LANDSCAPING
AGGREGATED MARGINS
Helping customers to choose the right products for their outside spaces can boost merchant sales, as BMJ finds out.
A T
round 87% of all homes in Britain have a garden space, which equates to 23 million gardens. There was a huge
increase in demand for aggregates for garden renovations during 2020, with lockdowns highlighting the importance of outside space. Data, supplied by Long Rake Spar, has shown that sales have stabilized, and the
completion of more expensive projects slowed, this trend to improve garden space has not gone away.
“Patios made using decorative aggregates are one of the easiest and most affordable ways to create a stunning and dedicated space to relax in. When you think ‘patio’, instantly people think of paving or decking, which can not only be costly but often require the skills of
a professional to install,” says Tammy Tidmarsh, brand manager at Long Rake Spar. “However, there is an attractive and affordable answer for those who need to stick to a budget and that is to create a gravel patio. With a huge array of aggregates on offer, customers with tight home renovation budgets can be sure to create a stylish space to be proud of. This can capture a new
DISHING THE DIRT ON TRADE SALES
Top soil is just dirt that comes in bulk bags, right? Wrong, as Fiona Russell Horne discovers.
here’s a lot more that goes into top soil than you might think, and what does go in determines its quality, and how well it performs over the years. If what’s been put into it is years of research, testing, sourcing ethics then the end result will be better than if what’s gone into it is asbestos, industrial waste, chemicals, or just general rubbish. In March last year, Hallstone, the manufacturer of premium topsoil products for the building and landscaping trades, and
part of the Rolawn group, relaunched as a trade-only brand, with the express intention of driving customers to trade stockists. It sold its 500,000th bulk bag last month.
“We have a clear, simple focus; consistent, reliable, premium landscaping products to the trade, at competitive prices,” says Jonathan Hill, sales director. “We’re very pleased to see that our new approach is being so well received by trade customers, it speaks volumes about the products and the service we provide.”
Getting the quality right and consistent through all the difference seasons, and under different weather conditions is not an easy task, Hill explains. “It comes down to trusting the supplier. If you buy a car and instead of the four wheels you were expecting it turns up with only three, you can tell immediately that it’s not what you ordered. However not even a soil scientist can tell immediately by eye whether a soil is good or bad, let alone a builders merchant branch manager or their customer. The visual appearance of the product can be great but this can mask a host of hidden issues, which could be potentially toxic elements, plant killing compounds, heavy metals, asbestos or even asbestos.”
He says that the Hallstone top soil is subject to constant independent testing for more than 70 parameters to make sure that it is free from these issues, so the quality is high, and consistent.
“Builders’ merchants want to be confident they are selling their customers a good product, but of course they also need to be able to make money on it. We are selling our merchant customers a premium product at competitive prices. It’s supplied under the Rowlan ethos so they know that principles we use to produce our premium range are the same as we use for our trade brand.
“We also aim to drive cost out where we 34
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2024
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
