read more
According to the GCA, this is the second consecutive month that restaurant/café sales, with revenue up 14%, have outsold in value all other categories including outdoor plants at the UK’s leading garden centres. See more... Read more
Sefton Meadow and Frosts Woburn Sands garden centres have both been granted permissions to extend their retail area. See more... Read more
Container Centralen have put back the introduction of RFID tagging until November 2010. See more… Read more