REVIEW: SPRING FAIR 2020


snippers that retail for £2.99, are fast becoming a key driver of sales for retailers – having received a strong level of interest at the show. Hall said: “It’s an old line that’s reinvigorating sales using TV marketing. One garden centre said they had sold 450 in just three weeks, and that was out of season.” First time exhibitor potterypots.


com, distributed by My Gifts Trade, aimed to inspire buyers by staging dramatic “retail


theatre” with a


retail chains flocked to the NEC in Birmingham to see the latest innovations from the garden trade, and snap-up stock of new products for 2020 that offer the highest levels of potential to drive retail sales for this season. At Laurica Plants from Belgium, which specialises in the cultivation of bay trees, manager Elie Devisch praised the quality of visitors, pointing out that he had made seven new contacts in the space of a day. He said: “I have seen old and potential customers and met with visitors from the US and Canada – as well as from Ireland, which is important for our market.” An upbeat mood was evident on the stand of Riverco Trading, supplier of British-made wooden garden furniture, which returned to Glee at Spring Fair for the third year. Riverco trading owner, Peter Wootton, said: “It’s a good show with lots of potential. We’ve taken orders and secured several new accounts.” The company reported that its flat-packed bench pallets, which contain nine benches on a pallet with free delivery, had been a star seller at the show, with strong interest also reported in Frogsuit, a wood protection product that has been in the bestsellers list on TV shopping channel QVC.


It was a successful show for Creative Products, providing the company with a platform to showcase its Creative TV services – instore merchandising solutions with built-in screens that inspire consumers and drive impulse sales. Creative Products director, Mark Hall, said one of the highest levels of enquiries had centred around its new product that won best in show at Glee at Spring Fair: double- sided, ultra-strong, reusable and waterproof Nano Gel Tape that sticks to wood, metal, plastic and glass, while its Dickie Birds Fat Ball Garland, a ‘highly commended’ new product at the show, which allows fat balls for birds to be hung individually or joined together to create an attractive garland, was the centre of attention, too.


Hall added that the company’s dead head ‘snipz’ – deadheading


14 DIY WEEK 14 FEBRUARY 2020


range of container designs on its stand. My Gifts Trade purchasing manager, David Homer, said the company’s


new-for-2020 Zayn


bamboo containers, which feature fibrestone interiors for year-round rigidity and tap into the current trend for sustainable gardening solutions, attracted the highest level of interest from buyers, with orders for the company’s container portfolio secured as well. Fargro returned to Glee at


Spring Fair for the second time, with the company’s representatives reporting buoyant trade throughout the exhibition. Fargro product manager, Kieran Daly, said: “It has been a good show for us. We were very busy on Sunday, while Monday and Tuesday were good, too. We’ve seen a lot of more retail buyers and florists this year, who we may not necessarily have met with at Glee in September.” Daly reported healthy levels of


interest from buyers in Fargro’s Lamela Eco range of pots, which tick the boxes for environmentally conscious retailers as they’re made from woodchip and recycled plastic and are fully recyclable at the end of their life. “Interest in sustainable pots is being driven by the indoor plant market,” Daly explained. Other star performers on the stand included the Boskke Sky Planter, a novel upside-down hanging planter that can keep plants watered for up to two weeks, and Boskke Till Planter, which helps consumers to successfully grow kitchen herbs and houseplants with its integrated irrigation system that only requires refilling once a fortnight. At iTip,


supplier of British-


made iTip Handles that allow wheelbarrows to be emptied with safety and ease, the company’s Andy Hill said Glee at Spring Fair had allowed him to meet with a “good cross-section of buyers”


– from


garden centres to gift shops and online retailers. Hill added: “We’ve experienced a good quality rather than quantity of visitors, who have all been looking for something really different for their


retail outlets.”


The handles, which launched last year, come in 11 colours and are


www.diyweek.net


already making big inroads into the gardening, equestrian and construction markets. Finally,


the timing of Glee


at Spring Fair was right on cue for Joseph Noblett, supplier of Christmas trees and accessories, which has exhibited for the last three years. Proprietor, Joseph Noblett said: “We were pleased with the first two days – the show works for us. It’s at the right time of year, as Christmas is still fresh in everyone’s minds.” Noblett said the show had helped his business target “high end landscapers from central London”, who were looking for big impact specimen trees in wooden barrels.


And the winners are…. The third annual Glee at Spring Fair New Product Showcase Awards was the centre of much industry buzz as the ‘best in show’ were selected by a panel of industry experts, with the winners being celebrated in a special awards ceremony. This year’s judging panel was made up of Trevor


Pfeiffer of


Garden Trade News; Boyd Douglas Davies, communications director at British Garden Centres; Steve Myatt, MD of Kiwiosity and garden centre consultant; garden retail guru and part of the Pughs Garden Centre senior management team, Roger Crookes; and James Ducker, managing director of Longlands Garden Centre. Together


the judges selected


three outstanding products from a record-breaking number of entries, each recognised for their “unique design, saleability and innovative approach to bringing to market products that will drive profits in the coming seasons”. The product scooping first prize and being awarded the ‘best in show’ was Nano Tape from Creative Products. This traceless, waterproof and reusable tape, is said to make it easy to complete a range of interior and exterior DIY projects such as hanging photos and frames, as well as fixing rugs and table legs, whilst providing strength and durability. Two highly commended products


were also selected by the judges. The first highly commended was the Bellevue Rocking/Reclining Set from Innovators International. This grey rattan collection combines the ultimate in comfort with the classic ‘tea for two’ style of outdoor living. Incorporating gas lift technology for the smoothest possible recline, with zero maintenance rattan and aluminium the Bellevue Rocking/ Reclining Set is said to be a great update for the outdoor living category.


The second highly commended


product and taking its 2020 Glee at Spring Fair New Product Showcase win total to two, was Creative Products with its Fat Ball Garland. This update to the best-selling wild bird food product was praised by the judges for its ability to drive sales further, whilst providing consumers with the ability to create flexible and creative feeding solutions. Finally, the judges


requested


special mention for four additional products. Those products were: Fargro – Till Planter: a self-irrigating planter


which potted herbs; is perfect for Charles Taylor –


Wentworth Two-Seater Arbour: a two-seater Arbour with removable roof and versatile seating; Dizmezs - Baby Reindeer: an ecological wooden reindeer decoration; and Travellers Finds – Mini Plant Stakes: handmade decorative plant stakes.


Find out more Glee, and now, Glee at Spring Fair, is the UK’s leading garden retail show. Both events focus on building year- round profits within core product categories including garden care, landscaping, outdoor living, garden design, pet, speciality food and catering, home, gift and clothing, and plants. Each year the two events attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest


news visit www.gleebirmingham. com or for details on exhibiting at Glee 2020 or Glee at Spring Fair 2021, call 0203 3545 9752.


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