INDUSTRY COMMENT: GCA
EVER-EVOLVING GARDEN CENTRES
Garden Centre Association Chief Executive, Peter Burks looks at how garden centres have evolved through both choice and necessity by better utilisation of their retail space, the adoption of new technology and also community engagement.
A
s I travel around the country visiting our Garden Centre Association members, it is always very
interesting to both see and hear the owners and principals’ plans for changes and development. This comes in both changes to the physical side of the organisation with new buildings, or rearranging layouts, to changes to internal layouts, flows, ranges and suppliers. I would say the changes are characterised by a blend of diversification, sustainability, technology integration, community engagement, and resilience. The evolution of these centres
from conventional retail spaces to experiential destinations reflects their adaptability in an ever- changing market. It is so important to keep offering customers something new and different. As consumer preferences and external factors continue to evolve, garden centres will need to remain dynamic, embracing innovation and sustainability to ensure their continued relevance and success in the years to come.
Environmental issues Garden centres are very lucky in the area of environmental and sustainable practices because, fortunately, customers see all the plants and conclude these are great, modern businesses doing wonderful things for our environment, which is of course definitely true. It’s nice to see a lot of good point of sale explaining the benefits of plants, both indoor and outdoor. However, we do, of course, have products that are not everyone’s cup of tea. Fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides are quite rightly challenged to ensure we only stock the safest products available and there should be plenty of non- chemical alternatives, very well signed, available to buy. The change to peat free composts
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has been very well supported by GCA members and training has been provided to all staff regarding this via five modules on our GROW e-learning platform to ensure customers get the best from these new products.
The same environmental concerns arise in our toy, gift and home departments where there are always challenges regarding where the product has been sourced, what it is made from, what it is packed in and can it be recycled following use. Good point of sale around these issues has become much more commonplace. As an industry, we have been happy to hide a lot of the good things we do but GCA centres are now very happy to shout about this.
Technology adoption Technology continues to move forward at pace and the area I think I have seen the biggest changes is in our restaurants. The range of service options have altered significantly, many driven by changes made during the Covid-19 years. Some centres still have counter service with a great range of food clearly on show. Others have table service still done by humans, while others are using apps. Who would have thought our customer base could move so smoothly to something like this? Others have gone to a model more often seen in fast food outlets with electronic ordering from screens, again a change that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
I am also pleased to see the
increase in the use of QR codes to help to educate our customers on particular plants and products. This will undoubtedly lead to our customers having greater success with these, as well as leading to greater loyalty when they can see some of the thinking and work that has gone on behind the scenes.
Community engagement Finally, the level of community
engagement seen in so many GCA member garden centres is really quite breath-taking. There are great schemes in restaurants encouraging customers to interact and sit together; centres organising programmes of in-house demonstrations and lectures; hosting and/or sponsoring local fruit, veg and flower shows; organising coach trips to other gardens of interest…to mention just a few. Then there are lots of activities to engage with children particularly during the school holidays and some of the play areas are quite incredible, with great catering facilities added in, some
attracting school parties!
I can honestly say with the level of innovation currently being displayed I am sure the industry is looking at a very strong future.
About the Garden Centre Association (GCA)
Established in 1966, the GCA offers its members a range of benefits but at the core of its activities is the garden centre customer experience. One example of this is the GCA’s pioneering e-learning training programme for garden centre staff. There are approximately 100 courses available, covering topics on product knowledge, plant care and customer service. These courses have been accessed by 10,000 members of staff within GCA centres.
The GCA asks its garden centre members, from the moment they join, to meet the highest retail standards and to participate in an annual inspection process, to ensure these standards are maintained and improved. GCA members, large and small, set the benchmark for high retailing standards within the industry which others can only aspire to. The Association can state, proudly, that it represents the leading garden centres within the UK and worldwide as part of its membership of the International Garden Centre Association (IGCA).
To find out more, please visit
https://gca.org.uk AUGUST 2023 DIY WEEK 29
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