Blog entries

The issue creating a buzz (08/05/2013 10:14:23)
The biggest news in the garden industry at the moment is by far the EU's planned ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.

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Yes, more about the weather (25/04/2013 15:51:26)
I feel as though I am forever discussing the weather at the moment but then, I doubt very much that I'm the only one - and why break from the British stereotype?

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Forget Easter... we need sun! (08/04/2013 11:01:50)
For some, the Easter break flew by far too quickly but, for many retailers, the long weekend probably dragged on, with yet more arctic-style weather and disappointing sales.

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Waitrose takes the garden path (26/03/2013 14:41:37)
Well it looks like Waitrose is going into gardening in a big way. Not content with poaching gardening guru and national treasure Alan Titchmarsh from B&Q, or with launching a new garden centre in Newbury, the JLP-owned grocery chain is now introducing 6,000 garden products across its network of stores and online, and has even launched a dedicated garden website.

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A change for the better (21/02/2013 15:50:35)
I have to take my hat off to the Brintex team who organised a much-improved Totally show this year.

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Here's to 2013 (10/01/2013 09:41:41)
Firstly I should start by wishing you all a happy New Year. And, if Verdict's latest report is anything to go by, it should be a happier year for our sector, with the DIY and garden market forecast to be the strongest retail category for projected growth.

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A little bit of faith (13/12/2012 11:03:06)
Don't be spooked, shoppers won't cancel Christmas. Those are the words of business services firm BDO after less than exciting retail sales in November. And, judging by the amount of money I've spent over the past few weeks, I'd say there's every reason to believe in BDO's prediction of a last-minute rush from shoppers.

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Missing the point? (06/11/2012 16:00:04)
While many topics and categories in our sector are determined by the calendar, the subject of point of sale and merchandising is something that is ultimately always relevant to our readers.

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No damp spirits here (20/09/2012 11:54:03)

Yes, the summer has admittedly been a bit of a washout, but the wet weather doesn't seem to have dampened the spirits of the garden retailers and suppliers we spoke to for our recent garden market special.

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Mob rule ok? (23/08/2012 09:45:15)
It is quite likely that the term 'cash mob' is something you've not come across before but it's a trend that seems to be gathering pace on the UK's high streets and might be worth looking into.

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