I’ve spent the last two days touring Glee, meeting with both visitors, and exhibitors regular and new.  I’ve been so pleased to hear a wealth of stories regarding big deals being done, new contacts being made and new products being incredibly well received, with many set to line the shelves of our top retailers throughout 2014. I’ve no doubt that this level of success will continue tomorrow as we welcome even more buyers and influencers through our doors.

Today we also announced the winner of Glee’s inaugural ‘Retailers Choice Award’ – the result of votes cast by retailers visiting the Glee New Product Showcase during the show.  Industry and customer feedback is vital to the growth of every business, so I’ve no doubt the winning product will benefit from such an accolade.  All of the Glee New Product award-winners and entries, including the Retailers Choice Award winner, can be found our dedicated Hub areas in Hall 4 and 5, so don’t forget to make this a must-see part of your time here.

 Looking ahead to Tuesday, we still have plenty on offer to inform and inspire you.  A number of our key seminars will be repeated in the Knowledge Hub, touching on key subjects such as catering, multi-channel retailing and the importance of plants within garden retailing. Over in the Food & Catering Zone you will find mouth-watering food suppliers, alongside inspirational design specialists, whilst over in the Innovators Zone you will find a host of brand new, break-through products.

 And of course, it’s your final chance to source those key product ranges, meet new suppliers and gather ideas to help build your business in 2014.  Enjoy your day!

Matthew Mein
Glee Event Manager

Whitefurze Ltd, the UK manufacturer of plastic consumer products, is using its stand ((5D28-E29) at Glee to showcase an enhanced garden range with a new, eco-friendly element.

Following an ongoing programme of new product development, Whitefurze are launching a brand new range of Water Butt Kits available in 100 & 230 litre capacities.

Manufactured in the UK, the new Water Butt Kits are simple and easy to install and come with everything you need to get started including stand and diverter.  The butts can be installed with no drilling required and make using stored water to look after your plants easy. Made from recycled materials, the new water butts are an essential part of any eco-friendly garden.

Also new for 2013 are Watering Cans and Athens Planters. The easy-to-carry cans are available in two designs and three sizes and come complete with detachable sprinkler rose. Practical and attractive, The Athens Range of planters includes five competitively priced lines including square, round and rectangular profiles. 

Visitors to the Whitefurze stand will also see their existing ranges of pots & saucers, planters, propagation lines and clever gardening accessories. Whatever you are looking for, Whitefurze has quality plastic garden products to suit your needs. 

Forest Garden welcomed visitors to Glee today to their new location in Hall 5 (5E40). First reports suggested strong interest from buyers in leisure products for 2014...

Forest’s head of marketing, Vicky Nuttall said the company's product portfolio had diversified significantly into a wide range of decorative lines, breaking us out of the traditional ‘landscaping’ mould. "We felt that Glee’s Hall 5 is much more representative of where we are as a business and also of our offering for garden retailers."

Forest are also using Glee to showcase a range of new retail solutions. The introduction of a smarter pricing policy with competitive pricing solutions, combined with a new and improved delivery service, will help drive growth for customers. New retail solutions, including a selection of new merchandising and display solutions will also be on display.

Forest’s Glee 2013 product selection will also be more diverse than ever before. Core lines will be complemented by a range of inspirational new products for the 2014 season. 

Vicky confirmed a strong interest in outdoor dining and entertaining structures, possibly on the back of the long, hot 2013 summer. 

La Hacienda launched a new range of decorative garden giftware at Glee 2013, designed to offer retailers an on-trend giftware selection for customers.

Best known for its selection of chimeneas, La Hacienda has expanded its product portfolio significantly in recent years, with retailers now benefitting from one of the widest selection of firebasket, firebowls, firepits, lanterns, garden oil torches and gel burners.  The addition of the new giftware collection will further cement the company’s dedication to delivering the most comprehensive outdoor heating and accessory range on the market.

The new giftware offering comprises four different categories: The first range of colourful and quirky animals includes Daphne the Duck and Penelope the Pig.  Made from metal with an intended ‘lived in’ look these animals benefit from a primary colour palette, making them an eye-catching and playful addition to the garden or home.

A range of realistic looking wild birds has also been created.  From the Regal Pheasant to the Flapping White Duck and Tall Heron, these unique statues combines contemporary materials with traditional design, perfect for use anywhere in the home or in the garden.

