Gardman’s new CEO said today the company will get closer to the market and aim to develop a deeper understanding of what consumers want.

Stewart Hainsworth, who took up the reins just two weeks ago, said the industry appeared to need more information about its consumers. “The one big difference I’ve noticed since I joined is the lack of data compared to the supermarkets, who can tell you amazing things about their customers” he told Glee Daily News. “They know more than the KGB!” he quipped.

“If you’re looking at refreshing your brand range, you need to know what the consumer wants, what they’re buying, how they’re buying, the whole picture. A lot of those things are missing. We’re relying on word of mouth or talking to customers to get their feedback. When you try to formulate a strategy, it’s difficult without those things.

“We have to have a point of differentiation and we need to find our USP and the story behind every product. That’s what we’re looking for – finding the reason for the product and what it is doing for the consumer.”

He said information was particularly important for so-called ‘upsell’ products. “Selling on price is one thing, but when you’re trying to sell something that’s a brand and above, you have got to give the reason for the consumer to buy that product and invest in that price.”

Hainsworth, whose background includes roles in the alcohol and tobacco industries, said Gardman’s investors were fully committed to growth. “Gardman last year and Gardman this are different,” he said. “The investors have come in with great commitment and are really backing us.”

But, he revealed, an acquisitions strategy had not yet been formulated, despite rumours circulating at Glee that Gardman had already made a significant purchase. “It’s very early days,” he said. “It has to be in-house first, we have got to evaluate what we’ve got. That’s going to take time. Then, we shall look at what, within our core competence, we should be in as well in order to enhance our proposition. And that’s when we can look at inorganic growth opportunities. As for these rumours, they’re really jumping the gun by a long way.”

Hainsworth stressed the importance of the wild bird care market to Gardman’s future. “Wild bird care is core to our business,” he added. “We shall defend that all the way. We are out there to do what we do best and a big part of that is wild bird care.”

Pictured: Gardman CEO Stewart Hainsworth (right) with new commercial director Justin Young on the stand at Glee today.