To get in the mood for three days of Glee, here’s our picture tour of the show as build up nears completion.

The UK’s number one supplier of decorative aggregates, Deco-Pak, will showcase a selection of new products and point of sale at Glee 2015 - designed to create 'retail theatre' and make it easier to improve sales of gardening and landscaping essentials throughout the 2016 season and beyond

Inspiration is the focus, and examples of how Deco-Pak aim to provide just that will be evident with the unveiling of new merchandisers shown with products in use, flanked on both sides by handy grab bags, and clear and concise point of sale displays. 

In recent years, garden retailers have seen a steep increase in competition from e-commerce, and the challenge is now with suppliers such as Deco-Pak to improve the odds for its retail customers.

Deco-Pak's general manager, Rod Slater says that retailers have an advantage over online businesses:  "When you compare online to bricks and mortar, for example, most people see the differences in terms of price and variety of products on offer.   But we can give customers something that online businesses are simply unable to provide; a hands on, tangible experience.  And if that is provided in a creative way - such as with our new display stands - the end result has the potential to breathe life into outdoor sales areas whilst also providing extra revenue from a peripheral yet essential product category."

Traditionally, growing media products such as pea gravel, potting grit and top soil are left to sell themselves - but consumers needs are changing and Deco-Pak is adapting to help its retail customers.

The new look displays are part of a recent branding overhaul for the growing media range.  Craig Hall, Deco-Pak's marketing manager, said:  "Most consumers don't like to ask how to use products in a specialist environment such as a garden centre, so we felt our Chelsea Garden Range of growing media would most benefit from being relaunched in this way.  Our durable high glossed packaging feature step-by-step guides, professional horticultural advice, and even links to exclusive YouTube content.  All of which is aimed squarely at better representing the quality and ease of use of our products for the consumer."

New products will also benefit - introducing the Eastern Stone Co.

Launching as a range for the first time, Deco-Pak's handcrafted rainbow sandstone water features and statuary will also feature inspirational displays as the range expands with new additions. 

Rod Slater added: "Displaying the Eastern Stone Co. range in this way will allow garden centres to sell these products in the most attractive way, whilst also creating valuable add-on sales from related products featured within the display."

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• Gloves – plenty of on-trend patterns, plus Advanced Gloves and Golden Leather designs
• Wellington Boots & Clogs – back to rubber in fab styles for a complete range solution
• Children’s The Gruffalo© - better brollies let the kids enjoy this character in the rain
• Briers Kids – wheelbarrow, watering can, kneelers, socks – it just gets better
• Kids Penguin – compact impulse seasonal range with playful penguin motifs
• Signature Collections – on-trend designs on Briers’ best-selling products
• William Morris Collections – the largest ever gardening range to date!
• Umbrellas – now over 20 in the range for sales come rain or shine
• Faux Fur Collection – a fashionable option for when out and about
• Hand Tools, Kneelers & Kneepads – the perfect complement for gloves!
• Clocks, Weather Stations & Thermometers – designs and packaging perfected by Briers

The brand new products, which the company will launch at Glee this month, include the new Abbey 1.5m and 2.4m Twist Circle available in the best selling colours antique and york gold. The circles can be used on their own or by using the squaring off kit can be incorporated into an Abbey Paving Patio, ensuring a stunning addition to any garden.

Kelkay has extended its popular Granite Cobble Mat Sets collection with a new granite mat quarter circle. Available in both light and dark grey, this new addition is ideal for creating a feature circle or can be used as a decorative path – it will complement a range that has enjoyed great success since its launch last year.

The new Easy Edging provides a perfect finishing touch to any garden. Its versatile shape enables the consumer to create curved or straight borders at ease. Available in two colours this innovative design is exclusive to Kelkay.

Speaking of the new products, Antony Harker, managing director of Kelkay, said: “Borderstone is one of the country’s favourite paving ranges. With these new launches, we’re reaffirming our commitment to this highly successful brand and giving retailers the opportunity to build on the sales opportunities the collection offers. We look forward to presenting the extended Borderstone range – along with many other new Kelkay products - to visitors at Glee 2015.”

Kelkay ensures industry leading stock availability and delivery lead times, especially at peak periods. It offers a £500 carriage paid order service across the UK through its transport logistics department. This ensures customers receive their orders within three days - and in many instances, two. 

Kelkay’s brand portfolio also includes Build Mate, easyfountain^® and Henri^®, providing retailers with a single source of supply for a wide range of garden products. These include aggregates, stone, water and garden features, paving, edging and walling, building materials, horticulture, growing media and winter garden products.

By promoting aggregates, paving and fountains with eye-catching point of sale, merchandising units and display stands, garden retailers have seen sales grow in these categories.

Taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 14 to 16 September, Glee 2015 will host over 500 UK and international wholesale garden suppliers. Kelkay will be on stands 19 A10 – C11 and 20 G06 – J07.

For more information, visit www.kelkay.co.uk.

Like Kelkay on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

Now, for the first time ever, Crown Pavilions is launching a collection of garden buildings that will be available exclusively through its retail network: the Lifestyle Collection.

