Wild about Gardens – A marketing opportunity

The 15th – 21st September 2014 is Wild About Gardens Week, which will focus on the plight of the UK’s 1,500 species of pollinating insects. The aim of the week is to encourage people to do more to support our vital pollinators over the winter months. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) are…

Adding passion and personality to plants everywhere

We came across this wonderful Hermits Hut at a festival last year. This would add so much passion and personality to any plant offer – at Waring Stewart Towers we love it! It could even make a magical and inspirational Information Centre… Or an office for a Garden Centre Consultant, I love it!   We…

How to engage customers and increase sales the John Lewis way

Like many people at Waring Stewart Towers we receive the John Lewis marketing email. In todays email is a link to their Sheffield Store, which is celebrating its 50th birthday. They are doing this by holding workshops, These allow them to Gain credibility as experts Engage customers Give customers a reason to visit (which is…

What shade of green are you?

Everyone is trying to be green these days. As we know much of it is greenwash. However many Garden Centres are leading the way in green retail. Biomass Boilers and the RHI grant to make them affordable springs to mind. But are we sharing our sustainable journey with our customers? (I ought to add we…

10 Great ideas from Chelsea to use in your Garden Centre today! #4

We know that customers are interested in our green message, the green stories we can tell about our products and what we are doing to help wildlife…

So we loved this sign at Chelsea.

Just imagine a display at the entrance to your centre that could say this…

IP2A5081

10 Great ideas from Chelsea to use in your Garden Centre today! #3

Tom Stogden’s slate sculptures were a part of many Chelsea show gardens, and are both tactile and beautiful. Have you thought of adding artisan created garden sculptures to your offer? (Englefield Garden Centre, near Reading have a resident sculptor based at the Centre…) – Here is some of Tom’s work, as exhibited at Chelsea 2013…