As garden retailing continues to thrive, with double digit year-on-year growth, the future for our industry continues to look bright. One place where this optimism will shine through will be the forthcoming Glee exhibition (September 10-12, NEC Birmingham), where 550 plus suppliers will join with 7,000 UK and international key decision makers, buyers and trend setters, to showcase the future of gardening.
Matthew Mein, Glee’s Event Director, said: “The market is reporting a strong start to the 2019 season, with sales up 37% year-on-year.
"A combination of good weather, and consumers retreating to their homes in a time of economic uncertainty, has paid dividends for our industry. As such we move into the 2019 event with a sense of excitement regarding the future development and growth of our sector.
"From an engaged audience, the potential of the ‘millennial pound’, new tech hitting the market, and a wealth of existing ranges continuing to hit the mark, Glee 2019 will be a thriving hub for the garden retail market, offering unrivalled value for both suppliers and visitors.”
What’s new at Glee 2019
Educational content will bring business growth opportunities to the fore
Building more content to help support the continuous growth of gardening in the UK will be a key theme of the 2019 event. Look out for more features, seminar sessions and new-for-2019 workshops, and year-round information relating to trends, merchandising and practical advice on ways to build better business, whilst also tackling the most burning issues set to affect the industry in the years ahead.
The purrfect place to source pet products – Pets at Glee to grow
Bigger and better than ever before, ‘Pets at Glee’ will be a thriving section of Glee, designed to make it even easier for garden centre pet buyers to directly source 2020 ranges.
Featuring a multi-functional space, Pets at Glee will house interactive workshops aimed at helping garden centres start their pet retail journey, as well as provide visual merchandising inspiration that touches on key areas of pet retail including pet food, accessories, luxury and technology. It will also house a dedicated networking space for pet retailers and garden centres to connect with each other to share their experiences through facilitated speed networking sessions.
There will also be a dedicated Pet New Product Showcase, which will showcase the latest and great new product innovations from Pets at Glee exhibitors. This year the showcase will feature nine award categories made up of: Best Pet Clothing Product, Best Pet Toys and Entertainment, Best Pet Accessories (Collars, Leads, Muzzles, Harnesses), Best Pet Health, Grooming and Cleaning, Best Pet Bedding and Travel (housing, carriers, cages, baskets), Best Pet Food and Treats, Best Pet Technology, Best Eco Initiative Pet Product Award and Best Overall New Product for Pets at Glee.
PetQuip – the leading international trade association for manufacturers and suppliers of pet care goods and services - has also confirmed that it will be continuing its support for the PetQuip Business Village.
Retail Lab set to return in 2019
The Retail Lab @ Glee – in association with the HTA - was introduced in 2017 to showcase the latest trends within the garden industry, whilst also providing retailers with hands on advice and inspirational content that they can take back to their own stores to drive sales in the coming season. The response to this new area surpassed expectations, with suppliers and retailers remarking on the immediate ‘take home’ value of the Lab’s content.
This year the Retail Lab will focus on two key themes ‘Shop’ and ‘Nature’, both of which will be supported by eight key themes entitled - Do it Yourself, Plant and Gift Shop, Garden Therapy, ‘Do Nothing’, Plastic Free Future?, Urban Green City, Outdoors = Indoors, Nurturing Nature, and Pet Alley – all of which represent key growth opportunities for garden retailers, whilst also addressing those issues that are shaping consumer spending habits.
Once again, the Retail Lab @ Glee – in association with the HTA - will be created in partnership with a panel of industry experts, led by Creative Director, Romeo Sommers of ByRomeo.
In addition to the amazing team behind the Retail Lab, the area will also be supported by a number of sponsors. Woodlodge, Scheurich, Key Essentials, Apta, Meadow View Stone, Verona, Laurica Plants, BPI Products, Ivyline, and Air So Pure are confirmed as 2019 Supplier Partners, providing them a wealth of opportunity to promote their brand and latest product innovations.