Birds also feature within La Hacienda’s new beaded metal animals range.  Featuring free-standing and wall mounted designs including a snail, butterfly, frog and fish, each animal includes an exotic metalwork body in either a washed or lacquer finish.  Finally each animal is adorned with brightly coloured or glow in the dark beads – the latter being a unique design feature in decorative products of this type.

The final addition is a stunning assortment of rustic ironwork accessories.  From a lucky horseshoe and hose holder to key hooks, decorative brackets and shoe brush, this new range has been designed to tap into the trend of rustic and traditional home and garden decorations that has proven popular in recent years.

La Hacienda MD Simon Goodwin said: “We are extremely excited to be launching this new range of giftware at Glee 2013.  We offered the industry a ‘sneak peek’ recently and found the response to be incredibly positive.  This strong response was not only because the products combine style and quality, but also because this diversification further strengthens our position as a one-stop-shop for the best in garden accessories – something that our customers tell us is incredibly important to them.”

In addition to launching its new giftware offering, La Hacienda is also showcasing new additions to its existing product portfolio.  New designs of chimeneas, firepits, gel burners and garden mirrors will also be on display. 

Electric garden heating solutions, including the newly integrated Heatmaster® brand, are also be available to view.  A growing profit opportunity for both La Hacienda and its customers, this advanced range will be showcased alongside proven POS and merchandising solutions.

Find out more: For further information about La Hacienda’s outdoor heating ranges visit www.lahacienda.co.uk or call 01285 762060.

Looking to stock boots that are smart and stylish but above all practical, comfortable and hardwearing?

Whether your customers are keen gardeners, enjoy the great outdoors or need boots for equestrian and country pursuits, the Grub’s® range from Worklite on stand 5D53 is the answer.

Grub’s® boots are made to the highest quality using the latest, innovative materials and new technologies that work seamlessly with each other to give a new level of performance footwear.

The Frostline 5.0™ range is a high performance field boot with the TRAX sole which is ideal for work or leisure activities.

Available in a range of colours including Moss Green, Black, Fuchsia, Violet and Camouflage these boots certainly live up to expectations.

All Grub’s® footwear is made using their self-insulating INSU-FOAM ULTRA™ bootie construction which is super soft and super bouncy, with a compression set of less than 7% versus 20-25% for other neoprene boots, so they remain soft and comfortable for much longer.

Made with the latest technology, Grub’s®  Frostline 5.0™ boots include a tough texturised nylon face with a durable water shedding finish, 5mm light buoyant insulating foam and moisture wicking terry knit lining.

Grub’s® offer an extensive range of both neoprene and leather footwear – visit stand 5D53 at GLEE for a warm welcome.

Visitors to Gardman’s stand (5B30-C31) can take advantage of the garden sundries and wild bird care providers’ Spring Event, unveiled today at Glee.

Known for consistently giving garden centre retailers compelling offers, the company is introducing a sales initiative centring on the products shoppers will be seeking in Spring 2014.

The Spring Event is underpinned by two of Gardman’s new sales initiatives – Stonger Off£rs and New Product !deas – and comprises compelling offers:

•65 unmissable offers: definitely the company’s strongest offer ever

•Savings of up to 70%

•20 new seasonal lines

•Up to one third off selected new category lines

•14 added value and half price promotional offers

“Getting a great start to the gardening season is always crucial and our Spring Deals have a very valuable role to play,” explained Duncan Ross, director of garden centre sales at Gardman. “Retailers who take us up on the deals will have access to a greater depth of range with a higher throughput of products. This means they’ll be able to put new products in front of shoppers every time they come in store and so build a habit of return visits from the very beginning of the growing season. To be able to do this, we have worked hard to develop and introduce enticing new products to our ranges.

“Ultimately those who capitalise on the potential of our spring deals will drive up their footfall and so sales and profit.”

Stronger Off£rs and New Product !deas are sales initiatives within Gardman’s new retail partnership strategy, ‘Trust us to Deliver’.

Seed specialist, Suttons Seeds, have launched their new Wildlife Sanctuary Seed Collection at GLEE.