None of the products in this unique new collection will be available direct from Crown. Instead, handpicked retail partners will be able to market products under their own brand names. And, by limiting the number of partners within any given geographical radius, Crown plans to add an even greater layer of exclusivity to the collection.

“We are delighted to be launching the new Lifestyle Collection at GLEE 2015,” said Crown’s Marketing Manager, XXXXXXXX. “This is a fantastic opportunity for any retailer wishing to offer its customers a top-of-the-range product with the added advantage of being able to brand this product under their own name.”

Initially the Lifestyle Collection will comprise two garden buildings: the Valentine and the Eden, with more planned for the future. Both can be viewed at GLEE where Crown Pavilions colleagues will be on hand to answer questions.

Visitors to the Taylors Bulbs stand at Glee (19G02) will be the first to see this season’s brand new box design for their amaryllis bulbs, which are among the most popular gift lines in the range.

With the autumn season a key period for gift sales, the striking new amaryllis boxes join Taylors’ other new bulb gift products, which include colourful new gift bags for a selection of popular bulbs and a collection of beautifully-packaged added-value bulb kits. 

The gift kits include: Outdoor bucket planters, embossed metal bowls, a wicker basket planter perfect for the winter windowsill, attractively presented painted flower pots complete with saucer,  and a pair of elegant metal pots on metal tray that have been selling particularly well since arriving in stores last month.

Also new from Taylors is a new design of packaging for their ‘Select’ collection of new, rare and unusual varieties for the gardener who wants something a little different.  The new packaging is causing a stir as Taylors have reported receiving plentiful replenishment orders.

Watch out for live coverage of ‘Select’ and other Taylors Bulbs news in editions of Glee Daily News to be published on the first two days of Glee.

TOP TIP: Taylors’ amaryllis bulbs are due for delivery in-store during the first week in October. Taylors suggest grouping them together with their new added-value gift kits to create a dedicated ‘Bulbs as Gifts’ display. ^“Some customers now program all their bulb gifts to be delivered with the amaryllis for a planned display,” says director Adam Taylor. “I believe many stockists may be missing out on gift sales because they scatter the bulb gifts around rather than presenting them as a particular group, which creates a great deal more impact.”

Best Buy for raising young plants was the company’s Growise Multipurpose peat-reduced which was tested with a number of different plant types including pelargoniums where it achieved particularly excellent scores for colour, size and quality.  At GLEE the company will be majoring on the Growise brand with a brand extension and three new specialist blend products.

Commenting on the plan, Charles Farmer, head of consumer for Bord na Móna UK said, “The Which? recognition has been great news for us and great news for peat reduction in general.  It demonstrates that the performance quality of our peat-free and peat-reduced now outstrips that of conventional product in every area, including for the first time raising young plants.  We have therefore decided to build on consumer endorsement and launch additional products into the range.

 “Bord na Móna UK is all about one stop shop, market leading quality peat-based and peat-free growing media that gives trade customers the reassurance of buying best in class, while ensuring that the consumer gets great results every time.  Our mission is to ensure the consumer can buy the very best performing product whatever the task in hand and whatever their preference in terms of peat and peat-free.” 

Bord na Móna UK trades peat–reduced and peat-free growing media and soil improvers through garden centres nationally and is the largest own brand supplier of compost and bark in the UK.  It is part of the Bord na Móna plc, which specialises in eco-fuels, growing media, recycling, resource recovery and renewable energy.

Johnsons Lawn Seed will announce a brand new signing on its stand at Glee this year. Speculation is rife that it may be a new lawn seed, being added to the squad just in time for the build up to the UEFA European Finals being held in France in summer 2016.

The buzz in the stands is that Johnsons' new addition is an experienced all-rounder, shoots quickly, has great stamina and world-class playing ability.  

Sources are saying that the new player on the pitch is likely to be a Turfline product, and is predicted to be a big hit with football fans in the UK, having been seen regularly starring in international fixtures...

Football related puns aside, Johnsons Lawn Seed believe that next year will be big for home grown football as hopes once again rise as England take on their European counterparts. 

Retailers, whether or not they follow the game themselves, can still benefit from the interest of customers that do - especially ones shopping the lawn seed product category for the first time.  

Visit the Johnsons Lawn Seed stand (18H26-K25) to find out about the new 'signing', witness the talented on stand football freestyler, sample refreshments and get your hands on some excellent football freebies.

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‘Budding Gardeners’ is a brand new sub-range of Moulton Mill tools from Gardman targeting not only children but anyone with a desire to take up gardening.

The eight items in the range – which covers all needs from small hand tools to digging tools – are smaller and lighter than their standard counterparts, making them perfect for little hands. However because they are made to the same exacting standards as all the other tools in the premium Moulton Mill-branded range, they are equally suitable for less-experienced and grown-up gardeners who simply want robust, quality tools that are easy to use. Gardman stress that ‘Budding Gardeners’ tools are the real thing, and not toys.

In a marketing initiative designed to capture the imaginations of younger gardeners, a high-profile endorsement will be announced at the show.

Packaging and merchandising material (which includes a special display stand) carries the slogan ‘For families that grow together’ to emphasise that gardening is a sociable activity that can be pleasurably shared.

