G A R D E N • H OU S E W A R E S • H A R D W A R E • D I Y • G I F T S Garden&Hardware news THE UK’S LEADING JOURNAL FOR GARDEN CENTRES AND DIY STORES DECEMBER-JANUARY 2015 £4.95 FREE RETAIL PLANTS & SHRUBS INSIDE Gifts galore SEE OUR PRODUCT GUIDE AND EXHIBITS PREVIEW DIY ON THE UP SPECIAL HARDWARE FEATURE AND GUIDE HOW MUCH DO WE DIVERSIFY? Question Time looks at the evolution of our retail outlets WARNING: THE DECIMATOR IS COMING Cover Photo: Bessertrim page 20 December 2014 Welcome back to Garden & Hardware News. It’s reached that festive time of year again when product lines are changing to account for the approach of Christmas. With that in mind, our section on page 16 focuses on some of the gifts and houseware available whilst our special feature on page 17 looks at ways in which packaging breakthroughs are being used to extend the shelf life of cut flowers, and how the future of gift-style plants like the poinsettia, which tends to have a limited shelf life, could be extended in the future. We’ve also included a range of products Editor: Stephanie Cornwall stephanie.cornwall@onecoms.co.uk Production Controller: Robin Jeffries robin.jeffries@onecoms.co.uk Sales Office Manager: Vicky Bullivant vicky.bullivant@onecoms.co.uk Account Manager: Claire Jordan claire.jordan@onecoms.co.uk Accounts: Carole Todd carole.todd@onecoms.co.uk Reception: Louise Stupples louise.stupples@onecoms.co.uk Associate Publisher: Donna Jenkins donna@onecoms.co.uk Publisher: Robert Nisbet robert@onecoms.co.uk that are new to the market in the launch gallery on pages 10 and 11. Post-Christmas, we have the Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair and Spring Fair. We’ll be featuring more details about both in future issues, but have given you a sneak preview here about what’s in store. With festive lines now on sale and our aisles filling up with Christmas plants, decorations and other products, the question we’ve posed in this month’s Question Time looks at diversification in both garden and hardware stores and gains feedback from two very different sources – the innovator putting new products into stores and the DIY hardware specialist with NEWS 4 Five-page round up of news and events from the industry LAUNCH GALLERY 10 We spotlight some of the new products coming onto the market extensive buying experience in a number of other retail sectors. Once more our Retail Plants and Shrubs section is packed with features and news for this sector, including full coverage of the South West Growers Show and the international event, Orticolario, which adds Italian flair to the Chelsea concept. All that remains now is for us to wish you a happy Christmas and a prosperous 2015! Stephanie Cornwall Editor 21 QUESTION TIME What are the boundaries for diversification? 22 PRODUCT NEWS All the latest news about products coming to market and new lines 23 GARDEN FUTURES We review the conference, some of the insights gained by those attending, and experiences shared 26 LAST WORD This month’s columnist looks at new innovators in retail, and what UK manufacturing offers them INDUSTRY NEWS 12 Get the latest updates from the suppliers on what’s going on in their world SHOWS PREVIEW 13 An early glimpse of what’s going to be on offer at this year’s Harrogate Gift Fair and Spring Fair. Media One Communications Ltd, 1 Accent Park, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6XS.T el: 01733 385300. www.onecoms.co.uk Copyright 2014©, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without written permission from the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. GIFTS & HOUSEWARE 16 Our new feature spotlights more of what suppliers are offering in the run-up to Christmas HARDWARE 18 Three-page section highlighting the findings of a DIY survey and some of the hardware on offer 29 SOUTH WEST GROWERS Full review of show and award winners 30 ORTICOLARIO Full review of show and award winners 32 READER PROFILE This month’s guest garden centre describes how the use of solar power is keeping running costs low DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 3 NEWS GARDEN & HARDWARE NEWS TOP TWEETS @BatesNursery BATES NURSERY Wonderful time lapse of a Landscape Design from Kingbird Design: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =8ev8H95ukCs&feature=related @HOWTOPHIL HowToPhil All Kinds of People Making Amazing Things In Garages, Basements, and Backyards. Hardcover http://tinyurl.com/pchuf3c @MARIAMCASEY Maria Casey See my Giant Red and Green-inSnow Mustard crop! #wintergreens #GrowYourOwn #organicfood @TELEGARDENING Telegraph Gardening Glorious autumn hedgerows: in pictures http://tgr.ph/1BTesPE 20th anniversary celebrations for landscapers who started with a van Green-tech has just celebrated its 20th anniversary in the landscaping industry. Founded by Richard and Rachel Kay in 1994 with a second hand van, £200 and an office in their house, Green-tech has grown today to a £9 million plus turnover business, operating out of 30,000 square foot warehousing and office facilities, employing more than 40 staff and selling more than 6,000 products. Chairman Richard said the company plans to invest heavily in expanding its Green-tree topsoil business in the south for 2015, and is looking at new markets for its John Chambers Wildflower Seed arm. The company celebrated with a celebration dinner for 100 industry colleagues, team social events, a joint open day with Johnsons of Whixley and the publication of a 20-page anniversary supplement that details the company's brands, products and people. Puncture-proof wheelbarrow tyre distribution Essex-based Active Products has been appointed UK distributor for the original GreenTyre puncture proof wheelbarrow tyre. Active Products is best known for its original AP lighting range created in 2003, which has evolved considerably over the years and now includes six ranges catering to the budget mass market for domestic purposes and extending to trade professionals and emergency services. Greentyres was established in 1992 with a mission to develop and commercialise a solution to the problem of traditional rubber tyres going flat. It uses modern polyurethanes derived from those commonly used in sports shoes to form a tyre of regular consistency that will not go flat. The tyre is puncture proof and is available in 14 inch and 16 inch sizes with universal hub fittings. It is earth friendly and 100 per cent recyclable. It is currently available in Homebase and B&Q and the distributor said it is seeing growing interest from retailers and independent builders merchants. Retailers interested in stocking the puncture proof tyre, can call Active Products on 01371 872 842 or email sales@activeproducts.co.uk. Two team up to create new range Addagrip, the leading resin bound and bonded surfacing manufacturer, has teamed up with Netherlands based Flowresin Group to launch a new range of interior flooring called PU Floor Green Line which combines traditional craftsmanship and modern technology to create a unique, durable flooring product that can be tailored to suit individual requirements. For further information, contact sales@addagrip.co.uk. Branch refurbished Notcutts celebrated the launch of its newly refurbished Wheatcroft garden centre in Nottingham last month. @4BESTHERBS Eustache Davenport Herbs make food taste better, produce delightful aromas teas, medicine.... http://bit.ly/stArT @CHASEORGANICS ChaseOrganics Did you know that parsnip is the best selling veg seed in the UK? http://fb.me/71xKVKgMY @SEED_BALL SEEDBALL Plant wildflowers now (or give as Christmas pressies) need inspiration? Create a hideaway! @SOWSEEDSLTD Sow Seeds Our Little Box of Horrors Chilli Seed Collection Box. http://sowseeds.co.uk/collections/ seed-collections/products/thelittle-box-of-horrors-chilli-seed-coll ection-box @SOILASSOCIATION Soil Association The Farm Crap App is a clever and inventive idea! Will you vote for it to win our InnovationAward? http://bit.ly/1lCnFhk Join us on Twitter at #DIYretailer Support electrical safety campaign DIY retailers are being urged to back a new campaign highlighting the perils of attempting DIY electrical work which is being highlighted in a new campaign. The 'Don’t Die For DIY’ campaign, launched by charity, Electrical Safety First, highlights the risks people face when attempting electrical work using advice from internet sources such as YouTube, rather than a registered electrician. Digital agency Code Computerlove has created a series of low-budget, fake “amateur” vlogs imitating some of the most highly viewed YouTube videos, showing the near fatal results of doing electrical DIY in the wrong way. Each of the five videos, featuring Code’s “electrician” Mike Power who isn’t as qualified as he seems, is followed by the message “Be sure the person giving online advice is a registered electrician” and prompts people to share the campaign message. Electrical Safety First spokesman Emma Apter said: “Research shows that more and more people are turning to the internet, and particularly YouTube, for how-to guides on DIY at home and the web is full of DIY instruction videos. “Whilst this is great in many ways, when it comes to electrical work it can be really dangerous. The fact is that, even if they claim to be experts, these online DIYers don’t always know their stuff. Electricity can be extremely dangerous, so why would you take the risk?” The campaign is designed to get this message out there and encourage people to use registered electricians. For more information visit electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/DIY. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 5 NEWS GARDEN & HARDWARE NEWS Male voiceovers are less welcoming, say shoppers Sandy joins HTA Board Sandy Shepherd from Ball Colegrave has joined the HTA Board as a director. As Managing Director for Ball Colegrave since 2001 Sandy brings more than 30 years' horticultural business knowledge to the organisation, having previously held senior management positions in KinderGarden Plants, Jiffy and Lows of Dundee.In addition to Sandy the HTA Board comprises of Stan Green (President), David Norman (Hon Treasurer), Carol Paris (HTA CEO), Caroline Owen (Past President), John Lord, Ian Ashton, Bob Hewitt, Mark Pearson and Richard Barnard. Insight for landscapers The UK garden industry speaks with a middle-aged, female voice, new research reveals. A study conducted by PH Media Group found the most popular voice used by garden businesses is female and aged between 45 and 55. It is also warm and friendly in tone, helping to reinforce a sense of dedicated, obliging service. The female voice is generally perceived by customers as soothing and welcoming, helping put customers at ease. Head of Voice and Music at PH Media Group, Dan Lafferty, said. "That doesn't mean it will necessarily be the best fit across the board and companies should use a voice which best reflects their products, customer base and service proposition. An older, deeper male voice, for example, is perceived as authoritative and professional, providing customers with a different kind of reassurance." The research audited garden businesses’ on-hold marketing – the messages heard by callers when they are put on hold or transferred – to reveal which voice and music is most widely used. The most popular music tracks were relaxed and uplifting in style, designed to reinforce the sense of top-class service communicated by the tone of voice. Many firms opt to use popular music tracks but can have emotional associations and be unsuitable in convincing a customer to buy. "Sound is a powerful emotional sense," added Dan. "People will often attach feelings, both positive and negative, to a piece of commercial music, which will be recalled upon hearing it." Social media link on new website Town & Country has launched its new website with additional features. The new design features full photography in all product categories and improved navigation. It includes latest information on new products, promotions and special offers. Site visitors can now search for products by task, colour, material or size and can post a review. There is also a social hub where they can engage with Town & Country via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, as well as keeping up to date with the latest news, tips and advice via the regular Blog entries. 