This new collection has been designed in conjunction with the BBKA (British Beekeepers Association) to provide nectar and pollen for the honey bee and other pollinators all-year-round.

The collection is made up of 38 flower, veg and herb varieties with each packet clearly detailing whether the variety is good for nectar or pollen.

Did you know?... One in three mouthfuls of the food we eat is dependent on pollination!

Keeping our pollinators strong and healthy enables them to pollinate our crops so we can enjoy delicious fruit, veg, salads and even chocolate! However, it’s not just the food we eat that is important, pollination helps to feed many other animals and birds in the food chain plus, it is a vital part of creating the diversity in the environment that we all enjoy.

In a recent survey, Suttons found that 44% of gardeners were growing plants to encourage wildlife in their gardens.

Suttons new Wildlife Sanctuary meets the consumer desire for growing varieties that will not only attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators to their gardens, but will also put food on the table and brighten their homes.

The collection has been designed to meet a real consumer concern, create interest and maximise profits plus, the 68cm display will only take up a small amount of room in store! The display for Suttons new Wildlife Sanctuary is eye-catching and playful with attractive point of sale material that even includes your very own ‘Betty Bee’ wobbler.

While Suttons is donating to the Charity directly, inside each packet the consumer also has the opportunity to ‘Adopt a beehive’ or become a ‘Friend of the honeybee’. All money raised through these channels is ploughed back into the BBKA to support essential scientific research to prevent the decline of the honey bee.

Other new products to look out for include:

Rapid Green II, Self-Repairing Lawn Seed
Suttons new Self-Repairing Lawn Seed gives up to 30% more cover than conventional lawn seed! It gives you a lush, thick, even lawn that has a high tolerance to drought and even the most enthusiastic children and pets –with no more patch repairs!

James Wong Plants
New 5 litre Homegrown Revolution plant range coming soon!

Microgreens
Grow your own ‘Indoor Allotment’ all-year-round with the latest culinary ‘must-have’ that’s packed full of nutrients and vitamins.

Floral Fusions Flower Mixes
Sensational selection of flower mixes that are easy to sow and will quickly add colour to any garden.

For more information on Suttons new Wildlife Sanctuary Seed Collection, or if you would like to stock the collection, visit the Suttons Seeds team at GLEE, Hall 5 Stand 5E 22.  www.suttons.com

• Dents Garden Centre (Gothic arch canopy)
• Dunbar Garden Centre
• Dobbies (both King's Lynn and Inverness)
• Northwood Garden Centre

National Structures are also currently undertaking a retail canopy area project at Smiths Nurseries (Bagington) Ltd and also working on a project of replacing roof areas and  refurbishing existing buildings at Garson’s Farm Esher.

And the company have been awarded the contract to supply the canopies for the Galgorm Castle Garden Centre project in Northern Ireland.

National Structures are on stand 5H36. For more information visit www.nationalstructures.co.uk



Pictured above: Dents Garden Centre. Below: selection of pictures from Dunbar Garden Centre.

Jeyes have received great reactions to their new look during their return to Glee after a 6 year absence and the Jeyes team of Mark Speed, Senior National Account Manager and Damien MacMahon, Sales Manager for Ireland told Glee Daily News they'd had plenty of welcoming comments from Glee visitiors who were very glad to see them at the show.

They revealed their all-new range at Glee, including a redesign of the original Jeyes Fluid tins, the introduction of new Jeyes Patio Power and Jeyes Fluid Ready to Use plus the re-formulation for Jeyes Freshbin.

Head down to stand 5E20-F21 to see the full range and collect your FREE sample of Jeyes Fluid Ready to Use 500ml*. Bulk order discounts for wholesale and garden centres will apply for the duration of the show.

Trusted by generations, Jeyes Fluid is a remarkably versatile outdoor cleaner. Originally patented by John Jeyes in 1877 in Thetford, Norfolk, Jeyes Fluid was granted a Royal Warrant in 1896 and continues to supply the Royal household to this day. Today, the range is bigger than ever, with the latest products and packaging refresh expected to raise awareness and attract new users to the brand, as well as increasing usage and repeat purchase amongst the existing customer base.

New Jeyes Patio Power is a unique and long-lasting pressure-washer compatible cleaner which kills 99.9% of germs and removes dirt, algae and mildew on all hard outdoor surfaces. Available now in a 2L format at an RRP of £9.99, and a 4L format at an RRP of £15.99.

