The team at Highfield Garden World in Gloucestershire is celebrating after beating off stiff competition to win the title of Best Independent Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards award at the recent Retas event.
The winners of this year’s greeting card retailing awards – affectionately known as The Retas – were revealed recently at a sumptuous awards event at The Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair, London. The lavish event, that this year took on a Van Gogh theme, was hosted by comedian Jake Lambert and attended by 400 people.
The Retas awards, launched in 2005 by Progressive Greetings Worldwide magazine, recognise excellence across the whole greeting card retailing spectrum, from independents on the high street, to the small groups, national multiples, garden centres, department stores, supermarkets and bookshops.
The UK public spent £1.5 billion on greeting cards last year, with Highfield Garden World beating off the competition to win the Best Independent Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards award.
Commenting on their win, Tim Armstrong from Highfield Garden World, said; “It is a huge honour for the team at Highfield to win this award, especially as we were up against some other outstanding garden centres in the UK. We work closely with both our buying group, Choice Marketing, and our card supplier Woodmansterne and our aim is to try and offer a fantastic display and selection of cards for all of our customers. We are delighted that Highfield, through Woodmansterne, has been recognised for all the hard work that has gone into this department.”
Jakki Brown, managing director of Max Publishing, which owns and organises The Retas, commented; “The UK leads the world in greeting cards, which continue to form a vital role in social communication, tangible proof to show you care, in the good and the tough times. The passion the winners of The Retas 2023 have shown towards maintaining a wonderful selection of greeting cards, covering all occasions and sending needs, as well as commitment to their communities at large, makes them very special indeed”.
Others in Highfield’s category were
Bents, Warrington
Burford Garden Centre, Burford
Garsons, Esher and Titchfield
The Grange Garden Centre, Melton Mowbray and
Stewarts, Broomhill, Christchurch and Titchfield
All the winners in all the retail categories were arrived at as a result of huge industrywide nomination and a self-nomination process.