6 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk Following demand for more insight into recruitment and sub-contracting in the landscaping sector, the APL seminar at Provender Nurseries focused on recruiting and retaining staff. The seminar covered recruitment agencies and processes, de-mystifying apprentice schemes and whether sub-contracting is a better option. Guy Moreton from MorePeople and Susan McLaughlin of Garden House Design gave talks. Dobbies opens in Cambridge Dobbies Garden Centres has opened a new store in Bar Hill, Cambridge, which now takes its number of centres to 35. Adrian takes up Hozelock role in Northern Europe Global watering expert Hozelock has announced the appointment of Adrian Davey as its new Commercial Director for Northern Europe. In this role he will be responsible for all commercial activities in the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia. Adrian has a wealth of experience in the consumer goods sector, having previously held the position of managing director at Cobra Beer and several senior roles within Molson Coors, one of the world’s leading brewers. At Hozelock, he is a member of the international leadership team and reports directly to Chief Executive Marc Ballu. Head of Garden appointment Wyevale Garden Centres has appointed Caroline Linger as Head of Garden. Caroline, who held a previous role at Frosts Garden Centres where she was integral in developing the Garden and Home proposition and driving profitable sales growth, joins WGC from The Co-operative Pharmacy. Medal for soil scientist Respected soil scientist and national expert in growing media, Neil Bragg, has been awarded the HTA Pearson Memorial Medal in recognition for his outstanding commitment to the horticultural industry. Neil, who has recently stepped down as chairman of the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) after six years, is a director of Bulrush Horticulture. During his time at the HDC he oversaw the move of the company from Kent to Stoneleigh. Neil started work for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and after achieving a masters degree, transferred to ADAS soil science where he became part of the National Horticulture Specialist Group. In 1991 he joined Bulrush and subsequently became a director of the company. He has chaired the Bedding and Pot Plant Association and the Growing Media Association. Previously a director of Stockbridge Technology Centre, he has a passion for research & development and is currently a director of the Horticultural Innovation Partnership. NEWS Former Which? researcher takes up growing media role Center Parcs rooftop gets planted out Consumer expert and renowned horticultural researcher, Dr Richard Gianfrancesco has been appointed as Growing Media Product Manager by William Sinclair Horticulture which makes J. Arthur Bower's, Growing Success, New Horizon and DeadFast brands of growing media, fertilisers and sundries. Previously a UK and global business manager for environmental consultancy, Thomson Ecology, Dr Gianfrancesco is best known for Shropshire-based Boningale Nurseries has supplied more than 7,000 plants for the sustainable green roof at the new £250 million Center Parcs. The new resort, which opened at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, features a green roof on top of the Pancake House, one of the restaurants on site. The Albrighton-based nursery was asked by green roofing installers ABG to supply the SkyPlugs – robust plant plugs developed specifically for green roofs – for the 353 m2 sustainable roof space. The company provided nine different species of sedum, each of which has a strong and developed rootball and is grown in the Boningale GreenSky substrate, a growing medium that is tailored to suit the environment in which the plants are being grown. his earlier work for Which?, the consumer champion, where he spent 12 years (2001-2013) in senior positions including a fiveyear stint as head of research for 'Which? Gardening' and most recently as head of science, statistics and social research. In his new role, he will be responsible for ensuring the company's range of growing media is aligned with the needs of consumers through constant product innovation and enhancement. AIPH awards medal Manor's grounds redeveloped Boringdon Hall Hotel, a manor house in Devon, has recently seen its grounds redeveloped, with paving supplied by Tobermore, manufacturer of block paving, paving flags, kerbing and walling products. President of the China Flower Association (CFA), Madame Jiang Zehui, has been awarded a gold medal by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH). AIPH President, Vic Krahn, presented the accolade during the opening ceremony of the 66th Annual Congress of AIPH to Madame Jiang in recognition of her outstanding contribution to ornamental horticulture in China through her leadership of the CFA and support for AIPH. Madame Jiang has been president of the CFA since 1999 and has also overseen international horticultural exhibitions. Driving sustainability Kingfisher Group has appointed 2degrees, the global collaboration platform for sustainable business, to help drive its restorative Net Positive approach to business across its global operating companies, which include B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Koçtas. Mainstreaming sustainability into the heart of the business is a key ambition for Kingfisher and it is now looking for more integrated and collaborative ways to accelerate the implementation of Net Positive across its operating companies in 10 different countries. 2degrees will work with Kingfisher to leverage the diversity of knowledge and experience which exists across its businesses. Kingfisher is hoping the platform will accelerate progress particularly around timber, energy, innovation and community. Organic winners announced The winners of the most prestigious awards in the organic industry were announced at the recent Soil Association’s annual conference. The Soil Association Organic Awards have been showcasing the best in organic food and drink for 28 years and 2014 saw three important changes. For the first time ever, consumers were involved in the voting process. Once the entries had been shortlisted by the judging panel, the public were encouraged to vote online to make the final decision. More than 11,000 votes This year the judges based their decisions not only the quality of the product, but the organic story behind it – such as how the business and product went the extra mile in animal welfare, protecting the environment and wildlife, promoting health and serving the community. The awards saw more than 400 entries. January DIARY DATES 1 11-13 JANUARY TOP DRAWER OLYMPIA, LONDON www.topdrawer.co.uk Design-led gift trade event showcasing thousands of carefully selected British and international suppliers and designer-makers. 11-14 JANUARY GIVING & LIVING 1-5 FEBRUARY SPRING FAIR INTERNATIONAL NEC, BIRMINGHAM www.springfair.com The most vital buying event in any retailer’s calendar. 20 MARCH-6 APRIL 2015 IDEAL HOME SHOW WESTPOINT, EXETER www.givingliving.co.uk Giving & Living is the largest, and earliest, trade show in the South West. OLYMPIA, LONDON www.idealhomeshow.co.uk Everything from fixtures and fittings to fine food, gardens and the latest gadgets, all under one roof at this award-winning show. 11-14 JANUARY HARROGATE CHRISTMAS & GIFT 5-7 MAY LAWN, GARDEN & OUTDOOR LIVING HARROGATE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE www.harrogatefair.co.uk Harrogate gives the retailer everything for a perfect Christmas. LAS VEGAS CONVENTION www.nationalhardwareshow.com For face-to-face sourcing, trading and learning for the US home improvement and DIY markets. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 7 NEWS GARDEN & HARDWARE NEWS Paint manufacturer has Frank on the oche Paint manufacturer Leyland Trade has given one of its loyal customers an opportunity to take on world darts champion Michael van Gerwen. Frank Johnson, who has sold Leyland Trade at Wear Valley Decorating Centre in County Durham for more than 20 years, took on the darts superstar in an exclusive private event at PPG Canalside in Huddersfield. Leyland Trade has a long history of supporting its loyal stockist customers and encourages them to share in its ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos. Stockist brand marketing manager, Vicky Jones, said: “We pride ourselves on the relationships we have with our customers, which is why hosting events like this is so important. Frank has been a hugely loyal customer over many years so it was fantastic to see him taking on the world champion…and giving him a run for his money.” Global show for decoration sector Messe Frankfurt, the world’s leading trade show for the seasonal decoration sector, will be held in Frankfurt from January 30th to February 3rd. Organisers say plans for the show are well underway and the exhibition stands are already filling up. Fourth edition of Expo TCO in the offing The third Expo TCO trade show, held at Dodewaard in the Netherlands, featured 90 stand holders, of which 55 were landscaping participants and 35 supplying companies and services. With 710 visitors on the first day and 1,630 on the second day, the total number of visitors reached 2,340. The tree tour offered visitors a look behind the scenes of a standard tree nursery. Thirteen participants offered the opportunity to visit their businesses and dozens of visitors took advantage of this. A total of 18 innovations were presented at the fair, both technical and green novelties, and the technology street outside showed how the trees are grown. The Expo TCO workgroup is already planning the fourth show. Expo TCO is intended to position the Opheusden region as the leading avenue tree centre. However, this year the range was expanded to include ornamental shrubs, conifers and perennials. The fair offered a total range for gardens and public green spaces and attracts international growers, gardeners and horticultural companies, architects and government representatives. Gold people award Garden supplies company, Harrod UK, is celebrating after receiving an Investors in People (IIP) Gold award. Harrod UK were first awarded IIP status in 1996 and has maintained the accolade ever since. Gold is achieved by less than one per cent of all companies. No wintery discontent for king’s burial Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford has supplied the plants for two landscaped gardens within the grounds of Leicester Cathedral where King Richard III will be buried. The nursery was commissioned to provide plants worth £25,000 for the project by the landscape architecture practice, Gillespies, in London and Tim South of L.D.A. Architects in Exeter. Amenity Sales Manager Andy Congera said: “The two landscaped gardens at the Cathedral were to commemorate the re-interment of Richard III. The gardens are now a modern leisure park landscape for the people of Leicester. It was a major landscaping project and we were delighted to be involved." The plants supplied included Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Liatris and Eragrostis ‘Wind Dancer’. These were used within a framework of 300 Buxus hedging specimens. King Richard III’s bones were found under a council car park in Leicester in 2012 and will be reinterred on March 26th, 2015 at Leicester Cathedral. A week-long series of events will see the king’s coffin travel from Bosworth. Britain’s next generation of interior designers presented Homebase has launched a new programme that aims to get more young people interested in careers in interior design and decorating. The first intake of students were revealed at Grand Designs Live in October. The 13 design enthusiasts are to join Homebase for a year, where they will learn all of the tricks of the trade from industry experts, including famous Homebase suppliers such as Dulux, Harris and Graham & Brown. The students will also receive City & Guilds training to ensure they have lots of practical experience as well as up-to-the minute knowledge about all of the latest trends to pass on to customers as they advise them in Homebase Design Centres. 8 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk Homebase HR Director John Shaw said: “We are committed to championing our industry as a great career choice – and we’re delighted to be able to offer young people such a significant boost on the career ladder. We received a fantastic response when we announced we were looking to start a design and decorating academy – and we are excited to welcome the new students.” Those completing the scheme to a satisfactory level may receive an offer to progress their career within Homebase stores, either within its distribution network or at head office in Milton Keynes. The design and decorating academy follows on from the success of the Homebase Garden Academy, now in its second year. NEWS Aging population accounts for more time spent in gardens Insight shared at conference An aging population is leading to more people spending time and money on their gardens according to director of AMA Research Andrew Hartley. Andrew said there is now a general interest in environmentally friendly products, creating added value as well as more media interest in the garden as an aspirational living space. He said there has also been a trend towards higher quality/value products in both Jackie Eades, managing director of gardening products specialist Briers, was the guest speaker at a recent HTA Garden Futures Conference at the Jarvis Hall, RIBA, London. Addressing key figures in the garden industry, Jackie's talk covered design, manufacture and retail in the sector. Her presentation, Right Product, Right Customer, also discussed the principles and philosophy behind the Briers brand. garden furniture and barbecues, although average prices for better quality products have fallen. Andrew said: “Future product developments are likely to be driven by fashion, demographics and housing/garden styles and sizes, and the ageing population will result in more people having time to spend in the garden – with older age groups also more inclined to use barbecues than 15-20 years ago.” UK’s garden leisure market improving The domestic garden leisure market, which fell in value terms during 2012, has started to recover and was estimated to be worth more than £500 million in 2013, reflecting an estimated growth of 12 per cent, and continuing to grow over the past year, according to a report by AMA Research. Expenditure on garden leisure products has been volatile in recent years owing to a combination of falls in consumer confidence, the economic climate, and the weather. Positive factors include good weather on bank holiday weekends, sporting events and the trend for greater utilisation