New Jeyes Fluid Ready to Use is a convenient, pre-diluted version of traditional Jeyes Fluid. Available now with an RRP of £1.49 for the 500ml pack, and £9.99 for the 4L pack.

Retailers should contact 01842 757 575 or contact@jeyes.com to order products or for more information.

*while stocks last

The acquisition by The Garden Centre Group of the Garden & Leisure group of seven centres today triggered the resignation of Carol Paris as a G&L director.

Mrs Paris will now focus full-time on her duties at the HTA, who today announced they had appointed her as full-time permanent chief executive. The role was formerly one of director general but was reviewed last year in the light of the HTA’s changing requirements.

At Glee today, Mrs Paris said she had thoroughly enjoyed her 16 years at Garden & Leisure. “The change of ownership represents a great opportunity for all the staff there,” she said.

Welcoming the appointment, HTA president Caroline Owen said she was delighted that the association would now have Carol Paris as a full-time leader.

BBC ‘Countryfile’ presenter Adam Henson spent the day on the DLF Trifolium stand today (5C15) promoting his new range of conservation and wildflower seed mixtures.

The range was created in association with DLF using the habitat creation skills developed by Henson on his Cotswolds farm.

There are three themed mixtures, all in colourful bottles – Wildlife Wel;come (perennials), Butterflies and Bees Welcome (annual wild flower pollinator mix) and Birds Welcome (annual wild bird attraction mix).

“There is a growing consumer interest in conservation,” Henson told Glee Daily News, “and we believe the timing is right for the message we’re promoting.”  He said he and his colleague Duncan Andrews had worked closely with DLF to make sure the mixtures performed well.

Westland Introduce Natures Haven Easy WIld Flowers.

The momentum towards wildflowers and encouraging pollinating insects continues to build in this new mix of 15 easy to grow wildflower seeds and compost in an easy to pour dispenser is aimed once again at novice gardeners.

Glee Daily News roving reporter Roger Crookes told us "This product is right on trend. So many local authorities are now using wildflower seeds on roadsides and in hedgerows, couple that with superb coverage on tv programmes, you can expect the demand for insect friendly wildflowers to build again for 2014. This product should be easy to sell and easy to use."

Photo: Louise Billingham - Product Manager

Every year there are products launched at Glee that become bestsellers, but how do you know just how big a bestseller they become and how much in-store promotion you should give them?

GTN Bestsellers is the answer. Every week Top 50 Bestsellers charts are published, compiled from garden centre Epos data, giving the best and most up to date garden centre trading information on the market.

If you’d have been a subscriber this year you’ll have known that Roundup Weedkiller Gel, launched at Glee 2011, was the No.1 best selling weed killer product for 25 weeks this year and topped the garden products chart for one week in May. And that Vitax Slug Gone, launched at Glee 2012, was the GTN Bestsellers New Product of the Year, featuring in the Top 50 for 12 weeks, reaching a highest position of No12.

Plus, you’ll have benefitted from the GTN Bestsellers Tip of the week – a gem of a sales idea every week derived from 5 years of GTN Bestsellers charts.

So what are you waiting for? You need to buy a subscription to GTN Bestsellers right now. For just £145.00, you get a printed GTN Bestsellers chart posted to you each week, full access to the GTN Bestsellers charts and the GTN Archive on-line and your own copy of Garden Trade News in the post each issue.

And there’s more!! 

If you take out a GTN Bestsellers subscription before Glee, we’ll send you, as a bonus, the GTN Bestsellers Charts for the critical sales periods through June July and August this year when, according to our gathered Epos data, sales of garden products were up year on year by 10.3%.

And there’s even more!!!

Buying a subscription now means you’ll get every issue with the GTN Bestsellers Christmas charts too. It’s an invaluable chart to follow as your Christmas sales build, allowing you to spot new trends, make changes to your promotions and POS.  And, be one more step ahead of the competition when it comes to your Christmas buying for 2014.

So, what are you waiting for?  To get your subscription to GTN Bestsellers up and running, simply subscribe online here

or contact us by phone on 01733 775700 or by e-mail: karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers – Garden Centre Bestsellers, Guaranteed!

