Garden centres receive top awards at GCA conference

Dobbies supporting The Tree Council seed campaign

Dobbies teams up with The Tree Council for free children’s workshop

Dobbies is supporting the Tree Council seed gathering campaign with a special edition of its Little Seedlings Club workshop on Sunday 1 October. The free event will offer children aged 4-10 the chance to learn about "Super Seeds". It will discuss the vital role...

12,000 lost apprenticeship positions in retail

12,000 lost apprenticeship places in retail

Retailers could have offered 12,000 more apprenticeships over the past year if it was not for the Government’s failure to reform the Apprenticeship Levy, according to a survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The industry took on approximately 17,000...

Howard family purchases Wellingborough Garden Centre

Howard family completes purchase of Wellingborough Garden Centre

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co has completed the sale of Wellingborough Garden Centre in Great Doddington, Northamptonshire to the Howard Family. Albeit newcomers to the garden centre industry the family already operates successful...

The Gardens Group shortlisted for Planet Mark Awards 2023

The Gardens Group named as finalists at the Planet Mark Awards

The Gardens Group has been announced as one of the finalists at the Planet Mark Awards 2023, which is set to take place at The Royal Institution in London on Thursday 2 November. Shortlisted in the Employee Engagement category, the independent garden centre group...

Just four weeks until the GIMA Awards 2023

The garden retail sector is abuzz as the GIMA Awards are set to return in just four weeks! Taking place at the Celtic Manor resort in Newport, South Wales, the event will once again be a hotbed of celebration and networking, with 17 coveted awards up for grabs. ...

August BoT figures show an ‘Excellent month’ for GCA members

The GCA Barometer of Trade (BoT) figures for August have revealed an ‘excellent month’ with members seeing an uplift in 11 of the 13 categories recorded by the organisation (2023). Out this week, the BoT also highlighted a positive year-to-date variance of +1.13%...

The Rise of the QR Code

From occasional use to becoming part of our daily lives over the last two years, the QR could continue to prove useful to retailers. For some companies, the pandemic was arguably a gamechanger. A number of technologies which had previously been overlooked then shot...

Matin Cowell of Cowell's Garden Centre to take on charity challenge

One bike, 900 miles and one daft Geordie for two amazing charities – Martin Cowell rides Tyne to Rhine

From 15th to 22nd September, Martin Cowell of Cowell’s Garden Centre in Newcastle, is cycling 900 miles passing through seven countries to help celebrate his 50th year and to raise vital funds for two of his favourite charities: Greenfingers Charity and True...

How technology can improve the customer journey in garden centre cafes and restaurants

The F&B offering in a garden centre is now more important than ever, with catering sales up 21.63% year-on-year according to the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade figures for April 2023. Garden centres are no longer simply a place to pick up a few...

The Lovely Gift Group partners with Pedigree Wholesale

The Lovely Gift Group agrees partnership with Pedigree Wholesale

The Lovely Gift Group has announced its new pet keepsake brand, Oh So Precious, is now available through one of the leading UK pet trade distributors, Pedigree Wholesale. The new partnership will promote the new retail product range to the 2,100 Pedigree Wholesale...