•  ‘Budding Gardeners’ carbon steel: Digging Spade and Fork are SRP £12.99, Lawn Rake £12.99, Soil Rake and Dutch Hoe, each £9.99; Hand Trowel, Hand Fork and Hand Cultivator, each £2.99.

Designed with all markets in mind, the extensive range which includes the convenient Barrow-in-a-Box, offers perfect wheelbarrow solutions for every application.

All are constructed using only the best quality steel and polypropylene materials and are robust, hardwearing and built to last. In addition, there is a puncture proof tyre option on some models for hassle free gardening.

With over 75 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of barrows, the family-run company, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year, offers exceptional customer service and support and continues to lead the way in design, innovation and manufacture having recently invested £1.2 million in its manufacturing facilities.

Matt Shorter, buyer at Longacres, the country’s biggest independent garden centre said, ‘The Walsall Wheelbarrow Company has allowed us to do wheelbarrows properly by giving our customers both excellent quality and great choice to suit their varied needs.’

Simon Thacker, sales director at The Walsall Wheelbarrow Company, said, ‘GLEE is a great opportunity for us to show that manufacturing in the UK our British-designed product helps to give us a competitive edge. We look forward to exhibiting there.’

To find out more, visit The Walsall Wheelbarrow Company Ltd on Stand 17P40-Q41 at GLEE this September or call the sales line on 01902 304002.

For garden centres wanting high quality, well established and trusted brands to help boost their profits, Centurion Europe will be exhibiting at this year’s Glee. The leading wholesaler and distributor, which offers over 25,000 products, will be showcasing selected product lines, tailored specifically for the garden centre market.

Great margins on offer thanks to Andersons

With a vast range of high quality products, including plant ties, clips and trellis supports as well as seed trays, hose accessories and rope and twine, the Andersons range offers competitive price points giving great margins for retailers. Retail ready and well packaged, Andersons’ products come with good display options for the garden centre environment.

Initial Monogram – Designed for individuals

Centurion’s Initial Monogram range of retail ready house plaques and numbers allows customers to choose in store and assemble their plaques at home. Available in a variety of materials including frosted glass, wood effect and bronze, the plaques help to enhance the look and impression of customers’ homes.

For retailers looking to offer their customers even more choice and allow them to express their individuality, Initial Monogram Tailored is an exciting new range of plaques and numbers which allows customers the opportunity to design their own door number or plaque. They can choose the shape, finish and material - including wood, slate, corian and acrylic - to create one-of-a-kind, totally personalised plaques.

It’s the details that matter

To get the garden secure and looking good, Centurion’s extensive hardware and ironmongery range includes hinges, latches, hooks and bolts in a choice of finishes such as galvanised, zinc plated, brass, chrome and black epoxy coating and is ideal for many garden applications such as gates and sheds.

Help and advice from Centurion

Attractive merchandisers are available to clearly display product and encourage customers to view the range. In addition, Centurion can help retailers to select a range, from its hundreds of available lines, to complement their existing product ranges and meet the needs of their customers. Moreover, being more than just a wholesaler, Centurion is happy to develop individual merchandising solutions for customers requiring a more bespoke approach. Their recently opened showroom enables Centurion’s dedicated Sales Representatives to work with customers to put together retail ranges and merchandising layouts that work alongside existing inventory to meet the needs of customers and effectively sell through.

Paul Kantecki, managing director at Centurion Europe said, ‘Our Andersons, Initial Monogram and hardware and ironmongery ranges are ideally suited to the garden centre market and we provide our customers with an excellent service they can trust. We look forward to exhibiting at GLEE in September.’

Visit Centurion Europe on Stand Number 19F61 at this year’s GLEE. For more information on Centurion Europe’s range, please visit the website at www.centurioneurope.co.uk or call 01302 788700.

The shear was awarded ‘Best Garden Product’ along with being the ‘Most Voted For’ by visiting buyers at this year’s DIY and Totally Tools Show in February. It was also shortlisted for Product of the Year in May at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Other NEW products to be added to Darlac’s extensive portfolio include a range of loppers and irrigation items, as well as a brand new all-in-one Tungsten and Diamond Sharpener.

“Its been a momentous year once again” says managing director Peter Darban “Sales continue to grow as more and more garden centres stock up with Darlac products”.

Darlac is well-known in the industry for its innovative tools which make gardening easy and accessible to everyone. As in previous years the company is pleased to be offering a series of stand deals to new and existing customers as it strives to provide retailers with the most attractive and user friendly ways to display products in store.

New ‘rustic styled’ white stands have been created for Darlac’s Tri-Blade shear and compliment the black corporate packaging which is synonymous with Darlac. They also offer bright coloured header boards which will create an eye catching display in any garden centre or retail outlet; plus, there are other stands available in ‘up-to-the-minute black’ which come in two sizes, and will fit even the smallest of areas.

Stands can be loaded with a bespoke selection from Darlac’s extensive ranges, including: Lightweight Tools, Swop Top Range, Irrigation Products or a selection from its latest Expert Range. Bespoke headers are available on request.