Todays lucky winners of a bottle of bubbly from Catering Design Group was Neil Grant of Ferndale Garden Centre at Sheffield.

Each day of the show, Glee Daily News will be walking around the show in search of visitors wearing an “I’ve thought about it!” pink badge. We’ll be picking one lucky visitor at random tomorrow to win a bottle of champagne courtesy of Catering Design Group. For your chance to win, simply pick up your badge from the Catering Design Group stand within the Catering Zone (Stand 5K20-L25).

Will you be a winner tomorrow? 

The badges form part of an innovative idea from the team at CDG who have been providing garden centres with a range of solutions, hints and tips in the run up to the show around the theme: “Have you thought about…” They have covered solutions to problems with queuing, acoustics, sustainability and creating synergy between front and back of house.

In the official Glee Catalogue, the entry for Crown Garden Products contained information about another company and its products. The entry should have read as follows:

Crown Garden Products, Crown Garden Barn, 25 Mill Road, Burston, Norfolk IP22 5TW. Tel +44 1379 740221. Email info@crowngarden products.com   www.crowngardenproducts.com  John and Juliette Atkinson.

The Grow Bag Frame from Crown is unique: by turning a grow bag on its edge, the steel frame holds the bag in position and allows for improved soil depth for root development and better growth. It creates a strong vertical plant support system which is portable, even when planted.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused by the omission.

In the Glee Official Catalogue there is a correction to the listing under CXC (HC) Holdings Ltd (stand) 4C22. The company name should be Anping County Yexiang Hardware Wiremesh Products Co Ltd.

The correct contact details are as follows:
Wire Mesh Industrial Park, Anping County, Hebei Province, China.
Tel: 86-318-7026399
E-mail: info@yexiangwiremesh.com

Business consultant John Stanley urged retailers at Glee today to get out of their comfort zone to embrace change.

In his seminar, titled ‘Business as Usual? There’s nothing usual about it’ in The Knowledge Hub (Hall 4), he said the next five years would see some “exciting stuff”. The accelerating pace of new technology and innovation would mean businesses would have to make new choices. “Don’t let what happened in the past stop your business developing in next few years,” he said. “We have to challenge existing practices in our changing world even if often we don’t know the rules of the game.”

He said every business in the world was at a crossroads – “but please don’t stand there too long. You have to make some decisions.”

He cited Amazon Fresh  – which delivers  fresh plants and flowers to consumers within 24 hours in the US – as an example of change that was unthinkable a few years ago. “And we have online businesses opening High Street stores to promote their online trade.”

Garden Tourism was another “sexy” development. Stanley said  he knew of a garden centre plant manager who took customers on a tour of gardens of Italy. “Are you engaging in things like this,” he asked his audience, “or are you still just trying to sell stuff?.  You have to think more about the end product and and how you are engaging your consumers with it.”

He predicted that ‘Weekday convenience versus weekend experience’ would be a key theme. The need for convenience would mean that within a few years, 30% of garden products would be purchased online. but consumers would still want to visit garden centres for a week-end experience.

Stanley warned against the insanity of “doing the same thing and expecting a different result”. 

Gardman’s founder Paris Natar was clearly enjoying his first Glee yesterday as the joint owner of Smart Solar , three years after selling his old company.

Natar bought a majority stake in Jonathan Stobart’s Smart Solar company last April, declaring that retirement after selling Gardman was not for him.

He said it was good to be back and he was looking forward to making a few things happen. Smart Solar was making steady progress in both the UK and export markets (the latter accounting for around 40% of the company’s turnover). Natar believes his experience in sourcing products in China is already making a difference at his new company, enabling an expanded range to be assembled at market-friendly price points.

The company also distributes Haxnicks and Greentrees ranges, which, Natar says, takes Smart Solar into a number of valuable product categories. “We’ll be turning our attention to how we brand these for the future,” he told Glee Daily News.

Paris Natar and Jonathan Stobart cut a cake to mark Smart Solar's 10th birthday.

Burgon & Ball (5A02-B03A) lifted Glee’s home and gift New Product Award for their range of gardener’s gift in RHS licensed or endorsed packaging – and already look to have a surefire sales winner on their hands.

