For many years, the recipe for a successful garden centre was relatively straightforward: offer an attractive range of plants, provide knowledgeable advice, and ensure that customers enjoy their shopping experience. Today, however, customer expectations have...
Food halls in garden centres have undergone a quiet but significant transformation over the past two decades. What began as a modest farm‑shop corner, often a few shelves of jams, chutneys, and biscuits, has matured into a fully fledged retail destination. This shift...
The modern garden centre is no longer defined solely by plants, pots and compost. Over the past decade, and accelerating sharply in the last three years, the sector has undergone a profound transformation. Garden centres have become leisure destinations, community...
Hospitality has quietly become one of the most powerful commercial engines in UK garden centres. What began as a simple tearoom offering tea and cake has evolved into a sophisticated, experience‑led operation that now underpins footfall, stabilises revenue, and shapes...
Each day in April, Garden Centre Retail will be posting an article ‘written’ by AI, following a list of topics that affect the garden retail landscape in the UK. Today’s topic is rethinking the catering options in store. Catering has shifted from a “nice‑to‑have” to a...
Following the on-going success of the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) innovative Westland Horticulture-sponsored Rising Stars initiative it has this year relaunched its hospitality section. Coordinated by Costas Constantinou of Kosko, it has been created to...
Caulders Garden Centre have officially opened their impressive new 300 seater restaurant at Kirkintilloch, Glasgow, a major investment in the site where Caulders hospitality journey first began. Kirkintilloch was the first restaurant Caulders ever built. It is where...
Garden centres are increasingly becoming more than places to buy plants. They are evolving into lifestyle destinations where customers expect food, drink, and gift experiences alongside horticultural expertise. For garden centre professionals looking to expand their...
Garden centres and farm shops across the UK may have been bolstered by the takeaway headline that the government will introduce "permanently lower tax rates" for more than 750,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties further to this year’s Budget, but the good...
In a sector defined by resilience, creativity and community, Andrew Burton, Associate Director at Pleydell Smithyman, offers a timely reflection on where true inspiration lies within the UK garden centre industry. Andrew explores how the strength of the trade is not...
Christmas: the second busiest time of year for many garden centres, and it isn’t just a season, it’s a golden opportunity to do more. Pleydell Smithyman's Associate Director Andrew Burton explores how to make the most of the food opportunities the festive season...
After a year of anticipation, Perrywood has officially opened its new purpose-built garden centre in Sudbury, marking a major milestone for the business and the local community. Located just across the driveway from the original site, the new centre spans 1,900 square...
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