RETAILING


change of employer isn’t always easy but the team has been great. I should also like to thank our customers and the local community for your support and to welcome [you all] to Frensham; the newest sibling in our family of garden centres.” Whilst Squire’s Garden Centres has been on the lookout for new opportunities for a while, it seems Frensham ticked all the right boxes and was


the perfect fit for the


group’s portfolio. “It is a great thrill for us that we have been able to buy Frensham,” says Sarah. “It’s in such a special location, such a beautiful area and we feel very fortunate indeed to have this centre.” Geographically, its Surrey location


is in keeping with Squire’s desire to keep its centres within a certain distance, so the management team is able to visit the centres “often and easily”, explains Sarah. However, the centre is also a good fit in terms of its unique nature and offer. As well as traditional garden


centre fare, Frensham boasts a huge camping offer; stocking everything from stoves and sleeping bags, to tools, tents and outdoor clothing and footwear. It also carries an automotive range and hardware products, which are certainly not expected garden centre lines but ones that do well; not to mention the roaring trade Frensham does with storage boxes and fireworks. In fact, Brian sold £200-worth of fireworks to a customer within an hour of the preview evening. “We sell a lot of storage,” says Brian. “It doesn’t fit the profile of a garden centre but it is such a


lucrative line for us that Squire’s is keeping it in. There isn’t anywhere else near here that people can get storage like this. There’s a Homebase in Farnham but they don’t do the full range and it’s quite expensive there. People know we do it here and it’s at a good price, so they come in for it. “Hardware is the same – people come in here because they know we do it. It’s a good area for us. We used to do a lot more, including some big brands but that has been put on the back burner a bit because of the acquisition and everything that’s been going on.”


Food for thought


The farm shop is another attraction for Squire’s, as it has yet to introduce such a proposition to any of its centres. Brian is proud of what Frensham has achieved in creating its food hall, which includes a butchers concession and deli counter. “I walk in and I remember it as


an old barn 17 years ago, full of cobwebs, with no cladding on the walls, and with a truck in here,” he says. “In 2010 we joined the two buildings and then created the farm shop in this space… I can really appreciate how far it’s come.” The shop sources local produce, where possible, including bread “from just a mile down the road”, adds Brian. Some businesses, following a takeover, can’t wait to bulldoze in and wipe out any sign of the way things were done before and impose its own ideas and aesthetic, in order to turn out a perfect cookie- cutter version of its other branches. Squire’s, however, is taking its time


and learning about the business. There is even scope to roll some aspects of Frensham out to other Squire’s centres, where applicable. Describing Squire’s ethos and its willingness to retain the individual nature of each of the members of its ‘family’, Sarah says: “In a family, various members share characteristics – they look a bit similar… and family members have a shared history and shared values. But siblings are not identical and we believe very firmly that our garden centres shouldn’t be identical either. “We like the fact that they are all


different shapes and sizes, that they serve different communities, and that the teams are very diverse too. Of course, there are shared priorities in terms of standards, services and our horticultural offering and heritage – and we must never forget what we are – but our centres have the freedom to be a bit individual. “So, we want to keep Frensham’s unique look and feel, with slightly different products ranges from our neighbouring centres. We are really excited to have our first farm shop, we want to learn about the camping department, and we have also grown to love storage; so rest assured, we are not aiming to recreate another Badshot Lea or even another Milford; love them, though we do.”


Evolution not revolution Squire’s has made some changes to Frensham already, “re-organising the layout from front to back”, says Brian, increasing the size of the houseplant offer, introducing a


clothing department – an area that is seeing big growth for Squire’s – and bringing categories like gift to the forefront of the garden shop. New directional signage has been put up throughout and the café has been kitted out with new furniture. Other essential maintenance has also been carried out, including upgrading the electrics, putting on a new kitchen roof and improving the fire warning system. “The things you probably wouldn’t notice,” laughs Sarah. “None of it is very glamorous but pretty important.” There


are plans to


and improve the centre further, as Squire’s


is a big believer


develop in


investing back into the business and is currently carrying out a number of refurbishments across its group of centres, including revamping its catering offer with stylish, new-look Café Bars. “We are about a third of the way through refurbishing the cafes across our centres but it’s an ongoing process,” explains Sarah, adding “otherwise once you’ve finished, you have to go back and start again.”


Discussing further plans for


Frensham, Sarah says: “We are going in with the mindset of ‘let’s look at it, take some time and learn from it’. We want to reassure people that we’re not coming and changing everything because people get very protective over their local garden centre. “We are investing in our business but, as family company we can take our time, there’s no hurry, we can plan for the long term, so don’t expect revolution – we are really into evolution.”


www.diyweek.net


09 NOVEMBER 2018 DIY WEEK 13


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