For more information visit Darlac in Hall 19, Stand A58.

As the company gets set for its second year as official logistics partner of Glee, we catch up with FCL Global’s commercial director Paul O’Malley to find out more about the company.

Can you tell us a little bit about FCL Global?

"We are the fastest organically growing logistics company in the UK. At FCL Global we specialise in the movement of goods by Air, Sea and Road. Our rapid growth is down to our commitment to building long-lasting, meaningful and sustainable relationships with both our suppliers and customers, and these relationships are the cornerstones of our success. Our philosophy is simple:  To add value to our customers business through personalised logistics solutions"

How important is the garden retail industry to your business?

"The garden retail industry plays an important part in our business. We currently work in partnership with a number of major players within the sector. In addition we are the official logistics Partners to Glee & GIMA. For the second Year running we are the main sponsors of Glee & Official Logistics partner to the show. This underlines the support we offer our partners within the sector by helping bring together buyers and sellers at this show. Our goal in 2012 was to become the premier Logistics Provider to the Garden and Retail Industry. I am very proud to say we have made great strides forwards and it is our firm belief that by the end of 2015 we will have achieved that goal."

As the Official Logistics Partner to Glee what benefits can you bring to Exhibitors?

"We’ve spent a great deal of time getting to grips with the seasonal challenges that companies in the garden retail industry face, particularly those involved in importing from the Far East. We’ve designed and implemented complete solutions to solve these problems & ultimately save our customer’s time and money. We are passionate about adding value to our customers businesses and would welcome the opportunity to consult with all Glee exhibitors to demonstrate how we can improve their current logistics arrangements & help them to achieve their goals."

www.fclgf.com

The revolution theme continues with Fiskars presenting design-led ranges that combine design aesthetics with ergonomic principle and technology, resulting in tool ranges that take the hard work out of gardening and put the passion back in.

“It’s great to be back at GLEE this year and really exciting that our new brand ambassador, James Wong will be with us on the Fiskars stand,” says John Grayson, Regional Director of South West Europe at Fiskars.

“We’ve had some tremendous developments at Fiskars recently with new product launches and some attention grabbing and educational new point of sale to further support our retailers.  We look forward to introducing these to the trade at this year’s show.”

Next revolution of axes

The next generation of Fiskars Axes will be available for the trade immediately. This revolutionary range of virtually unbreakable 4th generation axes feature a new 3D grip for faster speed swing and increased safety. The new range has been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award 2015 for high quality design. 

Fiskars has been an expert in making durable axes since the 17th century. The Finnish company has continually improved the design and quality to match consumer needs with the latest advancements. The latest generation of Fiskars axes is developed to guarantee the best experience by matching each tool to task and skill level. In recognition of the high standards achieved, the 4th generation Fiskars axe range comes with an extended 25 years warranty. 

The new Fiskars Light range

The new Fiskars Light range is launched at GLEE, a 2016 collection that showcases Fiskars ongoing commitment to develop ranges that make gardening easier and increase enjoyment of tasks. It is another perfectly timed and on trend introduction.

Recent research from Fiskars show that over 90% of consumers considered gardening to be a heavy task. The new Fiskars Light range equips retailers with the tools needed to educate consumers about the pleasure of gardening.

As a further benefit, an increased interest in a healthier lifestyle and home grown food, alongside a rise in urban gardening has shown the need for smaller and lighter garden tools for kitchen gardening.

The new Light tools are slightly smaller in size than standard ranges, making them more suitable for smaller spaces. Equally, the new tools are perfectly designed for more elderly gardeners along with younger generations keen to get growing outdoors. Fiskars is keen to kick start a new generation into loving their garden and enable older generations to continue to gain pleasure from gardening.

The range includes a digging spade, planting spade, digging fork, leaf rake, soil rake, weeding knife, weeder, cultivator, hoe and a new weed puller.

Next generation of Weed Puller

The innovative and universally recognised Fiskars Weed Puller has created a whole new market category, with sales of over 4 million units and trade sales up 200%. These impressive figures have assured Fiskars the market leader status in Europe.

Despite these impressive figures, there is still a large market share available. However, traditional weeding tools remain the implements of choice for 53% of lawn owners, often leading to poor results and increased physical strain. Additionally, 58% still use herbicides as the main defence against weeds, these include toxic substances that can impact on health.

The next generation of Fiskars Weed Pullers is tailored to suit the criteria of core ranges for Xact™ and the  and the new Fiskars Light ensuring that Weed Pullers can be matched with individual requirements.

The Xact™ Weed Puller benefits from an optimised ergonomic grip and new pedal design to reduce unnecessary strain and increase durability.

The new Light Weed Puller offers reduced weight with a shorter shaft profile and the introduction of a new colour combination in White and Clay.

‘Marketing through Education’ is to be Wildlife World’s theme at this year’s Glee 2015, with its stand taking on a series of informal ‘blackboard style’ notes.

It’s a philosophy that Wildlife World has always found successful and is now informing how the company can help all retailers and garden centres to gain more business from its popular range of habitats for all types of wildlife.

