The future’s...expensive! David looks at the future for innovation, technology and that dreaded word, finance.


David Little has been the managing director of Poplars Garden Centre in Toddington, Bedfordshire since 1999 and is the fourth generation of the Little family to control the company, whose horticultural roots go back to the 1890s. Poplars receives visits from around a quarter of a million customers a year and turnover is in excess of £4 million. It is also a proud member of the both the HTA and GCA, of which David is an executive committee member and area chairman of the North Thames branch. Here David continues his contribution to our ‘view from the shop floor’ series.


So another spring season is well and truly behind us. How would you sum up the spring of 2010? For us it was a season that seemed to never really begin – but yet hasn’t stopped either! One day the customers were almost tearing our displays to pieces in a bid to fill trolleys left right and centre, the next there was hardly a soul to serve. Keeping our plants in tip-top condition has never been such a challenge and our plant department has never worked harder. Great products and stock control have been key factors in our success. I must say well done to the guys at Scotts Miracle Gro; Patch Magic has definitely been the product of the year in my opinion.


W 8 Garden & Hardware News


e’ve had great success with our new education facility since it opened


in April. We’ve called it our ‘Learning Zone’ and it has been very well received by the local community. Our local schools have made regular use of the classroom in the


countryside and we’re getting kids into the garden centre and our nature reserve. This summer we have been running a series


By David Little


kids getting used to visiting us and seeing what we do; they are our customers and gardeners of the future.


“Our business bank, with whom the business has held accounts with since 1901, has just written to me with their proposal to triple my bank charges for 2011. It seems loyalty counts for nothing.“


of Bug Labs for children. The local art groups, auctioneers and wildlife groups all have sessions booked for various activities and events. We had a superb attendance at our recent Bonsai show and have more planned for next year. Education will really kick off in earnest when our local schools resume in September. Teaching kids about the environment, wildlife, conservation and sustainability are at the forefront of our approach. We’ve linked up with local experts and groups to deliver these classes as part of the new school curriculum. It’s good for business too. All those


Technology never ceases to amaze me. We are looking at three potential developments that could be very good for business. The first is “Bluetooth Welcome Messages” for customers coming through our front door, which presents some very good marketing opportunities. If you haven’t heard about the technology it’s simply a device that sends a message to any Bluetooth active unit that passes close enough to the sending point. We can change the message instantly and update any offers as and when we want. So when a customer enters the garden centre


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