housewares for garden centres Looking into the garden
Will Jones, chief operating officer of BHETA (British Home Enhancement Trade Association), takes a look at housewares in garden retail
conducting presentations, meeting buyers and conducting normal business meetings. BHETA management meetings have been using video conferencing for several weeks and we have now held our first board meeting and member networking forum through this medium. On all occasions it has been not only
I
t goes without saying that we are all in uncharted territory at the moment thanks
to Covid-19, and while it’s good that the government has recognised a selection of home and garden products are ‘essential’, the present reality is that most garden retailers are closed. So, it’s very hard to talk about the potential of
garden centres for housewares suppliers, even though it’s a huge opportunity in theory and, we all hope, for the eventual post-coronavirus future.
In the short and medium term therefore, all we can do is acknowledge the future potential; see if there’s anything we can do to help facilitate things now; be prepared for that future, whenever it may be; and batten down the hatches in the meantime. One of the things that BHETA has been doing (and helping its members to do) is look at what can be done differently to maintain dialogue with customers - and sometimes even drive sales - or at least readiness for sales. Virtual meetings are now the necessity, but all
organisations will be well advised to adapt to be able to use this technology in this new age:
effective, but amazingly popular with attendees. I think that’s because first and foremost it works; but also, because it empowers employee flexibility to work remotely, whether that’s at home, as now, or from different locations as required.
In the background also are the increasing concerns about the carbon cost of travel to the environment. Concerns about sustainability will only grow faster as a result of the current crisis. So, my thoughts at time of writing: there is no question that the garden channel is an important present and future route to market for housewares suppliers. BHETA has long been encouraging its members to look beyond the core channels and explore other types of retail equally suited to housewares. Garden and home outlets are proven places
to purchase gifts, and they encapsulate many aspects of a more positive future, in which consumers will more than ever focus on improving their immediate surroundings. Whether online or bricks-and-mortar, they are
agreeable places to browse and easy places to shop, with ever-improving levels of customer information and added value services such as
Blue Diamond Garden & Living Centres is one of the largest garden centre retail groups across the UK and Channel Islands with more than 30 garden centres
garden design and home delivery. They are experiential in their approach - including the online operators. They are also great places to explore and maximise the potential of trends such as ‘grow your own’, the outdoor kitchen, alfresco dining, and garden zoning - with many cookware and tabletop cross-selling and up-selling opportunities. But that, we hope, is the future. In the meantime, organisations will need to adapt to virtual technology and BHETA can help suppliers in the sector who want to try this for the first time: we can set up a meeting, show you how it works and advise on the available options.
In principle, garden is undoubtedly good for housewares. For the moment, we need to make sure that whatever opportunities we have work as much as they can - and, if possible, use these extraordinary times to plan the best moves for the future.
Dobbies Garden Centre bills itself as the largest garden centre operator in the UK with 68 stores nationwide
March/April 2020 •
HousewaresLive.net
• BHETA (British Home Enhancement Trade Association) is the trade association for manufacturers, suppliers and distributors in the housewares, garden, DIY and home improvement markets. For more information, contact the member services team on 07946 078566 or visit the BHETA website at
www.bheta.co.uk.
•
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