In addition to no less than 12 new products being launched at the show by Wildlife World, the company will also have two new ‘supersize’ products as part of the educational theme. A Giant Bee & Bug Biome and a Giant Solitary Bee Hive, both standing 1.5 metres tall, have been designed to act as a focal point feature outside stores and garden centres and draw more customers. Both are working insect habitats and join the similar sized Pyramid Insect Hotel.

“Making the link between seeds, plants, habitat and food is the key to generating more business on wildlife habitats such as bird boxes, bee & bug biomes, and hedgehog shelters”, says Wildlife World Managing Director Norman Sellers. He adds,“ We devote about two thirds of our time to answering questions about wildlife in general from consumers and retailers alike, and this brings about understanding of how and why our habitat products are designed the way they are from extensive field research”

To reinforce the message, on the Wildlife World stand there will be a 15 minute mini seminar at 11.30a.m. on Tuesday 15 September from ecologist Chantal Brown on the beneficial connection between education and retail business for all those who wish to attend.

Amongst the many new products on the stand, Wildlife World will be displaying a new Ladybird House, a new Ladybird & Bug House and a new Swing Seat Feeder. Along with many established products from the range, Wildlife World’s very successful Urban range will be on show as a winner of a Glee award last year, a European Consumer Choice Award, and was just recently a GIMA finalist.

As one of Europe’s leading designers and manufacturers of wildlife products, Wildlife World continues to ensure sustainability in all that it does, using only environmentally friendly FSC certified timber and water-based paints for the safe protection of wildlife species. The company fully researches and tests the design of its products at its Gloucestershire base and its Devon farm.

National Conifer Week will be among the events promoted at Glee by the HTA (20H10-J11)

Visitors will learn why it’s a great opportunity to increase sales of these low maintenance, attractive forms of year-round colour.

The conifer is also the HTA’s Plant of the Month for October.

National Conifer Week, organised by the British Conifer Group (BCG), runs from Saturday 26 September until Saturday 3 October. The aim is to provide support for retailers to inspire customers about the many benefits of growing conifers in the garden.

Whether planted in a container on a balcony, in a domestic garden or featured in acres of grounds, conifers can work as a backdrop, standalone features, or in a mixed border. Their amazingly diverse range of shades, textures, shapes and sizes makes them extremely versatile.

 Team GB rower and 2012 Olympic Gold medallist Alex Gregory (pictured) says, conifers have been a part of his life. “From the early days of climbing in their branches, to the family pilgrimage we took to the Californian giant redwoods. There's something fascinating about the variety of sizes, colours and shapes conifers provide. They really are a feast for the senses. Every garden should have at least one conifer.”

Recommended RHS AGM varieties include:

• Picea abies 'Acrocona'
• Larix decidua 'Puli'
• Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens'
• Taxus baccata 'Icicle'
• Recommended companion plants include:
• Acer ‘Osakazuki’
• Colchicum speciosum
• Erica ‘Springwood White’

Electronic Point of Sale and supply-chain software developer Advanced Retail (17S63) will be at Glee to demonstrate how its retail systems can help boost sales and build more efficient stock control. You can check out supply systems for garden centres and other related businesses.

MD David Billingham and national sales manager Chris Potter will be on the stand explaining how retailers achieve their goals by driving operational efficiencies and automating many of the processes that cost unnecessary time and money.

"Improving profits, business growth and cost efficiencies are the most important drivers of any retail business - not the technology it uses," said Mr Billingham. "We work as trusted partners with some of the best-known names in retail, helping them to build point of sale and back-office systems which work together to deliver real business benefits."

Advanced Retail’s clients include Trowbridge Garden Centre, Tate Galleries, Boden, Pets Corner and Latifs

Durston Garden Products return to Glee this year with a brand new 10-litre handy-pack of Multi Purpose Compost with carrying-handle. 

This brand new handy pack will compliment the company’s already extensive range of composts and garden feeds for which Durstons is so well known and will be available to order from Durstons Stand K02 in Hall 18 at the show.

Durstons offer a minimum order quantity of just 5 pallets, per order, which comprises of 240 bags of the 10litre product per pallet, however, should you not require all the same product in one order Durstons will supply five pallets with different products.

The new 10 litre pack, with carrying handle, has been specifically designed for use in homes with no gardens, and is ideal for planting up tubs and baskets for use on balconies and terraces. It’s also much easier to handle when transporting to a car from the garden centre and can even be carried home on the bus!

For more information about placing an order for the new Durstons 10 litre Multi Purpose Compost, or for information about any other Durstons product, visit Stand K02 in Hall 18 where there will be some exclusive deals on offer.

Glee exhibitor, wholesaler and trade supplier Stax Trade Centres (18L65) launched its new responsive website this week. It is designed to optimise visually across all devices including tablets, smartphones and desktop computers.

The new site, which instantly recognises the device that is viewing it, renders the website perfectly to the screen size, making mobile usage much easier than before.

New features include Best Sellers, Most Purchased, New Products and the recently launched Shopping & Picking List tool, whereby customers can produce a shopping list and print it out in the most logical branch location order.