of outdoor space. The largest sector of the garden leisure market is garden furniture, which accounted for more than 60 per cent in 2013. Metal and plastic garden furniture gained share at the expense of wood as consumers have moved away from traditional towards more contemporary styles. The plastic category has been boosted in recent years by the popularity of rattan style garden furniture made of all-weather materials. The barbecue sector has benefited from the trend to trade up from charcoal to gas barbecues, the increasing interest in dining outside and added value from product development, with 2014 a good year for the sector. Own brands dominate this sector of the market, accounting for an estimated 45-55 per cent share. Garden leisure products are increasingly sourced and manufactured abroad, particularly in the Far East and Eastern Europe. Most are sold through DIY multiples, which account for more than 40 per cent market share. For further information, visit www.amaresearch.co.uk. Chef shows how to use barbecue Chef Dan Cooper was due to give a two-hour barbecue demonstration at Polhill Sevenoaks on Thursday, November 20th from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, to promote the Weber range now being stocked there. He is demonstrating how to grill, roast and bake the Weber way. Warming news for greenhouses Bosmere is launching a new generation of greenhouse heaters. There are two models in the range, which are designed to encourage even heat distribution with a constant flow of warm air, providing protection against frost in the cold winter months. By eliminating cold spots in the greenhouse the risk of disease is also reduced. Both models are CE approved, waterproof class IPX4 and have overheat protection. Nurseries celebrate six-year partnership Wyevale Nurseries is celebrating its sixth successful year in partnership with top Italian nursery, Innocenti & Mangoni Piante. The two teamed up in 2008 to develop Greenline Plants, a cash and carry outlet, to deliver a more bespoke service for its customers. Greenline Plants is based at the Earlswood nurseries site in the West Midlands. It is overseen by Alan Standring (pictured right), who has 27 years’ experience in the horticultural industry. Greenline Plants supplies a wide range of plants, including bamboos, herbaceous perennials, palms, roses, shrubs, topiary as well as the more exotic and unusual varieties. If it hasn’t got the plants a customer needs on-site its team of experts will aim to source the plants required. Innocenti & Mangoni Piante has been dedicated to the production and the marketing of quality outdoor ornamental plants since 1950. Fiskars makes new marketing appointments Fiskars UK Ltd has made two key marketing appointments to strengthen the UK team. Kerry Murfin has been appointed Trade Marketing Director and James Karanicolas as Trade Marketing Manager. Kerry joins from Newell Rubbermaid. For the past seven years she led trade marketing throughout the EMEA region for brands Dymo, Sharpie, Parker, Irwin and Rubbermaid across key retailers Staples, Office Depot and Amazon. She has 15 years' experience at UK and EMEA level in retail, wholesale and web channels. James is focussed on driving category growth within key DIY, garden centre and builders' merchants channels. He joins from Fiskars Australia where he had four years' experience leading trade marketing initiatives. Through the execution of campaigns across key retailers, James has been instrumental in growing marketing share with new category launches. Leadership changes The Scotts Company (UK) Ltd has announced that Mark Pearson, currently CEO of the Scotts Solus Brands Division, and May Philpott, currently Sales Director of that Division, will leave the company on November 30th. Martin Breddy, Scotts UK General Manager, will assume leadership of the whole business. Rainer Schubert will become Sales Director for the whole portfolio. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 9 THE LAUNCH GALLERY LAUNCH GALLERY Master of its class Heralded as the finest peat-based universal compost produced by the company, Sinclair Horticulture's new J. Arthur Bower's Masterblend® is a crumbly, free-flowing blend of 100 per cent professional grade Scottish peat with 10 per cent John Innes. The mix is rich and dark and is enriched with a six-month controlled release fertiliser which is further enhanced by the addition of Celcote®, a cellulose water-absorbing coating which locks onto compost fibres where it stores and releases moisture as it is needed. It is available in 50 litre bags. Going for Danish Johnstone’s Trade has expanded its Woodworks range after adding Danish Oil to its woodcare products, for use on interior and exterior wood. Available in 750ml, Johnstone’s Danish Oil provides a low sheen finish for furniture, handrails, window frames, beams and planters, and can be applied with a brush or cloth. Barbecue-style Christmas roasting The Weber® Style™ Poultry Roaster is being marketed for cooking the perfect roast chicken. After liquid has been poured into the central well and the chicken placed on top, the liquid steams to keep the meat tender and moist. Onions, carrots and other vegetables can then also be placed in the dish. This roaster is suitable for use on the larger charcoal and gas barbecues and can also be used to cook nachos or even chocolate brownies. 10 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk LAUNCH GALLERY Tooling up Two Christmas kits have been launched by Dremel. The Dremel home décor kit contains he Dremel 930 dual-temparature glue gun and the 290 engraver, carbide engraving bits, engraving templates, multipurpose glue sticks and glitter sticks. It also includes a project booklet. The home repair project Kit contains the 3000 Multitool, three attachments and accessories, and a project booklet. Refreshed Greenworld RPC has developed a new series of bottles with a special base design for ASB Greenworld‘s concentrated fertilisers. The HDPE bottles are blowmoulded in classic green by RPC Kutenholz, in 250ml, 500ml and 1l sizes. They incorporate a user-friendly easy-grip handle and a sight strip, which allows the user to establish the fill level and measure out the desired quantity precisely, using the measuring cap. Another feature of the new container is its functional base, developed by RPC Kutenholz, which enables the bottle to withstand an internal pressure of more than 0.7 bar and means no degasifying cap is required. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 11 INDUSTRY NEWS Toolstream app for Android phones and tablets Following the huge success of the Toolstream app for iOS, Toolstream has launched the app for Android phones and tablets. Stockists can download the Android App free from Google Play to browse, view more than 5,000 products in the Toolstream catalogue, and place orders. The app incorporates a barcode scanner, so items can be scanned instantly and reordered and there are special offers available exclusively on the app. The Android app also provides at-a-glance stock levels plus useful stock indicators that show when products are available. Customers can access transactions and invoices via the app to keep on top of their accounts when out and about, check Toolpoints rewards and order latest gadgets. 8 For further information please visit play.google.com or www.toolstream.com RSPB products now available from Gardman Garden centres throughout the UK can now turn to Gardman for their complete wild bird offer following a new distribution agreement between Gardman and the RSPB. Gardman already provides its retail partners with a unique wild bird care offer that spans the essential basics to the high quality seeds and tables from the specialist wild bird care brand, The Ernest Charles Co. With this new agreement, the company has developed its wild bird care category further, adding products from the most recognised wild bird care brand in the UK, the RSPB. The range includes feeds ranging from standard quality seed mixes to sunflower hearts, nyger seeds and peanuts, suet balls, birdcakes, sprinkles and mealworms, and quality bird feeders including classic seed and nut, premium peanut and suet nibble feeders, two and four port easy clean feeders. None have filler ingredients so more of the food is eaten by the birds and there is less waste and mess. 8 For further information please telephone 01406 372237 or visit www.gardman.co.uk Sustained weedkiller revolution continues to drive up sales After a season during which Bayer Garden performed ahead of the market in the crucial weedkiller category it is continuing to work with garden centre retailers and multiples to cut the walkaway rate and drive up sales. Year on year sales of weedkillers grew by 21 per cent and in 2014 the company has rolled out a comprehensive new approach to weedkillers based on market research that had revealed consumer confusion at the fixture. The approach included a simplified range aligned to the tasks defined by consumers (lawn, growing areas, paths & patios, specialist areas); and in-store navigation, point of sale materials and category segmentation designed to make it quick and easy for consumers to find the product they need. Bayer Garden’s research also revealed weedkiller usage patterns, in particular 58 per cent of all weedkiller usage being for paths, driveways or patios. Bayer Garden is working with retailers to sustain this. 8 For further information please visit www.bayergarden.co.uk Company’s €1.5m environmental development Bord na Móna UK’s parent company has opened a new €1.5 million visitor facility in the 3,000 hectare Lough Boora Parklands, a cutaway peat bog, which the company restored into a network of off-road walking and cycle routes within a biodiverse habitat which includes the last remaining population of grey partridge in Ireland. The investment provides sustainable development, including the use of environmentally friendly materials in construction –a green roof, solar energy, and an ecological waste water treatment system. The new facility is designed to improve the visitor experience to the former peat extraction area, which BNM created 10 years ago as a tangible statement of its commitment never to open another peat bog. 8 For further information please telephone +353 45 439 000 or visit www.bordnamona.ie Which? Names Phostrogen All Purpose Plant Food as Best Buy The September issue of Which? Gardening has named Phostrogen All Purpose Plant Food a best buy in a review of flower feeds suitable for giving hanging baskets and container plants an end of season boost. Which? tested for floral display, plant vigour and flower count. Which? used Phostrogen All Purpose Plant Food with every watering and gave the product a score of 90 per cent. Phostrogen All Purpose Plant Food, is produced in the UK and known and loved by gardeners throughout the country, is a soluble feed suitable for use on all garden plants including edible crops, fruit trees, lawns, young plants, seedlings and even house plants. It dissolves easily and promotes health green foliage and abundant fruit and flowers. It helps plants develop strong, healthy root systems and helps plants become drought resistant. 8 For further information please visit bayergarden.co.uk 12 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk SHOWS PREVIEW The festive fairs countdown Plans are well under way for the Harrogate Christmas & Gift2015 and Spring Fair. We offer an early glimpse of what’s in store Christmas may be just around the corner, but two major events are also following hot on its heels that many garden and hardware retailers will want to include in their diaries. W hilst very much a festive event, with exhibitors displaying everything from Christmas trees and tinsel to stocking fillers, Harrogate Christmas & Gift has evolved to encompass diverse product ranges for the home and garden. The show is now a favourite for garden centre and gift shop buyers looking for exciting ranges all year round and visitors can expect to see furniture, ornaments and artificial flowers as well as garden furniture, decorative lighting and even barbecues. The event is one of the UK's fastest growing trade shows and will take place at the Harrogate International Centre from January 11th to 14th 2015, spanning six halls. A few weeks later, the Spring Fair takes place at Birmingham NEC from February 1st to 5th. As the largest and most important retail trade event in the country, Spring Fair serves as a crucial barometer for the economic health of the sector. and will offer the most comprehensive selection of gifts available to the UK market. Buyers visiting the show will be able to source from a huge range of products encompassing all major categories of merchandise you can typically find in a gift shop, including: Heritage, souvenirs, speciality food, collectables, photo frames, candles, decorative items, plush, porcelain, fashion accessories, homewares and stocking fillers. At the 2015 Spring Fair, the original e-commerce zone is set to become a brand in its own right as show organisers aim to help retailers find new and innovative ways of trading online, enhancing their customer experience and developing seamless multichannel operations. As the UK continues to lead the world in the lucrative and growing field of e-commerce and mobile shopping, i2i Events Group will introduce the new Retail Shop brand at Spring Fair International and sister event Autumn Fair International. Exhibitors at the new Retail Shop, due to make its debut at Spring Fair International 2015, will represent a multitude of products and services that are essential to successful multichannel retailing, such as: In-store and online solutions, logistics and fulfillment experts, marketing platforms, payment providers and specialists in packaging. n For further information please visit www.harrogatefair.com and www.springfair.com. