A
retail expert will be flying in from Germany to speak at our annual conference
in January and he says the future for garden centres is bright.
The
General Secretary of both the DIY-Retail Association (EDRA) and the Global Home
Improvement Network (GHIN), John Herbert will be at our golden jubilee event
from January 24 until 27, 2016.
John
explained: “I will be presenting on topics based on my lifetime experience in
retailing and my presentation to delegates will be entitled: ‘The huge
difference – dedicated employees’.
“I
will go through why some retailers are successful and others are not. How
inspirational leadership can make the difference and where the family-owned
business has a huge advantage over other retail conglomerates.
“I
speak from personal experience having enjoyed managing a family business,
Knauber, which was voted one of the best stores in the world by a USA leading
trade magazine and then having worked in the world’s fourth largest retailer,
Home Depot EXPO Design Centre, as President, West Coast USA.”
John
will also give an insight into the future of retailing based on his knowledge
of the sector during the past 11 years.
“I’ve
been visiting retailers all over the world for more than a decade, on average
35 times a year, and moderating annually a global congress with 750 delegates
from more than 50 countries.
“I
will touch on how the Internet will continue to effect shopping habits and what
the stores of the future look like…and it’s not all for the best. But in my
opinion there are huge advantages for garden centres going forward”
Our
annual conference will be held at The Grand Hotel in Brighton from January 24
until 27, 2016. More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the event.
Iain
Wylie, our Chief Executive, said: “We’re really looking forward to hearing what
John has to say. He has a wealth of knowledge having started his retail career
as a trainee in retailing in York, shortly before his 15th birthday, almost 60
years ago.
“He
joined the Army in 1962 and in 1965 joined NAAFI Germany as a trainee store
manager, leaving as District Manager in 1975. During this time, John was
awarded the Queen’s Commission. John joined German Hypermarkets and in 1977 was
appointed Director of Sainsburys/BHS first SavaCentre Hypermarket in
Washington, which at the time was on the first of its kind in the UK.”
In
1983, he joined Knauber as CEO a small retail German company. In 2000, John was
appointed Divisional President of the Home Depot EXPO for the West Coast USA.
By
2002 he was the Managing Director of the BHB, the German DIY Retail
Association, and just two years later he took over the recently formed European
DIY Retail Association EDRA, which became an independent Association in 2009.
He
later founded the Global Home improvement Network, which became an independent
association in 2015.
Iain
added: “Today, John is the General Secretary of both the EDRA and GHIN with 127
of the largest home improvement retail companies from around the world as
members operating in 99 countries with over 22,000 stores and members sales in
excess of $250 billion.”
To
book a place at the conference and hear John speak on January 25, 2016, please
visit the members’ area on our website www.gca.org.uk
or please call us on 0118 930 8918.
Alternatively,
log on to our www.facebook.com/GardenCentreAssociation
or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.
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