Online retailer Discount Warehouse said: “This is a huge time saver for our business. The range Stax carries is massive, so sometimes that means finding what you want can take longer than desired. With the new Shopping List tool you find the bay location of every product and it even allows a full shopping list to be printed with the quickest route planned out for you! So with the three or four visits we pay to Stax every week we estimate it will save us around 10 hours per month!”

The Best Sellers, Most Purchased and New Product features are also a fantastic new addition, as Stax Joint MD, David Hibbert, commented,

“For many of our retailers, selling the most in demand stock is of upmost importance, so being able to view the top 50 best selling lines in every category will be a very helpful tool in making decisions in terms of what their stocked range will be.”

Don’t miss out on a visit to stand D18 in Hall 19 where Draper Tools will be exhibiting a comprehensive collection of hand and power tools for the home and garden.

A selection of gardening tools will be on display with new digital representation of the whole gardening range as well as lighting, personal protective equipment and tools for landscaping.

The popular Heritage range of garden hand tools will be exhibited along with a new steel mesh garden cart and garden tipper cart. There will also be information on water pumps, pressure washers and general pruning products.

The company’s extensive range of electric and petrol mowers, cutters, trimmers and ground maintenance tools will be shown on digital display screens.  These touch screens will also show the Company’s collection of garden product videos.

Visit the stand for daily 'show only' offers, along with copies of Drapers latest promotions and catalogue.

Telephone the Draper Sales Desk on 023 8049 4333 for more details, or visit drapertools.com.

Commenting on the launch, operations director Tony Dedman said; “We find that Glee is an excellent launch pad for new products.  Last year we introduced around 50 new products at the show and this made a major contribution towards the 49 per cent growth in turnover we recorded in 2014, and that growth is continuing.”

New products to be launched at the Birmingham show include a new compact tidy tray and a new colander trug.  The company’s propagation range will be boosted with the introduction of a one-top electric propagator and a micro grow light garden.  New planting aids comprise two new bulb planters that have an innovative soil ejection plunger.  A green flexi tie is to join the existing brown ties.

There will be a new garden basics range of sundries with over 40 lines such as plant labels, pens, tree ties, greenhouse fittings and coils of garden wire.

Products for the patio comprise a new range of brooms that include a decking broom, a wire block paving broom plus a large patio pan and brush and patio knives.

Added to the company’s extensive thermometer range will be a new max/min thermometer, pH meter and moisture meter along with three soil test kits.

Finally, four new covers will be added: one to the bronze entry level of garden furniture covers; one to the silver middle range; plus two to the rattan cover range.  

In order to add visual in-store impact to Garland/Worth Gardening ranges, eight new counter displays are being introduced for items such as the bulk rose ties and tree ties.  There will also be nineteen new promotion bins, two pallet deals and one new display stand, all designed to support sales of the new products.

Garland/Worth Gardening’s customers are now benefitting from a new distribution warehouse, opened in February 2015.  Since its commissioning, the company has achieved record throughput, and the increased capacity of over 70 per cent more pallet spaces has meant greater stock holding and despatch of most orders on the same day of receipt or no later than the next day.

The Garland Products Group specialises in the manufacture of plastic injection moulded products and is one of the fastest growing suppliers to the garden industry.  The products available to both keen and hobby gardeners have been designed through the company’s own experience as keen gardeners.

Following the Sinclair’s acquisition in July, Westland will be showcasing the new and strengthened brand line up at Glee.

The Westland Glee stand, 19G20-H21A, will showcase the 2016 growing range, which will include a strong J. Arthur Bowers range built on clear product benefits which will  appeal to core gardeners.

Marketing Director Keith Nicholson said: “We have acquired a number of strong garden brands and we have moved quickly to focus on what these brands mean to gardeners and the trade. In essence we have focused the brands on their core heritage. 

"Going forward we will be actively developing a strong innovation pipeline, clear communication plan and strong in-store support for J. Arthur Bowers, Growing Success, DeadFast, New Horizon and Cambark.”

"We look forward to seeing you all at Glee next week."

For more information on Westland's stand at Glee click here

Brundle’s third year at Glee comes off the back of debuting at both Solex and the Gafa trade show in Cologne, Germany.

Following successful exhibitions at both shows, Brundle are now focusing on showcasing their exciting range of eye-catching products at Gle.

Products will include their new teepee chairs, a bright collection of hanging seats which further embodies Brundle’s ethos of offering more distinctive products to gardens and garden centre displays.

The chairs, which come in green, brown, yellow and terracotta, offer a relaxing and comforting seating solution for any size garden, for adults or younger gardeners alike.

Unique hand-crafted steel fireballs and bright and bold garden sheds will also be among the products Brundle highlights at Glee, according to business manager Paul Smith.

Paul said: “We are delighted to be returning to Glee - it has become a permanent and popular fixture in our calendar.

“We pride ourselves on our friendly and flexible approach and we can’t wait to showcase our products, new and existing, to such a receptive audience.”

You can find Brundle at Stand 18L55 during the show which takes place from Monday until Wednesday.

For more information on Brundle Gardener, please visit www.brundlegardener.co.uk or phone 0131 335 5955.