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 13 HARROGATE FAIR Lows of Dundee and Widdop to join exhibitors at 2015 show Lows of Dundee and Widdop Bingham have just signed up and are looking forward to joining exhibitors at Harrogate Christmas & Gift 2015. Widdop Bingham is a leading supplier of giftware to the trade and looks forward to presenting its comprehensive range of products at the show. Stephen Illingworth of Widdop Bingham comments: "We are thrilled to be exhibiting at Harrogate Christmas & Gift for the first time in 2015. After an incredibly successful first year with our Juliana Home Living Christmas decorations and giftware range we will have a three times bigger offering in 2015 across tea light holders, plaques, baubles, frames, floral and other decorations alongside unique Christmas products for Disney and children, all of which will be brand new in the UK. All of our lines will be available in our simple single pieces and supplemented with our industry recognised customer service. We look forward to welcoming you to our booth!" Lows of Dundee is a family run business with a number of divisions including its horticultural and Christmas ranges which are particularly relevant to Harrogate Christmas & Gift. With everything from Christmas vine products such as reindeer and sleighs to indoor planters and basketware, the company's extensive catalogue promises an eye-catching display. 8 For further information please visit www.lowsofdundee.co.uk or www.widdop.co.uk Premier has new Christmas Stories to share at show One of the main attractions on the Premier Decorations stand at Harrogate Christmas & Gift 2015 will be a collection of new themed ranges that Premier believes will introduce the theatre of Christmas across not only tree trim but also table and room decorations and glass ornaments. A new buyer, with more than 20 years' experience in this area, recently joined the Premier team and, as a result, a new emphasis has been applied to sourcing new design led product that appeals specifically to the British and Irish market. Featuring more unique designs than ever before, each of the eight new themes has its own specific colour palettes to help customers create their own Christmas stories in store. They range from traditional to contemporary, with one even being described as 'traditional, with a twist'. The range will be on display in Hall H at the A Snowy Christmas' Lesser & Pavey will be at the Harrogate fair in January and is inviting buyers to see the new MacNeil licensed range of Christmas products there. Under license from The Macneil Studio, Lesser & Pavey brings to life striking designs featuring Santa and Snowman, Robin and a Christmas village scene. The range is true to traditional festive scenes and the illustrations makes it an eye-catching Christmas collection which encompasses an extensive fine china mug range (incorporating fine china mug, teaspoon tidy, spoon rest, mug and coaster FAIRYTALE LIGHTING FROM FAIRYBELL Fairybell® Christmas lighting will be showcasing its latest products at the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair and showing how to create an intimate Christmas atmosphere in a short amount of time. Fairybell, which proved popular with last year's show visitors, offers fairytale Christmas lighting in Christmas tree form, made up of hundreds to show from January 11th to the 14th, and will also be on show in both Premier Showrooms from early December. 8 For further information please telephone 020 8624 5555 or visit www.premierdec.co.uk thousands of LEDs. Its products can be seen at the FDL stands at Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair and the Spring Fair. 8 For further information please visit Stand No. B37 in Hall B at the Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair or Stand No. 2D02 in Hall 2 at the Spring Fair or visit www.fairybell.co.uk 14 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk gift set) and other items yet to be announced. 8 For further information please visit Hall B stand B4, telephone 01322 279225, email sales@leonardo.co.uk or visit www.leonardo.co.uk THE SPRING FAIR Everything’s coming up Rosa A new boxed jewellery set is amongst the products Rosa Red will be showcasing at the Spring Fair in February. Spring Fair provides fashion jewellery that is distinctive and affordable, with packaging that is practical and stylish. An easel insert means the jewellery can be displayed on shelves or tables. If you prefer hanging stock, that can be done too with new acetate hanging boxes that show the product inside its own gift box. Prices start from £2.95 for earrings, £7.95 for necklaces and £6.95 for bracelets. There are matching necklaces, earrings and bracelets in each design so customers can buy an entire matching set or mix and match. All items are handmade, hand painted and hand polished. POS is also available which shows high-profile women wearing the products. Minimum order is £100, next day delivery is available on all stock along with free carriage on orders over £250. 8 For further information visit stand 18C40, telephone 01415727297 or visit www.rosared.co.uk History and heraldry on offer from new exhibitor Hall of Names Europe is one of the new exhibitors who will have a stand at the 2015 Spring Fair. The company provides historical and heraldic gifts such as coats of arms and surname histories as part of its exclusive, personalised product range which are designed to last a lifetime. The company’s product range includes family tree templates, Irish name history, coat of arms shields and surname family crests. Its well-researched database holds 1,000,000 coats of arms and 1,800-word surname histories, origins and meanings. All products are beautifully finished and available to purchase either framed or unframed in various sizes, and can be handed down to generations to come with the added value that every product comes with an authenticity guarantee. 8 For further information please telephone 01984 632120 or visit www.hallofnames.org.uk Wildlife products for city life At Spring Fair 2015, Wildlife World will be majoring on its recently launched Urban City range of bird boxes and feeders, specially designed for city living. As a major feature on the stand set against a skyscraper backdrop, the four products in the range will be on display in their new packaging fully illustrating the potential of promoting wildlife products for town and city life. The range includes a bee and insect hotel; a bird nest box; a bird feeder table; and an insect winter home and summer refuge. In a further development, visitors will see a new extension in the Urban City range which is under wraps until the show. Alongside the new Urban City range, Wildlife World will display a selection of its traditional quality products. 8 For further information please telephone 01666 505333, email james@wildlifeworld.co.uk or visit www.wildlifeworld.co.uk DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 15 GIFTS & HOUSEWARE Animal T-shirts gathering a following The Mountain, an emerging brand of clothing, has gathered a worldwide growing fan base of all ages. Consumers are drawn by the quality of the image as well as the fact that the T-shirt itself is made of 100 per cent cotton. The gift box makes it an instant present to buy for someone else. Animal-loving customers will be attracted by the opportunity to choose from a large selection of designs. 8 For further information please telephone 01278 423600, email admin@somdiff.com or visit www.somdiff.com Give good Karma this Christmas Karma Feeling, which specialises in stylish, bespoke crystal gemstone bracelets, unlike any other item on the market, offers consumers/ retailers the chance to tailor make designs via its website. Each individual gemstone contains healing properties, carefully selected to suit the needs of the wearer. The jewellery is unique and presented in a branded giftbox. Karma Feeling’s bracelets are made from a selection of 100 per cent natural crystals. Each stone embodies individual healing energies, with the meaning behind each gemstone is explained in detail on the interactive website. Bracelets can be purchased online from karmafeeling.co.uk and prices start from £35. A prescription service is also available, allowing you to choose from a list of feelings and emotions in the drop down menu. Alternatively, the ‘Ready to Wear’ section, contains ready-made designs such as the Creativity bracelet, designed to help those working in the arts. The bracelets Town & Country brings the garden indoors Town & Country entered a new gift-related category, when it unveiled a luxury scented candle range at this year's Glee and retailers can now stock this line for the key Christmas selling season. Offering yearround gift purchase potential, the range comprises three different sized candles in four evocative, garden-inspired scents – ‘Lavender Fields’, Iced Vanilla, ‘Lemon & Lime Crush’ and ‘Strawberries and Cream’. All feature a patented thicker wick design which produces a larger flame, no smoke and offers a longer burn time. They are beautifully packaged with ribbon and swing ticket with retailer margins of 50 per cent. 8 For further information please telephone 01530 830990 email info@townandco.com or visit the trade website 16 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk have so far been spotted on the wrists of Serge from Kasabian and Florence Welch and appeared on BBC and MTV. Karma Feeling offers a friendly aftercare service that provides information on renewing the energies in your crystals and an exclusive rebuild service for damaged or broken bracelets. 8 For further information please visit www.karmafeeling.co.uk GIFTS & HOUSEWARE A greener approach to display Neil Farmer looks at new packaging innovations for flowers that could help prolong the shelf life of gift-style plants in garden centres We all know how hectic it is for consumers at Christmas. The pressure is intense to get all the shopping and the other 101 things done that are necessary in the lead up to the festive season and the Big Day. The pressure on packaging producers is also intense. Packaging producer companies all know they are up against competing packaging designs and attractive products which will all be challenging to gain the consumers immediate attention, as they walk into a crowded retail garden centre or hardware store. I t`s that blink of an eye moment, those seven seconds when a consumer has to make a decision as to whether the pack on the shelf is worthy of his or her further attention, leading to the ultimate decision to buy the surrounding it. It`s becoming more and more important for the garden and hardware market because one of the technologies, called modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), is helping flowers and bouquets stay fresher longer and extend shelf-life. New packaging for flowers came in 2013 when Marks & Spencer claimed to be the UK`s first retailer to use MAP to deliver water-free flowers to its customers. Flowers sold over Valentine`s Day period used a new MAP process that sealed flowers in an airtight bag. This slowed down the respiration rate, allowing flowers to be transported without requiring water. The technology removes oxygen, so carbon dioxide levels rise, slowing down the respiration rate of the blooms. When removed from the bag, simply cut and put the flowers in water and the blooms are woken up. In March 2014 Marks & Spencer undertook a similar many years in food and fresh produce markets, MAP technology and others are now expanding into new sectors. HOLISTIC APPROACH We have just come through a long economic downturn and the signs for the consumer and retail economy are encouraging. We all know the massive problem the world is facing with waste. There is now a global drive to save and replenish the earth`s natural resources. Efficient and cost effective packaging materials and processes can play a vital part in this holistic world approach. The need is for more packaging that can add value, extend shelf–life and help reduce waste. At Christmas and on other special festive occasions we all now have an opportunity to play our part in this process, thanks to innovations in packaging. Let`s remember that it`s not just the 15 million tonnes of food we throw away each year, it`s the other things we dispose of in our home or our store and garden centre that also cause the problem. Education of the consumer is also called for and we can all play our part in this. n “The technology removes oxygen, so carbon dioxide levels rise, slowing down the respiration rate of the blooms.” product. However, whilst the attractiveness of the print or the design of the pack is important, there is much more to it when it comes to the functional performance of the packaging to protect, preserve or more effectively contain the product inside. And that`s where Active and Intelligent (A&I) Packaging can play a big role in the extending the shelf-life of the seasonal offerings in the store. Active packaging has active functions beyond passive containment and protection of product. It can also actively reduce the level of oxygen or even the microbial count in a pack. Intelligent Packaging is packaging that has the ability to sense an attribute of the product or atmosphere that is exercise with flowers for Mothers` Day where 160,000 blooms were ordered in the new packaging. Overall 1.6 million blooms were sold in this way. The whole process saved 50,000 litres of water and 19 fewer lorries were involved for transportation. MAP also helped lower the carbon footprint, as each bouquet takes up less space. Marks & Spencer say in 2015 all flowers in its stores will be sold this way. Forecasts say the global Active and Intelligent (A&I) packaging market will be worth $3.5 billion by 2017. It is estimated to be growing at eight per cent per year. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is just one of the technologies that are available. Previously used for DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 17 HARDWARE Home owners open to improvement Survey takes an in-depth look at what consumers consider a ‘do-able’ job around the home, and when they call in tradesmen The future of the home improvement market is bright, and the DIY retail sector can only benefit according to the findings of a new survey. A study on home improvement, commissioned by the Travis Perkins Group, has revealed that when it comes to bigger, more complex improvement works, the majority of UK homeowners look to a professional tradesman for a solution, but most are confident in their ability to undertake odd jobs and small tasks around the home as DIY projects. The survey, consisting of 1,092 British homeowners, highlights that the future of the home improvement market is bright – both on the DIY and professional tradesman sides. Key findings reveal that there are still certain no-go DIY areas, with more than 80 per cent of those surveyed saying they would hire a tradesman for rewiring, bathroom installations and plastering. However, 87 per cent of respondents said they would happily take on odd jobs such as small repairs or minor installations themselves, and most would take on internal (81 per cent) and external (62 per cent) painting as DIY projects. Although there are a number of jobs most homeowners would hire a tradesman to do, a significant proportion of DIY enthusiast homeowners would take on more complex projects themselves, such as tiling (45 per cent), laying a floor (41 per cent) and carpentry (30 per cent). The survey results also reveal the trends towards DIY or DFY (done for you) between different age groups, genders and geographical areas. Homeowners aged 45-54 are the demographic most likely to tackle smaller DIY and odd jobs themselves (92 per cent), whereas young homeowners (aged 18-24) are the most likely 18 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk to call on the professionals for odd jobs (33 per cent), compared to just 13 per cent across all age groups. The younger age brackets, however, are the homeowners most prepared to give complex projects a go when most others would hire a professional – 33 per cent of 18-24-year-olds and 30 per cent of 25-34s would take on plumbing jobs themselves for example (compared to 24 per cent of those aged 45-54). Although women homeowners are more likely than men to call in a professional for most home improvement tasks, they are in fact slightly more likely than men to take on smaller DIY jobs around the home, with 87 per cent of women surveyed saying they would undertake odd jobs themselves versus 86 per cent of men. Men are more willing than women, however, to take on DIY jobs with a higher technical skill level. Thirty-six per cent of men would opt for DIY for carpentry jobs, for example, compared to 25 per cent of women. Homeowners in Scotland and Wales are most comfortable with small-scale DIY with 92 per cent of respondents from both regions saying they would take on odd jobs around the home. Homeowners in Northern Ireland are most likely to call on professionals for both smaller odd jobs (19 per cent) and larger jobs, such as rewiring (100 per cent) and plumbing (95 per cent). n HARDWARE Catalogue features more tools and 200-plus price cuts Popular work range extended Toolstream customers can now take advantage of more than 200 new hand and power tools, more than 200 price cuts, and a new Android app which customers can use to browse the site and place orders. New tools from Silverstorm include the 600W Multipurpose Router, 900W Planer and the versatile Oscillating Multi-Tool; and to complement the expanding power tools range, Silverline offers more new power tool accessories, new screwdrivers, bike tools and a comprehensive choice of fall arrest and restraint harnessing. GMC’s newly expanded range includes the new 600W Wall Sander and 1600W Plaster Mixer, plus additions to its hand-held power tools range. Toolstream’s Media Centre now includes 50 templates for customers to create their own leaflets, ads and posters. Customers can also contact a real-time live chat with Toolstream’s own designers, who will guide customers through the Campaign Creator and help them get the most from their point of sale. 8 For further information please visit www.toolstream.com Internationally renowned workwear brand, Dickies, this year added a new product to its popular range of Redhawk Superwork and action trousers. New to the Redhawk range for 2014 is a new chino trouser in the popular Redhawk 260gsm poly/cotton fabric. With no exposed metal, it is particularly suitable for the automotive industry where scratching cars is a hazard. A Dickies polo shirt also offers comfort and durability, is perfect for employee uniforms or for smart casual use and the most popular short sleeve style offers a generous fit. Dickies sweatshirts are also available in a variety of styles. Dickies also has it covered when it comes to keeping warm with jackets. The most popular and practical option is usually a black work coat, as dark colour options are always the preferred choice for staying looking smarter than lighter coloured versions that can show the dirt. Dickies offers the Fulton Contract Jacket, which is waterproof to 3000mm, with stitched and taped seams, a zip front with storm cuff, two welt pockets, one zip chest pocket, zip embroidery access and cuff adjusters. 8 For further information please visit ww.dickiesworkwear.com/en Calor range warms up customers and heats up sales London Gases, one of Calor’s principle suppliers in the London area for Calor gas, appliances, wood and coal, is offering free next-day delivery to trade and domestic customers. London Gases started stocking the Calor Solid Fuel range to complement its Cellar gases in 2013, and has since seen its solid fuels sales soar with a 40 per cent increase since October 2013. The biggest sellers are the kiln-dried logs which it supplies throughout the year to commercial kitchens for use in traditional pizza ovens. Calor’s Solid Fuel range includes a variety of wood and coal products. The company offers free marketing support, including point of sale and signage to stockists. Products can be ordered in quarter, half and full pallets with nationwide delivery. One tip offered by London Gases is, when you’re in a rush or feeling lazy, to light your fire use a Calor Instant Light Firelog, light either end of the log as per the instructions, leave it a minute or two, and then add logs, coal, or briquettes. 8 For further information please telephone 0800 121 4552 or visit www.calor.co.uk DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 19 HARDWARE Perfect pointing all year round Sika Pave Fix Plus aims to transform paving all year round. Coming ready to use, Sika Pave Fix Plus is a self-setting paving grout which provides pointing for paths, patios and paving. Faster than traditional methods, it is cement free and provides a strong, durable finish. Unlike sand, Sika Pave Fix Plus won’t blow or wash out of joints, it won’t shrink or crack and it resists weed growth. Available in buff and graphite in 15kg tubs and in grey in 14kg tubs, Sika Pave Fix Plus is suitable for wide joints over 5mm and is brushed into joints, compacted and left to set. It can even be applied in the wet. 8For further information please contact your local Sika Everbuild sales representative on telephone 0113 240 2424 or visit www.everbuild.co.uk Ultra Tile introduces new grout colours Adhesives and grout brand, Ultra Tile, has added the new Titanium and Jasmine to its range of FlexJoint grout colours. The introduction of the two new colours complements and improves the brand's existing variety, aiding retailers and fixers to fulfil clients' design specifications. The two new additions boast all regular FlexJoint features and benefits, including a polymer rich formulation for ultimate flexibility, suitable for joint widths from 1-20mm and a super fine texture for easy application and outstanding finish. To assist in colour selection and to reflect their premium quality, the brand has also renamed some of its existing grouts and matching ProSeal IT silicones. The new names are Glacier White, Ivory, Mocha, Steel and Carbon. Available alongside FlexJoint and ProSeal IT, FineJoint and WideJoint Ultra Tile grouts complete the range providing a product for all scenarios. Another ancillary product available from Ultra Tile is flexible additive and primer, Prime IT FP. This longstanding Ultra Tile product is now available in 1 litre bottles in addition to the existing 2.5 litre. This new size provides a retailfriendly solution, which is ideal for consumers. 8 For further information please telephone 01827 871871, Prepare for devastation –meet the Decimator BesserTrim LTD is launching the newest innovation in its grass cutting system. The DECIMATOR is a 4mm cable reinforced cutter that will transform brushcutting and is the first and only in the UK. Designed to cut through thick weed and brambles, it makes light work for professional gardeners and enthusiasts. It will tackle a diverse terrain, eliminating the need to change cutters. The DECIMATOR works and is available with a BesserTrim Professional head, which can be fitted to virtually all petrol-powered brushcutters that can take a blade. It takes less than two minutes to change heads. It adheres to all relevant safety standards and is supported by a dedicated trade ordering system. BesserTrim MD Brian Child said:“We said goodbye to broken spools and tangled line with our Grass Cutting System. Now we’re making it drastically easier to remove undergrowth. We called it the Decimator for a reason.” 8 For further information please telephone 01342 301594, email sales@bessertrim.co.uk or visit www.thedecimator.eu 20 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk QUESTION TIME uestiontime This month’s question: How much diversification is acceptable to keep garden and hardware stores pitching to the right consumer groups? The dynamics of garden and hardware retailing are changing in response to evolving customer needs and feedback. But how much diversification is acceptable to ensure we keep a product offering that still appeals to and meets the needs of traditional customers, without ignoring more general industry innovations and requirements? And at what stage do we need to take a step back and look at our overall corporate image and store identity? This week we take a look at things from different angles. We’ve consulted an innovator who responds to the customer surveys from well-known garden and hardware stores, and sources new products to meet their demands, as well as a category manager with a keen understanding of the DIY sector and tradesmen’s seasonal requirements. HANIF KHAN Director at Birmingham Innovations Ltd Diversification is a buzz word at the moment. Over the last few years retailers in all sectors have been diversifying. Supermarkets and others have encroached into the core hardware and garden centre category as they have tried to claim ever more of the consumer spend. Hardware and garden centres need to figure out how to respond, but do that in such a way that they do not just become another supermarket. How do you do that? Firstly by understanding your core brand. What is your brand and what does it stand for? Who are your customers and how do they see you? Once you have this core, then it is possible to diversify, whilst always making sure that your customers still understand your core brand is what you want it to be. For example, for a hardware store to diversify into key cutting makes sense (it is still seen as a hardware type product from customers) or into clothes so long as those clothes were work-related boots or overalls etc. Our industry experts provide a compelling insight into the topical issues of the day STUART WOODS Category Manager, Wickes In essence, it's fine to diversify, but just be aware that the diversification is into areas that still keep your core brand seen the way you want it and you don’t just turn into a glorified Woolworths where customers no longer know what it is you do. You're just seen as doing a bit of everything, but nothing well. Some areas where diversification is possible whilst still keeping to your core would be seasonal lines. Consumers are happy to have Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Fathers Day/Mothers Day specials in store. This is an easy way to diversify and the kind of products do not have to be hardware related at all – only event related. In the US, they do this way better than in the UK. Just go to a home depot store around Halloween. The thing to bear in mind is that there is only a limited time for sale products so retailers have to either manage stock levels to sell out or agree sale and return with suppliers. There are specialist suppliers of these type of seasonal products who would do this and also advise on what sells elsewhere and how well. We're keen to reach our target audience of DIY enthusiasts and tradespeople through a variety of methods, and gardening presents an opportunity for us to improve our offer for customers. As a result, we have brought in several new products across a number of outdoor areas that are seasonally relevant. To enhance a new range, it's important to create an improved shopping experience in store for new categories. There is always an element of seasonality in ranges, apart from more popular products that continue to be available across the year. For example, while compost and soil items will peak during the summer months, they remain popular with customers pretty much all year round. Likewise, hardware products remain popular throughout the year but particularly during the festive season when they appeal to Christmas shoppers who might be more keen to buy products like power tools – either as a gift, or for their own use on a home improvement project. THE EXPERTS... HANIF KHAN DIRECTOR, BIRMINGHAM INNOVATIONS Hanif finds and launches new innovativations under store brands and his own Innov8 brand for DIY products. His clients include the B and Q and Kingfisher groups. STUART WOODS CATEGORY MANAGER, WICKES Stuart is Category Manager for Garden Maintenance at Wickes and is an experienced buyer who has worked with a number of the UK’s leading retailers across a range of products. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 21 PRODUCT NEWS New petcare range developed by dog lovers Since launching at Glee in September, The Ernest Charles Co. range of petcare products is already proving a winning proposition, with UK pet analysts forecasting continued growth for at least the next five years. The new range, developed by dog lovers, gives consumers greater depth of choice, with each product being positioned at a price point designed to drive sales. An increasing number of middle-aged dogs are developing gluten sensitivity, similar to Celiac disease in humans, so the range follows the same principles that underpin The Ernest Charles Co. bird care brand with all the hypoallergenic dog food being made in the UK, free from wheat, dairy products, soya, pork and artificial colourants. The range has been developed to be gentle on a dog’s digestion and is suitable for every stage of a dog’s life. Flavours include turkey and rice and salmon and potato. 8 For further information please telephone 01406 372237 or visit www.gardman.co.uk Latest promotion is spot on Town & Country has selected three bestselling products from its line-up – Master Gardener Gloves, Cloggies and Kneepads – and introduced trendy pastel shades and a dotty design, to provide retailers with a new promotion. The new Polka-Dot Master Gardener gloves, slip-on Cloggies and padded Kneepads are all available in a choice of pale pink and lime green. They are designed to appeal as stylish garden accessories and as gift purchases to stimulate year-round sales through garden centres. With a suggested retail price of £5.99 and a special offer price of £4.99, the Master Gardener gloves are available in small and medium sizes. The Kneepads, in one size, will have a suggested retail price of £7.99 and a special offer price of £4.99. The Cloggies are available in sizes four to eight and will have a suggested retail price of £14.99 and a special offer price of £10.99. Each deal comprises 188 units across the three products and two colour options and they come with two triangular displays. 8 For further information please telephone 01530 830990 or email info@townandco.com UK growth outstrips market seven times over Latest figures from Bord Na Mona UK show the combined growth of its Vital Earth and Growise brands over the last calendar year outstripped the rest of the growing media and soil improvers market seven times over. The statistics are based on GfK’s latest reporting of this sector being 2.5 per cent up and with major competitors reporting flat or lower sales over the same period. BNM UK’s performance accounts for the overall growth. Furthermore, with GfK quoting overall BABY BIO GOES AL FRESCO In response to consumer insight, Bayer Garden is introducing a new range of plant food. The new Baby Bio Top Vitality range has a new balanced formula that combines bio-stimulants and nutrients in one product. Designed to optimise a plant’s development, this mix of ingredients creates the Activator Effect, which releases nature’s full potential. The range includes Top Growth Flowers, Top Bloom, Top Growth Edibles, Top Taste Edibles which has the perfect balance of nutrients for improved ripening and Top Defence which guards against the negative effectives of cold, drought and transplanting. 8 For further information please visit www.bayergarden.co.uk 22 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk gardening sector growth at 9.8 per cent, BNM UK is growing at nearly twice the rate of the retail garden market in total. Head of UK, Steve Harper said, “We are committed to education as a means to drive both the growing media and soil improver markets and we are building our consumer franchise exponentially.” 8 For further information please visit thegreenergardener.com GARDEN FUTURES CONFERENCE Bigger, stronger, better together Garden Futures Conference speakers’ advice to DIY and garden retailers covers everything from training to crisis management ‘Bigger, stronger and better together’ was a key theme throughout the HTA Garden Futures Conference which took place at RIBA in London recently, with much of the day’s content about collaboration and cooperation for the good of the horticulture industry. I n his opening address at the recent HTA Garden Futures Conference, HTA President Stan Green encouraged delegates to be imaginative and proactive in promoting the benefits of horticulture so more attention is paid to the industry. TV gardener David Domoney spoke of ‘Growing Gardeners’ and looked at the opportunities for sparking interest in the outdoor world for children and adults alike. He demonstrated how, through campaigns such as Cultivation Street, gardening can make a difference. HTA Market Information Manager David Denny looked to 2015, the changes impacting the market and consumer habits. Declining levels of home ownership, volatile weather, the need to create positive first impressions, avoiding too much product choice and making greater use of tactile displays were topics covered by him. ‘SELL BETTER COFFEE!” "If you want to sell more plants, sell better coffee" was the top tip from Haskins Garden Centres CEO and GCA President Elect Julian Winfield. He said: "Plants are very much at the centre of their offer but they have seen huge growth in their non-gardening categories over the last 18 years. December is now their biggest sales month, despite the fact that they don’t provide a Christmas grotto. It is all about providing an enjoyable experience." HR Director of Homebase John Shaw and Garden Designer Adam Frost spoke about inspiring future gardening talent through the Homebase Garden Academy which this year saw 1,300 applications for the 20 places on offer. The academy offers people an opportunity to kick start a career in horticulture through gaining qualifications and experience. Homebase stores with the garden academy students outperformed other stores as the students shared their knowledge and inspired their colleagues and customers. GROW INITIATIVE HTA Head of Horticulture Raoul Curtis-Machin and Sarah Cathcart, Head of Education and Learning at the RHS, gave an update on the Grow Initiative which is now included within the school curriculum. A short film, produced by Grow, was played. Aimed at 11 to 14year-olds, this reflects the diversity of the industry and the range of careers available. Raoul and Sarah encouraged the industry to be proactive and link up with schools. Lucy Adams, who was HR Director at the BBC through some challenging times including the move from London to Salford, the exit of four director generals and the Savile crisis, highlighted the authentic approach that certain leaders took which made a difference to their teams. She said: "Be visible, show humility and humanity and use stories rather than powerpoints. It is the simple things that really make a difference." After rebranding and bringing high street fashion trends into garden retail, Briers Managing Director Jackie Eades shared how it was done in her talk ‘Right product, right customer’. Using eye tracker and EFSA research to find out more about its customers’ shopping behaviour and the latest trends in retail, Briers has revamped its brand strategy, creating six new product ranges including Function and Fun for children and Function and Tradition, a Historic Royal Palaces Collection. SURVIVING ONLINE Surviving in an online world was the topic of discussion for Tim West from the Big Green Bookshop, a London-based independent store, who was interviewed on stage by Trevor Pfieffer from Garden Trade News. Tim’s bookshop, which has no café, no online sales and no product discounts, uses social media and community events to draw people in –with great success. William Sinclair Marketing director Simon McCardle’s talk ‘Adapting for the new consumer’. focussed on the ‘newbies’, time and cash poor 28-40 year olds for whom the garden is low on their priority list, who want a garden to enjoy, relax and play in but see gardening as outdoor housework. They need ‘foolproof’ products with an easy to shop experience, inspiration, reassurance, knowledge and value, he said. ‘Love The Plot You’ve Got’ Project Manager, David Arnold, detailed a proposed roadshow which will take garden inspiration out to non-garden events across the country. The day concluded with Andrew MacMillan, who spent 28 years with the John Lewis Partnership, stating how outlets need to be a great place to work and shop. He said. "You need to start inside and work out as the customer experience becomes an extension of the staff experience." n “The customer experience becomes an extension of the staff experience.” DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 23 FOOD & CATERING Clean & green: Winterhalter’s latest eco warewasher Winterhalter’s new compact undercounter warewasher provides high standards of water treatment, combined with energy efficiency and the security of knowing all standards of health and safety will be met.Water treatment is essential to ensure the best warewashing results. In the past, manufacturers have offered various water treatments, from reverse osmosis (RO) to simple water softeners. Although the combination of RO, chemicals and machine produces outstanding wash results, it can stretch beyond some customers’ budgets and use more water than simple water softeners. The DeMatik Pi240 uses between 40 and 60 per cent less water than a conventional RO system and its eco mode will reduce energy consumption by up to 11 per cent. Its regeneration agent can be easily refilled and it has an electronic detection system to ensure only the correct agent can be added. The DeMatik’s closed system has no cartridges to change. The starting price is £5,300. It is available in small, medium, large and extra large sizes. 8 For further information please telephone 01908 359000 email info@winterhalter.co.uk or visit www.winterhalter.co.uk or www.winterhalter-scout.biz Radnor Hills launches packaging redesign of Aqua Splash Radnor Hills has redesigned its Aqua Splash range of drinks for the first time in 12 years. The new design gives Aqua Splash a fresh, modern twist and moving to a clear label brings the focus back to the water and how this drink is all about hydration and taste. Aqua Splash drinks are made by adding all natural flavourings to Welsh mineral water and come in the following six flavours: Lemon and Lime, Strawberry and Kiwi, Apple and Blackcurrant, Forest Fruits, Orange and Mandarin and Peach. Still Aqua Splash drinks are available in 500ml PET bottles with sports cap and sparkling in 330ml PET bottles with colour coded caps. 8 For further information please telephone 01547 530220 email sales@radnorhills.co.uk or visit www.radnorhills.co.uk 24 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk Professional baking provided for garden centres Garden centres have a tough challenge providing baked goods on site that are as good as specialist bakeries. The new Rational SelfCookingCenter 5 Senses helps meet that challenge. The cook can select the desired baking result and the Rational will adjust the humidity, temperature, air speed and baking time, so garden centres will get the same results irrespective of who is baking, the shape or type of product and regardless of load size. Integrated proving stages ensure the correct rising of fresh yeast dough. Steam baking allows for volume growth for croissants, Danish pastries or fresh dough products. It can roast, poach, bake, toast, braise and even pan fry fish and cook chips. Options such as the Ultravent condensation hood, which eliminates unwanted cooking fumes and steam, can also do away with the need for expensive extraction systems and the iCookingControl features a monitor that enables the chef to see what is happening, at any time. 8 For further information please telephone 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-UK.com FOOD & CATERING Food display – refrigerated cabinets Prepare festive point of sale It’s never too early to start preparing for the festive season and many garden centres will already be getting ready for the inevitable Christmas rush. As such, it’s key that retailers look to a quality point of sale display that can drastically improve the shopping experience and maximise the sales potential of products and seasonal promotions. Leading UK POS display manufacturer, UK Point of Sale Group Ltd, offers a few pointers. For instance, by using chalk boards that sit outside, retailers can change their offers on a regular basis and point customers towards specific products both in and around the garden centre. To make the most of a restaurant during this busy period, retailers can choose one of UK Point of Sale's menu holders, designed specifically to sit centretable. These include chalk holders that can show your ‘menu of the day’ and will work consistently alongside your chalk A board. Free-standing sign holders used across departments are also a great way to display festive promotions. Refrigerated food displays in garden centre cafés must combine effective refrigeration with high performance insulation, so the cabinet temperature is always within its set parameters (typically 2 to 5°C for a sandwich chiller and 5 – 8°C for a pastry chiller). There needs to be a gap between the food product and the cabinet’s back wall, to ensure airflow passes through, which often means not all display space can be used. Williams’ Sandwich Chiller has an air wall, which means products can be loaded right up to the rear of the cabinet, without compromising food safety. This makes it easier to restock and avoids the risk of customers inadvertently moving stock and blocking the airflow. Williams recently launched a new air curtain system as part of the company’s Greenlogic initiative. The new system is featured on the Williams Sandwich Chiller. Careful angling of the ‘curtain’ ensures that, once it has done its job, nearly all cold air is recycled into the cabinet, helping maintain temperature, or by being drawn through vents and grills to cool the refrigeration system, reducing energy consumption. 