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B&M's completes expansion of Wallsend store

Following the opening of five new stores last month, discount chain B&M has also officially re-opened its Wallsend store in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne after work to expand the site and create “a bigger, better store” has now been completed.The B&M ... 
4 June 2019

National Children's Gardening Week hailed a success

Hot on the heels of the interest in children’s gardening at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show many garden centres, schools, families, communities and organisations, and of course children, celebrated the joy of gardening and outdoor activities ... 
4 June 2019

Retail sales see worst decline on record

Retail statistics covering the four weeks 28 April – 25 May 2019 from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the KPMG retail sales monitor show that on a total basis, sales decreased by 2.7% in May. Excluding Easter distortions, this is the worst ... 
4 June 2019

Solex launches website ahead of exhibition

The Summer Outdoor Leisure Exhibition which will be opening its doors to buyers from within the garden industry on 9 July 2019, has launched its very own website to help visitors to register and attend the event.This new website has an interactive ... 
4 June 2019

Kingfisher study reveals the home is more important to happiness than our jobs

Our homes make one of the biggest contributions to our overall happiness and wellbeing, according to new research from Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q, and the Happiness Research Institute, the independent think tank focusing on well-being, ... 
4 June 2019

Retail investment intentions lowest in 36 years

Retail sales in the year to May fell at the fastest pace since October 2017, as tough trading and Brexit uncertainty result in retail investment intentions seeing a sharp decline in recent months to hit record low, according to the latest quarterly ... 
3 June 2019

April’s garden centre sales experiences steady growth

Garden centre sales are 27% up based on the calendar year to April 2019 vs 2018, according to the May 2019 issue of HTA Market Update published this week.In April, sales of plant and garden ranges continued to fare well, experiencing significant ... 
3 June 2019

Toolstream celebrates its 10th anniversary

Somerset-based tool supplier Toolstream has celebrated turning 10 years old.The company hosted an action-packed day a couple of weeks ago with masses of activities. A pallet wood building competition took centre stage, with entrants re-using timber ... 
3 June 2019

10 Amazon pop up shops to open in UK town centres

Online shopping giant Amazon has announced it plans to open 10 pop up shops in various UK town centre locations. The exact towns have not been announced however there will be openings in Wales, Scotland, The Midlands, Yorkshire and the South East of ... 
3 June 2019

ProCook to close Steamer Trading brand

Kitchenware retail chain ProCook announced it is closing the Steamer Trading brand, as the business explains it "needs to protect the rest of its portfolio", with the “best route to success to utilise the most profitable sites in expansion plans... 
31 May 2019

Garden retailers need to reach a new generation of screen-fingered gardeners

Research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that 78% of adults use smartphones but, according to one hi-tech horticultural company, most garden centres are failing to engage with their tech-savvy customers.The study found that mobiles ... 
31 May 2019

Home bargains and Aldi to open in Horsted Retail Park

The former Toys 'R Us unit in Chatham, Kent, will be subdivided between four businesses in spring 2020, two of which are an Aldi and Home Bargains.The development is set to create more than 190 new jobs and a Royal London spokesman said it will ... 
31 May 2019

Morrisons proposes new garden centre at Pinchbeck store

In a bid to grow its garden offer at stores across the UK, the supermarket giant has applied for planning permission to erect a new glazed garden centre structure at its branch off Brenner Road, just north of Spalding.The proposal is for “a new PPC ... 
30 May 2019

Easter heatwave saw furniture and barbecue sales soar

Garden centres across the country enjoyed positive sales in furniture and barbecue departments thanks to one of the hottest Easter breaks on record in April.Sales of furniture and barbecues were up 28.36% compared to the same month in 2018, ... 
30 May 2019

Top retailers are failing to capitalise on growing social media influence

An industry report has found that almost a fifth of leading UK e-retailers are missing out on potential sales, due to a lack of connection with their customers’ extended social circles. These figures have worsened since a similar study was carried ... 
30 May 2019

John Lewis figures hit by cooler weather but Waitrose reports uplift in plant sales

The high street retailer posted a total sales decline of -4.1% to £2.68million across the business for the week ended May 25, with home and outdoor living struggling in its department stores, whilst Waitrose saw sales of outdoor plants soar 21%.... 
29 May 2019

DIY stores hit top 10 in Which? high street survey

Department store, John Lewis and DIY chains, Toolstation and Screwfix all managed land take top-10 positions in the survey, showing customers received a positive experience when shopping in the sector ... 
29 May 2019

Toolstation roll-out continues apace

The Travis Perkins-owned chain is ploughing ahead with its expansion programme, opening four new trade counters in a week next month.On June 10, Toolstation will open a trade counter on Buxton Road in Hazel Grove, less than five miles from its ... 
28 May 2019

Online retailers reveal top-10 plants selling out due to millennial gardeners

Research from online outdoor living retailer, Internet Gardener, which included analysing thousands of Instagram posts, has revealed the indoor plants most favoured by millennials.Millennial interest in these plants is so great that plant retailers ... 
28 May 2019

Amazon partners with Next to offer click-and-collect service

The online retail giant’s new Counter service, launched this month in the UK and Italy, enables quick and easy collection of Amazon parcels from popular retail outlets and convenience stores, including fashion, home and garden retailer, Next.Amazon ... 
28 May 2019
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