This exciting new area will see PetQuip - the UK’s leading trade association for suppliers of pet products, accessories and services - bring together member and non-member pet suppliers to create a leading showcase of those pet brands wanting to build a presence within garden retailers.  Under the leadership and support of PetQuip, the Village will provide pet suppliers of all sizes with a platform to launch and showcase their 2016 ranges to garden retail buyers and key decision makers.

The dedicated ‘Business Village’ will be located close to the centre of Glee within NEC Halls 17-20, delivering a strong footfall of garden retailers looking to boost their in-store pet offering. As a division of The Federation of Garden & Leisure Manufacturers Ltd (Gardenex), PetQuip has access to over 55 years of experience of bringing suppliers and buyers together and building world-wide supply networks. It is these values which will underpin the activity within the village.

Over 20 companies are expected to make their home within the village, with additional PetQuip members such as Gardman and Westland also featuring throughout the wider show. Three special, all-inclusive stand packages have been created, making taking part as easy as possible. Additional benefits will include an online presence at gleebirmingham.com, as well as ongoing marketing and PR support in the lead up to, and during, the show itself.  The PetQuip team will also be on hand throughout Glee to provide unrivalled business and exporting advice to both new and existing suppliers.

Amanda Sizer Barrett MBE, Director General of PetQuip said: "The PetQuip team is pleased to be able to expand the comprehensive range of sales generating services the association offers pet product manufacturers.

"The PetQuip Business Village at Glee not only offers a cost effective stand package for suppliers, it also gives them an excellent opportunity to meet with buyers of pet products representing garden retailers in the UK and internationally. 

"Exhibitors will also be well placed for introductions with the broad range of buyers attending Glee from related sectors such as DIY stores, department stores and high street chains from the UK and abroad, who are interested in expanding their pet product consumer offer and are looking for new suppliers."

Glee’s event director, Matthew Mein added: “Garden retailers are always looking at ways to focus on ‘family’ within their retail offering, and pets should certainly form part of this picture. Recent PetQuip stats show that 1 in 3 UK households have a dog, whilst 31% own a cat.

"Additionally PetQuip stats state that the food and treat sector alone is worth in excess of £1billion. This valuation clearly demonstrates the significant investment which pet owners are willing to undertake, and this doesn’t even take into account other areas such as toys, bedding, healthcare, housing, grooming and clothing!  I’ve no doubt that any garden retailer wanting to grab a slice of this huge profit opportunity, will benefit from attending the PetQuip Business Village at Glee 2015. With 20+ suppliers ready and willing to do business with garden centres this really is one area of Glee not to miss.”

Visitors to Glee will get an exclusive first look at the new range of six plastic tubs from Tarmac’s Cement business – a top UK cement producer – that all feature the distinctive Blue Circle logo, that have been designed for a variety of gardening and landscaping tasks. These might include activities such as laying paving slabs, fixing fence posts and doing small concreting and bricklaying projects like building a brick barbeque.

Following extensive research, the range of versatile, weather-resistant plastic tubs was designed with the gardening and landscaping market in mind, allowing users to take out just the right amount of product needed and re-seal the rest for future use- saving time, waste and money.

The newly-redesigned tubs are easy to carry and use and now include attractive, end-user-friendly instructions, application photographs and guidelines so that users can feel confident in the job at hand.

Chris Cooper, Packed ProductsStrategic Marketing Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing this new range of plastic tubs to Glee. It is always a great occasion for us to meet our customers from garden centres across the UK and we look forward to welcoming them to our stand this year.

“With these products, we have brought customer-led innovation to market, responding to an increased demand from garden centres and their customers for easy-to-use, ready-mixed cement and mortar products.

Mike Lomax, Marketing Communication Manager, said: “The new packaging includes our famous Blue Circle branding which re-enforces our strong heritage of innovation. We will be supporting the launch with a hard hitting National Consumer campaign to show how these new products help make it easier for gardeners to get the results they want - in a simple ‘easy to use’ and ‘clean to carry’ solution that they have never had before.”

For more information about Tarmac Cement and Lime Limited and to get the latest news and live updates from Glee, follow @LoveCement on Twitter

Or visit ....you.tube.com /DIYcement/playlists or call the contact line on 08458126232

Included are many technical and decorative innovations in their market-leading Smart Solar lighting category at prices that will appeal to all consumers.

The recently added Outside In Designs® Clocks and Lanterns collection will also be showcased for the first time, as will many more fast-selling products, ranges and promotions under the Smart Garden and Smart Solar brands.

The Smart Team look forward to welcoming all existing and prospective customers and to revealing all on their stand K30-31 in Hall 18.

Also new for 2016 will be Roundup Optima+, Roundup’s most effective concentrate formula yet, offering better performance and coverage throughout the year.

Looking ahead to Glee, Roundup’s Lawn and Garden Business Director, Gary Philpotts, commented: “We’re pleased to be bringing even more good news to retailers at this year’s show. Roundup continues to dominate the market, with four of the top five weedkiller lines in GfK’s weedkiller hit list and Roundup Gel sales passing 2million units in the UK this year. Plus, Roundup Pump ‘N Go remains the nation’s favourite RTU pressure sprayer, just behind the UK’s number one, Roundup 1l RTU spray.

