Mims: Terracotta trend fuels summer garden demand
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Mims Siena Range
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Mims Tuscana collection
As another summer of Mediterranean escapes inspires British gardeners, Mims is encouraging retailers to review their terracotta displays and ensure they're perfectly positioned to meet growing demand for authentic, timeless outdoor styling.
From sun-drenched courtyards in Tuscany to rustic terraces overlooking the Greek islands, terracotta remains one of the defining design trends consumers bring home from their holidays. Combined with the continued popularity of olive trees, citrus plants, lavender and drought-tolerant planting, demand for natural clay pots continues to flourish, creating a valuable sales opportunity for garden centres.
However, according to Mims, success isn't simply about stocking terracotta. It's about creating an inspiring destination that encourages customers to discover new styles, trade up and leave with exactly the right pot for their planting project.
That's where Mims' carefully curated terracotta collection comes into its own.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all range, Mims enables retailers to build a bespoke terracotta proposition that reflects their local customer base, available retail space and commercial objectives.
Beyond the product itself, Mims also supports retailers through its unique nationwide merchandising service, helping create attractive displays that remain fresh, fully stocked and commercially effective throughout the season.
A terracotta collection for every customer
At the heart of the collection is the hugely versatile Tuscana collection. Designed to provide retailers with the foundations of a strong terracotta display, it includes standard pots and bowls in several sizes with matching saucers and pot feet. Together, these complementary lines allow retailers to create coordinated displays that cater for everything from impulse purchases through to larger specimen planting.
For retailers looking to elevate their terracotta offer, Mims also supplies several premium artisan collections.
The Siena range – including Siena Rim and Siena Swag pots – is handmade by skilled Italian artisans using iron-rich Galestro clay. Characterised by soft pinks, rich terracotta reds and the distinctive Galestro hallmark impressed into every pot, the collection delivers the authentic craftsmanship increasingly sought by discerning gardeners.
Meanwhile, the Traditional Collection continues to prove itself as one of Mims perennial bestsellers, offering timeless appeal that works across virtually every garden centre environment.
Flexible ordering. Smarter retailing
For retailers wanting to test consumer appetite before committing to a larger display, the smaller quantities available through Mims Mix & Match and Pick & Mix concepts provide an ideal entry point. Unlike traditional pallet ordering, Mix & Match allows retailers to combine two different product lines to create a single carriage-paid pallet, whilst Pick & Mix offers the flexibility of ordering in carton quantities.
The result is a more accessible, budget-friendly way for independent and smaller garden centres to introduce new ranges, maintain greater variety on the shop floor and top up best-selling lines throughout the season without overcommitting on stock.
Supporting the proposition is Mims unique nationwide merchandising service. From supplying bespoke display benches to professionally installing, maintaining and replenishing displays, Mims dedicated merchandising team works with retailers across the UK to ensure terracotta displays remain attractive, fully stocked and performing at their best. It's a level of hands-on support that helps retailers maximise sales while taking the day-to-day management of the category off their hands.
Statement planting made commercially viable
At the other end of the scale, Mims renowned Big Pots range enables retailers to satisfy demand for statement planting without tying up valuable retail space, excessive stockholding or cashflow. Available in pallet quantities from just four pots, the range makes premium, large-format terracotta accessible, allowing retailers to capitalise on higher-value sales for mature trees, architectural planting and luxury landscaping projects.
Mimi Milne, Managing Director of Mims, said: "Terracotta has always been an emotional purchase. Customers aren't simply buying a pot; they're buying into a lifestyle and recreating the beautiful outdoor spaces they've fallen in love with on their travels.
"Our role is to make that opportunity as straightforward and profitable as possible for retailers. Whether that's through our handcrafted Italian collections, flexible Mix & Match and Pick & Mix ordering options, unique nationwide merchandising service or our Big Pots proposition, everything we do is designed to help retailers stock with confidence, reduce risk and maximise sales.
"Every garden centre is different, which is why flexibility is so important. We give retailers the freedom to build a terracotta offer that suits their customers, their available space and their budget, while providing the ongoing support to ensure those displays continue delivering results throughout the season."
Find out more
Retailers interested in refreshing or expanding their terracotta offering are invited to speak to the Mims team about creating a tailored terracotta display that suits their customer base, retail space and budget. From flexible ordering options and handcrafted collections to nationwide merchandising support and Big Pots, Mims provides everything retailers need to build a profitable terracotta category.
For more information, email sales@mimspottery.com, call 0141 336 4970 or visit www.mimspottery.com.