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 (10^th – 12^th September, 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.    Continue reading →

Retailers seeking products of the future and the latest in-store merchandising ideas need look no further than the Retail Lab at Glee. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year. Here, we meet one of the sponsors of this year’s feature, Meadow View Stone, who brings over 25 years’ experience of supplying the widest range of imported and exclusive decorative aggregates and landscaping stone to the garden centre industry. Continue reading →

Retailers seeking products of the future and the latest in-store merchandising ideas need look no further than the Retail Lab at Glee. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year. Here, we meet first-time sponsors, Verona Group, to find out more about the UK’s leading distributor of tiles and mosaics in natural stone, porcelain, ceramic and glass from the company’s Product Marketing Executive, Rosie Preston. Continue reading →

Garden centre catering is experiencing a revolution. From wood-fired pizza ovens to tapas bars, carveries and patisseries, retail managers are channelling millions of pounds worth of investment into stylish restaurants that offer the ultimate in temptation for gardeners and food-lovers. Continue reading →

Retailers seeking products of the future and the latest in-store merchandising ideas need look no further than the Retail Lab at Glee. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year. Here, we meet one of the sponsors of this year’s feature – the German pot, container and plant accessories manufacturer Scheurich, which is eager to demonstrate its latest creations when the Retail Lab throws open its doors. Continue reading →

Fashions come and go – and landscaping is no exception. Crazy paving and rockeries were big in the 1970s; patios became the focal point for chintzy garden furniture during the 1980s, while timber decking, gravel and water features soared in popularity in the 1990s as television makeovers introduced the nation to the concept of outdoor rooms. Continue reading →

The Retail Lab is a key focal point for Glee – the beating heart of the industry, showcasing the best of what the future holds. Combining interactive content with inspirational product displays and tangible business advice, the Retail Lab has cemented itself as a thriving hub of inspiration and knowledge at Glee. Here we catch up with Mark Smith, Director of Key Essentials, one of this year’s Retail Lab sponsors, to find out about his plans for Glee 2019. Continue reading →

Confirmed exhibitors, both new and existing, are invited to join the forthcoming Glee Exhibitor Workshop (June 25^th, Poplars Garden Centre in Toddington), where the team will be joined by leading retailers and partner agencies to help exhibitors maximise their time at the show.

  Continue reading →

“Alexa, start the lawnmower”. “Alexa, water the borders and vegetable patch”. “Alexa, order me a pack of Miracle-Gro”. Turn back the clock by a decade and such voice commands would have been dismissed as the plot of a sci-fi movie. Now, AI and smart technology that has revolutionised our homes is set to transform the way the nation tends its flowers, fruit, lawns and vegetables. High-tech app-controlled kit and robotic gadgets that promise to make gardening easier are taking the garden retail market by storm. Continue reading →

With catering and food sales continuing to offer major add-on profit opportunities for garden centres, leading garden trade show Glee (10^th – 12^th September, NEC Birmingham), will be offering retailers extensive inspiration at the newly introduced Taste Village.   Continue reading →