industry news
Daro enjoys record
numbers at
G Plants takes on distribution
preview show Stockists have been helping furniture supplier Daro shape its 2016 range by delivering feedback at its preview show. Northampton-based Daro says that it always takes the comments from its stockists on-board and that is why the exclusive show is so important to the 40- year old company.
The 2015 showcase boasted a record attendance by stockists, Daro adds, saying that visitors were impressed with what Daro had proposed for 2016.
of BeeMat Seed and bulb supplier G Plants has announced that the BeeMat brand has recently been incorporated into its product portfolio, offering retailers increased access to the seed mat range.
Complementing the company’s existing ‘Bee Friends’ offering, the BeeMat collection is intended to enable G Plants to further expand its market share, which already sees the company sell in excess of 500,000 seed mats each year to a wide range of UK retailers.
The BeeMat range, under G Plants’ control, will continue to deliver the high yield wild flower mixtures that have become synonymous with the brand. It has also been confirmed that BeeMat’s ever-popular sales agent, Nigel Clarke, has been retained to continue to drive sales of the product throughout the year ahead. G Plants director Alex Reihl commented: “This year we have focused our efforts on developing an ethical and effective wildlife range, which is driven less by aesthetics but instead by delivering products that provide the vital nourishment and habitats that are needed by our nation’s pollinators, birds and endangered bats. Bee Friends is just the start of this journey; a journey which we are excited to continue in 2016. The incorporation of the BeeMat brand is certainly a great place to kick start the early spring season, and we look forward to working with retailers to help them secure stock ahead of the inevitable Easter peak in sales.”
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Stewart’s Garden Centre head of retail Terry Head, who attended the show, said: “The Daro Preview Show is very useful and to see the full range on the floor is very helpful when it comes to planning 2016. We can view the indoor and outdoor ranges and spend time with the Daro team, which is very beneficial. James always gives us a lot of information; his knowledge is second to none. When you attend an event like Glee or Solex it gives you a snap shot but this is a full day to look around and take it all in.” Daro director James Brown added: “We are pleased all our hard work has paid off. The show was a roaring success with lots of positive comments from our stockists, all of which we have taken on board. I’m really happy with our new range and I think when the stockists see it they will be pleased too as they know they have had input into it.”
Animal rights charity targets Bents over
reindeer 'cruelty' Cheshire garden centre giant Bents Garden &
Home has come under attack from an animal rights charity, which is accusing the business of cruelty to reindeer.
In common with many garden centres, Bents, of Glazebury, near Warrington, regularly brings the animals in at Christmas to make appearances at festive events.
However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has now written to managing director Matthew Bent, explaining that an environment of noisy shoppers and children and bright lights is entirely unsuitable for reindeer, which would normally avoid contact with people, and that travelling to the centre also subjects them to stress.
The letter from PETA campaign coordinator Kirsty Henderson urges Mr Bent to cancel plans to use the animals in Christmas-themed events, and said: “Using animals as backdrops in public displays is not only cruel but also dangerous, as humans are at risk of injury should the animals run amok.” She continued: “The whole phenomenon of taking reindeer out on the road, putting them in pens and treating them as if they were just Christmas decorations is unacceptable, and we should not be encouraging such an unethical and abusive trend. We don't want our kids to grow up thinking that live animals exist merely for our entertainment.”
However, £15m-turnover Bents has defended its use of reindeer to draw in shoppers, saying it takes animal welfare extremely seriously and works closely with the reindeer's breeders to ensure they are cared for while at the centre.
In a statement, Matthew Bent said: “Whilst at Bents they are only on-site for a limited time during our Festive Family Fun Weekend, have regular breaks and are accompanied at all times by their handlers, within a controlled area. If any animal were to show any sign of distress they would be immediately removed from the site, but this is something we have never experienced.
“We are just one of many venues such as shopping centres and town fairs that are visited by reindeer in the run-up to Christmas and we are aware that other places have been contacted by PETA as well.” The charity has indeed been running an intensive campaign this Christmas, sending letters to other organisations using reindeer at events, concerned by what it sees as growing exploitation of the animals for profit.
GCU December 2015
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