“At Glee, we’ll be talking to retailers about how our latest insights, innovation and support are set to make 2016 yet another successful season.”

A new Top 100 Product chart on the Glee website highlights the most popular products that buyers are currently viewing, offering a valuable insight into trends and potential bestsellers.

Constantly updated, the chart is a living barometer of ‘what’s hot’ right now, reflecting products that are sparking the interest of retailers and visitors to the Glee website.

Matthew Mein, Glee event director hopes the chart will encourage greater interaction with the site from both suppliers and retailers.  “The chart will be constantly changing, and we believe this will provide a barometer of sorts, in that it showcases which products – from the hundreds and thousands on offer from Glee’s 500-plus exhibitors are appealing the most to our visitors and therefore representing an early glimpse at next season’s bestsellers.”

The chart can be accessed from the homepage (www.gleebirmingham.com).

Over the next three days of Glee 2015 the team from Garden Trade News will be covering all the latest developments for Glee Daily News.

The Glee Daily News is sent by free to all visitors of Glee.  Advertising and promtion opportunities are available.  To book your activity into The Glee Daily News, please email Mandy Atkin mandy.atkin@tgcmc.co.uk  or Ben Greenwood ben.greenwood@tgcmc.co.uk

REMEMBER TO COLLECT YOUR FREE GLEE SHOW CATALOGUE AT THE ENTRANCES.

Hozelock will be showcasing a range of new easy-to-use products designed to revolutionise automated home watering at Glee.

The range enables people to save time, safeguard the health of their plants and use less water by control their watering remotely.

The range is led by the ground-breaking Cloud Controller (SRP £114.99) which allows people to control their watering via their mobile and a refreshingly straightforward App. It uses a low-power, long-range radio to connect to the internet while the App eliminates any need for complex timer programming. The device – see illustrations on the front page – can even suggest changes to watering patterns based on local weather data. 

“In a world where 328 million Apps are downloaded every day and the typical British household already has at least seven connected devices, gardens are finally becoming a natural part of the connected home,” explained Carol Wright, Hozelock’s UK Marketing Manager. “When we first presented the Cloud Controller to international markets in April, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive and we are sure that the UK’s reaction will be similarly enthusiastic.”

The Cloud Controller is complemented by Hozelock’s new Sensor Controller range and Easy Drip watering system, providing an integrated and flexible watering solution.

The Sensor Controller is designed to sell at £35.99 and the Sensor Controller Plus (pictured) £44.99. 

Because most people like to water at dawn or dusk, the Sensor automatically adjusts the time the garden will be watered as the seasons change. The range is ready straight of the box, pre-set for the most popular duration of 10 minutes watering.  Users simply choose whether they would like the garden to be watered at dawn, dusk or both and change the duration to any period between two minutes and one hour. The Sensor Controller Plus also includes additional frequency adjustments, from daily to once a week.

 The new Easy Drip complete kits start from SRP £32.99. Their universal drippers safely pierce the hose without cutting and the new flexible pipe makes it easy to adjust positioning.

The Hozelock Easy Drip system overcomes gardener’s perception of complexity of traditional automatic watering systems. Compatibility with other systems means users can easily add it to an existing set-up.

The range includes attractively packaged kits for borders and beds and for containers and baskets

Wright added: “Hozelock has carried out a huge amount of research and worked very closely with a wide cross-section of retailers to make sure that the new range will revolutionise automated watering and successfully increase sales in garden centres and hardware stores across the country.”

Town & Country will launch a new strategy and a new look for the brand at Glee next month to fend off increasing competition in the garden gloves and footwear categories.

The brand retains strong market leadership, but comprehensive research over more than a year revealed that the trade and end users considered the brand’s image to be outdated, even though product quality and customer service continued to be highly-rated.

Collaborating with marketing consultant Jane Lawler (formerly of Gardman and Bayer Garden), the company began a root-and-branch review at the end of 2014.

Key areas identified for development were packaging, POS and display, with a general feeling that more innovation was needed to bring a fresh new look and more excitement to the brand.

Through a structured pitch process, Town & Country selected a top class strategic agency partner that has worked across high profile consumer brands including Sony, Paul Smith and the BBC.

A new brand logo and proposition was developed - "For people who love life outdoors, Town & Country provides the original range of gloves, Wellingtons and accessories to protect and support outdoor activities, created and infused with a passionate dedication to excellence and heritage".

Working with a leading patterns and trends forecaster helped shape the eye-catching new designs that will be unveiled for trade buyers at Glee, on a brand new stand (18M10). Also on display will be innovative new concepts for products, packaging, POS and merchandising displays. 

Town & Country’s chairman, Barry Page, said he was delighted with the results.   “We have worked with a vibrant branding agency and have involved retailers and consumers alongside our own highly experienced sales and marketing teams to ensure a winning outcome that will produce tangible results.  We have already had some extremely positive and encouraging feedback following some initial presentations to customers.”

The company is targeting an increase in turnover to £6.3m next year.

http://www.townandco.com/