8 For further information please telephone 01553 817002 or visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk 8 For further information please visit www.ukpos.com Top of the class at the touch of a button JURA, an innovator in luxury Swiss-made bean-to-cup technology, is offering coffee solutions for large catering spaces with its Giga X3c Professional, a specialist coffee machine. The new machine delivers up to 43 individually programmable speciality coffees at the touch of a button, takes minimum effort to refill thanks to the large bean container with a holding capacity of 1kg and aroma preservation cover, and features a drip drain set, along with a direct permanent water connection. Users have the option to buy the Combicool fridge accessory with integral cup water. Integrated rinsing and cleaning operations is also a feature. 8 For further information please telephone 0800 6525527 or visit www.jurauk.com DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 25 LAST WORD The last WORD UK is OK for manufacturing Hanif Khan looks at the trend to outsource to china – and reasons for keeping it local Is it better to manufacture in the UK or china? When a new loft storage product was launched into the hardware market a couple of years ago, the innovator was told to get it manufactured in china because the production cost would be so much lower. But is that claim still true –and how will this affect the retailer? A Hanif Khan Director, Birmingham Innovations few years ago, we agreed to market and put into retail a new innovation. The product we were looking to have manufactured was a loft storage stilt which provided a simple but effective way of creating a storage platform in the loft without squashing the insulation. Some large DIY retailers had committed to buying in the product and, for the volumes that we would be selling, the best manufacturing method was injection moulding. We spoke to a number of Chinese and UK manufacturers. As far as tooling goes (and this is still the case) we found tooling to be cheaper in China by about a third. But we also found that tooling prices varied massively in the UK and the cost was dependent simply on how busy the tool maker was, so it definitely paid to shop around. What we did learn about taking the China route is that there is a need to be wary about the quality of the cooling parts of the tool and to 26 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk ensure they have been designed properly. It’s also necessary to spec the tool to the piece price quoted. The piece price of the product will vary depending on the tool –usually the more impressions it is, the cheaper the piece price becomes. In this instance the Chinese prices were only slightly cheaper, so what it really boiled down to was the labour cost. With most injection moulded products, however,labour input is minimum. The next big thing to consider is packaging, which can be as much or even more than the product itself. In general the packaging is cheaper in China, but you can just import packaging and have it sent to your UK product manufacturer. So then we come to transport costs. If it is a bulky item and you are shipping a lot of air, when you add this cost in, you disover a UK manufacturer should be cheaper. Other factors in favour of UK manufacturing, which are often overlooked, are the need to hold more stock if made in China as it will take longer to arrive, the lead times are longer, and the Chinese manufacturers will generally want payment straight away, whilst in the UK you can get favourable credit terms. Let’s not forget the hassle factor either. It is far easier to drive 50 miles up the road for a face to face chat in the UK than to try and explain something or resolve a problem, with someone in China. n ‘Made in China’ is a phrase that’s synonomous with labels on many low cost product lines. The hardware retail industry is a classic example of this. But from an innovator’s point of view, when putting a product from inception to market, UK manufacturing is definitely a favourable alternative for products where the labour element is low, or where the shipping costs would be high . which includes most low labour intensive products. Furthermore, the quality can sometimes be compromised by a number of factors which are put under the spotlight here. Retail plants&shrubs From pumpkins to poinsettias T his month’s retail plants and shrubs section takes a look at the seasonal events that have taken place following our last issue and looks towards the festive season and what this means for growers and retailers. Full reviews of the South West Growers Show and the international Orticolario are included on pages 29 and 31, with details of award winners and some of the exciting shrubs and innovations on show. ‘What a whopper’ is the only way to describe the pumpkins that can be seen in our growers’ feature on page 33, which were harvested in time for Halloween and have paved the way for a new brand of seeds, and our reader’s profile shows how a family run nursery is minimising its running costs with the help of solar panels. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 27 RETAIL PLANTS AND SHRUBS Landscape and amenity catalogue launched Wyvale has unveiled its first landscape and amenity catalogue in 17 years. The new 169-page catalogue lists more than 2,500 lines with all plants listed in the catalogue being grown by the company. The landscape amenity sector accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Wyevale Nurseries' turnover. Wyevale Nurseries sells more than 125,000 trees annually. They are available bare root, rootballed and container grown. It sells more than five million hedging transplants and 1.5m shrub, hedging and herbaceous container plants. 8 For further information please email carol@wyevale-nurseries.co.uk. Nursery prides itself on being best of British Heathwood Nurseries, which specialises in providing garden centres, plant nurseries and landscape gardeners with wholesale quantities of native British broadleaves, shrubs and conifers prides itself on providing British grown from British seed. Based in Whitchurch, Shropshire, the company, recently displayed some of its quality products at Four Oaks. The company offers value for money, quality and reliability and has a proven track record. Good communication with customers and a fast delivery are key factors which the company believes keeps its customers UNIT DESIGNED FOR QUICK AND EFFICIENT TREE WATERING A grower of Christmas Trees has tasked SCH (Supplies) Ltd with designing and building a large capacity unit for quick and efficient watering of many rows of trees he is nurturing. The 900 litre tank is mounted on a single chassis and is baffled to reduce the surge of water. The dispensing lance can be mounted either side of the unit, and targets the water directly to the base of the tree, where it is needed. Nutrients can also be incorporated where required. The dispenser is operated by the driver of the vehicle via an easy, cab mounted 12 volt solenoid system that does not interfere with the progress or steering of the vehicle. This also means the flow can be easily shut down between each tree as the towing vehicle drives past, and at end turns, thus conserving the water in the tank. Vast areas can be watered by one person, without having to leave the tractor seat or stop the vehicle. The unit also comes with a separate six meters of hose with lance for spraying by hand. As well as being easy to fill from conventional mains sources, the tank can be filled from reservoirs, private lakes etc via the external source filling adaptor. If required, the tree waterer can also be produced as a fully road legal version. Although this particular unit is being used for Christmas trees, the same principle can be used where any type of tree is planted in large rows, including commercial hedging and vineyards. 8 For further information please telephone 01473 328272 or email sales@schsupplies.co.uk 28 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk content. There is no minimum order value because all orders are believed to be important, regardless of value. Its stock range features field grown, cell grown and container grown products. ‘Technology’, ‘tracability’, ‘inspected’ and ‘certficication’ are other key words the company would use for customers using its nursery. Orders can be selected into clients’ sites for ease of planting. 8 For further information please telephone 01948 840120, email sales@heathwood.co.uk or visit www.heathwood.co.uk RETAIL PLANTS AND SHRUBS Record numbers celebrated by organisers of 40-year show South West Growers Show features three different award schemes and presents judges with some difficult decisions Organisers of the 2014 South West Growers Show have hailed the event which took place last month (October) as an excellent platform for business. The show, which took place at Exeter’s Matford Centre, attracted record numbers of visitors and exhibitors. Exhibition aisles were packed with visitors throughout the day T he South West Growers Show, which has a 40year history, is now firmly established as a show for growers run by growers. The second oldest horticultural trade show in the country, it offers a platform for exhibitors to meet customers and organisers say the quality of exhibits and feedback from this year’s show were even better than they hoped for. Regular exhibitor Albion Plants, which has been exhibiting at the show for 15 years, reported an excellent show, with its five foot fan trained photinia and large berried pyracantha attracting a lot of attention. Owner Brenda Huggons said : “This year we took a lot of orders on the day and business has been brisk since. The quality of attendees is always very good and each year we enjoy touching base with our customers.” AWARDS SCHEMES The show was complemented by three different award schemes this year. The awards honoured a winner in the following categories: Best New Plant Introduction – sponsored by IPPS European Region, The International Plant Propagators Society; Best New Non-Plant Product or Service – sponsored by The CHA, The Commercial Horticultural Association; Best Nursery Stand – sponsored by The South West Growers Show. Judging panel member John Whetman, from The Chartered Institute of Horticulture, said : “The South West Growers Show is an excellent showcase for commercial horticulture and we were delighted with the calibre and innovation of all the entries this year. Our job was incredibly challenging as so many of the exhibitors had worked hard to bring the very best of their businesses to the show.” The other judges were Kevin Croucher from Devon-based Thornhayes Nursery – which extends to 33 acres of field and container production – and industry expert, Kerin Owen. WINNERS The 2014 winner were : Best Nursery Stand: Winner – Woodbeare Nurseries, Runner up – Rainbow Plants, Special commendations – Albion Plants and Hawkesmill Nurseries. Best New Non-Plant Product or Service: Winner – Melcourt Industries Ltd. Best New Plant Introduction: Winner – Ball Colegrave. Best New Non-Plant Product or Service: Winner – Melcourt Industries Ltd. The 2015 show will take place on Wednesday, October 7th. n For further information please contact Kirsty Lane on 01404 821982 or visit www.swgs.co.uk. DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 29 RETAIL PLANTS & SHRUBS A focus for evolved gardening Orticolario gives visitors a sensory experience of gardening and attracts more than 28,000 international visitors The sixth Orticolario event, held Villa Erba, Cernobbio, in