NEWS EXTRA


Ron would go abroad every year, to places like Hong Kong and Atlanta, to look at Christmas ranges. Deciding that Christmas was a big opportunity and wanting to import direct, Bents started its own wholesale business. “This was before garden centres got into Christmas properly – we were one of the first ones,” explained Ron. “A friend worked for an importer in Southampton and he got us into volume buying but we were buying too much so we decided to sell some. “At that time it was very strictly importer-wholesaler-retailer and the retailer couldn’t go direct to an importer and buy, so that’s why we set up a wholesale company. We supplied all the garden centres.” Things have changed since and it is possible for retailers to buy direct but Christmas is still a huge period for Bents people flock to see the centre’s displays. “It’s got to the point where we’re actually considering not advertising this year,” said Matthew Bent. “Because we get so busy in here, you can’t move.”


The value of staff


As well as catering for its customers, Bents has also created fantastic new


PRODUCT NEWS PRODUC Y,, ha CT NEWS


eciate. Johnston & Jeff is a long-established British brand, which offers exactly that Johnston & Jeff has been supplying wild birdcare products since 1880. Its range is all pr oduced range includes thirteen different seeds, feeds and blends, ranging fr om specialist products such hearts and peanuts. All ingr edients ar e sourced for their quality and nutritional value, with several


combination of retail benefits.”


in house, including the manufacture of their wooden nest boxes and bird tables. The bird food range includes thirteen dif


e of their wooden nest boxes and bir


as niger seeds which are ideal for finches, tits and siskins to more familiar items such as sunflower ced for their quality and nutritional value, with several


crops grown to Johnston & Jeff’s own specification. All seeds and feeds undergo a rigor ous cleaning process which ensures not only the best r esults for bird health, but also the elimination of the dust and residue which can undermine the retail value of competitor products. Blended feeds are mixed to Johnston & Jeff in house formulations, ensuring the corr ect levels of nutrition for the targeted species. Specialist blends include superior wild bird food with fruit, premium wheat free with suet and a robin and songbird mix. The range also includes mealworms, fat balls, fat feast half coconut shells, suet pellets and suet blocks. Chris Gladwin continued, “All the Johnston & Jef


Chris Gladwin continued, “All the Johnston & Jef f bir d food packaging enables the consumer to view the product quality and the feeds are complemented with a range of bir


e complemented with a range of bir d tables, nest


boxes, feeders and feeding stations. Decco customers can also benefit from an excellent support package of product pr esentation, point of sale, a wall feeding chart and stand deals to ensur e maximum sales in-store.”


Interested retailers should contact Hannah Griffiths.


 01635 556650  hannah.griffiths  www .decco.co.uk


ff fiths@decco.co.uk


Leading home improvement and garden wholesaler, Decco has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Johnston & Jeff premium quality bird food, feeders, feeding stations, bir d tables and nest boxes. The range is one of the oldest and highest quality in this category and is ideal for independent DIY, hardware and garden r etailers, garden centr es and agricultural mer chants. Supplier Relations Manager of Decco, Chris Gladwin commenting on the company’s latest launch, explained, “Wild birdcare is an immensely successful sector. In fact, it has been so successful that some aspects of the market have become far too commoditised, with a consequent decline in product quality . At Decco, we know that this is a category in which our r etail customers want us to be active, and feel that the time is right to offer a top-quality product that is correctly produced, nutritionally excellent and superior in ways which our customers will recognise and appreciate.


offices, designed with horticulture in mind, so that meeting rooms are designed like mini garden sheds – albeit with striking glass fronts and air conditioning. The high-tech office space is open plan and temperature controlled, with lighting that comes on automatically when it gets dark. It also has break-out areas complete with artificial greenery and outdoor furniture. “It’s designed to bring the outdoors in,” said Ron “There’s lots of light and of airiness, so you don’t feel locked in. It’s a nice environment to work in.” The refurb included a new bistro café serving hot and cold food to the 450 staff who work at the site. “We always said that the colleagues should have the same food as the customers,” said Ron. “It’s a similar environment to our customer cafe too – nice and bright.” The staff working across the Bents


site, from the garden centre, to the nursery business, are highly valued by the business and some have been working there for decades, including Stuart, who started in the nursery before Bents even opened its first shop. Walking around the centre with Ron, he stopped and


spoke to everyone, knew them by name and what they did within the business. But, as he told DIY Week, these people are who help Bents offer the service it is known for. “We work on a very high staff ratio compared to most other garden centres. Our staffing numbers are much higher than other because we run this personal service and offer good advice, and people are not being task-driven all the time.” It has achieved an awful lot in 80 years but Bents does not plan to stand still and give itself a pat on the back.


Of course, the Bents family took time to celebrate its impressive milestone last month but plans for the next phase of the development are already going on in the background, with talk of laying a geothermal heating system under a field in the grounds to power the underfloor heating in the centre, as well as an intention to extend back- of-house catering to start making all of the baked goods in house. It’s a business that has been around for a long time but is by no means stuck in the past.


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