Nation’s top garden centres collect awards at annual GCA conference

THE WINNERS of our annual awards were announced at our conference this week (January 25-28, 2015).

The awards were presented to the winners during two separate ceremonies at the De Vere Carden Park in Chester on Monday, January 26 and Tuesday, January 27.

Our Chief Executive, Iain Wylie said: “I’d like to wish everyone who won an award at the conference this year a hearty well done. Our members have worked exceptionally hard during the past year to reach very high standards and I’d like to congratulate all our winners on their successes.”

Annual conference award winners - Monday, January 26, 2015

The full list of winners from our annual conference announced on Monday, January 26, 2015 are:

• Christmas Competition (Garden Centre category) – Castle Gardens
• Christmas Competition (Destination Garden Centre category) – Bents Garden & Home
• Environment and Community Award – won jointly by Poplars Nursery Garden Centre and Simpsons Garden Centre
• Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
• Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre category) – Bents Garden & Home
• Barton Grange Trophy for Creativity and Innovation – Planters, Tamworth
• Customer Service Award – Best Customer Service – Sunshine Garden Centre
• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Garden Centre category) – Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne
• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – won jointly by Poplars Garden Centre and The Burford Garden Company
• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Garden Centre category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – Barton Grange Garden Centre
• Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre) – Royal Horticultural Society Hyde Hall
• The IFSE Award for Catering Excellence – Best Garden Centre Restaurant (Garden Centre Category) Fron Goch Garden Centre
• The IFSE Award for Catering Excellence – Best Garden Centre Restaurant (Destination Garden Centre Category) – won jointly by Bents Garden & Home and Frosts, Woburn Sands
• Weber Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Sunshine Garden Centre
• Weber Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) Van Hage Great Amwell.

Supplier’s team conquers at Roman Games

Our members are celebrating after raising £10,000 in aid of Greenfingers (January 25, 2015).

The Greenfingers Challenge Cup, which was held at the De Vere Carden Park in Chester and marked the start of our annual conference, saw the supplier’s team, the Cabbages, take the crown.

This year the theme for the Challenge Cup was the Roman Games and saw a team of garden centre staff go head-to-head with a team of suppliers in everything from chariot races to Roman road building.

Chair says first year of tenure a success thanks to sharing

Our Chairman Will Armitage marked the end of his first year in office at the our annual conference today (January 26, 2015) with much to rejoice.

Mr Armitage told delegates in his address at the start of the event at the De Vere Carden Park in Chester how pleased he was with the GCA’s on-going progress.

He continued: “It is not until you take on the mantle of GCA Chairman that you actually appreciate how interesting and rewarding the role is.

“Last year I made a pledge that, with the help of the executive committee we would improve the value of our memberships, citing our area meetings, stronger links with other industry organisations and our training programme GROW as our main focus. I would like to think I have gone some way in achieving these goals.

GCA members can learn how to ‘reinvent their retail’

Attendees to our annual conference starting this Sunday (January 25-28, 2015) can learn how to ‘reinvent their retail’ from an expert in the field.

Bill Grimsey, who is a retail expert and has bought many companies back from the brink, will be speaking at our conference during the afternoon on Tuesday, January 27.

He began his retail career at the age of 15. He has since worked in a number of high profile roles including as Customer Services Director of Tesco and Chief Executive of store groups in the UK, South Africa and Hong Kong. He has earned a reputation as a turnaround specialist.

Furniture and barbecue sales light up 2014

Our member garden centres last year (2014) saw the biggest rise in sales in less traditional areas of trade according to our Barometer of Trade (BoT) results.

Shoppers kitted out their gardens with furniture and enjoyed plenty of good weather barbecuing leading to a 22.06% rise in sales compared to the year 2013.

It was recently announced that 2014 was the mildest year on record, which was great news for our member garden centres. We saw good sales of outdoor plants, 8.87% up on 2013 and garden sundries at 8.92% up on last year. The better weather really helped and the year to date figure only decreased as autumn/winter drew closer.

It was sales of furniture and barbecues which really soared, with a year to date rise of 22.06%.

Gardens are great spaces for entertaining and can be an extension of the house so when good weather arrives it’s not surprising that people want to spend more time in them.

Customers kit themselves out with new clothes during December

Shoppers at our member garden centres across the country were kitting themselves out in new clobber during December (2014) according to our Barometer of Trade (BoT) results.

Sales of clothing were up 13.99% during the month compared with 2013 with a year to date change of 8.01%.

As the weather becomes colder it’s no surprise to see people buying more clothing during their garden centre visits.

The choice available to shoppers at our centres is becoming broader so they are able to pick up things such as clothing alongside their plants.

When in Chester…it’s thumbs up for some Roman games

We’re inviting horticultural industry bosses and staff to grab their togas and sign up for a fundraising event being held at our annual conference.

The Greenfingers Challenge Cup will take place on Sunday, January 25 at the De Vere Carden Park in Chester to raise money for the charity, which creates gardens at children’s hospices nationwide.

We’re getting training and leadership tips from a former army commander

Delegates at our annual conference this month (January 25-28, 2015) should be standing to attention when a former army commander takes centre stage.

Nicky Moffat CBE, who is a speaker, trainer, coach and mentor, will be presenting to our delegates in the morning on Tuesday, January 27.

Iain Wylie, our Chief Executive, said: “Nicky delivers inspiring and thought-provoking advice and guidance, drawn from a career spent leading and developing people, optimising team performance and improving outputs.”

Until December 2012, following 27 years military service, Nicky was the most senior serving woman in the British Army.

Not too late to book conference places

It’s not too late to book for our annual conference later this month (January 25-28, 2015).

Our conference, which will include talks, industry updates and opportunities to socialise, takes place at the De Vere Carden Park in Chester from January 25 until 28.

Our Chief Executive, Iain Wylie said: “We wanted to let people know it’s not too late to book for our conference, so if you are hoping to attend, please visit the members’ section of our website via www.gca.org.uk to book your place.

“With a new venue, a great line-up of speakers and plenty of opportunities to catch up with old friends from the industry, the conference is set to be a fantastic event.