Italy recently, attracted more than 28,000 visitors from a number of countries. Focusing on Italian flair, it took its inspiration, however, from the UK. C hairman of the sixth Orticolario event, Moritz Mantero, has cited Chelsea Flower Show as the inspiration for this year’s international event, with a typically Italian focus on beauty and elegance. "It fills us with pride and leaves us at the same time just a little worried about how we can possibly beat that in terms of quality and numbers of visitors in future shows," he said. Anna Rapisarda, received from Floraculture International’s director Jaap Kras the International FloraForever prize for the best promotional image in 2013 in the presence of Bruno Corda, the Prefect of Como, of Antonella Bellomo, Prefect of Lecco and Paolo Furgoni, the mayor of Cernobbio. An exciting addition this year was the presentation of a unique new variety of crested sedum dedicated to Arturo Croci, the floriculture expert and member of the Orticolario Committee who was recently awarded the Career Prize at the Miflor show in Padua. The programme’s events included the presentation of books at the workshops, botanical demonstrations, 'Perfumed Round Tables' and children’s workshops which were attended by more than 3,000 young aspiring gardeners. Awards were also made for the best exhibits in the show, after judging by three panels. The technical jury (coordinated by Anna Maria Botticelli, featuring Valter Pironi, Pier Giorgio Campodonico, Martina Schullian and Alberto Grossi) which judged the scope of the collection, research focus and the rarity of the plants shown by the nurseries. This prize was awarded to Azienda Agricola Priola Pier Luigi, for its collection of 120 cultivars of Aster shown in the grounds of Villa Erba and the collection of more than 70 species and varieties of Mentha set in the 30 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk Viale degli Dei, the Valley of the Gods in Ala Lario at the Exhibition Centre. Special mentions were given to Cactusmania for the very unusual crested examples belonging to different families and genera of succulents, each present both in crested and normal forms, as well as to the nursery Vivai Piante Omezzolli for its recovery of old varieties of regional apples. For the research focus, the prize was awarded to Phytotrend for its work on ornamental grasses like restionaceae, graminaceae and cyperaceae. Commendations were also given to Garden Studio Bologna Vivai for all its work on Ferns, Asarum and Hostas, plants loved by everyone but which few try out in their own gardens. Azienda Agricola Maioli Enzo was given special mention for its research in table grape varieties and cultivation without the use of copper. Finally, for the rarity of plants exhibited, a prize was given to Pépinières Braun for its wide range of ornamental herbaceous plants and bushes. Among these notably Salvia leucantha “Velour White”. Two special mentions were given to Oscar Tintori Vivai for Etrog, the cedar used by in the Jewish Sukkot, the holy feast of tabernacles, grown according to strict Hebraic standards, and to A&G Floroortoagricola which produces succulents. Among those exhibited is a magnificent example of an Aloe thraskii (originating from Natal in South Africa), which is difficult to find in such impressive dimensions in our climes. The aesthetic jury (co-ordinated by Emilio Trabella, featuring Paul Boerrigter, Gaetano Zoccali, Davide Riva, Monica Sampietro, Antonio Albertini and Corrado Tagliabue) viewed the scene settings of the exhibition spaces and awarded prizes to those they found most innovative, harmonious and elegant. The winner was the farm Azienda Agricola Piergiorgio Minari for the green room created with geometric box in a design that brought together the aesthetic and the discipline of nature pedagogy. The second prize was awarded to Manifatture di Bispo Monica for her unique handmade plant print ceramics that bring to RETAIL PLANTS & SHRUBS the garden the charm of ancient craft works. The third prize went to Associazione Orticultura for the elegance of the compositional arrangements that mixed the vegetable and flower garden, inviting visitors to go on an aesthetic and emotional journey despite the difficulties presented by its location. The special mentions from the aesthetic jury went to Anna Flower Designer for the “glimpse” in the stand that harmonises all the colours of the iris in an exciting way, and to the Associazione Eatable for its creation of an olfactory landscape with great attention to local scents, flavours and traditions, establishing a bridge between past, present and future. The aesthetic jury was also compact and unanimous in its praise of the Viale degli Dei, realised by Orticolario in Ala Cernobbio and designed by Vittorio Peretto. It exhibits an unusual aromatic selection in line with the olfactory theme of the year. Further mention was made of the Viale degli Dei, a mint collection with more than 80 varieties. The gardens jury was coordinated by Ivan Bellini and featured Pierluigi Ratti, Virgilio Piatti, Maurizio Vegini, Rossana Porta, Emanuela Rosa-Clot, Novella Cappelletti, Gildo Spagnolli, Maria Vittoria Bianchini, Annie Guilfoyle, Gianfranco Giustina, Anna Letizia Monti and Daniele Brendolini. It looked at the quality of the work done, the harmony of the installation, the choices and the quality of the plants, feasibility for a real life garden, what it offers that is new, the correspondence between the submitted design and the garden presented and the correspondence between the stated plants and those actually exhibited. The prices and special mentions were assigned to the winners of the international “Creative gardens” competition for architects, landscape gardeners, designers, artists and nurserymen for the realisation of creative spaces and gardens in the grounds of Villa Erba. The winner of the Gold Leaf prize “La Foglia d’Oro del Lago di Como” is the Maître Parfumeur by Simone Ottonello and Archiverde. The prize was designed and created exclusively for Orticolario by Gino Seguso of the glass art studio Vetreria Artistica Archimede Seguso and is a vase of Murano glass upon which "floats" a large leaf within which shine highlights in 24K gold foil. The prize will be kept by the winner for a limited period and then put on show in the splendid Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo on Lake Como until next year’s Orticolario. The winners name will be entered in the Gold List exhibited alongside the prize. Other prizes awarded by the gardens jury included the “Stampa” or “Press” prize for the garden that best narrates, communicates and excites. This was won by Biolabyrinthus by Corinne Détroyat and Claude Pasque with Garden Bedetti; the artists’ garden prize “Giardino d’artista”, was won by Aster-oide by Ludovica Ginanneschi and Meri Iacchi with Azienda Agricola Priola Pier Luigi and Agricola Il Tappeto Erboso, a garden which brings art and nature into a delicate living equilibrium; the Great Italian Gardens prize, “Grandi Giardini Italiani”, was assigned to ‘droplets of relaxation’ or Gocce di relax ("Drops of Relaxation") by Andrea Musto and Antonio Severino, a garden on lights and shapes that communicates both tradition and innovation; the plants species prize “Essenza” was won by the Tavolozza ("Palette") from Sara Alberti and Massimiliano Bustaffa for the best combination of plant species. Finally a special “Colpo al cuore” or “strike to the heart” mention was extended to the garden Un tempo pensato per sognare, ("A time designed for dreaming") from Marilena Baggio and Mariagrazia Rocchetti, with Lario Garden and Oltre Green Azienda Agricola Macerina di Calcante Davide, for the quality of the plants and the notable social function expressed in the arrangement. The Strategic Committee is already hard at work for the seventh Orticolario which will be held from October 2nd to 4th 2015. Its central theme will be the sense of touch. n “It fills us with pride and leaves us a little worried how we can possibly beat that in future shows.” DIYRetailer.co.uk | Garden & Hardware News | 31 RETAIL PLANTS & SHRUBS: READER PROFILE A sunny future for family business Staunton Garden Centre, whose giant geraniums have become legendary locally, celebrates 35 years’ trading and gets Midas touch A Gloucester garden centre that has been running for 35 years has found a new way to minimise its running costs whilst keeping its retail offering in line with changing consumer demands. A family run garden centre in Gloucestershire has harnessed the power of the sun to grow its business as well as its flowers. Forward thinking Staunton Garden Centre has gone green by having 108 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels fitted free of charge through Dorsetbased specialist, Renewable Energy Investments (REI). Owners Brian and Lynn Lewis will purchase zero carbon electricity from renewable energy investor and developer REI at a heavily discounted rate under its Solar Power Purchase Scheme. They will then take ownership of the system entirely in 20 years. The roof-mounted solar 27kilowatt peak (kWp) system “Although well established as a business, we have always moved with the times.” 32 | Garden & Hardware News | DIYRetailer.co.uk will generate 24,5000 kWh of clean green energy per annum – nearly half of the centre's annual 56,000 kWh usage. That is forecasted to cut an estimated £63,000 from the business's electricity bills over the next 20 years – as well as save about 9.8 tonnes of carbon (CO2e) from entering the atmosphere every year. Known for its giant geraniums, the centre would have had to pay £33,000 to fund the capital costs of the installing the system without REI's innovative funding model. Brian, who started the twoacre garden centre near Gloucester 35 years ago, said: "Although well established as a business, we have always moved with the times. "We started from scratch and over the years we've made many changes, including the addition of this solar PV system. "It's a win-win situation as our investment was absolutely nothing and there was no risk as far as I am concerned." Staunton Garden Centre, which has a gift shop, English wine centre and fully licensed restaurant on its site, employs 10 staff. Its solar PV system was fitted on the roof of the centre's main building in a week and will meet an estimated 59 per cent of the centre's demand over a year. REI arranged the system with one of its accredited installation partners. Zara Thorn, a business development manager at REI, which is based in Ferndown, Dorset, said: "We are finding increasing numbers of garden centres taking advantage of their large roof spaces. "Because they don't incur any costs under our Solar Power Purchase Scheme, they can preserve their capital to spend on their core business. "Brian and Lynn at Staunton Garden Centre have also already started to making significant savings from their energy costs, also reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to battle against climate change." PV panels convert sunlight into electricity. n RETAIL PLANTS & SHRUBS Twins crowned as pumpkin kings Pine Tops Nursery grows 1,884lb record-breaker from seed and manufacturer to name variety after twins that nurtured it Hampshire brothers Ian and Stuart Paton have broken the UK record for a giant pumpkin for the ninth time. Their gourd measured more than 17 feet in circumference and, during its peak period of growth, piled on 35lb a day. T win brothers Ian and Stuart Paton have reclaimed their throne as Pumpkin Kings after growing a 1,884lb record breaker at their Hampshire nursery. To match its rate of growth, Ian and Stuart, who run Pine Tops Nursery, supplied close to 100 gallons of water a day, plus a nutrient-rich fertiliser. Its final weight was just 218lb off the world record. They reclaimed their title from Dorset dairy farmer Mark Baggs, who stole it from them in 2013 with his first ever big win. He was on hand again this year to defend the title with a 1,582lb giant but lagged behind by a good 300lbs. Each time a record is broken at the annual Jubilee Sailing Trust Autumn Pumpkin Festival, show sponsor, seed and plant mail order specialist Thompson & Morgan, takes the winning specimen back to its Ipswich HQ. The seeds are harvested, tested for viability and prepared for sale. In honour of their success in the hobby, plus the fact they have supplied the most seed over the years, T&M sell it under the variety name Pumpkin ‘Paton Twins Giant’ which is popular with amateur growers. The brothers will use seeds from this year’s crop next year. With the world record now held closer to home (Swiss gardener Ben Meier recently took the title with a 2,097lb monster), they say they are even more set on gaining the accolade themselves. Stuart said: “We’ve always been confident of getting the world title eventually and it’s brilliant to be installing a new greenhouse for 2015 on better soil with better drainage and twice the amount of growing space. We should be all set to take on the Americans and the Swiss.” T&M Horticultural Director, Paul Hansord said: “UK growers are upping the game every year. I’ve every confidence the Paton boys can bring the title to UK shores in the near future.” This year's prize was a £1,000 prize cheque and T&M is offering £10,000 for a UK world beater. Before collecting the seeds, T&M invited local artist Janie Pirie to carve the giant for display at Jimmy’s Farm Halloween Half Term and the spooky-themed Ipswich Firework Display at Christchurch Park. 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