The first run sold out before Glee opened. “We showed buyers pictures of what they would look like – and everyone wanted to buy them!” said Heather Culpan, Burgon & Ball’s managing director.

After a non-stop stream of orders at Glee yesterday, it looks like the second run, due for delivery in November, will follow the same pattern.

The range includes a special version of the popular Kneelo kneeler, hand tools, secateurs and gloves, all in packaging carrying beautiful botanical plant images from the RHS Lindley Library artwork archives covering three themes – chrysanthemum, rosa and passiflora.

Tamsin Westhorpe, a member of the judging panel, said: “The RHS Endorsed Garden Gift collection was an obvious winner. The packaging was just beautiful, and the quality of the gardening tools inside matched the loveliness of the gift - you'd know that someone loved you if you received it! It's a good example of an existing branded item being combined with others to make a highly desirable new gift set.”

In addition to developing over 20 new products for the 2014 season, Vitax has unveiled new designs across its liquid fertiliser and feed range.

The revitalisation of existing brands follows on from its commitment in 2012 to ensure the brands remain contemporary and eye-catching, enabling them to stand out amongst its competitors.

Each re-design consists of vibrant colours along with shrink wrapped packaging. Products that have undergone a visual transformation include

Vitax Fuchsia Feed, Vitax Growmore and Vitax Strawberry Fertiliser, amongst others.

To view the new packaging at GLEE, visit the Vitax stand in Hall 5, Stand: D02.

Neudorff say their appearance at Glee 2013 (5C19) emphasises the German company’s commitment to the UK market.

“We’re here to stay and distribution is going well,” said Neudorff’s UK and Ireland sales manager Jude Beharall. “A lot of retailers are telling us they want organic ranges. The UK is now catching up with other parts of Europe.”

Among the new products on the Neudorff stand are Organic Moss Control for Lawns (active ingredient: pelargonic acid) and a new re-sealable 5kg bag of Organic Lawn Feed & Improver.

Visitors can also see a demonstration of the effectiveness of Neudorff’s organic fast-acting weedkillers.

Town and Country have launched a new range of secateurs and snips in a promotional deal designed to raise funds for the industry’s Greenfingers charity.

When stockists who buy the fully stocked merchandiser containing 42 items across five sku’s (three secateurs and two snips) for £217, Town & Country have pledged to donate £25 per display to the charity.

The HTA, whose chief executive Carol Paris launched the promotion at Glee yesterday, have pledged their support. “We think this is an excellent idea and we hope retailers give it the support it deserves,” Mrs Paris said.

 Town & Country’s chief executive Barry Page said: “If it works this year, we hope to run it regularly and help to create a steady income stream for Greenfingers so they can fund more projecvts for chilren’s hospices.”

With more than 100 years of cutting excellence under its belt, Wilkinson Sword is expanding its range to include woodcutting tools.

The new Axe range includes four models covering a variety of woodcutting tasks. Each Axe has a high quality fibre glass handle with a soft grip for extra comfort. The axe heads are drop forged Carbon Steel which is hardwearing and durable. For extra protection each axe comes with a safety cover for the cutting blade.

Wilkinson Sword customers can enjoy the same quality and functionality from the new Axe range that they have come to expect from the brand’s garden tool range, backed by a reassuring 10 year guarantee.

Hatchet Axe

This small but handy 40cm Hatchet Axe is a great all-rounder; keep it close by for cutting up logs, making kindling and keeping unruly branches under control. RRP: £14.99.

Felling Axe

The large Felling Axe can be used for felling trees and cutting large branches with ease. Its long 90cm handle means more force can be applied ensuring the axe works hard in tough situations.

RRP: £29.99.

Splitting Axe

With the costs of heating bills soaring year on year more people are installing wood burning stoves and fires. A Splitting Axe is ideal for cutting up logs into manageable pieces. This Axe has a long 90cm handle meaning more force can be applied. RRP: 29.99.

Grenade

A Grenade can also be used to split logs, simply put it into the centre of a large log and apply force with a mallet or the back of an axe.

RRP: £9.99.

Debbie Millington, Bosmere’s ‘Lady in Black’, highlights the new Storm Black range of heavy-duty covers launched at Glee yesterday.

Visitors to the Bosmere stand (5A20-B21) can also see the brand’s new propagation range, which includes a unique systems of trays and growing modules.