The Gardenex and PetQuip team will be based on the International Buyers’ Centre which is located in Hall 18 (StandM60/N61).  The facility provides a hub for visiting buyers who attend the show from around the world. 

As well as meeting with international buyers and addressing their UK product sourcing enquiries, the team will be available throughout the show to meet with existing member companies and UK companies who are not yet members but are looking for advice on exporting and the wide range of business-generating services available from Gardenex and PetQuip. In addition, PetQuip is manning a stand within the PetQuip Business Village, where a number of pet product suppliers are exhibiting in order to make contact with visiting pet product buyers from the gardening retail sector.

The Federation will also be hosting the International Buyers Connect sessions on the International Buyers’ Centre.  These one-to-one buyer/supplier meetings give exhibitors the chance to take part in 10 minute introductory meetings with international buyers.  The sessions will be held at the International Buyers’ Centre on the first two days of the show.  The Federation is currently recruiting buyers to attend the sessions, and to date has attracted buyers from Dubai, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.

A garden buyer and pet product buyer will be travelling from Dubai.  The gardening buyer will be looking for quality urban gardening products, either trendy or unique or representing extremely good value for money.  The pet product buyer is seeking to source products that will complement the company’s existing range of 6,000 items of pet food and accessories.

The German buyer is from a specialist garden mail order company and online shop who will be seeking innovative practical and decorative garden products, particularly those not already available on the German market.  The company is happy to work with UK companies that are new to exporting.

The buyer from Sweden represents a leading importer/distributor of garden products which offers a broad range of practical garden products from grass, vegetable and flower seed to bulbs, soil, fertiliser, tools, gloves, planters and wild bird seed.  The company supplies DIY chains, super/hypermarket chains, food stores and independent garden centres across Sweden, Denmark and in Norway.  The buyer is interested in novel innovations that are new to the Scandinavian market.  In addition, the buyer will be looking for ‘urban farming’ products along with propagation-related products, garden tools and accessories, plant supports and trellis etc.

A second Swedish distributor sells upmarket gardening accessories to specialist garden retailers and also has a retail outlet and offers online sales.  The buyer is looking in particular for products that are made in the UK.

The Swiss buyer is from an importer/wholesaler of garden products whose customers include garden centres, DIY and online stores throughout Switzerland.  The company already imports from leading UK suppliers and offers a very broad range of products, including garden buildings and storage boxes, greenhouses, plant care, aggregates and paving, fencing and decking, decoration, pond and watering products, furniture, play equipment and lighting.  The buyer will be looking for new gardening products for the 2018 season.